British Comedy | Tellyspotting

Posted September 5, 2022 - No Comment

A 2022 Labor Day salute to the employees of Grace Brothers Department Store!

In the United States, Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement, dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of their country. We simply can’t let the long weekend pass by without paying tribute to some of the hardest working friends across the pond…the staff of the ladies’ and gentlemen’s clothing departments of Grace Brothers Department Store.

Posted September 4, 2022 - No Comment

Capping off the KERA British Telly Tour with a trip to ‘Dibley’ and Bletchley Park!

Taking absolutely nothing away from our stops earlier in the week touring filming locations for Downton Abbey (Highclere Castle), Poldark (Chavenage House), Midsomer Murders (Dorchester-on-Thames), Inspector Morse/Lewis/Endeavour (Oxfordshire) and Agatha Raisin (Biddestone), the final day of the KERA British Telly Tour before returning to London may have been the best of all with a stop in Turville, yet another picturesque small English village (thankfully, no murders have occured there to my knowledge) for a behind-the-scenes look at the Vicar of Dibley and then on to Bletchley Park (Bletchley Circle) for a glimpse at the brilliant work that came out of the minds of the roughly 9000 men and women that worked tirelessly to end World War II .

Posted July 29, 2022 - No Comment

RIP — Bernard Cribbins O.B.E. — “….he was in one episode of Fawlty Towers” **

Bernard Cribbins, the rather fussy spoon salesman mistaken for a hotel inspector in one episode of Fawlty Towers, has died at the age of 93. **In spite of a brilliant seven decade plus career, Cribbins will be forever known as ‘being in the “Hotel Inspectors” episode of Fawlty Towers, which is a testament to the greatness of perhaps the best British comedy of all time but speaks more to Cribbins’ brilliant ability to make even a relatively minor role such as Mr. Hutchinson in one episode of Fawlty Towers so memorable.

Posted July 19, 2022 - No Comment

As ‘Father Ted’ confirms, the Ice Age officially ended July 19 as London temps hit 104 degrees

With temperatures across the globe hitting record highs the past couple of days, I hope everyone is staying hydrated, staying in the shade and surviving as best you can. 110 degrees is bad enough where I am but one can’t even begin to fathom it being 104F (40C) in London today which is, reportedly, the highest temperature on record to date.

Posted July 4, 2022 - No Comment

Stephen Merchant answers the burning question — ‘What if the British won?’

As co-writer and co-director of BBC’s The Office, Stephen Merchant is best known for his collaborations with Ricky Gervais. Several years ago, the British writer, director, radio presenter, stand-up comedian and actor added London West-End appearance to his CV with his first play, The Mentalists by Richard Bean, alongside Steffan Rhodri at the Wyndham Theatre. And, his most recent effort alongside the greatness of […]

Posted May 29, 2022 - No Comment

Rowan Atkinson is the man in ‘Man Vs Bee’

Only the brilliant comedic genius that is Rowan Atkinson could build antcipation for an entire comedy series around one man’s fight with….a bee! When the former star/co-creator of such British comedy classics such as Mr. Bean and Blackadder is given a platform to showcase his physical comedy capabilities, it does spell the potential for comedy gold. In Man vs. Bee, […]

Posted May 14, 2022 - No Comment

The next meeting of the DMDC is set as ‘The Detectorists’ gets ready for one final dig!

Mackenzie Crook, the writer, director and star behind the brilliant metal-detecting sitcom The Detectorists, confirmed there will be one last sweep of the English countryside coming from his mind palace which will warrant getting the band back together in the not-too-distant future. The series, which finished after three series in 2017, was not only a very cerebral […]

Posted May 6, 2022 - No Comment

The 1975 review of ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ that completely misses the mark.

A series that played a significant part in shaping my ‘formative years in British telly’ was when I first discovered Monty Python’s Flying Circus. When it first aired in the United States on October 6, 1974, courtesy of my local PBS station, KERA (where I have now worked for a majority of my career in television), it […]

Posted February 17, 2022 - No Comment

Happy 93rd, Dame Patricia Routledge!

One of the few upsides of another year living under a pandemic cloud is the opportunity to send good wishes for a very happy birthday to the brilliant Dame Patricia Routledge, who turns 93 today. Given Hyacinth would have been appalled at the possibility that I might forget to drop a card in the post […]

Posted February 14, 2022 - No Comment

Hartswood Films founder/Sherlock’ EP, Beryl Vertue, passes at 90.

Hartswood Films founder, Beryl Vertue, passed away Saturday at the age of 90. While her name might not be top-of-mind, her legendary career work in British comedy and drama will live on for generations around the world. “It’s with the heaviest of hearts that we have to share the sad news that mum/Beryl passed away […]