With the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth nearly upon us (February 2012), there are numerous festivals, exhibitions and educational activities planned for 2012. Two of the most eagerly awaited events from my perspective, however, will be those that find their way to the telly in December leading up to the year-long celebration. Bleak Expectations […]
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Having first appeared in a 1990 New Year’s Day radio program for Thames Television, Mr. Bean is officially retired. Rowan Atkinson, the British comedy great that brought the character to life believes he is too old to play the Buster Keaton-like character any longer. Having last played the lovable legend in the 2007 film, Mr. […]
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With a bit of full disclosure up front, I will admit my only experience that allows me to talk about this subject is having attended a number of BBC Showcase meetings over the years in the UK whereby the answer to everything that dealt with food seemed to be “…just add a bit of brown […]
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With the passing of David Croft on Sunday, 27 September, at age 89, more from our 1999 interview for the public television program, Salute to British Comedy on American Public Television. When host Penelope Keith introduces the ‘Allo ‘Allo segment, we come to realize that the series was not only complex for the audience, but […]
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Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…along comes news of yet another bone-headed re-make concept that just makes you want to turn off your telly and listen to radio drama until the end of time. Word on the street (actually, via The Hollywood Reporter) is that CBS is developing […]
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With news of Steven Moffat’s 2011 Christmas present to Doctor Who fans worldwide lighting up the internet the last several days comes Mark Gatiss’ look ahead to Christmas 2012 and his desire to spread joy around the world with a Sherlock Christmas special. Gatiss recently told the Radio Times: “I love the story, The Blue […]
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A Doctor Who Christmas present for 2011 Good to know that both the U.S. and the U.K. are on Steven Moffat’s holiday gift-giving list for 2011. As if a second season of Sherlock wasn’t enough, Moffat will, again, be spreading Doctor Who joy throughout the land this holiday season. Word is that production of this […]
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For fans of the BBC series, New Tricks, it was welcome news recently that the series had been commissioned for an additional two seasons to be broadcast in 2012 and 2013. For those unfamiliar with the series, New Tricks stars an unconventional bunch of old school ex-coppers brought out of retirement to work on unsolved […]
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Need an Audi Quattro? Going once, going twice…. Ok, maybe not THE Audi Quattro, but some of the set pieces from the brilliant BBC series, Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes starring Philip Glenister will go on the auction block this coming Friday, 23 September at the Merlin Theatre in Somerset. DCI Hunt, himself, […]
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To the lucky ones on the planet in the UK sitting down in front of the telly tonight at 9:00pm with the enviable viewing choice of either the new seaon of ITV’s Downton Abbey or the final season of Spooks on BBC One. The Guardian put it best by saying that, “…in Downton Abbey, you […]
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