Routine & The Differences In British TV

Charlie and I have already been out on the patio for our first morning stroll. They’ve both been fed and Charlie’s had his morning meds.

So now we’re all in our normal places. Me and Charlie in the recliner where I sip my cup of coffee. Ivy has been playing on her cat tower but now she’s on the couch where she will probably soon be asleep.

I just looked over again and she’s snoozing away.

Ordinary things. An ordinary day. Doing what we ordinarily do.

Do you have a set morning routine?

Mine is more than just a morning routine. Mine is a daily routine. You could set your clock by my actions. I don’t veer off the usual track much.

I think routine is calming to people. Especially older folks. We sometimes struggle to remember things and if we follow a routine, things don’t get as jumbled up.

What is truly frustrating is when I walk into a room to do something and then forget what it was I was there to do when I get there.

Both clumps of daisies in the big blue bed are blooming. Tiny little insects hover over them.

In the galvanized garden, the daisies from last year are just about to bloom. I’ll be interested to see how big the flowers are because I don’t recall now what they looked like last year. I suppose I could go back in my photos and find out.

I’ve been watching “Waking The Dead”, a British series about cold cases. I’m about halfway through it and I think there are 9 seasons.

I’d never seen the actor Trevor Eve, but he is a fantastic actor. His mannerisms, his composed way of expressing himself. I’ll have to see what else he’s been in.

He makes it all look so effortless, acting and following a script. It seems so real, his role as Inspector Superintendent Peter Boyd.

He is a handsome man. I imagine when I was younger I would not have noticed him. I’d have thought him old and gray.

But now that I’m older, I suppose it’s normal that the way I look at people has shifted along with the years. Isn’t it funny how that happens? Whereas gray hair on men used to seem tired and old when I was young, now it appears debonair and distinguished.

British TV differs from what I’ve been accustomed to watching in the US. Things seem to move slower on British TV. There isn’t such a rush from scene to scene.

There is breathing room in between.

From Culture War Reporters (in an article about the differences between British TV versus American TV) :

For all the weirdness (from our perspective) that British TV has to offer, it can’t be denied that it’s simply more “real” than American TV. The sets aren’t shiny, the people aren’t (exclusively) gorgeous, and stories of sin and murder actually recognize human suffering.

There’s certainly a lot from British TV that merits imitation here in America.

Are you a fan of British TV?

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24 Comments

  1. I prefer British and Canadian TV (I’m in SoCal). We subscribe to Netflix, Acorn and Britbox. ROKU offers many great movies and shows to stream. I enjoy history documentaries and reality series such as Pioneer Farm (Canadian). Love Call the Midwife on PBS. I decided to order Acorn and Britbox thanks to you, Brenda! So glad I did.

  2. I just started enjoying britbox. Also totally retired. Enjoying my slow life. My best life.

  3. Oh yes. I am a fan of British television shows. You are right about the difference in the US shows. After you had written about the Britidh detective show Vera I started watching it. I have several i watch and I really enjoy them. They keep me more engaged. I will havr to check this one out. Thanks.

  4. I am now binge watching Blue Murder. It takes place in Manchester, England. I think you would like the series.

    Best,
    Bonnie

  5. Brenda,
    routine is everything. My husband and I adopted a rescue puppy at the beginning of the pandemic. I get up at pretty much the same time every morning. We have even adjusted meal times to coincide with the pup. I also have a cat that needs thyroid meds morning and evening. Attending to all my other animals makes the hours of the day whiz by.
    I smiled in amusement about walking into a room and drawing a blank. I talk to myself, actually reciting my list of what my tasks are! Husband jokes with me about my new habit; I joke back saying I get the best answers this way.
    I watched a series a few years ago, called “The Killing.” It’s based on an adaptation of a Danish series , Forbrydelsen (The Crime). The American actress, Mireille Enos plays a detective named Sarah Linden who is tracking the murder of a teenager. It’s dark , a bit uneven and set in Seattle. It ran from 2011-2014.
    Hope all is well with your girls.
    Susan

  6. Brenda I worked at our public library in my town for years I loved reading mystery books I enjoy mystery and murder shows I don’t watch tv much but when I do it’s Blue Bloods I love Tom selleck I’ve loved cop shows since I was a kid I Use to imagine I was a cop and catching a criminal lol I’m far from that but I enjoy my life and my daily routines too it keeps me calm

  8. Brenda, have you watched Escape to the Chateau, a wonderful program on public TV. An English couple who own a beautiful castle in France……

    bobbie

  9. If you like Trevor Eve you should watch him In the Heat of the Sun and The Politicians Wife. I think there were both Masterpiece Theater series about 10 or so years ago. Excellent.

  10. Aren’t we thankful for our apartments as we go into a room only to forget what we were after,I’d hate to have to keep climbing stairs,lol
    My furkids keep me pretty much on routine,after all they’re going to faint from starvation if they’re not fed,NOW! Followed by treats of course…

  11. Yes, I have a morning routine. I first feed the cats and give Clementine her meds, then I brew my tea. (I used to be a coffee drinker but it’s now bothering my intestines, so I had to switch to tea. Right now my choice is jasmine green.) Then I settle in with my laptop where I check my email and Facebook. After that, I jump into gear and take my shower, make my bed and get dressed.

    The only British TV series I’m even partway familiar with is Monty Python. Otherwise, I rarely watch TV. I can tell you that I do prefer British magazines over the American ones!

  12. I love the British shows, mysteries mostly. I think what I love best is that they are normal looking people. American TV performers, most of the time, looked over made, makeup and hair, etc. I too like the shows for the slower pace. To me US shows are loud and jarring to my nerves. I just can’t take that anymore. Thank God for Acorn and Britbox.

  13. Trevor Eve’s wife and daughter are actresses.

    MHz streams European series for a very low monthly price. Started about 5 years ago from a Northern Virginia group of guys. Wonderful-material. The French offerings are first rate and have won many awards. The French Village for one. Murders in….. fill-in name if a city or region in France ….features soft mysteries vs violent crimes in graphic detail. Beautiful scenery and 1.5 hour of a nice story. The actors are real looking. Not all thin and younger. More life like. I like using captions in English even for British shows as sometimes I miss a word if they speak rapidly. Of course Scandinavian mysteries are moodier but have lots of depth to them. The US copies them. Midsummer Murders is an old stand by. Jeremy Brett’s Holmes is iconic. Morse is irreplaceable. The books are great too. Endeavor is excellent. The creators got the young Morse very right I think. I enjoy reading the books the characters are drawn from also.
    I’ve watched every episode of Star Trek next generation and others in the trek spun offs during lockdown. I know. Not everyone’s taste but I really like engaging fancy. CBSAll or something like that name has everything in one place for easy Treking.

  14. My husband and I recently subscribed to Brit Box. So far we have watched the entire series “The Village”, “The Heist at Hatton Garden” and are enjoying “Keeping Up Appearances” for some fun. We also watched “Small Island” and “the Passing Bells”.
    We like history (one learns from history) though we do like escapism. We watch Masterpiece Theater on PBS, but do not subscribe to PBS. Generally we can get their shows through HOOPLA (library) for free. (Having the ROKU has been fun. We have found numerous shows and movies to stream.)

  15. I love British television! I love that people don’t have to look like supermodels on the shows. They can have gray hair, imperfect teeth, and can work until they’re ancient. I think I went through all the UK shows that appealed to me on Netflix and free Acorn but recently discovered Rosemary & Thyme on YouTube and also that I can say old British movies on it and they’re so many old classic black and white ones to watch. I know I need to break down and get Britbox so I can see the seasons of Vera I wasn’t able to get on free Acorn and other series.

    I like routine too and so do BreeBree and James Mason!. Their best to Charlie and Ivy–I won’t tell them that Ivy is a cat!

  16. I love British TV. They pay more attention to character development, dialogue and storyline.

  17. I ADORE British tv..when I visit my son and family in England I’ve been known to binge watch what I can’t get over here!

  18. Terry and I love the british detective shows. We watch ours on Netflix or Hulu. I tried acorn tv but did not find too many choices we liked so I cancelled that. I love the detective series on Netflix. I will have to see if this one is on Netflix or Hulu. Sounds like a good one.
    Have a good Sunday.
    Kris

  19. I can’t really comment on British TV because I don’t watch any. I do have a routine and if I don’t follow it every day I get all confused and my day doesn’t go very well! I agree with you about gray hair on men it does look distinguished!

  20. I too am a big fan of British TV. I love their mystery stories – Inspector Lewis, Poirot, all the Miss Marples, And the wonderful Sherlock Holmes – both the old ones with Jeremy Brett and the newer ones set in present time. The comedies are so funny, well written, and beautifully acted – Doc Martin, especially. The scenery is amazing. I’m really enjoying Last Tango in Halifax now – highly recommended. And Call the Midwife – just the most moving series.
    Thanks for letting us share, Brenda. Enjoy your day with sweet Charlie and dear Ivy,
    .
    Mary

  22. British TV is my very favorite form of television watching. I read a lot of British authors also. So happy to hear Charlie is doing well and that Ivy loves her tower. Do you recall the variety of daisies you planted? I have had daisies in the past and they were invasive and unruly.

    1. The ones I bought this year were Shasta daisies and I’m thinking that’s what I must have had last year too in the galvanized tub.

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