Birdsong – another Masterpiece, 4/22 on PBS

The upcoming April 22 premiere of Birdsong will, undoubtedly, bring endless comparisons to Downton Abbey. Airing as part of PBS’ Masterpiece series on April 22 and 29, the BBC adaptation of Sebastian Faulks’ modern classic set during the First World War has, literally, been 20 years in the making. When this appeared in the UK […]

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Birdsong – Another BBC/PBS 'Masterpiece' for 2012

With the States in the final days until the premiere of the second series of Downton Abbey on PBS’ Masterpiece and the UK only days removed from the Christmas Day conclusion of series 2 on ITV, it seems only fitting that the BBC has begun to fight back against those in the post-Downton Abbey era […]

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Call the Midwife – Sunday night drama in 2012

Thankfully, Mad Men is set in the 60’s putting an end to inconceivable bandwagon-jumping comparisons between the hit AMC series and the upcoming BBC series, Call the Midwife. The series, which will focus on the joys and hardships of a group of midwives working in London’s East End in the 50’s is definitely not your typical […]

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The Hour. A British Mad Men? Uh, no.

It can be both a blessing and a curse to be linked to a previous hit program or series. Calling a comedy “…the next Seinfeld” or a drama “…the next Sopranos” can be great for a few fleeting moments, but then you have to deliver. Tonight’s U.S. premiere of The Hour (after a July premiere […]

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Vote! It's BAFTA time. Sherlock, Downton Abbey and more…

Doesn’t get any better than having a night to celebrate and pay tribute to the best television on television. It’s time again for the BAFTA’s, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards, Sunday, 22 May. This year is does nothing to disprove this theory in that you have several legitimate winners in virtually […]

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US v. UK – a view from the 'other side of the pond'

Debra Craine with the TimesOnline opens the debate as to “Who Owns the Small Screen Now?” by asserting that, quite possibly, the Americans are winning the battle. One quick note, she’s talking solely about British vs. American drama here, not comedy. While I can agree with some of what she says when citing the likes […]

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Gervais & Merchant take on the big screen with Cemetery Junction

Office co-creators/writers Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant take the leap to the big screen with their upcoming film, Cemetery Junction, scheduled for an April 2010 release in the U.K. Unfortunately, no scheduled release date set as of yet in the United States. Taking place in 1970’s England, Gervais describes the film as a ‘coming of age’ […]

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