+I believe they call them across the pond, "series"

In the UK groups of episodes which in the US would be called a season are indeed often called a 'series.'

+Do all shows in England only have six episodes per season?

No. The average drama/comedy 'series' may contain any number of episodes from six to thirteen (a guesstimate.) As with the US the average number of episode per 'series' has steadily declined in the last forty years. Also, note that shows aired in the UK (and Canada) are more likely to come from a vareity of sources including other countries (like the US and Canada), independant productions, and BBC productions.

+Why do they only have six episodes per season?

I too have asked this question and I have found no conclusive answer. The most reasonable answer I have gotten is that it may be a way to launch a show like a second 'pilot' and produce a limited number of shows to judge audience reaction. This would also allow for the use of smaller writing teams, cheaper production budgets, more variety presented on each channel, and easier support for independent productions.

+Do British shows have more that one season per calendar year?

As in the US, UK shows can easily wrap around the calender year. (Begin in one year and finish in another.) And due to programming decision can have one or two 'series' in a single calender year.
Source(s):
wikipedia.org, bbc.co.uk

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