Bill Young | Tellyspotting

Posted October 13, 2020 - No Comment

Fancy yourself a die-hard ‘Masterpiece’ or ‘Mystery’ fan? Check out the 50th anniversary character crossword…

Whether you’ve been watching PBS since the early days when Masterpiece aired on Sundays and Mystery! was on Thursdays or maybe you jumped on the British drama/mystery freight train in recent years with the broadcasts of Downton Abbey, Grantchester, Endeavour, Sherlock, Victoria or Poldark, chances are you are a die-hard Masterpiece/Mystery fan on PBS via your local public television station. Well, now is your […]

Posted October 11, 2020 - No Comment

Dr. Turner takes us behind-the-scenes of the 2020 ‘Call the Midwife’ Christmas Special

I think I can safely speak for everyone in wishing a safe but quick end to 2020. One bright spot, however, in what has been a year that’s been nothing but difficult beyond comprehension, is the traditional Call the Midwife Christmas Special set to air on BBC1 and PBS on Christmas Day 2020. What a welcome way to say goodbye to 2020 and hello to 2021.

Posted October 10, 2020 - No Comment

Becoming a Dame is ‘icing on the cake’ to Mary Berry and her 50+ year cookery career

Mary Berry is set to become a dame after being nominated as part of this years delayed Queen’s birthday honours list. The former judge on the Great British Bake Off will receive the accolade for services to broadcasting, culinary arts and charity. With 70+ cookery books under her belt, the first published 50 years ago in 1970, Berry is […]

Posted October 9, 2020 - No Comment

Friday Funny — ‘Jeeves and Wooster’ with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie

Tellyspotting digs deep into the ‘Friday Funny’ vault for this weeks entry. With Hugh Laurie’s upcoming effort in Roadkill, which premieres on PBS beginning Sunday, November 1, we thought we’d go ‘classic comedy’ with a look back at Jeeves and Wooster. Based on the ‘Jeeves’ short stories and novels by P.G. Wodehouse, the series ran for 4 seasons […]

Posted October 8, 2020 - No Comment

DCI John Barnaby keeping the streets of Midsomer safe once again as S22 filming gets underway!

In the 21st century era of ‘one and done’ British dramas, there lives among us the UK’s longest running contemporary detective drama series, Midsomer Murders, which celebrated two decades of murder in the picturesque, but deadly, countryside of Midsomer back in 2017. Showing no signs of slowing down, filming is currently underway on the 22nd series of Midsomer Murders which, once again, promises another seemingly endless array of shocking and bizarre mysteries for Detective John Barnaby to unravel.

Posted October 7, 2020 - No Comment

Could ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ become the next ‘Downton Abbey’?

Ok, that may be just a bit over the top but given the response to last night series 1 finale of the All Creatures Great and Small reboot, it has all the makings of equaling the brilliant six series run of Downton Abbey. Since the new ACGS has yet to premiere on PBS’ Masterpiece series with American audiences having to wait […]

Posted October 6, 2020 - No Comment

Happy 45th, ‘Poldark’!

Looking at the calendar, it’s hard to believe it is already October. Can someone tell me what happened to March through September?? It’s also hard to believe that yesterday, Monday, October 5th, marked the 45th anniversary of the UK premiere of Poldark. It was such a treat to open an email yesterday morning and spend time reading how Robin Ellis, the original Captain Ross Poldark, marked the anniversary.

Posted October 4, 2020 - No Comment

A case of personal morality vs. political power for Hugh Laurie in ‘Roadkill’ on PBS’ Masterpiece

Ambition knows no bounds, nor does corruption when Hugh Laurie (Jeeves and Wooster, Blackadder, Veep, The Night Manager, House) and Helen McCrory (Peaky Blinders, MotherFatherSon) star in Roadkill, a new political thriller from Academy Award nominee David Hare (Collateral, The White Crow) coming to Masterpiece beginning November 1 at 9p/8c.

Posted October 3, 2020 - No Comment

‘Grantchester’ S6 begins filming with hopes of making the Cambridgeshire village of Grantchester safe once again

With a target transmission date of only a few months off of their traditional Summer premiere as part of PBS’ Masterpiece series, the sixth series of Grantchester has begun filming With Robson Green returning as DI Geordie Keating and Tom Brittney as Grantchester’s Reverend Will Davenport, the series resumes in 1958 with the crime fighting duo renewing their […]

Posted October 1, 2020 - No Comment

Making Nigel Tufnel proud, Tellyspotting turns 11!

It was 11 years ago on October 1, 2009 that I had this crazy idea to create a blog that would be devoted to British television, UK pop culture and, essentially, anything and everything British. Having had the great good fortune and amazing opportunity over my career in television to be associated with some of the most talented people on both sides of the camera that create some of your favorite British comedies, mysteries and dramas, it seemed like a logical next step to be able to share with everyone what I’m privileged to be a part of every day. SO, on Thursday, October 1, 2009, Tellyspotting was born. Eleven years and 3,727 posts later, here we are, still having as much fun talking about British television as we did that fateful day 11 years ago.