What was supposed to be a sneak peak at Downton Abbey 2, well….

As with any “teaser” clip, no matter the length, it’s always been a fine line between maddening and anticipation. An all-too-short clip that I screened early Thursday, was to give millions of extraordinarily patient fans a first glimpse at what’s next for both the residents and servants of Downton Abbey. At only :12 seconds, it […]

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Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy set to premiere

If you are in the UK, mark down the date of Friday, 16 September as the day a potential Oscar winning film premieres. For those in the U.S., clear out Friday, November 18 on your calendar for the same reason. Starring Colin Firth, Gary Oldman, Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Atonement, Fortysomething), Tom Hardy, Mark Strong and […]

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Robbie Coltrane in Lead Balloon brilliance

Those lucky enough to reside within range of a BBC Two signal last night, hopefully, saw a brilliant episode from the new season of the genius British comedy series, Lead Balloon, starring Jack Dee. In an apples and oranges kind of scenario, this reminded me of last years “Rope” episode from Psychoville in that it […]

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I Claudius: HBO/BBC to re-make a classic

A mere 42 years after Robert Graves wrote I, Claudius, the BBC created television greatness with the 1976 classic of the same name, starring the brilliant Derek Jacobi as the Roman Emperor. Graves’ autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius, chronicled the history of the Roman Empire from Julius Caesar’s assassination to Caligula’s assassination. The original […]

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Spooks (MI-5) S10 story arc released

Now that a majority of pubic television viewers have experienced the most recent jaw-dropping season ender of a series of Spooks (MI-5), it’s time to set our sights on the upcoming season 10, set to air this Fall in the UK on BBC One and early to mid-2012 on public television stations in the U.S.  Initial […]

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A real-life Doc Martin, w/out the curmudgeon part

Despite the fact that Dr. Lawrence Barnes is not afraid of blood, he doesn’t kick stray dogs and is not even close to being as curmudgeonly as Dr. Martin Ellingham, a.k.a. Doc Martin, “Doc Barnes” is leading a seemingly familiar mid-20th century doctor’s life to his fictional counterpart. Working surgeries between the two fishing villages […]

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BBC, PBS' Masterpiece have Great Expectations

With 2012 marking the bicentenary of Charles Dickens’ birth (be easier if someone would just say 200th  anniversary), the BBC and PBS’ Masterpiece series have teamed up and commissioned a new adaptation of Dickens’ classic, Great Expectations. According to the BBC, filming will begin in July in London with Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast) starring as […]

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How did you celebrate National Towel Day?

In Canada, they appointed a Towel Day Ambassador. Imagine, not only did the guy with the Don’t Panic tattoo not win, the winner was from Tennessee. There was a Towel March against the Vogon violence in Sao Paolo (who wouldn’t march against that on any day), a combat de serviette in Paris, towel-wearing flash mobs […]

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Happy Birthday, Arthur Conan Doyle, it's a BAFTA for Sherlock!

How appropriate. It was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s birthday. At a mere 152, he certainly would have enjoyed Sherlock’s BAFTA award for Best Drama series last night besting Downton Abbey, Misfits and the brilliance of Being Human. Along with the series win, Martin Freeman won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Doctor Watson in […]

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