LONDON – July 14, 2010: Today was more Keeping Up Appearances with our interview with Clive Swift. In this case, you probably do know the name and his work. Clive’s brilliant portrayal of Richard, Hyacinth’s husband, is a perfect example of the excellent casting that sets British comedy apart from their American counterparts. As Clive […]
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Without question, when a British comedy fan is asked what it is they like about British comedy, the first answer is “…the writing“. Ask any actor or actress what it is that sets British comedy apart from the rest of television as we know it, the answer is always “…the writing“. It’s intelligent television that […]
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From Keeping Up Appearances to Father Ted to The Vicar of Dibley, the clergy have had a rough go of it over the years with respect to their portrayal in British comedy. Gerard Gilbert writes in The Guardian that vicars and/or priests are categorized as either crazed or clowns whether it’s the comedic vicar in Dad’s […]
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Just another short rant about why there is no need to create American versions of British comedies that were close to perfection the first time around. This holds true virtually 100% of the time, whether it be for the big or small screen. All I need to do is utter the words of Death at […]
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The stars definitely would align, but, in this case, so must the writer. In a recent interview, James Fleet (Hugo Horton) revealed he would return to Vicar of Dibley should the opportunity arise. Fleet mentioned the same sentiment earlier this Spring when we interviewed both he and Trevor Peacock for the upcoming PBS special on […]
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Sunday night saw the return of Dawn French to London’s Royal Opera House stage in the role of La Duchesse de Crackentorp in “La Fille de la Regiment“. French, who originally played the part to rave reviews in 2007, doesn’t sing, speaks her lines in English (with French subtitles) yet still, according to early reviews, commands […]
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Ok, yes, one was directed by Ridley Scott, stars Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett and William Hurt and probably had a budget well beyond 10 times the other one. The other, the BBC series from Tiger Aspect, stars Richard Armitage (MI5, Vicar of Dibley) as Sir Guy of Gisborne and Irish-born Jonas Armstrong as Robin of […]
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London. 6 May. Election Day in the UK. Who’ll it be? Labour, Lib Dem or Tory party? However it may end up, elections have played an important role in British comedy over the years. Here are a few examples as compiled by the British Comedy Guide. First up – classic clip from Blackadder III. Baldrick […]
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The 2010 UK general election is just around the corner (6 May.2010). Surprisingly, the future of the BBC is shaping up as being one of the top issues facing the voting populace with the Conservative Tory party coming out strongly to cut the BBC license fee which, some say, could jeopardize its future. Both the […]
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Long day yesterday that started at 4:30a CT with a great interview with Bob Larbey, the genius mind behind the likes of As Time Goes By, The Good Neighbors (Good Life in the UK) and Mulberry, to name a few. In a word, couldn’t have been more gracious with his time and his thoughts on his […]
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