When I consider the reasons I liked British television compared to American TV shows, I first consider Joe Lampton's "Man At the Top". And it wasn't just about a division, whether imaginary or real, between Brits from the north or south at all! It was about a savvy, though brutal business man, who would not take anything lying down. He would figure out a way to get back over on anyone who wronged him. And every week they tried. It was plausible and unpredictable unlike American TV shows made around the same time. The American, cookie cutter plot, had blind...that's BLIND detectives kicking but on some long shore dock, no matter how many there were. Complete American stupidity! Both the idiots that made shows like "Longstreet" and the idiots who watched that pap! Not only that, you could and still can 'set your watch' to the template you're watching, as you know exactly when the 'chase scene' will transpire. Total rubbish. Meanwhile, Joe ended up divorcing his wife, Susan, a real surprise on the show and he was quite creative in giving the vendetta's back to those who tried to best him. It was simply good, real-to-life, unpredictable television programing.
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grunsel6 July 2004Yorkshire Man moves down south and finds all southerners corrupt and perverted. This is the basic premise behind Man At The Top, so you can imagine Joe Lampton (the hero) gets very angry about this, and he does frequently, always raving about something or other. People from the north were often portrayed as victims throughout the series. He becomes a very successful business man in London with the help of long suffering (southern) wife Susan, who comes from an affluent family. Long suffering because she ignores his various affairs, although in the end she does sometimes play the field herself. This series encapsulates attitudes between the north and south of Britain which hopefully have now gone?.