It's Official: Downton Abbey renewed for 4th series!

As the United States braces for the Downton Abbey arrival of Shirley MacLaine in the premiere of series 3 (January 6, 2013 on PBS’ aptly named Masterpiece), word from the UK on Friday was that Christmas was to come early to all around the planet. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus! ITV has given […]

Read more

DCI Banks set for public television premiere in Jan 2013

As with most police procedural programs that come out of the UK (i.e. George Gently, Daziel and Pascoe, Prime Suspect, Inspector Lewis, Endeavour, etc.), brilliant as they are, they all tend to constantly reinforce the thought that there is a definite pecking order within the department between the DCI and everyone else from DI on […]

Read more

Red Dwarf Weekends start the UK countdown to S10

Yes, we all have 4 October burned in to our collective mind palaces as the return of what may just be the best Red Dwarf series to date. Not wanting to merely sit on their RDX laurels, Dave launches Red Dwarf Weekends beginning today with two entire series of the British sci-fi comedy each weekend […]

Read more

Downton Abbey 3 trailer wars

Time for everyone’s daily dose of Downton Another day, another Downton Abbey 3 trailer. There can never be too many trailers as far as I’m concerned, especially when we still have four months from yesterday to wait until the premiere in the States. What has been interesting this week is to look at the trailer […]

Read more

Mr. Selfridge – A First Look

Another day, another :20 of programming teaser brilliance comes our way. Yesterday, it was the first two glimpses of Downton Abbey 3. Today, comes a first look at ITV’s Mr. Selfridge starring Jeremy Piven in the true-to-life story of American entrepreneur, ‘Mile a Minute’ Harry Gordon Selfridge. It’s amazing how a mere :20 can say […]

Read more

Dowager Countess vs. Shirley MacLaine's Martha – Round One

Insert Michael Buffer here – Let’s Get Ready to Rumble….. With the recent American Film Institute honoring of Shirley MacLaine with their 40th “AFI Life Achievement Award”, a number of celebrity friends paid tribute to the on-screen achievements of MacLaine. Of obvious interest to PBS viewers of that little series we call Downton Abbey was […]

Read more

Plowman to commissioners: Show TV comedy writers the money

You might not know the name, but you can’t help but know the comedy output that Jon Plowman has been involved with and responsible for over the years. As the former head of BBC Comedy involved in the commissioning of comedy output and now working freelance for the BBC producing comedy, Jon Plowman has been […]

Read more

Sweden's Loreen nabs top Eurovision 2012 honors

Loreen has triumphed for Sweden at the 57th Eurovision Song Contest, with her club track Euphoria. According to the BBC, the former Swedish Idol contestant led from early on in the voting and ended with 372 points, with Russia’s Buranovo Grannies finishing at distant second with 259 points. Host Azerbaijan finished fourth with 150 points. […]

Read more

Celebrate British Sandwich Week with a Bacon Butty

While we are still several months away from the 294th birthday of the Earl of Sandwich (3 November, 2012) and National Sandwich Day, it’s time to pay tribute to the 250th anniversary of the invention of the sandwich during British Sandwich Week, now through 19 May. It was 1762 when John Montagu, the fourth Earl […]

Read more

James Corden – from Gavin & Stacey to Broadway

At the ripe old age of 33, James Corden has made good use of his post-Gavin & Stacey time. Corden co-created and co-wrote the popular British comedy series with G&S co-star, Ruth Jones, which ended after three seasons in 2010. So popular was it that in three short seasons, the series went from a rather […]

Read more