Bill Young | Tellyspotting

Posted December 31, 2021 - No Comment

“The same procedure every year” — ‘Dinner for One’ continues its annual NYE tradition in Germany

It seems that watching television on New Year’s Eve in Germany is right up there with the tradition of watching the Queen’s Christmas Day message in the UK. Dinner for One is a particularly crucial part of Germany’s festive programming, where it has been broadcast on Das Erste, a public television channel, since 1972. Around half the population still tunes in on New Year’s Eve to watch it with some Germans even recreating the meal served in the skit.

Posted December 30, 2021 - No Comment

Selfridges sells for a cool £4 billion — If I would have only known!

For a mere £4 billion ($5.4 billion), had I known, I could have put a famed British luxury department store under the Christmas tree of someone special this year. Oh, if I would have only known…or, more realistically, had £4 billion to spare, I could have put in a bid. Guessing I’d have to lose the red […]

Posted December 27, 2021 - No Comment

‘Vienna Blood’ returns as S2 begins January 9 on PBS

Series 2 of the Austrian-set crime thriller, Vienna Blood, is headed to PBS beginning January 9. As with series 1, the new installments will, once again, pair a world-weary Austrian police detective and with a young doctor of psychology as they team up to solve crimes in 1900s Vienna. Starring Matthew Beard (The Imitation Game), and […]

Posted December 25, 2021 - No Comment

Her Majesty The Queen’s Christmas Message — 2021

Following the tradition that began in 1932 by her father, King George V, Her Majesty The Queen broadcast her inaugural Christmas message live on the radio from her study at Sandringham, Norfolk in 1952. The Queen began: “Each Christmas, at this time, my beloved father broadcast a message to his people in all parts of […]

Posted December 24, 2021 - No Comment

John Cleese’s classic rendition of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

Much like watching It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Story, Tuna Christmas or, as evidenced by a recent admission, Die Hard, one of my annual Christmas traditions is to listen to John Cleese’s adaptation of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas from podcast No. 28. Never mind that there have been endless readings over the years by the likes […]

Posted December 24, 2021 - No Comment

At long last — the unveiling of Big Ben this NYE!

Following a couple of years of very little to cheer about, this in-depth bit of news from Secret London is just too good to pass up! It’s been four long years since the loveable Big Ben disappeared under scaffolding, and it’s a bit of an understatement to say that a lot has happened in that […]

Posted December 22, 2021 - No Comment

Head to London — virtually — for the New Year’s Day Parade 2022

While, admittedly, neither Christmas Day nor Boxing Day have appeared in our collective rear-view mirrors as of yet, we thought we’d take a brief glimpse into the future without wanting to wish away time at what’s going on New Year’s Day 2022 in London. The London’s New Year’s Day Parade, more fondly known by Londoners as LNYDP, […]

Posted December 19, 2021 - No Comment

From ‘Fawlty Towers’ to ‘Downton Abbey’ and everything in-between — remembering Nicky Henson!

In recent years, unfortunately, posts of this nature have become way too frequent and continue to hit too close to home as they involve friends that we’ve made over the years. It was 15 December, 2019 that our friend Nicky Henson, passed away Monday at the age of 74. A statement from the actor’s family at […]

Posted December 16, 2021 - No Comment

Sister Boniface set to make Great Slaughter streets safe in 2022!

Armed with an IQ of 156 and a PhD in Forensic Science, popular Father Brown character Sister Boniface is getting her own spin-off series based on the character who first appeared in episode 6 of series 1 of Father Brown, “The Bride of Christ”. Lorna Watson will reprise her role from the popular BBC1 daytime series, which will focus on light-hearted “cozy” mysteries in a similar vein to Father Brown which stars Mark Williams as the crime-solving Roman Catholic priest.

Posted December 14, 2021 - No Comment

25 years later, Dawn French and Dame Darcey Bussell reunite and talk ballet for Royal Academy of Dance fundraiser

This piece of greatness just in from and courtesy of the Royal Academy of Dance…. Dawn French and Dame Darcey Bussell have reunited to reminisce about their famous ballet sketch in The Vicar Of Dibley called “The Mirror” 25 years on, and said it helped to demonstrate dance is “there for everybody”. The comedian and the […]