Happy B-Day, Rupert Penry-Jones

The happiest of birthdays today to Rupert Penry-Jones, a name to this day that may not roll off your tongue but telly watchers on both sides of the pond are more than well aware of his stellar work in series such as Spooks, Silk and Whitechapel in addition to specials such as 39 Steps and […]

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The Academy next up for Sir Ian McKellen after Middle Earth?

Much like both Benedict Cumberbatch and Bill Nighy, I believe Sir Ian McKellen could read the phone book and I would be in the front row. So just the thought of the possibility of a comedy series that stars Sir Ian along with Sylvester McCoy (Doctor Who), Frances Barber (Silk) and Jonathan Hyde (Titanic) gives […]

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Happy Endings next up for League of Gentlemen alumni

Back in 1995, The League of Gentlemen was formed. The world, as we know it, has not been the same since….and, in this particular case, this is a good thing. The quartet of British dark comedy writers/performers, Jeremy Dyson, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith set up shop in the fictional village of Royston […]

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Graham Chapman's beyond the grave biopic – Monty Python style

In true Monty Python style, the upcoming self-described ‘animation epic’, A Liar’s Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman, tells the story of (surprise) Graham Chapman, probably best remembered as ‘the dead one from Monty Python’. Described in the Hollywood Reporter as unorthodox, freewheeling and, by fellow Python member John Cleese as a […]

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Red Dwarf X: The time is near

Even though I’m still reeling over the fact that, in my possession, I had tickets to be in the studio audience at Shepperton Studios for a taping of the upcoming Red Dwarf X this past December and wasn’t able to attend, I find a bit of comfort in the almost daily releases of production stills […]

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A British comedy Labor Day salute to the workforce

It’s Labor Day here in the States, the American holiday that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers. While it also signals the end of summer and, thankfully, considered the last day of the year when it is considered fashionable to wear white, we can’t let the long weekend pass by without  paying a bit […]

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Happy Birthday, Chef, a.k.a. Lenny Henry

Here’s wishing a coveted third Michelin star to Le Chateau Anglais and Chef Gareth Blackstock for his alter ego, Lenny Henry’s 54th birthday today. Given that Chef Blackstock’s restaurant was one of the few in the United Kingdom to receive a two-star rating from Michelin we felt it the only fitting gift we could give […]

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The unaired Blackadder pilot episode

If you watched the Rowan Atkinson brilliance during the Opening Ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics, hopefully, you have the performance etched somewhere in the deep recesses of your personal mind palace as it seems as though the copyright police have systematically wiped the video from its virtual existence on the planet. I guess the […]

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ABC strikes again with plans for an American 'Spy'

Just when I thought it was safe to go back into the water comes the news from Deadline.com regarding ABC plans to give the British situation comedy, Spy, a ‘facelift’. Admittedly, this is not ABC’s wording, but it might as well be given the track record of the American broadcast networks when they repeatedly attempt […]

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2012-2013 UK comedy pipeline update

Yesterday, we saw a hint of what’s in store for BBC drama output with the upcoming premiere of Ripper Street but now is the time to focus on some upcoming comedy projects that will make their way to telly in the not-too-distant future. Given that new series for Trollied, Spy and Rev are already lined […]

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