Classic rewind: Yes Minister 1980 or 2010

With the 6 May 2010 UK general election just around the corner, it seemed more than appropriate to re-visit one of the greats from the British comedy archive of all time. We’ve always talked about how The Good Life (Good Neighbors in the U.S.) could translate to today, but the #1 series that could still […]

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Class = laughs in British comedy, according to BSA

According to a paper presented yesterday at The British Sociological Association entitled, The Cultural Currency of a ‘Good’ Sense of Humour: British Comedy and New Forms of Distinction, researchers believe that, “social hierarchy holds the key to what Britons find funny, with middle class audiences using their preferences as a form of veiled snobbery”. Class […]

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Happy 70th, Penelope! And, we open the mailbag

You Look Marvelous Today is Penelope Keith’s 70th birthday. Billy Crystal’s character, Fernando Lamas, couldn’t have said it better. You look marvelous. With a long public television history dating back to the days of Good Neighbors and To the Manor Born right through to her recent efforts serving as host for both The Funny Ladies of […]

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What ever happened to…

We all know our favorite British comedy stars for just that…being our favorite British comedy stars. For many, however, there’s been an entire lifetime of roles and, well, life, since that classic series we all watch over and over. Just to catch you up on a few favorites as to what they are doing now: […]

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Vote for your favorite British comedy couple of all-time. Polls open!

Could it be Audrey & Richard, a couple that an entire nation wanted to see together? Could it be Richard & Hyacinth or Basil & Sybil, couples that you can’t imagine how they ever got together let alone stayed together? Maybe Blackadder & Baldrick? After all, they’ve been together for 432 years! Maybe it should […]

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The Good Life – Jerry & Margo, couple #3

Couple #3 – Jerry & Margo Ledbetter One immediately thinks of Tom and Barbara when remembering The Good Neighbors (The Good Life in the UK). However, the most underrated couple in British comedy series, Jerry and Margo Ledbetter, took on a much greater role after the first episode. If you think back to that first […]

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Up next, couple #2 – Tom and Barbara Good

We’re off to a great start, lots of conversation after only one day! Should it be Audrey & Richard, what about Basil & Sybil, maybe the “non-couple” of Edmund Blackadder and Baldrick. Lots of things to ponder over the next couple of weeks as you think back on a lifetime of watching British comedy where ever […]

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Christmas with the Goods

Is it just me or is Good Neighbors (The Good Life in the U.K.) more relevant today than it was 30+ years ago. For most PBS stations across the country, this was the first (if not the second) Britcom ever aired after Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Paul Eddington and Penelope Keith […]

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And you thought the UK wasn't funny

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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