British drama | Tellyspotting

Posted April 3, 2021 - No Comment

Q&A with Alexander Eik, creator/co-writer of ‘Atlantic Crossing’ premiering Sunday on PBS Masterpiece

Based on the World War II relationship of Franklin D. Roosevelt (the 32nd President of the United States) and Norwegian Crown Princess Märtha, Atlantic Crossing tells the riveting and relatively unknown true story of Crown Princess Märtha, who became an influential figure in world politics during World War II, after Norway was occupied by Nazi Germany in 1940. In advance of Sunday’s premiere, Tellyspotting had the great good fortune to sit down with Alexander Eik, Norwegian film and TV series Director and creator and co-writer/co-director of Atlantic Crossing, to fully get a sense as to what it took to bring this series from an idea in the mind palace of Eik to the premiere on PBS as part of the Masterpiece series.

Posted March 6, 2021 - No Comment

Timothy Spall joins Lesley Manville for Anthony Horowitz’s ‘Magpie Murders’ on PBS

While it was recently announced that Foyle’s War creator, Anthony Horowitz, would adapt his best-selling novel, Magpie Murders, as part of PBS’ Masterpiece series, at the time there was really no movement other than that given the on-again, off-again UK production coronavirus lockdown. Things have begun to look up, however, as Magpie Murders goes into production next week in Suffolk […]

Posted March 5, 2021 - No Comment

Live in a sitcom? The BBC’s Writer’s Room is a fun behind-the-scenes resource for British comedy and drama fans

Given the events of the last year, you’re probably at a point where you feel like you are either living in the middle of a sitcom or more like a nightmare. Nightmare aside, if you’ve ever thought, as I’m sure we all have at one time or another, 1) this would make a great sitcom or, […]

Posted February 20, 2021 - No Comment

Remembering Midsomer Murders’ Sykes and other 4-legged screen pets on National Love Your Pet Day 2021!

No self-respecting animal lover will ever forget Isis and Pharoah, the two 4-legged companions that were forever by Lord Grantham’s side in Downton Abbey or the majestic visual of Seamus riding up and down the Cornish coast in Poldark with Captain Ross Poldark at the helm or Queen Victoria’s beloved Dash, always at the young Queen’s side in Victoria. To celebrate National Love Your Pet Day, my thoughts immediately turned to the fictional English county of Midsomer and one of its most recognized residents, Sykes. It was a sad day back in September 2016 when one of the most beloved TV dogs since Lassie announced his retirement from Midsomer Murders. Sykes, John Barnaby’s beloved pet dog, hung up his lead following series 15 and retired after five years with the show.

Posted January 21, 2021 - No Comment

From ‘Happy Valley’ and ‘Halifax’, Sarah Lancashire heads to the kitchen in ‘Julia’

Sarah Lancashire (Happy Valley, Last Tango in Halifax) is headed to the kitchen making her U.S. television portraying the legendary television chef and cookery writer, Julia Child. “Julia” will tell the story of Julia Child, who is credited with introducing French cooking to the greater portion of the American public and to most every at-home chef around the world.

Posted January 18, 2021 - No Comment

Could that be ‘Sanditon 2’ we see on the horizon? Maybe so….

Without trying to get anyone’s hopes up to much, there just might be joy in Mudville around the corner as there have been rumblings about the possibility of a second series of Sanditon in our collective future. For much of Planet Earth, dreams of a second series had pretty much gone up in flames much like Tom […]

Posted January 13, 2021 - No Comment

Jenna Coleman hints of a possible 4th series of ‘Victoria’ in our future!

It’s been what seems to be a lifetime since we collectively closed the book on series 3 of Victoria back in early 2019. It was confirmed last year that Victoria was taking a “bit of a breather” after its third series, while producers decided where to take the story next. But, that may be about to change.

Posted January 6, 2021 - 1 Comment

Happy 66th, Rowan Atkinson!

Rowan Atkinson turns 66 today. Thankfully, for us, the comedic genius chose to put neither his degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Newcastle University nor his degree of MSc in Electrical Engineering from The Queen’s College, Oxford to use. His true calling became more clear after gaining national attention as member of The Oxford Revue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1976.

Posted December 20, 2020 - No Comment

‘The First Churchills’ started it all as PBS’s ‘Masterpiece’ celebrates 50 years

On January 10, 2021, PBS’s Masterpiece series, the long-time anchor of the Sunday night line-up, turns 50. It was Sunday, January 10, 1971 that The First Churchills, about the life of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and his wife, Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, starring John Neville and Sarah Hampshire was first broadcast. Another notable event occurred on that same day in 1971 as it marked the start of a 22-year stint for Alistair Cooke, the British-born American writer, journalist, television personality and radio broadcaster, as as the host of PBS Masterpiece Theatre from 1971 to 1992.

Posted December 11, 2020 - No Comment

New adaptation of ‘Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris’ stars a few familiar faces — Lesley Manville, Jason Isaacs and Rose Williams.

A new adaptation of Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, Paul Gallico’s much-loved novel (Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris) about a cleaning lady in 1950s London who falls in love with an haute couture dress by Christian Dior and decides to gamble everything for the sake of having one of her own, has been filming this past […]