Another one where I wish I was in England

You all know I love me some Netflix. When we cancelled our cable television service due to insane-o pricing a few years ago, the deal was we’d get a Netflix membership to hold us over until the price for 400 channels fit a bit more snugly into our budget. And even though Netflix can screw over it’s best customers by being total punks, I still love them. Mainly because they can get me obscure DVDs that you can’t find in your local, Kansas Blockbuster.

In the last year I’ve become more and more underwhelmed with the US movies and television that are out there “entertaining” us. I rarely find a show I enjoy, and when I do, it’s usually on at some strange time and I miss it due to life obligations like Lu or work or sleeping (see: How I Met Your Mother or Eli Stone). I’ve gotten into a habit of renting entire television seasons on Netflix, and let me tell you, all this has done is reinforced my decision to move to London tomorrow.

Wait, have I mentioned that? I’d like to move to England, please. Donations for the flight and living costs are being accepted.

Even though I don’t enjoy fried fish or biscuits, I think I would fit well in the UK. Besides, if we moved there Lu would end up with some smashing British accent and automatically get into some prestigious university due to her charming interview. And I would settle into my flat during the evening and curl up with my telly to watch some amazing programmes.

[Did you see that? Telly? Programmes? Flat? Shit, I should just move tomorrow.]

Though I probably won’t be raising enough money to book my flight in the next week month year decade, I can still transport myself though my dear, old Netflix subscription. That is where I found my most recent obsession, Shameless.

Granted, I’m sure the strong pull toward this show was helped along a bit by the presence of one of it’s stars, my second husband, but when I added it to my Netflix cue I had no idea I’d be begging Lu to go to bed so I could watch another episode. This “dramedy” tells the story of a family living in the Manchester projects, led by a drunk father, a teenage sister taking care of the family with her car thief boyfriend, a gay 15-year-old brother, a brother who is a certified genius, a bi-polar little sister who thinks her baby doll is real and a whole host of other characters. This show has found the perfect combination of outright laughs and touching moments to keep me enthralled and, as I mentioned, mildly obsessed.

Because I’m feeling rather girly today, the clips I’m posting are the smooshy sweet ones depicting the main characters first meeting. I know, cheesy. But I don’t care, it’s effing adorable and I wanted to watch every season after seing the following scene.

Sidenote: These clips are a bit lengthy, so if it’s taking a long time to load, hit pause, wait a bit, then hit play again.

After this chance meeting, Steve confesses to Fiona that he has actually wanted to ask her out for months, but she doesn’t believe him. The following scene is when she calls bullshit and tells him to describe the first time her saw her. It’s also when she finds out that he is not the spoiled brat she had assumed, but actually a small time car thief. Oh, and also, he’s wicked good looking. Just in case I hadn’t mentioned that once or twice or thirty times.

Gah! So cute! “Finished?” “No, we’re working on it.” Trent needs to call James McAvoy and thank him for all the lovin’ he’s going to get after I finish this DVD. It’s like porn for sappy girls!

I swear, it all makes sense when you see the show. So rent it. Or buy it. Or at least watch the first episode of season 1 before you give up on it. And tell the boys in your life that they’ll like it too, as there is plenty of crime and fighting and exposed breasts (this show would never make it on US television unless it was on HBO). Just turn on the TV and settle down with a cigarette and strong drink. It’ll make it all seem more real.

[Crazybananas does not condone smoking, but she sure does miss it sometimes. However, she does condone strong drinks. It’s a necessity of life.]

As long as I’m rambling on and on about British TV (and knowing most of you have stopped reading and moved on by now anyway), I’m going to humor myself and introduce you to another show from the UK that you should be renting, my original favorite British show, Coupling. They tried to remake it in the US a few years ago, but the comedy just doesn’t translate. It is billed (here, at least) as the British version of Friends, but it’s so much more than that. Trent and I laugh out loud every single time we watch this show. It takes normal, everyday musings and happenings in relationships and plays them back, in all of their ridiculousness, for everyone to see. I think that’s why it’s so funny, because anyone in a relationship watches this show and says “EXACTLY!” But these guys make it much funnier.

The following is a clip where the main couple, Susan and Steve, go to a fertility specialist. I know it’s a bit long, but if you can make it to the three minute mark, you’ll be a fan for life. I swear.

Sorry, I was over here laughing so hard I almost peed a little bit. To the very few of you that have made it through this long post, I have two things to say. First, go rent these DVDs and watch them with friends. Second, what are you doing wasting your time reading huge blog posts? I mean, jeez, get a life already!

Update: Thanks to my lovely readers, I’ve found out you can watch Shameless on the Sundance Channel, Sundays at 9 p.m. You can find Coupling on BBC America. Now you have no excuses! Watch!