Odds &Amp; Sods | Tellyspotting

February 4, 2023
Corduroy’s, Tweeds, Overalls & ‘what would Tricki Woo wear’: ‘Masterpiece’ Q&A with ‘ACG&S’ Costume Designer, Ros Little

There are certain series such as Poldark, Downton Abbey and Sanditon where the costumes should be considered as important to the storyline as the supporting cast. Just like scenic locations (i.e. the Cornwall countryside or Port Isacc), costumes can be equally as important as a strong ensemble cast. This is never more evident than with the latest adaptation of All […]
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January 29, 2023
Think you live in a sitcom? The BBC’s Writer’s Room is a fun behind-the-scenes resource for British comedy and drama fans

Given the roller coaster events of the past several years, you’re probably at a point where you feel like you are either living in the middle of a sitcom or more like a nightmare. Nightmare aside, if you’ve ever thought, as I’m sure we all have at one time or another, 1) this would make […]
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January 26, 2023
Burns Night well wishes from ‘Allo ‘Allo’s Vicki Michelle

By the time you read this, everyone at Tellyspotting hopes you had a safe and happy Burns Night celebration last night. For those in the know, Burns Night falls on 25 January every year with the date chosen to coincide with the Scottish poet’s birthday, who was born on 25 January 1759. For those ‘out of […]
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January 17, 2023
From the Vault — The Beatles’ Penny Lane trumpeter, David Mason

56 years ago today on January 17, 1967, The Beatles finished recording Penny Lane in Studio Two at Abbey Road Studios including David Mason’s famous piccolo trumpet solo. As the story goes, the Beatles began recording Penny Lane on December 29. As time passed, Paul became somewhat dissatisfied at the initial attempts at the song’s instrumentation and […]
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January 12, 2023
Ford Cortina vs Audi Quattro….the debate rages on!

After reading recently that Life on Mars, one of the great British series right up there with The Prisoner (IMHO) premiered on 9 January 2006, I reminded myself about the greatness of the series starring Philip Glenister as DCI Gene Hunt and John Simm as DI Sam Tyler. Primarily set in the 70s, the series centered around Tyler, a […]
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January 5, 2023
‘Hotel Boss’ sets out to find the next Basil Fawlty

Just when you thought it might be safe to go back into the water, along comes something that gives you pause to where you might say to yourself….maybe not just yet. In this case, we’re talking the bane of good telly existence, the unscripted reality program. The surprising thing, IMHO, is that with a working […]
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December 27, 2022
And Now For Something Completely Different — Silly Walks are deemed ‘vigorous exercise’ just in time for 2023!

A study by the BMJ found that a walking style made famous in a sketch by the Monty Python comedy troupe is actually vigorous exercise. Studies published in the annual holiday edition of the British Medical Journal, which traditionally highlights legitimate but offbeat research, indicate that a brief but brisk ‘silly walk’, similar to that made […]
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December 25, 2022
Paying tribute to his mother, King Charles’ first Christmas Day message spoke of hardship, the environment and faith in people!

With images of food banks and help for the homeless alongside the speech, King Charles’ first Christmas message was broadcast from St George’s chapel at Windsor Castle, where the committal service of his late mother, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, was held three months ago. Reflecting back on the current cost-of-living crisis, the King spoke of the […]
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December 24, 2022
‘Twas the Night before Christmas — John Cleese-style

Much like watching It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Story, Tuna Christmas or, as evidenced by a recent admission, Die Hard, one of my annual Christmas traditions is to listen to John Cleese’s adaptation of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas from podcast No. 28. Never mind that there have been endless readings over the years by the likes […]
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December 23, 2022
50+ years down the road, Bob Dylan reveals what makes him ‘feel at home’

A big TOH to Reid Robinson, Tellyspotting’s intrepid reporter in Richardson, TX who reminded me of one of music’s most controversial moments which occurred at Manchester’s Free Trade Hall in 1966. A heckler branded one of the greatest songwriters of all-time, “Judas” for going electric during a set thus ‘betraying his folk roots’. Reid pointed me in the direction of one Robert Allen Zimmerman and how, over a half century later, he answered one of life’s most sought-after musical questions.
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