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Home » Odds & Sods
  • ‘Twas the Night before Christmas — John Cleese-style
    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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  • 50+ years down the road, Bob Dylan reveals what makes him ‘feel at home’
    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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  • Recapping a 2016 brush with greatness while wishing Bill Nighy a very happy belated 73rd birthday!
    December 18, 2022

    Recapping a 2016 brush with greatness while wishing Bill Nighy a very happy belated 73rd birthday!

    One of the all-time greats celebrated another trip around the Sun recently. William Frances (a.k.a. Bill) Nighy turned 73 on December 12. From Love Actually to Pirates of the Carribean to Pirate Radio to Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz to State of Play and the Johnny Worricker trilogy of Page Eight, Turks & Caicos and Salting the Battlefield, Bill Nighy can do no wrong in […]

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  • Waiting on the Tube, a snowball fight breaks out in London’s Underground
    December 15, 2022

    Waiting on the Tube, a snowball fight breaks out in London’s Underground

    While snow this time of year is an extraordinarily magical thing, especially in London, it can wreak havoc on commuters trying to get from one place to the next. As you can imagine, the London Underground is no exception. Morning and evening rush hour travellers in London can be a bit moody especially when countless […]

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  • It appears London’s iconic Trader Vic’s to close by end of the year…where will the Werewolf of London have a Piña Colada now?
    December 8, 2022

    It appears London’s iconic Trader Vic’s to close by end of the year…where will the Werewolf of London have a Piña Colada now?

    Trader Vic’s, the classic Polynesian-themed tiki bar that has served London for over 60 years from the basement of the London Hilton hotel on Park Lane will close its doors on or before 31 December. While there are only a handful of Trader Vic’ses left around the globe, the closing of the London camp classic of […]

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  • ‘Desert Island Discs’ set to begin its 9th decade on BBC Radio!
    November 28, 2022

    ‘Desert Island Discs’ set to begin its 9th decade on BBC Radio!

      Having celebrated its’ 80th birthday on 29 January, 2022, BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs is perhaps the coolest show on the planet, which premiered on BBC radio in 1942. Created by Roy Plomley, the format is about as simple as you can get. A guest ‘castaway’ is invited to choose the eight records they […]

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  • SPAM® Figgy Pudding — Flavor, Spice and Everything Nice….in a can!
    November 25, 2022

    SPAM® Figgy Pudding — Flavor, Spice and Everything Nice….in a can!

    Now that Thanksgiving is in our collective rearview mirror, it’s time (and, ok) to focus our attention on the forthcoming December holiday season. While thoughts of holidays past rank high on most everyone’s list as to what causes them to look forward to this time of year, there is a desire on the part of […]

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  • Giving thanks, once again, this Thanksgiving for family, friends, loyal Tellyspotting readers, good health and MiniBoots, in addition to ‘The Prisoner’ and ‘Monty Python’s Flying Circus’’
    November 24, 2022

    Giving thanks, once again, this Thanksgiving for family, friends, loyal Tellyspotting readers, good health and MiniBoots, in addition to ‘The Prisoner’ and ‘Monty Python’s Flying Circus’’

    In addition to stopping for a moment to be eternally thankful for family, friends, avid and first-time Tellyspotting readers, good health and our cat, MiniBoots, no Thanksgiving would be complete without recognizing the contributions made by two classic British series in not only setting me on a lifelong desire of wanting to consume all things British when […]

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  • Handel, Hendrix and Van Gogh, oh my!
    November 9, 2022

    Handel, Hendrix and Van Gogh, oh my!

    If you find yourself in London during the holidays, here are a couple off-the-beaten path places to check out that you just, quite frankly, don’t find on a regular basis when traveling to another city. Given the potential of you never know what you will find around the corner, this is why London is a […]

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  • Well, it’s November, must be time for the annual Christmas adverts!
    November 5, 2022

    Well, it’s November, must be time for the annual Christmas adverts!

    There’s something about walking into, I don’t know, any store right before Halloween and seeing Christmas decorations already up where you don’t look up to the sky and quietly say, “Really, can you not wait until at least Thanksgiving or, if you must, make it after Halloween?” That said, I can’t wait every year until […]

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Updates, reports and commentary on British television and culture, from the mind palace of KERA TV's Bill Young. More »
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    From your host, Bill Young

    Bill Young
    The Brits produce some of the best shows on television. As Vice President of Television Programming at KERA (Dallas/Ft. Worth), I have a job that affords me the opportunity to screen and evaluate much of the available British television catalogue for possible broadcast to American PBS audiences like you. And through this site, I share new programs and UK television news with you, so check back often!

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