British TV

Spent 30 pounds for a 2nd-hand TV and 90 pounds for a 3/4 year of license. Because I use an indoor-antenna, I don't have signal for channel 5. What remains are: BBC1, BBC2, ITV, and Channel 4.

Soaps and Sit-com: unlike some hit U.S. programs we usually watch in Taiwan, British soaps and sit-coms are more down to earth, more subtle and maybe more sophisticated. Settings are usually in a family or between friends. It's more like watching your neighbours or fellow classmates. There's no fancy background music, no canned laughter, no variations of camera angles. A book says watching soaps is like being allowed to peer through the hidden life of neighbours.

Variety show: A famous one is the X-factor. Text-message votes and a panel of judges decide who can proceed to the next week's show. Good performers may earn themselves a record conract and become famous.
台灣的類似節目和毒舌裁判大概也是學這個的
http://www.xfactor.tv/

Reality show: The Apprentice. Several contenders strive for a job under Sir Alan Sugar with 6-figures pay. Each week they are assigned a mission, and at the end, Sir Alan decides whom to be fired. The last man/woman standing gets the job. Once you see the opening of the show, you'll know Alan is not the kind of boss you wanna come across, though u may learn a lot indeed from him. "YOU'RE LIGHT-WEIGHT, YOU'RE FIRED!!"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/apprentice/board/index.shtml

Quiz show: 謝震武那個節目可能是抄英國的吧, 連音樂,燈光都一模一樣

News: Yes, it looks like news. Nothing could be weirder than Taiwan's.
Sometimes the proceeding in the Parliament is live broadcasted. Everytime I watch that, I feel this country is really civilised.

Others: 有把家中骨董或收藏品拿來拍賣的節目, 園藝節目, 烹飪節目, 像discovery頻道的節目(這類的節目特有水準), 今天才發現一個用日常生活講解經濟學原理的節目, 講到info asymmetry, and how 'credible' signals work to alleviate the problem.