Over the last 10-12 years, it's become much easier to stream British TV in the US - but the influence of British TV on American (and worldwide) culture is nothing new. Virtually everyone knows the word "spam" has come to be mean "unsolicited electronic communication", but a lot of people won't realise British TV is responsible for that.
Back in 1970, there was an episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus called "Spam", and one of the sketches dealt with a restaurant where pretty much every dish contains Spam. When a patron protests, chaos erupts and Vikings start singing about Spam.
In the early days of the internet, it was heavily populated by people who appreciated the particular brand of humour on offer by the Monty Python crew - and while there are a few different stories about the origin of the modern usage of "spam", many believe it came from chat users who would post some variation of SPAM SPAM SPAM in group chats to be annoying or make it harder to find other messages. With that, the practice of sending people unsolicited information or messages online became an act of "spamming".
If you've never seen the Spam sketch, you can watch Monty Python's Flying Circus on Netflix. It's also available for purchase HERE if you're not a Netflix user (season 2, episode 12).
What we're...
- Watching: Eullenia - Scottish actor Alec Newman (Karen Pirie) stars in this six-part thriller about a CEO who lives in Thailand and aims to make the world better through banking...while dabbling in a bit of murder on the side.
- Reading: A Clue for the Puzzle Lady by Parnell Hall - This one's currently being adapted for Channel 5 with Phyllis Logan in the leading role, so we had to check it out. Miss Cora Felton is an eccentric older woman with a nationally syndicated puzzle column and a talent for solving murders. Between this one, Marlow Murders, and Ludwig (both of which are yet to premiere in the US), puzzle people are having a bit of a moment on British TV.
20 Brand New British TV Shows Premiering in the US in October - October has more new British TV shows than any month since May. In this post, we take a look at the schedule, photos, and show descriptions.
New & Upcoming
- On PBS Masterpiece, Sundays are currently bringing new episodes of a few great crime dramas - Ridley, Van der Valk, and Moonflower Murders.
-
On BritBox, October 1st brought the first season of Shameless, and Suspect (not to be confused with Suspects, The Suspect, or Prime Suspect) returned for season 2 on October 3rd. On the 9th, they'll be adding Inheritance, a four-part drama about siblings who are devastated when their father dies and they begin to get clues it might not have been an accident. On the 11th, they'll be adding seasons 3 and 4 of the reality series Race Across the World.
-
On Acorn TV, season 32 of the Graham Norton Show premieres October 8th. October 7th brought a new episode of The Long Shadow, the true crime series Des (starring David Tennant), and the 1982 production of The Scarlet Pimpernel. On the 14th, they'll add the finale of The Long Shadow, along with the crime drama Missing (starring Pauline Quirke).
- On Netflix, season 3 of the British coming of age drama Heartstopper premiered October 3rd.
- On Apple TV+, all episodes of season 4 of the spy thriller Slow Horses will be available after October 9th. The psychological thriller Disclaimer will premiere October 11th, telling the story of an unethical journalist who's horrified when a novel shows up on her doorstep, exposing all her secrets.
- On The CW, Joan premiered on October 2nd. The series stars Sophie Turner as the real-life jewel thief Joan Hannington.
- On Max (formerly HBO Max), The Franchise premiered October 6th. The series follows the crew of a big film franchise (similar to Marvel) as they struggle to produce a film.
- On Sundance Now and AMC+, look for true crime docuseries The Hunt for the Chameleon Killer on October 10th.
- On Starz, the dark comedy Sweetpea will premiere on October 10th. It follows along as a young wallflower is pushed and pushed until she loses control.
View all the brand-new British TV premieres in the US for October 2024 HERE
More to Read...
A Closer Look at Salad Cream - Salad cream appears in everything from Still Game to Mount Pleasant, but it's not a commonly used condiment in the US. In this post, we take a closer look at what it is and how you use it.
350+ British TV Show Status Updates - Need to check on the status of your favourite British TV show from the last 4-5 years? This is the place to do it (and you might just get ideas for more to watch).
How a Seaside Town in England Inspired Dracula - Most of us are familiar with Dracula's Romanian origins...but far fewer realise Bram Stoker also drew inspiration from a lovely seaside town in the northeast of England.
More to Enjoy...
- The Mystery of Mr. E - This 2023 film is adapted from a school play by mystery novelist Sophie Hannah. In it, twin brothers John and George are confronted by a stranger claiming to be "the murderer"; soon after, a guest is found dead under mysterious circumstances.
- Scottish Mussel - Martin Compston (Line of Duty) stars as a Glaswegian chancer who goes undercover in hopes of doing some illegal pearl fishing in the Highlands. When he falls in love with a beautiful conservationist, he finds himself torn between conflicting desires. Also on Tubi.
- Me, Myself, & Di - This 2022 film follows a young woman who wins the "trip of a lifetime" to a caravan park in Wales. Her friend convinces her to pretend to be someone she isn't, but she struggles to keep up the charade. The film features performances from Will Mellor (No Offence), Larry Lamb (Gavin & Stacey), Jenny Funnell (As Time Goes By), and James Lance (Ted Lasso).
- Romantic Road - This 2017 documentary follows a London lawyer who sets off on a road trip across rural Indian with his wife and their battered 1936 Rolls Royce. Also on Tubi.
- Grace & Goliath - A big Hollywood actor heads to Belfast to make a film, but while he's there, he loses everything. Hotel cleaner Lily invites him to stay with her crazy family, and he gradually grows to love the city and its people.
- The Pebble and the Boy - After the death of his father, a young man sets off on a journey from Manchester to Brighton on his father's old Lambretta scooter - learning a bit about his father and the Mods along the way.
I'm fine, Camille. I'm British. I'm going for the "bottle it all up and turn it into a bitter little ball" approach.
DI Humphrey Goodman, Death in Paradise
Stream it (US): BritBox
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
