BBC Showcase – program highlights

As day one of the 2011 BBC Syndication Showcase in New Orleans has come and gone, I can honestly say to everyone that, as viewers of your local PBS station, you are in for a treat given what we saw today. This is the third annual showcase whereby BBC Worldwide Americas gathers PBS station programmers […]

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New Orleans becomes BBC West this week

It’s that time of year again, where Tellyspotting, along with 100+ colleagues from PBS stations around the country, descend upon New Orleans to work very, very hard on your behalf. Ordinarily, as television programmer’s, we like to say that our main function in life is to watch bad television so you don’t have to. However, […]

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Downton Abbey…Ghosts in Highclere Castle?

With a mere 91 days and a few hours to go before the PBS Masterpiece premiere of Downton Abbey 2, the UK reached the mid-point of the critically-acclaimed second series last night. Joanne Froggatt, who plays the clever and resourceful Anna, the highest ranking of the lower female servants, might have had a few additional inhabitants […]

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Downton Abbey: Are you more upstairs or downstairs?

Ever since Downton Abbey premiered on ITV1 in the UK and PBS in the States, some of the most interesting pub talk centered on the question of ‘what character do you identify with more’, those who occupy the upstairs or the downstairs of Downton Abbey? While many fashioned themselves as a closet Dowager Countess or […]

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Christmas cliffhanger = Downton Abbey 3?

As the UK inches towards the conclusion of the highly-anticipated and delivering on every moment second series of Downton Abbey, the States are still in the highly-anticipating mode as the second set is not scheduled to premiere until Sunday, January 8, 2012 as part of PBS’ Masterpiece series. Whether you are in the ever-patiently waiting […]

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Early pics from AbFab, Sherlock 2

Ready for some AbFab, sweetie darling? When filming began recently, it was as if they had never left the limo-riding, shopping, boozing lifestyle. Patsy (Joanna Lumley) and Edina (Jennifer Saunders) are back, better than ever, for three new Absolutely Fabulous specials targeted for a 2012 transmission. Thanks to Entertainment Weekly, we get an exclusive sneak […]

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River Song weds. Will honeymoon at Eaton Place

Ok, not really, but it does make good copy for those that follow both Doctor Who and Upstairs Downstairs, doesn’t it? Attention: Doctor Who final episode spoiler alert! Do not read on if you haven’t seen last episode of Doctor Who. Even if you haven’t seen it, the episode was, after all, titled, The Wedding of […]

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It's a Dickens 2012 telly celebration

With the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth nearly upon us (February 2012), there are numerous festivals, exhibitions and educational activities planned for 2012. Two of the most eagerly awaited events from my perspective, however, will be those that find their way to the telly in December leading up to the year-long celebration. Bleak Expectations […]

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Hugh Laurie rocks PBS 'House' tonight

Shamelessly paraphrasing a line from the Stevie Ray, Doyle Bramhall song The House is Rockin’, “…don’t bother knocking, come on in” is the only way to describe PBS’ house tonight as Hugh Laurie pays tribute to the history and tradition of New Orleans Blues. Hugh Laurie: Let Them Talk — A Celebration of New Orleans […]

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