A reflective Lenny Henry speaks out

We’ve come to know both Lenny Henry and Dawn French separately over the years in their most popular roles as Chef Gareth Blackstock (Chef!) and Geraldine Granger (Vicar of Dibley). Millions of British comedy fans across the globe have laughed and cried with both their characters over the years which is an incredible achievement for […]

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A French and Saunders primer on Harry Potter, part 1

Who better to catch you up on the real Harry Potter story before you hit the theaters on Friday (maybe tonight at 12mid) to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 1 than the great British comedy duo of French and Saunders.  Originally created for Red Nose Day in the UK, this is nothing short of […]

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Possible AbFab reunion? Just do it!

Much like the case when you read reports of 70’s, 80’s or, even, 90’s bands getting back together, there is a certain “cringe” factor when you hear about television shows from the same time period resurrecting former cast members for a reunion show. As I have expressed, probably too many times, re-makes are bad enough, but […]

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Five minutes with Dawn French and more….

For several years, Matthew Stadlen has had the good fortune of being able to sit down with many notables worldwide including many British television and comedy favorites. Think of it as Robert Llewellyn’s Carpool without the car and the tenseness of having to navigate London traffic while conducting an interview. Five Minutes With… is a […]

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British comedy duo French and Saunders "getting the band back together"…

“Chuffed to blooming heck…” is how Dawn French described her feelings regarding the news of her and long-time British comedy partner, Jennifer Saunders, reuniting to host three, 2-hour, programs for BBC Radio 2 this holiday season. The French and Saunders programs can be heard on Boxing Day (26 December), New Year’s Day (1 January) and 3 January with […]

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Wimbledon 2010 comes to a close

The Championships of Wimbledon 2010 come to a close today with the Men’s Singles final. Held at the All England Club in the London suburb of Wimbledon, the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world has not been kind to its homeland over the years. You have to go all the way back […]

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The UK really is funny territory, pt 2

A quick update to an October 2009 post from Tellyspotting as you make plans to travel to the UK this summer. This just in from the other side of the pond – think about Peckham if you’re a fan of Only Fools and Horses. As reported in The Guardian, the British are way ahead of […]

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Dawn French talks Dibley

Another tip of the hat to Dawn French, just because we can. Dawn French is a comic genius. Originally introduced to KERA audiences in French & Saunders, a top-notch sketch show with longtime friend and comedy partner, Jennifer Saunders, then Murder Most Horrid which creatively spoofed thriller and murder mysteries and, finally, perhaps her most […]

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From the vault: AbFab B4 AbFab

In the early days of French and Saunders, the comedy duo created a sketch that would later become the sensational Absolutely Fabulous. This pre-Vicar role for Dawn French had her playing the daughter to Saunders’ mother character. Saunders later developed the idea for the BBC series back in 1992 and the rest is history. While the […]

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French & Saunders end 24-year partnership as Jam cancelled

They started together in Girls on Top in 1985, continued through French & Saunders, collaborated on numerous Comic Relief sketches and, ultimately, now end with the cancellation of their latest three year collaboration of Jam and Jerusalem. In between, some incredibly successful individual efforts with Murder Most Horrid, Wild West and Vicar of Dibley from […]

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