Kenneth Clarke’s ‘Civilizations’ reboot headed to BBC2, PBS in future

Longtime readers of Tellyspotting will be quick to point out the glaring hypocrisy of the following comment. Kenneth Clarke’s landmark 1969 television series, Civilizations, is set to be remade by BBC2 and I can’t wait! Yes, I know, I haven’t been the most forgiving individual when it comes to re-doing past greatness but, given those involved, this […]

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A young Luke Skywalker visits Blue Peter to ‘explain’ Star Wars to British children

With Star Wars: The Force Awakens already taking Planet Earth by storm, Radio Times dug deep into the Blue Peter vault to find a young Mark Hamill attempting to explain Star Wars to Blue Peter host, Lesley Judd. Judd hosted the longest running children’s television show in the world from 1971-1978. Given the mania that generally surrounds each addition to the Star […]

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‘Walliams & Friend’ take on GBBO hosts in semi-cheeky, NSFW spoof

No sugar plums dancing in this mind palace. Nothing but visions of Minty and Simon Marchmont and Posh Nosh dancing in my head this holiday season as the brilliant talents of David Walliams and Joanna Lumley give their take on the mega-popular Great British Bake-Off series this Christmas Eve.  Airing on BBC1 as part of the Walliams & […]

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BBC brings Christmas veggie to life with ‘Sprout Boy’

The humble sprout. The victim of a senseless contest in Dibley some years back. Love ’em or hate ’em, if you happen to reside in the UK, you’ll be seeing a lot of them before the year is out on the Beeb. That’s because BBC One’s chosen an animated and adventurous Brussels sprout to appear […]

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Peter Jackson signs on to direct ‘Doctor Who’ episode…or does he?

Last month, Doctor Who showrunner, Steven Moffat, dared to re-open the endless ‘speculation’  that has been going on for several years now surrounding the possibility of Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies director, Sir Peter Jackson, directing an upcoming episode of Doctor Who, saying that Jackson was a “…genuine big old Doctor Who fan“. Moffat then added: “He’s mentioned directing an episode, and then […]

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Back from the brink, ‘Luther’ returns!

At long last, John Luther is back. You remember, the John Luther of “I was sick, I got better, I’m back, etc.” fame. Ok, so he’s obsessive, possessed, and sometimes violent. So what if he’s an emotionally impulsive detective tormented by the darker side of humanity who is constantly struggling to cope with his own demons. Ok, there […]

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Guess what the BBC is getting you for Christmas this year?

Judging by the excessive number of emails I’m getting from the overly greedy retailers letting me know that, supposedly, ‘Black Friday’ has already begun even though it was only Monday, it’s never to early to think about Christmas…for the right reasons. This rings true, especially for the true believers (you know who you are) who […]

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1979 – The year ‘Fawlty Towers’ crossed paths with ‘Not the Nine O’Clock News’

Not the Nine O’Clock News, the late 70s/early 80s television sketch comedy series designed as a comedic alternative to the Nine O’Clock News on BBC1, featured satirical sketches on current news stories and popular culture. Produced by John Lloyd (best known for his work on such comedy television programs as Spitting Image, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Blackadder and QI, Not the […]

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Is the world ready for a 19-year-old Hyacinth Bucket?

Is there no end to the brilliant comedy news coming out the UK? Already this week, in conjunction with their Landmark Sitcom Season which will celebrate 60 years of British Comedy on the Beeb in 2016, came the announcement concerning 21st century remakes of several classic British comedies including Porridge, Up Pompeii, Are You Being Served?, Good […]

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