As of today, the infamous BBC Television Centre is no more. It has ceased to be. It has gone on to meet its maker. Bereft of life, the Centre rests in peace! It is…an ex-Television Centre. On Monday, 18 March, a host of BBC stars bid farewell to the famous Wood Lane building for a […]
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With Richard Briers’ untimely passing last month, I’ve been thinking more and more about the brilliance of The Good Life or The Good Neighbors as it was broadcast in the U.S. The 1970’s (gulp!) British situation comedy, which was written by Bob Larbey and John Esmonde, centered around Tom Good (Briers) and his wife/partner-in-crime Barbara […]
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The idea of a female Doctor has been tossed about for some time over the years but never really gained any sort of traction until recent years, especially with the regeneration following the David Tennant era as the Tenth Doctor. When the time came to cast the Eleventh Doctor, had the time actually come for […]
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As we (im)-patiently await the next Facebook status update from the inhabitants of Downton Abbey, chronicling the devastating events of series 3, episode 4, it time to, yet again, turn our attention to what really sets British actors apart from their American counterparts. As we experienced, first hand, back in 2009 at the Theatre Royal […]
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Following our 2009 interview with Penelope Keith on the stage of the Theatre Royal in Bath for the PBS special, More Funny Ladies of British Comedy, we spent a bit of down time getting the full understanding of the importance of regional theatre in the UK from one of the grand dames of British comedy. […]
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At the conclusion of the myriad of events surrounding the recent Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebration, I started thinking back to the Silver Jubilee in 1977 when Her Majesty and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, attended a taping of an episode of The Good Life (Good Neighbors in the States), starring Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, […]
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With the passing of David Croft on Sunday, 27 September, at age 89, more from our 1999 interview for the public television program, Salute to British Comedy on American Public Television. When host Penelope Keith introduces the ‘Allo ‘Allo segment, we come to realize that the series was not only complex for the audience, but […]
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One of the great treats of being a British television fan is the fact that, at any given moment in time, you can catch a very familiar name or face from your favorite British comedy or drama series on the theatre stage. Whether it be the ultimate of London’s West End or one of the […]
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Normally, when you put forth the time and effort to revisit the 70’s and watch what you remember as being brilliant television, chances are, you come away a bit disappointed. Such is not the case with the just released on DVD version of the 70’s classic, The Norman Conquests, from the PBS Great Performances series. […]
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While I feel a bit like today’s post is the Thursday night edition of Monday Night Football, there is a method behind our need to get the traditional “Monday Scattershooting” post a bit early this week bowing to the fact that Monday is Valentine’s Day and deserves its own special mention all to itself. So, here […]
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