Those words from The Fall & Rise of Reginald Perrin and, perhaps, the seven most recognizable associated with a British comedy in the late 70’s, other than “He’s from Barcelona” or “Don’t mention the war”, finally drove our favorite 9-5 commuter office worker to the brink daily when uttered by the tyrannical boss of Sunshine Desserts, […]
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It’s Tax Day. You probably don’t need any reminders at this point. Whether you’ve finished and filed, still have a ways to go as the hours tick down or you’re on your way to the 24-hour post office to make sure that return is postmarked by 12 midnight, there’s always time for a little British […]
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According to a paper presented yesterday at The British Sociological Association entitled, The Cultural Currency of a ‘Good’ Sense of Humour: British Comedy and New Forms of Distinction, researchers believe that, “social hierarchy holds the key to what Britons find funny, with middle class audiences using their preferences as a form of veiled snobbery”. Class […]
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OK, officially, Manuel may only be 35 years of age, but Andrew Sachs, the actor who brilliantly portrayed the most famous waiter from Barcelona turns 80 today, Wednesday, April 7. Best known for his role as the hapless waiter, Manuel, in, perhaps the greatest British comedy of all-time, Fawlty Towers, Sachs has had, and still enjoys, a […]
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In an eerily similar occurrence to the original during rehearsals of Fawlty Towers at the King’s Theatre in Gloucester, seems as though after all these years, Basil Fawlty still hasn’t gotten the hang of hitting Manuel on the head with a frying pan without inflicting real pain. According to the particulars during rehearsal at the […]
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Ask 1000 people worldwide what they like about British comedy and I guarantee you’ll find yourself in the company of 1000 people that say it’s all in the writing. Smart, witty, intelligent — words that are repeatedly used to describe British comedy writing. Good writing + good casting = success Ask any actor or actress […]
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The great Robert Lindsay, who stars as Ben Harper along side the equally great Zoe Wanamaker in the British situation comedy, My Family, has been ordered by his son to continue with the series when they resume shooting this Spring for, what may be, the last in the series. Series creator and writer, Fred Barron, […]
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From the Tellyspotting book of little known facts….. Next time you feel the need to amaze your friends with some British comedy trivia, here are some great starters that will have them, well, amazed. Guaranteed. Or, if you find yourself at a pub quiz and one of these questions pops up…you can thank me later. […]
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As a follow-up to a recent post on the in’s and out’s of getting a comedy series commissioned from the BBC, I thought it would be of interest to everyone to see just what’s on the slate for the coming year from an output standpoint. Thanks to our good friends over the The British Comedy […]
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Let’s hear it for the ladies…the Funny Ladies, that is, of British comedy. Coming your way on PBS stations nationwide beginning this weekend is More Funny Ladies of British Comedy. Airing tonight on KERA Channel 13 in the North Texas area at 10:30pm (following the new season of Red Dwarf: Back to Earth, which airs […]
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