BBC Showcase – program highlights

As day one of the 2011 BBC Syndication Showcase in New Orleans has come and gone, I can honestly say to everyone that, as viewers of your local PBS station, you are in for a treat given what we saw today. This is the third annual showcase whereby BBC Worldwide Americas gathers PBS station programmers […]

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It's a Dickens 2012 telly celebration

With the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth nearly upon us (February 2012), there are numerous festivals, exhibitions and educational activities planned for 2012. Two of the most eagerly awaited events from my perspective, however, will be those that find their way to the telly in December leading up to the year-long celebration. Bleak Expectations […]

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Doc Martin resumes Portwenn house calls Sept 12 on ITV1

With the new series of the hit comedy drama, Doc Martin, set to return tomorrow (Monday, 12 September) on ITV1 in the UK, it’s time to set up yet another support group in the U.S. Unfortunately, as we have recently reported, series 5 will not premiere in the States until April 2012 on public television […]

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Making a Portwenn ‘house call’ to the set of Doc Martin

Patients of Dr. Martin Ellingham finally received word this week that the new season of Doc Martin will begin on Monday, 12 September, in the UK (ITV). In the States, on public television, we can now, with virtual certainty, announce that Dr. Martin Ellingham will resume making house calls in Portwenn beginning in April 2012. […]

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A real-life Doc Martin, w/out the curmudgeon part

Despite the fact that Dr. Lawrence Barnes is not afraid of blood, he doesn’t kick stray dogs and is not even close to being as curmudgeonly as Dr. Martin Ellingham, a.k.a. Doc Martin, “Doc Barnes” is leading a seemingly familiar mid-20th century doctor’s life to his fictional counterpart. Working surgeries between the two fishing villages […]

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A little British Friday the 13th scattershooting

The Doctor is In for a 5th series Martin Clunes will return as the curmudgeonly GP, Dr. Martin Ellingham, terrorizing the residents of the picturesque Cornish fishing village of Portwenn (or vice versa) for a 5th series of the hit ITV comedy/drama, Doc Martin. Also returning will be the great Caroline Catz (Louisa Glasson) and Ian […]

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British scattershooting with Doc Martin V, Red Dwarf X and more….

Red Dwarf confirmation of series X – Smegtastic Finally, from Birmingham City and Dimension Jump XVI, comes confirmation from series co-creator, Doug Naylor, followed by an immediate verification on Robert Llewellyn’s LlewBlog that there will, indeed, be a tenth series of Red Dwarf. Welcome news for those RD fans that were left with a definite thirst […]

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Anything you ever wanted to know – British edition

Helen Mirren completes British invasion of SNL Following in the footsteps of her Arthur co-star, Russell Brand, Dame Helen Mirren will host this coming Saturday’s edition of Saturday Night Live on NBC. Mirren’s hosting stint of the late-night comedy show will come the night after the premiere of the release of the re-make of the Dudley Moore […]

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Bring Back Whites campaign gathering steam

Full disclosure upfront. I have only seen two episodes from the first (and only) season of the BBC situation comedy, Whites, starring Alan Davies as an executive chef at a country house hotel that has “past his sell-by date”. That said, I feel qualified to comment on the current Bring Back Whites campaign as this […]

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North Texas = BBC West on Saturdays

Ok, the BBC and Channel 4 may not have “officially” established a western division of the best of their broadcast line-up, but North Texas viewers will become a bit more anglophile beginning tonight (Saturday) on KERA with an all-new line up of the best of the best from the UK. We begin the night with […]

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