Timing is everything for Robert Llewellyn

No matter what walk of life you find yourself in, everyone has heard the old adage of “…it’s not what you know, but who you know”. Whether you heard it during your Benjamin Braddock (The Graduate) years trying to find a job right out of college or later in life during that life-changing career move […]

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Fall reading by some British comedy favorites

A few additions to your Fall reading list have just hit the shelves the last couple of weeks from two long-time favorite British comedy stars. Dawn French Following the release of her memorable autobiography titled Dear Fatty, Dawn French talked of a very difficult, painful life that led her to a life of comedy. Now, […]

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Baseball / Cricket as explained to a foreign visitor

The Day the Earth Stood Still – almost Definitely not the magnitude of the World Cup where time seems to stop for matches at all hours of the day and night depending on where and/or who you might be watching, but, it somehow seems appropriate to turn our attention (along with much of North America) on […]

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Mark Gatiss' The First Men in the Moon

Definitely doesn’t have the name recognition that both War of the Worlds and The Time Machine have, but H.G. Wells’ The First Men in the Moon is still, well, H.G. Wells. With only a single screen adaptation in 1964 to is credit, The First Men in the Moon is getting a great dust off by way of self-proclaimed […]

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PBS' Sherlock — 'Must see TV' — Sunday

Having just watched a stellar 4-part documentary from the BBC on the history of NASA, it seems appropriate to begin today’s post with a space reference. T-minus 36 hours and counting until the premiere of Sherlock on PBS Critics agree from coast to coast. Perhaps the best example of the phrase “…if you watch one […]

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Dateline New Orleans: 2010 BBC Showcase

Working extremely hard on your behalf, it’s Thursday and we find ourselves in New Orleans attending the third annual BBC Syndication Showcase meeting. New Orleans?  BBC? Fair questions. Well, this is THE meeting where public television programmers from around country sit in a room for several days screening BBC programming for possible acquisition and broadcast. As […]

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Downton Abbey – January 2011 on PBS

All I need to do is mention Downton Abbey upfront and fans of British television on both sides of the pond will know of what I speak. Written and created by Julian Fellowes, Oscar-winning writer of Gosford Park and star of Monarch of the Glen, and starring the likes of Dame Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville and […]

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Classic moments from Rutland Weekend Television

Trolling around the internets today we stumbled on an interview with Eric Idle for the Scotland on Sunday website referencing Idle’s hit musical, Spamalot, was coming to the Playhouse in Edinburgh beginning tonight, 18 October. Having seen the original some years back in Chicago with the likes of Tim Curry, David Hyde Pierce and Hank […]

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Connie Booth checks out of Fawlty Towers – for good

It’s an old story, but one worth re-telling. You’re an actor/actress targeted for life for a role done a lifetime ago. A legion of fans worldwide don’t want to let go. It’s something that every actor worries about. In the world of British comedy alone, just ask Patricia Routledge (Hyacinth Bucket), John Cleese (Basil Fawlty) […]

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British comedy duo French and Saunders "getting the band back together"…

“Chuffed to blooming heck…” is how Dawn French described her feelings regarding the news of her and long-time British comedy partner, Jennifer Saunders, reuniting to host three, 2-hour, programs for BBC Radio 2 this holiday season. The French and Saunders programs can be heard on Boxing Day (26 December), New Year’s Day (1 January) and 3 January with […]

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