Benedict Cumberbatch is Patrick Melrose this May

Benedict Cumberbatch will return to the small screen next month as a narcissistic, schizoid, suicidal alcoholic/drug addict with a distinctive overcoat and, no, it’s not a new episode of Sherlock! Cumberbatch will executive produce and take the lead as Patrick Melrose in the upcoming adaptation of Edward St Aubyn’s classic series of semi-autobiographical Melrose novels, […]

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PBS greenlights California style 'Downton Abbey' set in the 1800's

Looking to capitalize on Downton Abbey mania, PBS has commissioned a multi-generational American drama with all the hallmarks of the hit British drama — an arranged marriage, class conflict, sweeping vistas and history. Leave it to the New York Post to call it Downton Abbey…with flava. The PBS pilot, which carries the working title “Alta […]

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Dowager Countess overheard at 2012 Emmys – "What is an EMMY?"

There was a definite British Invasion at the 64th Annual Emmy Awards with nominations in numerous categories for Downton Abbey, Sherlock and Luther. Having moved this year from the Drama Series category instead of the Miniseries/Movie category, Downton Abbey picked up sixteen total nominations while the brilliant Sherlock received 13 nominations. Unfortunately, 2012 will forever […]

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Eddie Izzard enters the United States of Tara

Eddie Izzard alert! From Dreamworks Television and Executive Producer, Steven Spielberg, the third season of Showtime’s dark comedy, United States of Tara, kicks off beginning tonight, Monday, March 28 at 10:30p ET (following Nurse Jackie) with the great Eddie Izzard as Tara’s (Toni Collette) new DID-skeptical psychology professor. Thanks to xfinityTV.com for providing tellyspotting this […]

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Episodes has a fighting chance

Full disclosure upfront. I wasn’t going to give the new series from Hat Trick Productions and Showtime much of a chance from the beginning, given that it initially read as a documentary and not a comedy. However, after seeing episode one, this has the potential to be the ‘much-anticipated’ hit that the BBC is hanging its hat […]

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Is Episodes a comedy or a documentary?

A British couple comes to the U.S. to oversee their successful British comedy being remade by an “American network” — and ruined. Sounds more like a documentary than a comedy to me. Can you blame me? I can name all the British comedies that have had American re-makes on one hand, and have two fingers […]

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Can a show jump the shark before it premieres?

The term “jumping the shark” has become synonymous with a point in the life of a television program or series where the plot spins off into a totally ridiculous scenario. It could be something as simple as having a wedding between two unlikely characters, having the main character miraculously kidnapped by their previously unknown evil […]

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