If you been with Tellyspotting as a P1 since Day 1, or if you have joined the conversation at any point over the course of the last ten years, you are probably acutely aware of my lack of tolerance for poorly done American television remakes of British television output. This holds true mostly in the […]
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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.
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With a TOH to John Cleese, we remember Michael Gwynn who momentarily fulfilled Basil’s wishes of improving the class of guest that stayed at Fawlty Towers. Gwynn was one of a long line of talented actors who paid a visit to Fawlty Towers over the course of the 12 episodes (yes, there were only 12). Gwynn passed away on 29 January 1976 at the age of 59.
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Ok, that may be just a bit over the top but given the response to last night series 1 finale of the All Creatures Great and Small reboot, it has all the makings of equaling the brilliant six series run of Downton Abbey. Since the new ACGS has yet to premiere on PBS’ Masterpiece series with American audiences having to wait […]
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Starting out as Masterpiece Theatre on PBS in 1971, the series celebrates its 50th year in January 2021 by continuing the early days tradition of presenting quality dramas such as Upstairs Downstairs, I Claudius, Duchess of Duke Street, Danger UXB, and House of Cards, to name just a few. A tradition that has continued for 50 years with brilliant series such as Prime […]
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Dangerously close to rivaling Pride and Prejudice for how many times a novel can be adapted for the big or small screen, English author Dame Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca is getting a 2020 reboot this Fall. It would be hard to mount an argument that there is a need to remake the most well-known adaptation, the 1940 Hitchcock masterpiece which […]
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This week is lockdown telly at its must-see finest. On Tuesday, BBC1 premieres the revival of a late 80s masterpiece, Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads monologue series with a line-up of stars that reads like a who’s who of the British acting world. The rebirth of the masterful series of to-camera monologues features the likes of Sarah Lancashire […]
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Full disclosure. I’m a cat person. Not that dogs aren’t great, it’s just that cats are, simply put, cooler than the law allows. So, it will come as no surprise that the recent news of the passing of a stray ginger tabby street cat named Bob is nothing short of gut-wrenching. You see, ‘Bob’ befriended […]
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Another day, another bit of lockdown video gold as the employees of the newly/aptly named ‘Bounce Back Group’ gather to discuss BBC measures regarding the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Downton Abbey‘s Hugh Bonneville, Monica Dolan, Sarah Parish, Jason Watkins, and David Westhead reprised their roles from the hit sitcom W1A with Fletcher leading the initial Zoom meeting. Fletcher informs his colleagues […]
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Next up in the long line of British period dramas headed your way will be Beecham House, coming to PBS beginning June 14. Created by Gurinder Chadha — the director of films including Bend It Like Beckham and Blinded by the Light — the 6-part series depicts the fortunes of the residents of Beecham House, an imposing Downton Abbey-esque mansion surrounded by acres of […]
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