LennonNYC on PBS' American Masters

Touched on this a bit earlier this summer, but now there’s more to share with video. Believe it or not, this October marks what would have been John Lennon’s 70th birthday and then December would be the 30th anniversary of his death. Focusing on the years following the breakup of the Beatles when Lennon and […]

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Dame Judi 'sends in the clowns' at Royal Albert Hall

You might recall our recent post on the upcoming tribute to Stephen Sondheim by Dame Judi Dench that was to occur at the BBC Proms this past Saturday night at Royal Albert Hall. She described her part in the tribute as “hugely exciting but daunting“. After seeing the clip below of the performance, I’m reminded […]

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Dawn French on her newest project, Roger and Val Have Just Got In

He’s a botanist at a local garden centre. She’s a food technology teacher. The he is Alfred Molina and the she is Dawn French. The two star in the newest addition to the BBC Two british comedy line-up beginning this coming Friday titled Roger and Val Have Just Got In. It’s not “laugh out loud […]

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165 Eaton Place in the 21st Century

“This is not a remake but a completely new version, set in a different era with a whole new cast of characters.” That quote, in itself, from Piers Wenger, head of drama at  BBC Wales, makes me really wish it was 2011 already when the new Upstairs Downstairs comes to PBS’ Masterpiece series to celebrate their […]

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BBC Proms 2010 – from Doctor Who to Judi Dench

Seems appropriate to follow up our last two posts with both a look back and a look ahead at the BBC Proms which is currently the happening event at Royal Albert Hall now through Saturday, 11 September 2010. Most recently, Doctor Who and the Daleks invaded Royal Albert Hall on Saturday, 24 July and Sunday, […]

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Sherlock in the 21st Century

Not since we all witnessed the end of the David Tennant era and beginning of the Matt Smith era on Doctor Who has there been as much viewer anticipation for a series premiering in the UK. Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch (Hawking, Small Island) and Martin Freeman (The Office, Hitchhikers Guide). It premiered this past Sunday on […]

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Dame Judi Dench – no need to say anything else

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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"Audience matters…" – Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry, who many have tagged as the 21st century Oscar Wilde, told the Radio Times in an interview that came out just as we were leaving the UK that the BBC needs to start giving the viewing public a little credit. Fry stated, “I think programmes only work if they matter to you, because […]

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British comedy writing 101 with Red Dwarf's Rob Grant

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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