• Swedish author discovers lost 13th episode of ‘Fawlty Towers’

    Swedish author discovers lost 13th episode of ‘Fawlty Towers’

    With the mysterious script chronicled in the book Fawlty Towers – A Worshiper’s Companion, a lost, never-before-broadcast 13th episode of the classic British comedy Fawlty Towers has been discovered. Swedish author Lars Holger Holm admits that he viewed the mysterious 13th episode in 1999 in the London flat of an individual from the Editorial Department who worked on numerous […]

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  • Did the German ‘Fawlty Towers’ ever dare to ‘mention the war’?

    Did the German ‘Fawlty Towers’ ever dare to ‘mention the war’?

    Even though we re still a few years away from the 50th anniversary of Fawlty Towers (September 2025), I thought it would fun to take a look back at how the greatest situation comedy of all-time made the leap to German broadcaster RTL. The first ever non-English adaptation of the John Cleese/Connie Booth bit of brilliance occurred […]

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  • R.I.P. Peter Bowles, aka Richard DeVere in ‘To the Manor Born’

    R.I.P. Peter Bowles, aka Richard DeVere in ‘To the Manor Born’

    Peter Bowles, most notably known for his role opposite Dame Penelope Keith as the self-made businessman Richard DeVere in To The Manor Born, has died at the age of 85. Airing from 1979-1981, the series was reprised for a one-off special in 2007 celebrating Audrey and Richard’s 25th wedding anniversary with a party at Grantleigh Manor. To the Manor […]

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  • RIP, Lynda Baron — a.k.a. Nurse Gladys Emmanuel from ‘Open All Hours’

    RIP, Lynda Baron — a.k.a. Nurse Gladys Emmanuel from ‘Open All Hours’

    Best known for her role as Nurse Gladys Emmanuel in Open All Hours, Lynda Baron has passed away at the age of 82. Created and written by the great Roy Clarke (Keeping Up Appearances, Still Open All Hours), the iconic British situation comedy starring Ronnie Barker, David Jason and Stephanie Cole ran for four series and […]

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  • Happy 93rd, Dame Patricia Routledge!

    Happy 93rd, Dame Patricia Routledge!

    One of the few upsides of another year living under a pandemic cloud is the opportunity to send good wishes for a very happy birthday to the brilliant Dame Patricia Routledge, who turns 93 today. Given Hyacinth would have been appalled at the possibility that I might forget to drop a card in the post […]

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  • Gary Waldhorn — a.k.a. Dibley’s Councillor David Horton, dies at 78.

    Gary Waldhorn — a.k.a. Dibley’s Councillor David Horton, dies at 78.

    Gary Waldhorn, the actor best known for his role of Councillor David Horton in the Dawn French comedy, Vicar of Dibley, has died at the age of 78. Waldhorn’s son Josh confirmed to BBC News that his father died on Monday, saying in a statement: “Classically trained, it was the theatre where he truly flourished and he leaves a legacy […]

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  • “The same procedure every year” — ‘Dinner for One’ continues its annual NYE tradition in Germany

    “The same procedure every year” — ‘Dinner for One’ continues its annual NYE tradition in Germany

    It seems that watching television on New Year’s Eve in Germany is right up there with the tradition of watching the Queen’s Christmas Day message in the UK. Dinner for One is a particularly crucial part of Germany’s festive programming, where it has been broadcast on Das Erste, a public television channel, since 1972. Around half the population still tunes in on New Year’s Eve to watch it with some Germans even recreating the meal served in the skit.

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