There are several new British comedies headed to a number of public television stations over the course of the next few months. Having touched briefly on both Still Open All Hours and W1A, we turn our attention to Ordinary Lies, a series that starts a bit slow, can be a bit gripping at times but is, ultimately, brilliant […]
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I may be in the minority here, but one of my most favorite British situation comedies of all-time is Open All Hours. Written by Roy Clarke (Last of the Summer Wine, Keeping Up Appearances) and starring comedy legends Ronnie Barker and David Jason, Open All Hours ‘premiered’ in 1973 as a last-minute addition to Barker’s comedy anthology series, Seven […]
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There is definitely something in the water when it comes to British actors that places them a cut above their American counterparts as it relates to stage and screen. Some point to the ‘formal’ theater training that makes them more than capable to handle both the most serious role one week and a drop-dead comedic […]
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2016 has stuck once again as beloved British actress Liz Smith, best known for role as the brandy-loving grandmother Norma Jean Speakman, a.k.a. Nana, in Royle Family, passed away on Christmas Eve at the age of 95. Smith’s career spanned more than four decades and included a supporting appearance in Peter Sellers’s Pink Panther movies as well as […]
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This 1968 gem from a pre-Monty Python’s Flying Circus’ Terry Gilliam is what the internet was made for. In those early days, Gilliam was kicking around London, working as an animator. He was asked to put together an animated segment for a Christmas show, so he hopped over to the Tate and photocopied a bunch of Victorian Christmas […]
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While 2016 has not been particularly kind when it comes to those we have lost (David Bowie, Prince, Gene Wilder, Alan Rickman, Gary Shandling, Muhammed Ali and Robert Vaughn, to name a few), it has been a banner year from a telly standpoint. The year started off with the Sherlock one-off, “The Abominable Bride”, followed by the […]
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Miranda Hart may not be returning to Poplar this Christmas when Call the Midwife returns but she will definitely be on everyone’s radar this holiday season as the star of the self-titled, self-penned and semi-autobiographical sitcom, Miranda, joins forces with her dog, Peggy, to recreate some of television’s iconic moments from 2016 for Alan Carr’s 12 Stars of Christmas beginning […]
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Perhaps either taking a page from former husband Lenny Henry’s brilliant portrayal of culinary genius, Gareth Blackstock, in the comedy series, Chef, or remembering her portrayal of Geraldine Granger and her love of all things food-related in Vicar of Dibley, Dawn French has signed on for a new Sky1 comedy series, Delicious, premiering Christmas Day on Sky1. […]
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As the news broke early Thursday evening that Andrew Sachs had passed away at the age of 86 on November 23, I am at this moment officially done with 2016. Diagnosed with vascular dementia four years ago, Andrew was, by far, best known for his spot on portrayal of Manuel, the constantly confused waiter from Barcelona with a limited grasp of the English language and customs. […]
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Ordinarily, I’m not a big fan of sketch comedy shows as most episodes are more often than not like a roller coaster with up and down sketches. Not a bad thing but more my opinion as I realize not every sketch, whether it be from Saturday Night Live, Little Britain or even Monty Python’s Flying Circus, can knock it […]
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