Top 10 British TV Shows Americans Will Never Understand

A nail-biting competition to discover Britain’s best home sewer, “The Great British Sewing Bee” has it all: polite, friendly competitors; haberdasheries; and of course . . . sewing! Fronted first by Claudia Winkleman, and later comedian Joe Lycett, it’s an even more wholesome counterpart to the ever-popular “Bake Off”. Contestants go head-to-head in a series of tricky challenges to make the best clothes they can, putting their amateur talents to the test, with the winners often launching careers in fashion. If the one annual series of “Sewing Bee” isn’t enough, there’s usually a celebrity iteration run for “Children in Need.” It’s great stuff, but without forced drama and a catwalk finale, it’s something only Brits seem to appreciate.

It kickstarted Ricky Gervais’s career and served as the basis for one of the few successful US adaptations of a British show. But the very fact there needed to be a US adaptation of “The Office” proves how fundamentally British it is; after all, there’s only one David Brent. Responsible for popularising the mockumentary format, comedy owes a lot to “The Office,” which managed to take one of the dullest settings possible – a paper company office based in Slough – and give us absolutely timeless TV. Even the 2016 film spin-off failed to recapture the magic of the original.

It’s a miracle anybody is left in the county of Midsomer to actually GET murdered. Why anybody would choose to move there has been a conundrum viewers have ignored for decades. Adapted from Caroline Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby books, the show has been killing off characters since the 1990s, and there are very few British actors who haven’t been murdered or been a murderer in Midsomer at one point or another. The show focuses just as much on rural, English life as it does on grisly killings, making it especially foreign to US audiences - who don’t seem to appreciate a slice of village life the same way.

In this sketch show, Leigh Francis took a savage stab at popular culture, mocking celebrities on both sides of the pond. While he was famous for taking on Americans Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, and David Blaine, his British lampoons got even more specific. His Mel B impression, in which he put on an exaggerated Northern accent and promised to reveal the Spice Girls’ darkest secrets, was particularly notable, as was his antisocial and aggressive version of Elton John. And his impersonation of Craig David gained so much notoriety that it actually affected David’s career. “Bo’ Selecta!” was bad celebrity impressions at their best - but too surreal and puerile for some tastes.

The longest-running children’s TV show in the world remains tricky to categorise, but you won’t find a person in the UK who doesn’t have fond memories of “Blue Peter” from one point or another. It’s famously given rise to recognisable phrases like, “Here’s one I made earlier,” and, “And now for something completely different,” which have been parodied and repeated to death. The show provides children with entertainment, arts and crafts lessons, practical life skills, and of course the coveted “Blue Peter” badge. Those lucky enough to nab one get themselves free entry to thousands of attractions across the UK.

While it was Alex Horne’s idea, giving the reins to Greg Davies was a masterstroke. An array of five celebrities, usually comedians, are chosen as the line-up for every series, where they compete in bizarre tasks set forth by the taskmaster. Infamous challenges include having to make an exotic sandwich, having to buy the taskmaster the best gift, throwing a teabag into a mug from a distance, among countless others. It’s recently received an American adaptation, but only time will tell if becomes as popular in the US as it has in the UK.

In this comedy series, Toby Jones and Mackenzie Crook tackle the king of all hobbies: metal detecting!!! Wandering around and collecting bits of detritus from the British countryside – including ring pulls, sweet wrappers, and sometimes ancient pennies – this unassuming double act makes for surprisingly relatable comedy. Somewhat dissatisfied with their lives, the hobbyists turn to detecting, muddling through chilly fields and their day-to-day activities. While Lance struggles with his ex-wife, Andy’s struggles are with his current wife. The show most resonates with middle-aged men who metal detect themselves. Suffice it to say, “Detectorists” has a very niche audience.

An evening chat show like no other, it’s hard to describe exactly what happens on “The One Show” every weeknight at seven. It’s currently led by Alex Jones and Matt Baker, but in the past has been fronted by Chris Evans and Adrian Chiles. While it took a while to get going, it’s now become a British institution, featuring items about current events, pop culture and wildlife, with lots of celebrity guests. Nonetheless, the show’s mixed tone and odd segues have proved perplexing to many American guests, even as it remains a British favourite.

A local show for local people, “The League of Gentlemen” can be hard to understand even if you are from the UK – but that’s sort of the point. Set in a bizarre, rural village like no other, it boasts some of the weirdest and most memorable characters to ever grace British television. This is comedy at its darkest. Notable subplots include the butcher shop’s addictive and mysterious “special stuff”; incestuous shop owners Edward and Tubbs murdering men who plan to build a new road; and the Dentons with their colour-coded towels and toad collection.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few Honorable Mentions:

“Inside No. 9” (2014-)

“Have I Got News for You” (1990-)

“Upstart Crow” (2016-)

A panel show that takes toilet humour to a glorious extreme, Keith Lemon’s surreal brainchild has been going strong for over a decade. With Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton as regular team captains, it’s won a myriad of awards for its comedy. Despite this, many of its games are much too risqué to ever be shown on US television; in 2018 it sparked controversy when Fred Sirieix was tricked into licking someone’s bottom. Regular games include Shouting One Out (played in toilet stalls), Battle Chips (which involves eating chips out of someone else’s nose), and more recently the Ding-a-Ling-a-Dong-a-Long-a-Thon.