Best movies & TV Shows like Distant Shores

A stand of birches. Sunlight brightens and dims, revealing more or less of the woods. A little grass is on the forest floor. Is there a shape in the shadows? Something green is out of focus. The light flashes, and the screen goes dark from time to time. We look up close at the bark of trees. Is the god of the forest to be seen?

After the enforced absence of their father, the three Waterbury children move with their mother to Yorkshire, where they find themselves involved in several unexpected dramas along the railway by their new home.

A group of high-powered, middle-aged white men go to this place to take refuge from the stresses of their daily lives and spend time relaxing and regressing as “adult babies.” It’s set in a beautiful, secret location but this is not their only function. As adult babies, they are there to refuel the world’s economy by sinister and unusual means.

In the poor, desolate northern provinces of the mountainous feudal Sunni kingdom of Afghanistan (before the Soviet-engineered republican revolutions), the status of the proud men and their clans is determined less by wealth or even military power (both rare) then by victories in the ancient, though game of buskashi, a vicious form of polo dating back to Genghis Khan, in which the chapendaz (participating horsemen) use their horse-whips on both mounts and rivals in a ruthless fight for a heavy 'ball', a dead calf, which must be carried a long way, almost impossible with all the others mercilessly assailing. Tursen, a former champion, now holds the status of village notable thanks to his position as stable-keeper of the regional lord Osman Bey, and has finally bred a horse without equal, the white stallion Jahil, in time for the royal tournament on the plain of Bagrami, just outside the capital Kabul...

A busload of women become stranded in an isolated part of the Canadian countryside. As they await rescue, they reflect on their lives through a mostly ad-libbed script.

This is the rare UK Channel 4 documentary about Blade Runner, giving insights into it's history with interviews of Ridley Scott, the writers and nearly all the cast. Interviews with production staff, including Ridley, give details into the creative process and turmoil during preproduction. Stories from Paul M. Sammon and Fancher provide insight into Philip K. Dick and the origins of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Interweaved are cast interviews with the notable exceptions of Harrison Ford and Sean Young. Through these interviews we get a sense of how difficult and frustrating the film was to make as a result of an exacting director without allies and hot, wet, smoggy conditions; which added to the high pressure atmosphere everyone increasingly felt as the film went over budget. There is also a tour of some locations, most notably the Bradbury Building and the Warner Brothers backlot that was the LA 2019 streets, which look very different from Ridley's dark version.

Pediatric specialist Tasha Mason is focused on one thing; keeping the kids in her ward as healthy and happy as possible. So when her high-school crush, who just happens to be handsome Prince Alexander Cavalieri, breaks his leg on a nearby ski-slope, Tasha is forced to allow him to secretly get well on her floor and she’s furious that a spoiled Royal is interrupting the precious healing time her kids so badly need. Soon, however, Tasha learns that some tough love and a lot of Christmas spirit, could turn this royal pain into a knight in shining armor.

Following David Attenborough as he travels the globe to film his series, David Attenborough's First Life, in which he explores the very origins of life on Earth. David journeys to the parts of the world which have had special meaning to him during his 50 years of broadcasting. Beginning near his boyhood Leicestershire home, where he first collected fossils, he then travels to Morocco's arid deserts, the glaciers of Canada and crystal clear waters of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. As a prelude to the First Life series, Attenborough's Journey provides a unique insight into the mind and character of one of the world's most iconic broadcasters as he shares his passions for the natural world. Combining his global journey for First Life and archive material looking back at his illustrious career both as a programme maker and a controller of the BBC, the film reveals what makes him tick.

This programme looks at the origins, development and running of the London Underground "Tube" system. To celebrate the 150th anniversary of The Tube, London Underground are organising for an old Metropolitan steam loco to haul trains along the first section of line to open, the Metropolitan Railway from Paddington to Farringdon, and at Farringdon they are preparing for a royal visit by Prince Charles and Camilla.

Director Paul Wendkos' 1960 film adaptation of the controversial novel "Harrison High", about an idealistic young high-school teacher dealing with over-sexed and troubled teenagers, is notable for its casting of newcomer Dick Clark in the starring role. Others in the cast include Tuesday Weld, Michael Callan, Victoria Shaw, Roberta Shore, Warren Berlinger, Doug McClure, Linda Watkins, Rudy Bond, Philip Coolidge, Stephen Talbot, Kathryn Card, James Darren, Duane Eddy, The Rebels and Bess Flowers.

Maria, an emotionally-stunted transgender punk on an aimless road trip across the country has a chance encounter with James H., a repressed minimum-wage worker trapped in the purgatory that is rural Nevada. Over the next 24 hours, the two form an unlikely bond as Maria helps James unpack a question he’s been frightened to ask himself his entire life: is he trans?

As the Metropolitan Museum of Art closes, Big Bird decides to leave his Sesame Street friends behind in search of Snuffy. Once locked inside for the night, educational hilarity ensues as Big Bird and Snuffy team up to help a small Egyptian boy solve a riddle - as the rest of the cast searches for their big, yellow friend.

After receiving a scholarship from the state, a recent Columbia University medical school graduate is required to set up his practice in an eccentric Alaskan town.

Doc Martin is a British television comedy drama series starring Martin Clunes in the title role. It was created by Dominic Minghella after the character of Dr. Martin Bamford in the 2000 comedy film Saving Grace. The show is set in the fictional seaside village of Portwenn and filmed on location in the village of Port Isaac, Cornwall, England, with most interior scenes shot in a converted local barn. Five series aired between 2004 and 2011, together with a feature-length special that aired on Christmas Day 2006. Series 6 began airing on ITV on 2 September 2013.

Geordie Shore is a British reality television series broadcast on MTV. Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, it premiered on 24 May 2011, and is the British spin-off of the American show Jersey Shore. "Geordie" is the regional nickname and dialect given to the people of the Tyneside area of North East England, and is closely associated with the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and its environs where the show is set. However the show includes cast members from various parts of North East England.

Give Us a Clue is a British televised game show version of charades which was broadcast on ITV from 1979 to 1992. The original host was Michael Aspel from 1979 to 1983, followed by Michael Parkinson from 1984 to 1992. The show featured two teams, one captained by Lionel Blair and the other by Una Stubbs. Later versions of the programme had Liza Goddard as captain of the women's team. A revived version was attempted by BBC One, which ran from 10 November to 19 December 1997 and commissioned 30 episodes, it was hosted by Tim Clark. Teams were captained by Christopher Blake and Julie Peasgood and the show tried to introduce a lateral thinking puzzle. Give us a Clue returned for a special Comic Relief episode on 5 March 2011 with Sara Cox, Christopher Biggins, Lionel Blair, Una Stubbs, Holly Walsh, Jenni Falconer and David Walliams.

A detective chief inspector from 2006 is investigating a serial killer when he is knocked over by a speeding car. Waking up, he finds himself mysteriously transported back in time to 1973. Initially struggling to come to terms with his situation, he has to come to terms with the old-fashioned technology and attitude of the day, while figuring out how he came to be trapped in the past.

Green Acres is an American sitcom starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a rural country farm. Produced by Filmways as a sister show to Petticoat Junction, the series was first broadcast on CBS, from September 15, 1965 to April 27, 1971. Receiving solid ratings during its six-year run, Green Acres was cancelled in 1971 as part of the "rural purge" by CBS. The sitcom has been in syndication and is available in DVD and VHS releases. In 1997, the two-part episode "A Star Named Arnold is Born" was ranked #59 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.

Doctor Who Confidential is a documentary series created by the British Broadcasting Corporation to complement the revival of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Each episode was broadcast on BBC Three on Saturdays, immediately after the broadcast of the weekly television episode on BBC One. The running time of the first two series was 30 minutes, being extended to 45 minutes in the third. BBC Three also broadcast a cut-down edition of the programme, lasting 15 minutes, shown after the repeats on Sundays and Fridays and after the weekday evening repeats of earlier seasons. Described as focusing on the human element of the series, Confidential features behind-the-scenes footage on the making of Doctor Who through clips and interviews with the cast, production crew and other people, including those who have participated in the television series over the years of its existence. Each episode deals with a different topic, and in most cases refers to the Doctor Who episode that preceded it. There have also been two episodes of Doctor Who Confidential broadcast apart from the showing of Doctor Who episodes: in November 2006 an edition subtitled "Music and Monsters" was produced going behind the scenes of a televised concert of soundtrack music produced as part of that year's Children in Need appeal, and on 3 January 2009, a special edition was broadcast to announce the actor chosen to play the Eleventh Doctor.

A British children's musical television comedy programme aimed at and mostly about teenagers, which aired in 2004. It was set at an esteemed performing arts college near Barcelona, Spain, and focuses on 13 teenagers who are invited to enrol at the college, Avalon Heights, over the summer. All eight members of the pop group S Club 8 star in the show alongside five other young actors and actresses and Hollywood film actor Christopher Lloyd. The show has the members of S Club 8 playing supposedly exaggerated versions of themselves, albeit with identical names to their real life counterparts. Each episode of the show includes several songs and dance numbers involving both members and non-members of the band. Cast member George Wood called the show "a modern day Fame".

World in Action was a British investigative current affairs programme made by Granada Television from 1963 until 1998. Its campaigning journalism frequently had a major impact on events of the day. Its production teams often took audacious risks and gained a solid reputation for its often unorthodox, some said left-wing, approach. Cabinet ministers fell victim to its probings. Numerous innocent victims of the British criminal justice system, including the Birmingham Six, were released from jail. Honouring the programme in its fiftieth anniversary awards, the Political Studies Association, said: "World in Action thrived on unveiling corruption and highlighting underhand dealings. World in Action came to be seen as hard-hitting investigative journalism at its best." In its heyday World in Action drew audiences of up to 23 million in Britain alone, equivalent to almost half the population.

Border Security: Australia's Front Line is an Australian television program that airs on the Seven Network. The show follows the work of officers of Australian Customs and Border Protection, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship as they enforce Australian customs, quarantine, immigration and finance laws. Most of the programme is filmed at Sydney and Melbourne airports. Occasionally, the program features other locations such as Brisbane Airport, Perth Airport, seaports, international mail centres, raids on workplaces suspected of employing persons contrary to the restrictions of their visa or immigrant status and the work of Customs vessels and aircraft in the waters of Northern Australia.

The Man in Room 17 is a British television series which ran for two seasons in the mid-1960s, produced by the Northern ITV franchise, Granada Television. Key to the series' success was the involvement of writer/producer Robin Chapman. The show was set in Room 17 of the Department of Social Research, where former wartime agent-turned-criminologist Edwin Oldenshaw solved difficult police cases through theory and discussions with his assistants. The novelty of the series was that Oldenshaw and his colleagues never needed to leave their office in order to resolve cases, preferring to spend their time playing the Japanese board game of Go. They simply provided their prognosis and left the police to do the cleaning up. Different directors were often appointed to film the Room 17 and outside-world scenes independently, to maintain a sense of distance between the two worlds.

Doc is a medical drama/family drama with strong Christian undertones starring Billy Ray Cyrus as Dr. Clint "Doc" Cassidy, a Montana doctor who takes a job in a New York City medical clinic. It ran from March 11, 2001 to November 28, 2004 on PAX. Although set in New York City, all the episodes were shot in and around Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Enemy At The Door is a British television drama series made by London Weekend Television for ITV. The series was shown between 1978 and 1980 and dealt with the German occupation of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands, during the Second World War. The programme generated a certain amount of criticism in Guernsey, particularly for being obviously filmed on Jersey despite being ostensibly set on Guernsey. The series also marked the TV debut of Anthony Head as a member of the island resistance. The theme music was by Wilfred Josephs.

Born and Bred is a light-hearted British drama series that aired on BBC One from 2002 to 2005. Created by Chris Chibnall and Nigel McCrery, Born and Bred's cast was led by James Bolam and Michael French, who play a father and son who run a cottage hospital in Ormston, a fictional Lancashire village in the 1950s. Bolam and French's characters are later replaced by characters played by Richard Wilson and Oliver Milburn.

New Yorker Zoe Hart has it all figured out - after graduating top of her class from medical school, she'll follow in her father's footsteps and become a cardio-thoracic surgeon. But when her dreams fall apart, Zoe decides to work at a small practice in Bluebell, Alabama.

India is home to over a billion people with one fifth of the world's population on only 2% of the world's surface. Yet India still has a wild side, populated by giants, fierce predators, the rare and beautiful…all wrapped up in a land of extremes. 'Secrets of Wild India' celebrates the diversity and drama of India's extraordinary and varied landscapes. In this three-part series, each episode focus' on one iconic ecosystem, a snapshot of how life works in each unique environment.

It's the 1960s. The height of the Cold War. The rural town of Granite Flats, Colorado, suddenly becomes a hotbed for mystery and intrigue. Almost a year after Hershel Jenkins was released from jail, mystery is still a permanent resident in Granite Flats, Colorado. From small concerns plaguing the citizens of the small town to ongoing FBI investigations, Arthur, Timmy, and Madeline are eager to put their developing detective skills to the test. Their sleuthing goes further than ever before, and they may be biting off more than they can chew. And as it turns out, sleuthing is a family affair. The parents of all three miniature detectives have dipped their toes in the water. Chief Sanders works side by side with the FBI to find a citizen who is disloyal to the country, Beth is embroiled in the center of experimental work at the hospital, and the Doctors Andrews are the masterminds behind the shady experiments. This season, everyone has got a secret and nobody is ready to admit it.

Give My Head Peace was a satirical television comedy series on BBC Northern Ireland that pokes fun at political parties, paramilitary groups and the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland. The programme is written by Tim McGarry, Damon Quinn and Michael McDowell, also known as "The Hole in the Wall Gang", who also perform as the characters.

The BBC News at Ten is the flagship evening news programme for British television channel BBC One and the BBC News channel. It is presented by Huw Edwards, and deputised by Fiona Bruce. It is the final comprehensive news programme of the day on BBC One. The programme was controversially moved from 9:00pm on 16 October 2000. It is broadcast Monday to Sunday at 10:00pm. It features twenty-five minutes of British national and international news, with an emphasis on the latter. On weekdays, it incorporates around seven minutes of news from the BBC regions around the country at approx 10:25pm to 10:30pm, which is then followed by a national weather forecast. During the first three months of its revival, ITV News at Ten averaged 2.2 million viewers compared with an average of 4.8 million viewers watching the BBC bulletin over the same period. The BBC News at Ten is currently the most watched news programme in Britain, averaging 4.9 million viewers each night.

Floodtide is a British television crime drama was produced by Granada Television, first broadcast on ITV from 14 June 1987 to 12 February 1988. The series focuses on a dogged inspector's pursuit of a group of cocaine smugglers across Europe and his bid to bring them to justice. A total of thirteen episodes aired over the course of nine months. Co-produced and partly filmed in France, it was one of the first ITV dramas to be co-produced with an international production company. Written by acclaimed The Sweeney scriptwriter Roger Marshall, the series was released on DVD by Network DVD for the first time on 19 July 2010. Although further series of the programme were planned, lead actor Phillip Sayer was diagnosed with cancer in 1988 and eventually died in 1989. Marshall concluded that it would be wrong to re-cast the part and instead decided to bring the series to a natural close.

A long-running late night television show on ITV which was made first by LWT and then Granada Productions. It featured a number of clips from unusual or (often unintentionally) amusing television programmes and commercials from around the world.

When Doctor Andrea Fanti loses 12 years of memories from a brain injury, he finds himself adjusting to a world full of strangers.

Game for a Laugh is a British light entertainment programme which ran for 56 editions and four specials between 26 September 1981 and 23 November 1985, made by London Weekend Television for the ITV network.