>>Well way more modern than "Are you being served" (ain't no stores LIKE that anymore - a lift attendant!) and Benny Hill. There were some 5-6 series of Red Dwarf, so more recent than 15 years I'd guess. Craig Charles, BTW, has sunk to a part in Britain's favourite soap, Coronation Street (I know you get that in Canada - my cousin there watches it -but you're about 6 months behind)
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>We do get it, and I tried to watch a couple of shows. Couldn't hack it. I've never tried again. Something about the banality of soap operas - even with their outlandish plot lines they're still banal. I was once told that all you need is to watch any soap for a couple of weeks, and you'll be hooked. When I first moved back to Toronto from Edmonton in the mid 80's, I stayed with my brother and sister in law for a month while I was buying a house. They taped two soaps every day and watched them in the evening. So, for a month I watched with them. Finally, I moved into my own house, and I never watched either soap again. Believe me, I don't miss either of them. Clearly, I was lied to.

Can't STAND them myself - have to leave the room if they're on. British soaps tend toward the banality of life (as opposed to US soaps where the heroines get abducted by aliens (Dynesty/Colbies), or the hero comes back to life (Bobby Ewing), and I think my life's dull enough without watching someone else's dull life. One interesting thing about "Corrie" is that there are often almost subliminal references to Canada, e.g. there may be a maple leaf sticker on the cash register in the shop, or someone's wearing a faded Toronto T-shirt. I think this is to keep the canuck fans happy :-)