You could try Poirot on youtube.

@Holysocks "Poirot" is a wee bit on the 'old hat' side, try ones like Midsomer Murders, No Offense, Death In paradise, etc.

@Holysocks ah yes, nothing like a good old Agatha Christie crime drama.

As for not spilling out drinks - it's part of our psyche learned from an early age ferrying drinks from a crowded bar. This guy has it down to a pat: [metro.co.uk]

The best of the British was "Piece of Cake, the story of the Hornet Squadron." It was serialized so it is a little slow, but a great mini-series with many unexpected war events. It is available from NetFlix. Other than that, I remember as a young person saying that I could identify British films by the fact that they had no point. I find some of the best films are European ("The Bridge" from Denmark. "Flame and Citron" from Denmark). Some of the most boring are from Canada ("Da Vinci Inquest" for instance).

@prometheus
'I paid for the damned thing...'

@dahermit
You have given me a bit to research. And you are absolutely right! Some of them have as much point as a hammer, but we watch them anyway!

@dahermit I watched the British version of The Bridge and liked it. I've watched too many other crime dramas to recall. I like their general slow and plodding pace, lots of plot and character development, actual detective work and less chasing and shooting. But I am continually irritated when the plot relies on some seemingly rogue detective breaking all the rules. That does often appear as a theme. From what I know of folks in the UK police I really don't think that is realistic. But it makes for good TV I guess.

"Broadchurch" was good. As was "The Fall" and "Happy Valley". There are many more.

I also like how they often have fewer longer episodes - sometimes as long as a short movie, and often stop after one or two or three seasons instead of trying to milk it indefinitely. When shows in the US keep going year after year they usual vere off into territory of having various characters sleep with each other or something.

@Holysocks never mind UK crime dramas having no point, what's the point of living?

My best answer: enjoy it while it lasts!

@prometheus " When shows in the US keep going year after year they usual vere off into territory of having various characters sleep with each other or something." YES! I often complain to my wife (the only person who listens to me), that the beginning episode or two of American series start off interesting, but then the writers run out of ideas and they turn them into "soap operas" (and make things up as they go) at the expense of good plots. "Lost" was one of the worse followed (or tied for most boring), "The Walking Dead"...first episode very good, deteriorated into silly-ass soap opera. One of the best American series was "Justified" with Timothy Olyphant. But in all, there way too few American series that do not turn to trash.

@prometheus "I watched the British version of The Bridge and liked it." I watched the Brit version also. However, it turned out to be a rip-off of the Dane version and not as interesting to me inasmuch as the Dane version's main character was a woman detective named "Saga" who was a High-Functioning Asperger's Syndrome person (I am likewise), The Brit version did not have an Aspie as I remember. I also liked the "Doc Martin" series partially for the same reason (he was an Aspy also).

@prometheus "never mind UK crime dramas having no point..." You would likely enjoy "The Da Vinci Inquest" then also. It is a mind-numbing, slow Canadian detective series. I cannot stand to watch it. They also had a series about their Coast Guard...boring as hell. I like things that are structured like the Short Story genre...has a beginning, developed characters, a plot, climax and denouement. In other words, beginning, middle, and end. It has to tell a good story.

@dahermit yes my understanding was all three versions were essentially the same story set in different countries so if you've watched one the rest will be not at all as interesting.

The UK version "The Tunnel" has the French cop Elsie being "Aspy" as you put it. I liked Doc Martin too.

@prometheus
And if that means watching British anything when it's cold out, so be it!