When one thinks of the British comedy that started it all, Monty Python, the names of John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Graham Chapman and Eric Idle immediately come to mind. That said, one cannot overlook the contributions of Carol Cleveland, who appeared in 30 of the 45 Python episodes. While Connie Booth, of […]
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Now that we’ve seen David Tennant’s final days as The Doctor and his subsequent regeneration into the newest incarnation of the time-traveling Time Lord, Matt Smith, there comes word that some 30 years ago, back in December 1979, a six-part episode of Doctor Who, “Shada” with Tom Baker, was filmed but never transmitted. Seems inexplicable that […]
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Ok, Britcom people, just a reminder, midnight tonight is the deadline for entry into the Fawlty Towers giveaway. Answer the five trivia questions below and you’ll be entered into a drawing for one of two Fawlty Towers Remastered: The Complete Collection DVD sets or one Fawlty Towers: A Worshiper’s Companion book. Why not enter. If […]
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Widely recognized and voted on as the #1 worst hotel on the planet, yet named the #1 television program of all time by the British Film Institute, Fawlty Towers is 30 years old! What better way to mark the anniversary than to painstakingly remaster a new DVD release. Why consider this painstaking? Well, not only […]
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Patricia Routledge in Steptoe and Son In 1974, Patricia Routledge played Madame Fontana in one episode of this long-running hit BBC TV series. It’s said that in 1966, the audience was so big that PM Harold Wilson asked the BBC to delay transmission of a repeat episode until after the polls closed on election day […]
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What better way to celebrate John Cleese’s 70th birthday than with a look back at, perhaps, the two most classic clips from the greatest British comedy of all time. I will admit, however, that I’m feeling the same way about hearing John Cleese turned 70 on October 27 as I did when seeing the 25th […]
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Next time you travel to the UK, take a break from the pubs and think about a comedy tour of England, which boasts not only numerous birthplaces of your favorite Britcom stars, but you can quickly check out places like Yorkshire, home to the longest-running sitcom on television, Last of the Summer Wine. You can […]
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Several years ago, PBS paid tribute to The Funny Ladies of British Comedy. Hosted by one of the grand dames of British comedy, Penelope Keith, the special featured classic clips from perennial favorites such as As Time Goes By, Keeping Up Appearances, Are You Being Served and Fawlty Towers along with insights from the likes of Dawn […]
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Stay up all night with KERA, Saturday, October 10 from 7p-5a (yes, that’s 5:00am) as we celebrate the 35th anniversary of the beginning of British comedy in the United States and then challenge your brain at Trinity Hall, Mockingbird Station on Sunday, October 11 at 7:00p for a special edition of their ever popular Pub […]
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Fawlty Towers has to be the greatest 12 episodes of comedy ever. The UK version of The Office is a close second (much better, I think, than the American version, but that’s a debate for another day). This is a re-write of an article I did several years ago, but bears repeating as we begin […]
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