British comedy going downhill according to some

According to John Sullivan, creator and writer of the most popular British comedy of all-time, Only Fools and Horses, feels that today’s Britcoms rely on bad language for cheap laughs instead of quality writing. In this interview with the Telegraph, Sullivan says today’s comedies couldn’t hold a candle to the classics of yesteryear such as […]

Read more

Even I can't make this one up….

Seems as though every couple of months we run across the ultimate British comedy collectable. If it wasn’t the Daleks from Doctor Who, it was a church featured in a past Doctor Who episode that was put up for sale. Now comes probably not the ultimate collectable, but perhaps the most oddly interesting collectable from […]

Read more

Mr. Bean trades in Mini for Aston Martin Vantage GT4

Not sure what the blue book value is on a 1977 British Leyland Mini, but looks like Rowan Atkinson (Blackadder, Mr. Bean) got a good deal. Atkinson will partner with Aston Martin chairman, David Richards for the Aston Martin British GT4 Challenge to be held at Silverstone on 22 May by driving the second leg in […]

Read more

Arkwright 1, Apu 0

Combining their unique ability to create “best-of” lists for just about anything with their definite love for the small screen, the British have done it again. This time, it’s Britain’s favorite television shopkeeper. According to a recent poll conducted by consumer watchdog, Which, and reported on in WalesOnline, Ronnie Barker’s portrayal of Arkwright in Open […]

Read more

Rock & Chips rocks on

Following up on a recent Tellyspotting report and review of the one-off “prequel” of Only Fools and Horses called Rock & Chips, you may recall that the program was set in 1960 on Orchard Street and starred Nicholas Lyndhurst as Freddie Robdal, the man long thought to be Rodney’s Dad. James Buckley will again star as […]

Read more

A British comedy Mother's Day salute

One constant throughout the years in British comedy is the strong connection between a son and/or daughter and their mother. Unfortunately, the connection may have not always been a good thing, but it’s still a connection nevertheless. Here’s a quick look at a few that would make my top-5 mothers of all-time. Anyone else have […]

Read more

Grantleigh Manor gets a 300K pound facelift

The historic gardens featured in the classic British comedy, To the Manor Born, was recently the beneficiary of a 300,000 pound restoration. The Cricket House country mansion in Cricket St Thomas, the instantly recognizable setting from the British comedy that starred Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles and, only recently, turned into a hotel, now has […]

Read more

US v. UK – a view from the 'other side of the pond'

Debra Craine with the TimesOnline opens the debate as to “Who Owns the Small Screen Now?” by asserting that, quite possibly, the Americans are winning the battle. One quick note, she’s talking solely about British vs. American drama here, not comedy. While I can agree with some of what she says when citing the likes […]

Read more

Can't complain if you don't vote

London. 6 May. Election Day in the UK. Who’ll it be? Labour, Lib Dem or Tory party? However it may end up, elections have played an important role in British comedy over the years. Here are a few examples as compiled by the British Comedy Guide. First up – classic clip from Blackadder III. Baldrick […]

Read more

British comedy pipeline – Going Postal

May not be immediately top of mind, but many long-time British comedy fans have e-mailed asking about Richard Coyle (Jeff,Coupling). Having left the successful Steven Moffat series after the third season, Coyle starred in the one and only season of Strange, where he played an ex-priest who dedicated his life to hunting down demons. Coyle […]

Read more