As co-writer and co-director of BBC’s The Office, Stephen Merchant is best known for his collaborations with Ricky Gervais. The British writer, director, radio presenter, stand-up comedian and actor has, just recently, added a London West-End appearance to his CV with his first play, The Mentalists by Richard Bean alongside Steffan Rhodri at the Wyndham Theatre. Known for his brilliant command […]
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If you happened to have switched over on Thursday night to see how America pulled off their inaugural attempt at Red Nose Day, there was a very British feel to the program (even if it was backstage) as The Theory of Everything‘s Eddie Redmayne, Sherlock‘s Benedict Cumberbatch along with Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Helen […]
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Since the early 2000’s, David Brent has been considered Britain’s favorite middle manager in The Office. Ten years later, having cashed in his pension, the former manager of the Slough branch of Wernham Hogg Paper Merchants started a new career as a talent manager in the music industry, trying to help urban solo artist Dom […]
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In the ‘let’s tear things down that have a history attached to it and build something that will make a lot more money’ era that we all seem to live in, it was bound to happen, unfortunately. Following on the heels of the recent closure of BBC Television Centre, Teddington Studios, the home for years to Thames Television and where much of the magic happened during Britain’s Golden Age that has been seen by generations of television viewers, is set for demolition in the not-too-distant future.
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Finally, there is scientific evidence that supports what we have all known for some time. Downton Abbey is TV perfection. Radio Times reports on a recent study carried out at Bournemouth University which found that the Crawleys’ aristocratic dramas are the closest we can get to televised perfection. Researchers assessed the most popular TV episodes […]
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Aside from John Cleese and Ricky Gervais, you can probably count on one hand when the star of a British sitcom knows when enough is enough and gets to be the one that actually pulls the plug on their own show. Unfortunately, for show creators, writers and stars, in most cases, they usually find out […]
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After conquering both small screen comedy (Miranda) and drama (Call the Midwife) and, now, in the midst of her first comedy concert tour, the My, What I Call, Live Show tour, Miranda Hart has mastered riding a bike so will now set her sights on the big screen. According to Deadline, the ‘as yet […]
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Let’s see. First it was pink is the new black, then it was 50 is the new 30 and, now, after seeing The Call Centre, which premiered last Monday on BBC Three, many are convinced that The Call Centre is the new real-life Office. Nev Wilshire, chief executive of Swansea’s third biggest call centre, Save […]
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Even paradise can be hell For two series of BBC One’s Death in Paradise, Ben Miller (Worst Week of My Life, Primeval) was in heaven. Unfortunately, DI Richard Poole, the character that Miller portrays, is in hell. ‘Heaven’ for Miller because the series is filmed on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. “Hell’ for DI Poole […]
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With the announcement this week that both Gavin & Stacey and Spy have been picked up in pilot stage by U.S. television networks, Fox and ABC, respectively, and the news weeks back that there will now be an ‘American’ Downton Abbey, one can’t help but revisit some past history of comedies trying to head west […]
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