BBC closes the book on Ben Elton’s latest bit of greatness as ‘Upstart Crow’ cancelled after S3!

In a move that traditionally tends to defy any conceivable valid explanation, the BBC has cancelled the Ben Elton comedy Upstart Crow after three critically acclaimed and highly successful series. David Mitchell was brilliant as a young William Shakespeare which spanned three series, several specials and an incredible limited run at both the Gielgud and Apollo Theatres in […]

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British ‘panel shows’ showcase brilliant wit of UK comedians

After spending the last week in the UK, I had the great good fortune to be reminded on a nightly basis of the extent to which British comedy is far superior to American comedy. That point was driven home by having the opportunity to watch endless latenight broadcasts of panel shows on Dave (the home of witty-banter […]

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‘The Upstart Crow’ conquers London’s West End

400+ years after his death, Will Shakespeare has, once again, taken London’s West End by storm. This time around, however, it’s the brilliant duo of Ben Elton and David Mitchell that have brought the bard’s struggles to the stage. Mitchell reprised his role from the brilliant sitcom as William Shakespeare in The Upstart Crow last night with a live version in London’s West End. 

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‘Upstart Crow’ returns for second series

Upstart Crow, the BBC2 comedy starring David Mitchell as William Shakespeare, will return later this year for a second series with several new cast members in tow. Emma Thompson (Brideshead Revisited, Love Actually, Harry Potter, Howards End, Fortunes of War) and Noel Fielding (The Mighty Boosh) are joining the cast of Upstart Crow. Thompson will […]

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‘Upstart Crow’ with David Mitchell continues #Shakespeare400 celebration

Peep Show star and one-half of the comedy duo of Mitchell and Webb, David Mitchell, stars as William Shakespeare in a new 6-part BBC2 sitcom written and produced by Ben Elton (The Young Ones, Blackadder, The Thin Blue Line). Focusing on the playwright’s life before he became famous, the storyline for Upstart Crow, revolves around Shakespeare’s personal and professional life and the rather […]

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Stephen Fry passes the ‘QI’ mantle at the alphabet’s halfway point

As they hit the halfway point of the alphabet, QI, (which stands for Quite Interesting), is losing its long-time host, the brilliant Stephen Fry (insert sad-face here). While Fry’s final series begins tonight at 10p on BBC2, when series 14 begins filming in the Spring/Summer of 2016, Sandi Toksvig will be charged with the herculean […]

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‘QI’ (Quite Interesting) headed to America…finally

According to the British Comedy Guide, the long-running British ‘panel/quiz’ show, QI (which stands for Quite Interesting), is finally headed to America for broadcast. Hosted by Stephen Fry and co-starring resident panelist Alan Davies (Jonathan Creek), the series has had its challenges in years past crossing the Atlantic, largely due to rights issues with the images […]

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