From the Dept of Life imitates Art….

Dad’s Army, one of the most popular British comedy series in the history of British comedies according to the Britain’s Best Sitcom poll several years ago, has transformed from the small screen to the live stage. Based on real-life Home Guard experiences of co-writer Jimmy Perry, Dad’s Army has joined a growing group of British comedies […]

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Keeping Up Appearances takes to the stage

Sweeping it’s way across the UK faster than Hyacinth can chase down the postman to make sure they stop the mail while they holiday on the QE2, Keeping Up Appearances, Roy Clarke’s classic British comedy, takes to the stage across the UK beginning this summer. Speaking of, David Janson, the postman from the original KUA […]

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Hyacinth to attend RHS Chelsea Flower Show

From the department of you may or may not know, London’s Chelsea Flower Show began Tuesday and will run through Saturday, 29 May. Dating back to anywhere between the mid-1800’s to early 1900’s depending on what is considered the “official” beginning, this is considered the hot ticket in the UK and around the world with over […]

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A British comedy Mother's Day salute

One constant throughout the years in British comedy is the strong connection between a son and/or daughter and their mother. Unfortunately, the connection may have not always been a good thing, but it’s still a connection nevertheless. Here’s a quick look at a few that would make my top-5 mothers of all-time. Anyone else have […]

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The UK really is funny territory, pt 2

A quick update to an October 2009 post from Tellyspotting as you make plans to travel to the UK this summer. This just in from the other side of the pond – think about Peckham if you’re a fan of Only Fools and Horses. As reported in The Guardian, the British are way ahead of […]

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Next up – Trevor Peacock & James Fleet

Long day yesterday that started at 4:30a CT with a great interview with Bob Larbey, the genius mind behind the likes of As Time Goes By, The Good Neighbors (Good Life in the UK) and Mulberry, to name a few. In a word, couldn’t have been more gracious with his time and his thoughts on his […]

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The great British comedy catchphrase

To continue our focus and conversation about the writers, our friends over at the British Comedy Guide in a recent programming alert about an upcoming special on Channel 4 in London, remind us that buried in the brilliant writing of our favorite British comedy shows are some priceless and timeless catchphrases. As they point out, […]

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The minds behind the brilliance of British comedy

Some of you know, some don’t, that we are currently in production on a PBS special to air in March 2011 across the U.S. that will attempt to pay homage to what many of us feel is the number one reason as to why British comedy is brilliant – the writers. In the special, we’ll hear […]

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Class = laughs in British comedy, according to BSA

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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