Best Old BBC Shows

There are perhaps too many shows to mention here, and that in itself shows how ingrained in the culture and how well loved the venerable institution of the BBC has become.

It is not just the oldest broadcasting organization employing more people than any other, but you can be fined for not paying them a license fee if you own a television or access their content online.

Match of the Day is still one of the most popular shows on the network and has been for more than half a century, first airing in the summer of 1964.

Newsnight and Panorama have been keeping people abreast of current affairs for nearly as long, while Have I Got News For You does the same, but with a witty edge as fresh today as it was 25 years ago.

Comedy has always been a forte when it come to the BBC. Fawlty Towers consistently comes near the top of best ever lists and Blackadder, Hancocks Half Hour (which may well have defined the genre we all know today) and The Young Ones were not only funny, but they shone a light on the political issues of their day.

The Sky at Night with Patrick Moore was a monthly fixture on the viewing schedule from 1957 until his death in 2013.

BBC America allows access to many shows on this side of the pond and BBC iPlayer has a great archive of older shows you may have missed.

Additionally, a tablet or laptop can be filled by downloading the aforementioned shows from multiple sources for enjoying on the road.