Derek Fowlds, best known for starring in Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister, has died at the age of 82. Long-time public television audiences in America will remember Fowlds for playing the private secretary Bernard Woolley in the iconic BBC sitcoms opposite Sir Nigel Hawthorne and Paul Eddington.
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Whether Thursday’s Brexit vote will go down in the history books as a comedy or tragedy remains to be seen. One thing for certain, however, it solidifies the sheer brilliance of Yes Minister, the 80s political comedy which continues to prove, once again, that life does imitate art as told by the genius mind palaces of […]
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Three E.F. Benson novels about upper-middle-class British people in the 1920s and 1930s, vying for social prestige and “one-upmanship” in an atmosphere of extreme cultural snobbery, known simply as Mapp and Lucia, has begun filming at Lamb House in Rye, East Sussex, the original inspiration for Benson’s fictional seaside town of Tilling. Based on Benson’s […]
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2014-2015 looks to be quite an ambitious drama slate for BBC One. Death in Paradise and Call the Midwife will each return for their fourth series in 2015. New commissions will feature two new Agatha Christie adaptations, And Then There Were None and Partners in Crime. Aidan Turner (Being Human, The Hobbit), Eleanor Tomlinson (Death […]
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Good writing = longevity in the world of British comedy One can’t help but think of the classics that have stood the test of time such as Fawlty Towers, Blackadder or Monty Python. Excellent writing delivers not only a classic comedy, but one that is also as relevant, or more, today than they were when first […]
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We’ve talked many times here how Yes Minister is either just as relevant or more relevant today than it was 30 years ago when it premiered in 1980. Obviously, the original producers agree as original co-writer, Sir Antony Jay, has written three special election sketches, titled Memo to the Minister, for the BBC to air […]
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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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Forgot to mention one really cool thing that occurred after the BBC Showcase meeting last week. Spent some time at the House of Commons watching the Q&A session as party leaders from the Opposition Party answered questions from the ruling party Members of Parliament (MP’s). In a word, it was a fascinating afternoon. As I […]
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If you were a fan of either Yes Minister or Yes Prime Minister and you think that the series has more relevancy today than it did in the 80’s, you’re probably not alone. If you ever had a thought that this would be a great stage play, you’re right there with the original writers, Anthony […]
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Following in the footsteps of Turkey, India and the Netherlands, the Ukraine has decided that given its’ democratic independence that began in the 90’s, the time is right to showcase the political opportunism and backroom manipulation that can sometimes go with democracy. What better place to turn than England and a 30-year old series that, […]
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