Patricia Routledge in Steptoe and Son In 1974, Patricia Routledge played Madame Fontana in one episode of this long-running hit BBC TV series. It’s said that in 1966, the audience was so big that PM Harold Wilson asked the BBC to delay transmission of a repeat episode until after the polls closed on election day […]
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A slight deviation from ‘all things British’ to celebrate tonight’s decidedly “American” holiday. That said, only the British can put a comedic touch on the traditionally scary goings on. Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie first worked together when they were students at Cambridge University. This from their series, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, which […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Definitely not as “interesting” as Anthony Perkins playing his own mother in Psycho, but it must be equally as challenging to play your own father. That’s what Nicholas Lyndhurst is set to do when he brings Rodney’s father, Freddie ‘The Frog’ Robdal, to life as filming begins on the much-anticipated ‘prequel’ to Only Fools and […]
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Fawlty Towers has to be the greatest 12 episodes of comedy ever. The UK version of The Office is a close second (much better, I think, than the American version, but that’s a debate for another day). This is a re-write of an article I did several years ago, but bears repeating as we begin […]
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Celebrate Monty Python Day (October 5, 1969) with the BBC as Ricky Gervais, Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson, Stephen Merchant (co-writer, The Office) and Justin Lee Collins share their favorite bits. Check it out here…BBC. Ok, it’s self-declared as Monty Python Day, but I can do that, I think. Dare you to Silly Walk down Main Street […]
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October 5, 1969. Not as momentous an occasion as, say, July 20, 1969 or August 15-17, 1969 but it is a date that will live in not only television comedy history, but comedy history. 40 years ago Monday, Monty Python’s Flying Circus hit the airwaves on the BBC. Maybe you remember, maybe you don’t. […]
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Welcome to Tellyspotting – Your Brit TV Pub! From Peter Cook to Ricky Gervais and from Upstairs/Downstairs to MI5 (Spooks), 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 […]
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