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 […]

Read more

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 […]

Read more

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 […]

Read more

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 […]

Read more

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 […]

Read more

Not the Messiah…Python style

Spamalot creator and original Monty Python member, Eric Idle, has once again put pen to paper for a one-night only ‘humorous oratorio’ based on The Life of Brian that will see its European premiere (and close) Friday, October 23 at Royal Albert Hall in London. Billed as being “like Handel only funnier”, Not the Messiah […]

Read more

Funny Ladies of British Comedy II – Behind the Lens

Several years ago, PBS paid tribute to The Funny Ladies of British Comedy. Hosted by one of the grand dames of British comedy, Penelope Keith, the special featured classic clips from perennial favorites such as As Time Goes By, Keeping Up Appearances, Are You Being Served and Fawlty Towers along with insights from the likes of Dawn […]

Read more

Red Dwarf returns – S10 in 2010?

On the heels of the much-anticipated arrival in America of Red Dwarf: Back to Earth comes a recent cryptic ‘tweet’ from actor Robert Llewellyn (Kryten). In less that 140 characters, Llewellyn reports that scripts for the 10th season of the series, to be written by Doug Naylor, have been commissioned and should begin filming sometime […]

Read more

MI5 – 100 years in the making

If you are a fan of the BBC series, MI5, then this is the book for you. The Defence of the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5 by Christopher Andrew is a must read. At just over 1000 pages, it’s a long read, but worth the effort. It’s more of a history lesson than it is […]

Read more

Britcom marathon – behind the scenes from A-Z

A very belated, but very sincere thanks to all those that made this past weeks 35th Anniversary British Comedy Celebration a huge success. From staff, to crew, to volunteers, to all the fans of British comedy and KERA, you made (and continue to make) it all worthwhile. For those that joined us in the KERA studios until […]

Read more