The Champions
As suggested by: ProfJazz
Stateside, Stuart Damon is known for his 30-year run in the role of Dr Alan Quartermain on US soap opera, General Hospital. Elsewhere, however, he had already made his name as Craig Stirling in ITV's 1960s sci-fi adventure series, The Champions. Damon played one of three law enforcement agents endowed with subtle superhuman powers, including telepathy and precognition, following a plane crash in the Himalayas. A feature-length film followed, comprised of two edited episodes from the series and titled Legend of the Champions, which featured Damon's character heavily and credited him as the star. Photograph: Rex Features
Pride and Prejudice
As suggested by: blatantfraud, ID216159
Hailing from North Carolina, Jennifer Ehle may have benefited from having a British mother in taking on the role of Elizabeth Bennet in the 1995 BBC TV adaptation of Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice. Putting in a performance that would bag her a Bafta, Ehle starred opposite Colin Firth as Mr Darcy in the role which would bring him fame and future roles in feature films. Ehle, meanwhile, avoided capitalising on the series' success by turning down all interview requests and signing up with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Photograph: Moviestore Collection/Rex Features Photograph: REX/Moviestore Collection
Mr Selfridge
As suggested by: MCJ39, alice45
Best known for his role in US comedy series Entourage, Jeremy Piven got his British television break with 2013 ITV period drama Mr Selfridge, playing the man who first promoted the concept of shopping for pleasure, rather than out of necessity. Despite a mixed reaction to Piven's portrayal of Harry Selfridge, the American retail entrepreneur who founded London's high-end department store, the American actor is set to reprise his role in a second series, scheduled for 2014. Photograph: Patrick Redmond/ITV
Edge of Darkness
As suggested by: bi11, Dcarter, Lonelysven, garyfaethejungle
Originally broadcast on BBC 2 in 1985, Edge of Darkness was a critically acclaimed crime drama and political thriller which saw American actor Joe Don Baker take on the role of a CIA agent seeking to uncover the truth behind the death of a detective's daughter. Baker was rumoured to have been so impressed with the script that he accepted a reduced fee in order to take part in the project, which tapped into a growing public concern over the threat of nuclear attack during the 1980s. Photograph: Sportsphoto/Allstar
Dancing on the Edge
As suggested by: euronewsjournalist, alice45
This BBC2 drama told the story of a black jazz band who became popular among the aristocracy of 1930s London. John Goodman, who found TV fame as Dan Conner in US sitcom Roseanne before embarking on a successful movie career, played American mogul Walter Masterson. Photograph: Cathal Macilwaine/BBC
Kelly Monteith
As suggested by: hazh, Edevhort, Nidoc101
Following successful appearances as a guest on the Des O'Connor Show, the BBC offered American comedian Kelly Monteith his own series. Titled simply Kelly Monteith, the comedian played a standup comic (also named Kelly Monteith) in a series which broke new ground by regularly incorporating sitcom-style scenes around his standup routine. Kelly Monteith ran for six series from 1979 and won the Silver Rose for the broadcaster at the Montreux Television Festival in Switzerland. Photograph: PR
Space 1999
As suggested by: Flumpasaurus, britprof
Starring opposite his then-wife Barbara Bain, Martin Landau played Commander John Koenig in seventies British sci-fi series Space: 1999. Despite producer Sylvia Anderson's disappointment that American stars were cast (in an apparent attempt to ensure that the series would also appeal to the US market), the series ran for two seasons on ITV between 1975-1977, with the commander playing a central role in the majority of episodes. Landau has since claimed that both Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong were fans of the show, which has remained something a cult classic. Photograph: REX/ITV
Dempsey and Makepeace
As suggested by: brimble, republicofgortonia
This classic buddy cop pairing saw American actor Michael Brandon take on the role of streetwise New York detective James Dempsey, starring opposite Glynis Barber (who he later married) as the educated and elegant detective sergeant Harriet Makepeace. The show ran for three series on ITV from 1985, with Brandon himself directing the final episode, and focused largely on the mismatched methods favoured by the British-American policing partnership, as well as the budding romance between the two protagonists. Photograph: REX/ITV
The Mighty Boosh
As suggested by: robair, Katie Puckrik
Best known for his appearances alongside comedy partnership Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding in the BBC Three comedy series The Mighty Boosh, and particularly for his portrayal of incompetent zookeeper Bob Fossil, Rich Fulcher frequently crops up on the box in Britain, although often in supporting roles. He did, however, write and star in the dark comedy series Snuff Box alongside Matt Berry, in which he played assistant to Berry's 'High Executioner to the King of England'. Photograph: Jean/PA Photos
Man In A Suitcase
As suggested by: ProfJazz, blatantfraud, ID0897329
Born in Texas, method actor Bradford took on the role of the former US intelligence agent known only as McGill (or 'Mac') in this 1967 ITV crime drama series. Forced to resign and unable to return to America following false accusations of treason, McGill worked as a private investigator in Britain while trying to clear his name. Bradford's insistence that the plotlines and characters should be realistic lead Man in a Suitcase to become the most violent series that ITC had ever produced, with McGill regularly ending an episode wounded or hospitalised, and often unpaid for his work. Photograph: Rex Features
