In years past, fans of a British comedy or drama series would traditionally be left hanging for months not knowing whether or not their favorite series would be commissioned for another season or be unceremoniously axed for no apparent reason. With few exceptions, the fate of most series are not known when the final episode […]
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Depending on when you read this, the world is approximately 24-36 hours away from the return of Monty Python’s Flying Circus at London’s O2 Arena. On Tuesday, 1 July, as the troupe gets the band back together for one last gig, those that were lucky enough to secure tickets before the :45 sellout, will attempt […]
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With the 100th anniversary of World War I just around the corner on 28 July, news comes out of the UK that there actually was a real-life Captain Blackadder and Private Baldrick. According to military genealogy company, Forces War Records, not only that but just by doing a bit of Sherlockian research they quickly discovered a […]
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The brilliance that is Eddie Izzard rolled into Dallas last night for two shows (final show is tonight at the Majestic Theatre in Downtown Dallas). #eddieizzardtour As part of his current Force Majeure U.S. Tour, he put a call out for individuals on his various tour stops to send in and/or post some ‘somewhat […]
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One of the greatest things about British television AND one of the most maddening for viewers is the fact that the number of episodes in a series is limited. Unlike their American television counterparts, most British drama and/or comedy series are anywhere between 6-10 episodes max. In some cases like Sherlock or DCI Banks there are only three episodes each season. Three brilliant films but still only three. On the upside, this allows viewers to see their favorite actors in other roles, many times crossing over from drama to comedy or vice versa.
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More sad news from the world of comedy. Rik Mayall (pictured at left below), the co-creator/writer and star of The Young Ones has passed away at the age of 56. Not long after I was introduced to the likes of Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Fawlty Towers on public television, along came this somewhat […]
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One of most brilliant actors of all-time, Sir Ian McKellen, turns 75 years young today. Like Dame Judi Dench, retirement is not in Ian McKellen’s vocabulary.
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Hyacinth Bucket, played brilliantly by Patricia Routledge, has spent a lifetime in our collective homes over the years insisting her surname is pronounced Bouquet. She is pretty much a pompous social-climbing snob. Unbeknownst to most neighbor residents of Blossom Lane, Hyacinth originally came from a very poor working-class background. Her main mission in life is […]
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If anyone still questions whether or not British situation comedy is better than its’ American counterpart, one only has to look to the list of pilot comedies coming from American broadcast networks this Fall for verification. In a pitch that must have sounded like it came directly from the lips of Buck Henry in The […]
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These are getting harder and harder to write with each passing but they seem to come more frequently these days than any of us would like. The British comedy world, actually, the comedy world, lost a good friend this past week when Bob Larbey passed away. While you may not be familiar with the name, […]
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