Following in the footsteps of such great American patriots as Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Greg Daniels, BBC America has torn off the shackles of British imperialism and decided it can create its own comedic television series, thank you very much. No word on whether this cry for hilarious freedom was prompted by the Stamp Act of 1765, the Tea Act of 1773, or the Benny Hill Yakkety Act of 1969—whatever the damnable act of the tyrant King George III, BBC America shall no longer depend on its parent company for the half-hour humor programs (not programmes!), that it schedules around blocs of Star Trek: The Next Generation reruns. Naturally, that series will depict the British oppressor acting terribly on this newly liberated soil: Specifically, Almost Royal is a faux documentary that follows distant relations to the crown as they travel to the colonies and have their pampered, Tanqueray-marinated minds blown by the rugged individualism and monarchy-free lifestyle of the average American. (And, judging by the promo photos provided by BBC America, make some jokes about how the Washington Monument looks like an erect penis. Or, as they say in the U.K., a right jolly bottle of HP Sauce.)
Almost Royal is set to premiere on June 21 at 10 p.m., following the second-season finale of Orphan Black, the sci-fi show that now counts as the Paul Revere’s midnight clone ride of BBC America’s war of independence. [The Hollywood Reporter]