I started watching“The Benny Hill Show” on a visit to my cousin’s when I was quite young.  Ever since then, I have taken a liking to TV shows from “across the pond.”

Like most of us, folks with English accents are fun to listen to. At first, you might lose a little bit, especially if they talk too fast. But after a while, you catch on.

Over the years, I watched other shows from the UK.  “Prisoner Cell Block H,” “Keeping Up Appearances,” “The Vicar of Dibley” and so on. Some dramatic, some funny, some both. All entertaining.

As with most summers, I catch on to some unique pastime. I read books some folks find weird. I watch movies that no one has heard of. It always seems I stumble onto something a bit obscure that no one else has heard of.

I really don’t know how it happened, but I started watching an English soap called “Coronation Street” on Youtube.com. I happened on a humorous clip from the show and then looked it up. Since then, I have watched all the Youtube episodes from 1960 when the show began. Since I don’t always have a lot of spare time, I watch here and there. I’m up to the 1970s right now.

Youtube offers the first show and several from that first season. After that, there are only about eight featured episodes for each year from 1961 to 1975.

Apparently, a cable station in England started showing the classic episodes from the show, starting with 1976. So, after cruising through the 1960s and early 70s with limited episodes, you can watch every episode from 1976 on. I have watched a couple of episodes while I ate lunch or hooked up the laptop while I did some unpleasant chore in the garage. I even put an umbrella over the computer and watched while I painted my deck.

Now, I used to keep it a secret about watching any soap opera. However, looking back, I can cite so many instances where a lot of men I knew watched soaps. My dad knew all the characters from “Young and the Restless.” Our neighbor, a retired man, seemed to always take a break from his workout in his shop to tune in with his wife. In high school and on to college, there were quite a few of my buddies who watched “General Hospital,” “All My Children” or “Days of Our Lives.” And I won’t even start talking about the male fanbase for nighttime shows like “Dallas” and others. It’s safe to say soaps aren’t just for housewives while they fold laundry.

I also think my general disdain for TV these days has sent me looking for other stuff to watch. Right now, I’m fed up with reality television. When I have time, I watch a few nighttime shows. But I can never seem to get into them. Michelle and I watch reruns after the kids go to bed. And the news.

There are several things I like about “The Street” or “Corrie” as fans call Coronation Street. It really doesn’t fall into a general category. It is a soap, drama and sitcom all rolled into one.

First of all, it’s a simple show. Everyone lives on a street in a small working-class neighborhood in fictional Weatherfield. The town is based on a real town or suburb of the larger city of Manchester in England.  Everyone lives in a “flat” which consists of three rooms downstairs and a couple of bedrooms up. Some folks on the show even had outside “facilities” until the late 60s.

The neighbors on the street get into each other’s business and help one another out.

Usually, they all meet up at the neighborhood pub at various times during the day, catching up on what is going on, throwing darts, enjoying a “pint,” or having a meat pie.

Sounds a little boring, I know. Indeed, if I were to describe some of the storylines to you, you will think it sounds incredibly boring. However, the show has been on since 1960 and is still going strong.

Another thing I like about the show is its attention to reality. I’ve always said, I wish there was a soap on about real life; this one comes close. You see characters wearing the same outfits, another way the show appeals to normal working-class folks. The characters talk about making ends meet. They talk about how hard it is to pay bills sometimes. You have no problem believing these folks can only afford a couple of dress-up outfits and a few changes of work clothes.

Even the fancier folks on the street have a limited wardrobe.

I also like that the folks on the street are ordinary looking.  The leading men don’t run around looking for opportunities to take their shirts off. The leading ladies of the show are alluring without showing skin.  Some of the folks are a little pudgy and don’t have perfect teeth. Plus, some of the leading players of the show are in their 40s or older. Of course, this gets more and more appealing to me and others my age as the years pass.

And not that I’m a huge authority on good acting, but anyone can see that the actors work hard to create deep, meaningful characters. As I said before, the storylines would sound boring to the outsider. However, the acting is so good and characters so well-defined that you are entertained from start to finish.  The characters can be endearing, yet you find yourself getting mad at them once in awhile.  Much like real life.

I also think the writers are always cognizant of the show’s history. They often have the older characters involved, talking about the past and sharing wisdom with the younger folks.  The older folks provide comic relief, yet are the ones who help the most during a crisis.

As I said before, the neighbors on the street care about one another, even if they aren’t close friends. They come together in times of trouble.  There is a real sense of community in this show; something we are often lacking in these days.

So, if you have quirky tastes like I do, give it a shot.  You can watch the first show from 1960 (which is great) on Youtube and watch more if  you want. Type in Coronation Street and “first episode.”

After tuning in, tell me what you think of Ena Sharples, Elsie Tanner, Albert Tatlock and Annie and Jack Walker. I also hope you love my personal favorite, Minnie Caldwell.

If you like the show as much as I do, we’ll start our own American “Corrie” club. How about it? We can walk around sharing English phrases and meet each other at the pub.

People will really think we are quirky. Or perhaps we will start a new trend. Who knows?