In another of our “what are they doing now” features, we had to look no further than the classic Theatre Royal in Bath. Peter Bowles (Richard DeVere) and Penelope Keith (Audrey fforbes-Hamilton) have been reunited once again, this time in the stage production of Sheridan’s The Rivals at the Theatre Royal in Bath. You might […]
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What do you get when you possess ten BAFTA’s, seven Laurence Olivier Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Golden Globes, one Academy Awards and a Tony Award? Obviously, you get to spend a week with Marilyn Monroe. Okay, not really, but Dame Judi Dench (A Fine Romance, As Time Goes By) has signed on for […]
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Thinking back some 12 years ago, I was fortunate enough to meet and interview Judi Dench for an earlier production, The Best of British Comedy for American Public Television. I was even more fortunate to be able to interview her a second time for the upcoming program on British comedy writers for PBS as I’m […]
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Seems fitting as we landed on this side of the pond fresh from two weeks of interviews for the March 2011 PBS special on British comedy writers that we learned Red Dwarf co-creator and co-writer, Rob Grant will present a two-day comedy writing course at The Comedy School in early October in Camden, London. Grant also […]
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There are times that BBC commissioning folks get it right and times they don’t. Mulberry is one of those “didn’t get it right” moments in British comedy history. After two wonderful seasons (13 episodes) with brilliant scripts by Bob Larbey and, then, writing partner, John Esmonde and a wonderful cast headed by Karl Howman in […]
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Without question, when a British comedy fan is asked what it is they like about British comedy, the first answer is “…the writing“. Ask any actor or actress what it is that sets British comedy apart from the rest of television as we know it, the answer is always “…the writing“. It’s intelligent television that […]
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Seems fitting that a rose inspired by the greatness of Dame Judi Dench would top the seller’s list at the end of the first day of this week’s Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. The “drama queen” rose, with red and white stripes, is described in The Telegraph as having a “light but descent scent”. Dame […]
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Next time you sit down to watch As Time Goes By, here’s a little insight as to what goes in to creating an episode of your favorite British comedy. The week begins with the initial read-through of the script by the cast. This is where the actors begin to interact and go over the brilliant […]
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Lots of bits & bobs or odds & sods coming our way over the last couple of weeks concerning our favorite pastime, British television. Thought I’d go through a quick bit of scattershooting to give everyone updates on current series, answer some mailbag questions that have come in and impart some basic little known or […]
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Some of you know, some don’t, that we are currently in production on a PBS special to air in March 2011 across the U.S. that will attempt to pay homage to what many of us feel is the number one reason as to why British comedy is brilliant – the writers. In the special, we’ll hear […]
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