Comedy | Tellyspotting

October 18, 2014
U.S. networks to adapt 'Moone Boy', 'IT Crowd'

You might remember NBC’s fatal 2003 attempt at adapting the Steven Moffat/Sue Vertue situation comedy, Coupling. I say fatal because even though there were 11 episodes produced (which is still a miniscule number of episodes for an American sitcom), it was cancelled after only 4 episodes with 7 of them having never seen the light of day to this day. 180 degrees in the other direction, however, was NBC’s re-make of Ricky Gervais’ brilliant series, The Office, which ran for 9 seasons largely due to the talents of Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer and Ed Helms.
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October 15, 2014
‘Father Ted’ Ardal O’Hanlon heads to BBC Radio 4 for new sitcom, ‘Best Laid Plans’

In addition to the abundance of regional theater readily available throughout the UK, the other bit of brilliance that makes me want to hop on the next Boeing 777 and head east is the very civilized process of continuing to develop of good comedy via BBC Radio 4, which is also home to one of […]
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October 9, 2014
W1A's rebranding effort of the BBC to continue in 2015

Ian Fletcher, the Beeb’s Head of Values and chair of its Way Ahead Task Force, will roam the halls of the BBC for a bit longer as a second series of W1A has been commissioned but the BBC. “I am very happy to have the cameras back,” said the fictional Fletcher (played by Downton Abbey‘s […]
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October 8, 2014
Big screen treatment of Dad's Army drawing top-notch talent

The big-screen adaptation of the classic BBC wartime comedy, Dad’s Army, is drawing some of the biggest names (outside of Benedict Cumberbatch) together as they begin to assemble the cast. The feature film treatment of the Jimmy Perry, David Croft iconic British comedy has landed one of the greats with the announcement that Bill Nighy, […]
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September 29, 2014
Could Leonardo da Vinci ever have imagined 'Mona Lisa Bean'?

Something that most British comedy fans knew from day one has come to life thanks to Southern Louisiana artist, Rodney Pike. Mr. Bean, the classic Richard Curtis comedy series which starred the rubber-faced Rowan Atkinson, is…Art, in the truest sense of the word.
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September 16, 2014
'W1A' to return to the halls of BBC's New Broadcasting House in 2015

While the world carefully watches the historic “Yes Scotland” vs. “Better Together” vote this coming Thursday that will determine if Scotland is to remain part of the United Kingdom or become an independent country, there is another extraordinarily critical issue on the table that is just around the corner and, most likely, going virtually unnoticed. The 2016 BBC Charter Renewal is inching ever so close with the ultimate outcome quite possibly in the hands of Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville), the BBC’s Head of Values.
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August 30, 2014
The pre-Emmy winning early days with the boys of 'Sherlock'

Following their recent Emmy wins for their brilliant performances in Sherlock, my guess is that there were more than a few folks on Planet Earth that wondered, even for the briefest of moments, how lucky both Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman were to win given this was their first role. How wrong they were.
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August 28, 2014
A 'League of Gentlemen' 20th reunion in the making?

There is no explanation that would do justice to The League of Gentlemen, which was made up from the combined twisted mind palaces of Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton, Jeremy Dyson and Reece Shearsmith. It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 20 years since we have visited the home of Edward and Tubbs Tattsyrup in […]
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August 18, 2014
'Big School' 2nd term opens 29 August on BBC One

Greybridge Secondary School (a.k.a Big School) is back. Returning staff at Greybridge for series 2 are David Walliams as Deputy Head of Science, Mr. Church, Catherine Tate, Greybridge School’s new French teacher Miss Postern, Philip Glenister, PE teacher and the alpha male of the Greybridge staff room and Frances de La Tour as Head Teacher Ms Baron, who sees both staff and pupils at Greybridge as hindrances to her life.
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August 7, 2014
Is James Corden the new Craig Ferguson?

First it was Pink is the new Black. Then, everyone said that Orange is the New Black and Kale is the new Spinach. Now, it’s quite possible that James Corden is the new Craig Ferguson! With Ferguson leaving The Late Late Show at years end, I think that Benedict Cumberbatch’s name is the only one […]
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