BBCTV

In the past few years, it seems like there's been a resurgence of great programming from the BBC. I have always been a fan of shows like Monty Python, Red Dwarf, Black Adder and the like, but a new crop of 'edgy' shows seem to have sprung up, almost overnight. Well, 'overnight' might be stretching it a little bit, unless it's one of those three-month long "nights," like in that creepy town where the vampires live. Even that would be used only with extremely liberal licensing.
The point is, there's a lot of great television shows coming from the UK these days. My favorite is probably Peep Show, which stars two extremely socially inept roommates and their cadre of equally disturbed 'friends.' The entire show (with very, very few exceptions) is filmed in first person perspective, which means you only see what one of the characters is seeing. Once in a blue moon there's an establishing shot from outside a building, but that's the exception rather than the rule. The other neat trick is that the show is comprised of an endless stream of inner dialogue, presented as a series of voice-overs. The characters innermost thoughts are constantly on display, and they are always extremely fucked up. I can't recommend this show highly enough; I think at least one season is out on DVD in the USA. All four seasons are currently available on bittorrent sites.
Another brand new show I've been enjoying is Angelo's. It just finished up its first six-episode season a few weeks ago, though I have yet to see the finale. It's a more 'traditional' britcom, in that it centers around a common meeting place filled with zany characters. In this case, it's Angelo's cafe, or (as he calls it) the "Caf." Though it bares strong resemblance to the older shows, it maintains that dark, fucked up quality that permeates many modern programs. There's a guy in it who dresses like C3-PO and stands in the town square all day, for starters. It really is a great show, and I hope it comes back for more. The guy who plays Angelo had a bit part in the recent Extras Christmas Special, as the landlord who tried to rent out a real shithole to Ricky Gervais' ugly friend.