It has been (gulp!) just over four decades now since John Cleese (a.k.a. Basil Fawlty) last gave an automobile a ‘damn good thrashing’ for not starting. It was a cold October night in 1975 when Basil, in yet another attempt to climb the Torquay social ladder, left his friend Andres’ restaurant with duck in hand during […]
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Not the Nine O’Clock News, the late 70s/early 80s television sketch comedy series designed as a comedic alternative to the Nine O’Clock News on BBC1, featured satirical sketches on current news stories and popular culture. Produced by John Lloyd (best known for his work on such comedy television programs as Spitting Image, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Blackadder and QI, Not the […]
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There’s something about British comedy over the course of time that makes you wonder how two people could ever hook-up much less cross paths. You know, those like Basil and Sybil Fawlty who are constantly at each others throats but you get the sense that neither of them would survive without the other. The same […]
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40 years ago this coming Saturday, the first episode of, arguably, the best comedy series ever to be shown on telly premiered on BBC2. Fawlty Towers has long been said to have been based on the experiences of the Monty Python comedy team staying at the Gleneagles Hotel in the seaside town of Torquay. The idea came from […]
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With the long-awaited series 2 of The Wrong Mans returning last night and concluding tonight on BBC Two in the UK and then tomorrow night (Christmas Eve) on Hulu in America, Tellyspotting recently sat down with series co-creator/writer/star, Mathew Baynton, to talk about what’s in store for Sam and Phil in S2 and, basically, all-things comedy. Before we find […]
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It’s hard to imagine the Crawleys at the dinner table during just about any episode of Downton Abbey and not seeing wine served. Without question, when Mr. Carson pulled a bottle of wine from the cellar for Lord and Lady Grantham, one could be assured it was a fine French Bordeaux, the wine of choice […]
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While we are still in the dog days of Summer and the endless string of 100+ degree weather, it’s never too early to begin planning your Downton Abbey-themed event for this Autumn in the UK or for January 2014 in the States…. Wines That Rock, the company responsible for Rolling Stones Forty Licks Merlot and […]
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Today’s From the Vault segment pays tribute to those having to work retail on Black Friday. The Friday after Thanksgiving has long been hailed as the busiest shopping day of the year in America. Only in the United States can the aptly named Black Friday start at 8:00pm pm Thursday. In recent years, the competition […]
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Here’s wishing a coveted third Michelin star to Le Chateau Anglais and Chef Gareth Blackstock for his alter ego, Lenny Henry’s 54th birthday today. Given that Chef Blackstock’s restaurant was one of the few in the United Kingdom to receive a two-star rating from Michelin we felt it the only fitting gift we could give […]
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For many, Friday the 13th may be the one day where your actions (or inactions) range from staying inside, avoiding black cats, walk way out of your way to prevent you from walking under ladders, or even attempting to avoid buildings that have a 13th floor. Unfortunately, for Basil Fawlty, every day is Friday the […]
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