Yep, lots of great Brit dramas in there, love "A Very Peculiar Practice" being in the top 5, one of my 80s faves (Graham Crowden is a legend IMO). Not entirely convinced by their criteria though (so 'Grange Hill' makes all four lists but 'Edge of Darkness' doesn't and is therefore excluded ? Whaaa ?). Can't argue too much with a lot of it though, my order would be different as usual and I doubt i'd have any soaps at all - not a big fan - but a lot of theirs would be mine too.


Oh yeah, thanks Richard Vine, for a second there we forgot that mere sci-fi couldn't be great drama too, it'd have to be something more. Really ? Still ? In 2010 ? Dearie me. Still, he's absolutely spot on in the rest of the BSG blurb, guess i'll forgive him his traditional mainstream press anti-SF snobbery.

Saje | January 12, 11:04 CET

Not a horrible list, and it's great to see Buffy included. But I would've liked to see Firefly on the list as well. And if it were up to me, The Wire would've been #1. Although, to be honest, I have to admit that I've only seen a few of the British dramas mentioned.

snakespittle | January 12, 13:43 CET

The L Word is on the list? Really, The L Word? Heh.

WilliamTheB | January 12, 15:05 CET

I've seen hardly any of the things on that list, but its one of the most interesting lists I've seen. I'm able to appreciate it more than some others around at least.

Jaymii | January 12, 16:09 CET

My wife was recently re-watching Brideshead...it is truly sublime.

Do not understand the recent bashing of it that I've seen (in this article and elsewhere.) Still seems letter-perfect to me.

About as good an adaptation of literature as can be imagined.

Was given the book years ago by a Welsh friend of mine, an anti-royalist, socialist, atheist. When I asked why he so strongly recommended the book (which is ardently none of those things) he said, "Because it's the most beautifully written thing I've ever read."

I think he might have even used all caps.

Chris inVirginia | January 12, 16:30 CET

A lot I haven't seen, especially of the British inclusions, so I can't comment overall. But having recently watched all of "The Jewel in the Crown" for the first time, I definitely second having that in there. I think I liked it better than "Brideshead."

However, if were talking British series, where's "I, Claudius"? Is that not considered high drama? (It is trashy but in that high-flown BBC way).

barboo | January 12, 16:37 CET

Whoa, barboo, good catch, except I wouldn't call I, Claudius trashy in any way.

Chris inVirginia | January 12, 16:51 CET

I am sort of shocked that The Twilight Zone only got a sentence of a mention.

ceo | January 12, 16:52 CET

Chris inVirginia, I meant "trashy" in the good way. You know, murder, incest, poison, kinky sex, more murder, assassination, coup plots, kinkier sex, more poison, more murder, more kinky sex. And possibly my favorite line of dialogue ever, from a prostitute comparing herself to Claudius' wife "the difference between this great lady and myself is that my work is her hobby. My hobby happens to be gardening, for which I don't expect to be paid."

barboo | January 12, 18:43 CET

Popsy? I've never heard that term before. Is it a good description of Buffy?

floofypooh | January 12, 20:52 CET

It's a good description of what Buffy appeared to be - a 'popsy' is a young, pretty woman, sometimes with the slight implication that that's all she is.

And yep, slightly surprised not to see 'I,Clavdivs' (sorry, ancient joke ;) on there myself. Also not quite sure how they decided which merited a blurb and which a single line, presumably they just picked a few programmes which appealed to them individually ?

Saje | January 12, 22:04 CET