Happy 70th, Penelope! And, we open the mailbag

You Look Marvelous Today is Penelope Keith’s 70th birthday. Billy Crystal’s character, Fernando Lamas, couldn’t have said it better. You look marvelous. With a long public television history dating back to the days of Good Neighbors and To the Manor Born right through to her recent efforts serving as host for both The Funny Ladies of […]

Read more

Who said television doesn't influence behavior?

Whoever coined this phrase must have underestimated the power of television to influence buying behavior. Why, you ask? Well, just ask the makers of Harris Tweed how they feel now that Matt Smith, the Eleventh traveling Time Lord, has put on the hand-woven timeless jacket for the new series. The 60’s style jacket will now be […]

Read more

Gervais & Merchant take on the big screen with Cemetery Junction

Office co-creators/writers Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant take the leap to the big screen with their upcoming film, Cemetery Junction, scheduled for an April 2010 release in the U.K. Unfortunately, no scheduled release date set as of yet in the United States. Taking place in 1970’s England, Gervais describes the film as a ‘coming of age’ […]

Read more

Some say…It's all about the writing

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 […]

Read more

More "My Family" says his family

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, […]

Read more

Celebrate World Theatre Day!

Just a little over a month from hosting the Olympics, the city of Vancouver along with the international theatre community around the world set their sights on theatre to celebrate World Theatre Day. Created on March 27, 1961 by the International Theatre Institute, the message below, written by Dame Judi Dench, will be read onstage […]

Read more

Lenny Henry checks into the Overlook

Lenny Henry (Chef, The Lenny Henry Show) does his best Jack Nicholson impersonation in this recent ad for Premier Inn, a UK-based hotel chain. Unfortunately, for Lenny, the ad has come under fire due to an unfortunate misplacement during children’s programming on Nick Jr. Claiming the ever popular “technical error” as the reasoning for the […]

Read more

What ever happened to…

We all know our favorite British comedy stars for just that…being our favorite British comedy stars. For many, however, there’s been an entire lifetime of roles and, well, life, since that classic series we all watch over and over. Just to catch you up on a few favorites as to what they are doing now: […]

Read more

Book of Minutiae – Chapter 1

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. […]

Read more