What British comedy teaches us daily

Whether you’ve been watching your favorite British comedy for years or you’re new to the game, it’s a genre that makes you laugh, makes you forget about both the week past or the week ahead and you appreciate the intelligence with which the writers, actors and production personnel go about their business to be the […]

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The Stig. Some say….he's James Bond's stunt driver

There are those that could lay claim that The Stig, the name given to the ultimate racing car driver on BBC’s mega hit, Top Gear, the most illegally download program on the Internet, is actually the model for the television commercial world’s Most Interesting Man in the World. The fact that I’ve never seen them in […]

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Chaplin….Keaton….Atkinson

For years, I have marveled at the comedic talents of Rowan Atkinson, especially showcased in the classic British comedies Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line, not to mention films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral. For all the greatness that comes from his “talking” roles, for my money, I have always loved the […]

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Stephen Fry's wit next up on the Tellyspotting Summer Book Club list

This just in from the weather center. Next Wednesday, we could see only double-digit temperatures. Okay, the high is supposed to be 98 degrees, but that’s still double digits. With the cold front not expected to hit until sometime early Wednesday morning, there’s still time for some more summer reading. Hopefully, you had a chance […]

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Pinewood Studio classics restored

The mere fact that Kind Hearts and Coronets is amongst the list of films from the great Pinewood Studios archive vault that are being digitally re-mastered from the original 35mm prints makes this a great project. Also noticed the film cans in the piece below that are in this batch to be digitally re-mastered was […]

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Sherlock good for Speedy's Sandwich Bar business

Quite possibly, the most iconic address in England apart from 10 Downing Street is 221B Baker Street as the London residence of the most famous detective of all-time, Sherlock Holmes. Set in the 21st Century, the new Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, has, inadvertently, created quite a stir in the world of Speedy’s […]

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LennonNYC on PBS' American Masters

Touched on this a bit earlier this summer, but now there’s more to share with video. Believe it or not, this October marks what would have been John Lennon’s 70th birthday and then December would be the 30th anniversary of his death. Focusing on the years following the breakup of the Beatles when Lennon and […]

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1961 Sean Connery, pre-James Bond

A 1961 BBC production of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, starring a pre-James Bond, Sean Connery has been unearthed deep within the BBC archives almost 50 years after its premiere. The title role was played by Claire Bloom, a top British actress of at that time. Sadly, it wasn’t unusual during the 60’s, to not keep programs […]

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It's 100+ degrees, let's talk December

As we move closer to our 20th day in a row of temperatures in excess of 100 degrees, the word on the street is that we might top out at 97 degrees next Wednesday. So, with December just on the horizon, it seemed like a great time to explore a long-running tradition in the UK […]

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The "Last" of the Summer Wine

If you’ve been with the series from the beginning, you’ve seen 295 episodes. In case you hadn’t realized it, you’ve been watching for 37 years or, you have had some pretty significant marathon DVD viewing events over the last “X” number of years. Either way, Sunday, 29 August, will officially be the last of Last […]

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