Dame Judi "returns" to Cranford; PBS/BBC team up for "classics" in 2010

Return to Cranford, comes to KERA and PBS stations nationwide on Masterpiece Classic beginning Sunday, January 10, 2010. The star-studded cast of Dame Judi Dench, who reprises her role of Miss Matty Jenkyns, Francesca Annis and Eileen Atkins welcome new town members Jonathan Pryce and Tim Curry in the sequel to the BAFTA-winning Emmy-nominated drama, […]

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Horror descends on Dibley

In a sleepy little British village on the outskirts of London, peace and tranquility are shattered by the horror of a town that turns on the new vicar. It’s almost more than this reporter can take, but I will endure in the interest of bringing it to you on this day.

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Happy Halloween from Tellyspotting!

A slight deviation from ‘all things British’ to celebrate tonight’s decidedly “American” holiday. That said, only the British can put a comedic touch on the traditionally scary goings on. Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie first worked together when they were students at Cambridge University. This from their series, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, which […]

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Ladies of Letters – Civilized cattiness at it's finest

Aptly described in the British press as “Talking Heads meets Keeping Up Appearances“, the highly successful BBC Radio 4 series, Ladies of Letters, recently made the always dangerous leap to television. Thanks, in large part, to the wonderful acting talents of Maureen Lipman (Irene Spencer) and Anne Reid (Vera Small) , Letters takes the long-running […]

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Posh Nosh – Extraordinary food for ordinary people

Only in recent years, has the British culinary scene risen like the sun over the English Channel. The Fat Duck in Bray, county of Berkshire, was named the best restaurant in the UK and the second best restaurant in the world in 2008. (FYI, their 2009 food issues have been resolved and they’ve returned to […]

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Happy 70th, Mr. Cleese

What better way to celebrate John Cleese’s 70th birthday than with a look back at, perhaps, the two most classic clips from the greatest British comedy of all time. I will admit, however, that I’m feeling the same way about hearing John Cleese turned 70 on October 27 as I did when seeing the 25th […]

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The Kitty Monologues – Hyacinth B4 Hyacinth

Taking a somewhat 180 degree turn on the “where are they now” concept, I thought fans of Patricia Routledge and Hyacinth Bucket would enjoy a “what did they do before” moment with this pre-Keeping Up Appearances character from the Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV series that aired on the BBC in the mid-80’s. Recorded […]

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And you thought the UK wasn't funny

Next time you travel to the UK, take a break from the pubs and think about a comedy tour of England, which boasts not only numerous birthplaces of your favorite Britcom stars, but you can quickly check out places like Yorkshire, home to the longest-running sitcom on television, Last of the Summer Wine. You can […]

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Dateline NYC (1964) – Britain invades U.S.

When I think of British television, I immediately think of classic comedy, drama, mystery and nature programming. But, you have to think of music also. Without question, the Brits have also had a history of creating some of the most influential music television for over 40 years with series like The Old Grey Whistle Test […]

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PBS stations discover Life on Mars in 2010!

From the producers of MI-5, comes Life on Mars, one of the most innovative programs in years and, yet, another brilliant British series that recently failed as an American re-make. Ok, sure we all hear voices from time to time, but DI Sam Tyler hears voices of the 21st century calling him back from solving […]

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