It’s no secret I am a bit of an Anglophile. I watched Doctor in the House and old-time Doctor Who as a kid. (Luckily the naughty jokes in shows like Doctor in the House went way over my young head.) My Netflix queue contains epic stories starring handsome men in cravats (usually with the initials RA), tortured souls, and pulse-pounding shows with twisty plots. All of it set on one island once the seat of a mighty empire. (Plus all points in between if the show is Doctor Who.)
Thanks to DVDs, the above mentioned Netflix, and *cough* other streaming sites, these shows start out as discoveries told to a few friends. Until Downton Abbey started to make the award rounds, it was a best-kept secret among people who watch PBS. (The scene of my Doctor Who discovery way back in the day.) Where does one go to catch up on the latest news in the world of UK Entertainment? (We must include the Scots and the Irish in this one.)
Introducing Anglophenia.
The blog is best summarized by its subtitle: British Culture with an American Accent. It’s a service of BBC America although it does blog about shows from other British networks notably ITV (home of Downton Abbey and the original X-Factor) and Sky (think HBO/Showtime with a British accent). Anglophenia does have certain days to blog about certain phenomena namely their Doctor Who’s Day Round Up. Check out Fraser’s Phrases for nuggets about British slang and their origins. Anything about the British Isles within one place with enough links to make a nerdy heart quite happy.
I do have one caveat. Some of the videos featured in the posts are geo-gated. Right now Anglophenia has posts regarding the recent BAFTA awards and their video interviews feature the infamous not-available-in-your-country message. (The one I read had interviews with Tom Hiddleston and Chris Helmsworth from Thor. Like that message is going to stop someone.) Overall it’s a fun blog to read and book mark for any news on your favourite UK show.
Now if you will excuse me, I am off to read about ‘Americans Pretending to Be British’ and part 2 covers Madonna. Enjoy.
Unpaused Life 