PBS | Tellyspotting

Posted March 7, 2016 - No Comment

‘Call the Midwife’ promises to both uplift and upset as series 5 cycles its way to PBS

UK viewers closed the book on another gut-wrenching series of Call the Midwife last night. Without exception, the Heidi Thomas creation has to be considered the most fearless series on television. Having dealt with domestic abuse, prostitution, infant mortality, homosexuality, racism, poverty and alcohol addiction, the series tackles its most difficult and/or boldest subject to date when Call the Midwife returns […]

Posted March 6, 2016 - No Comment

The day ‘Downton Abbey-Nation’ hoped would never come

Oddly, in this instance, the seventh and final game of baseball’s World Series is a bit like tonight’s broadcast of Downton Abbey. Stay with me here. Just like the seventh and final game of the World Series, you know that no matter who wins, the next day there is no baseball. After tonight’s broadcast of the ninth […]

Posted March 5, 2016 - 1 Comment

‘Maigret’ + Rowan Atkinson = stunning!

Given his trademark pipe, fondness of fine alcohol and reliance on godlike intuition in solving cases, the character of Jules Maigret is frequently referred to as the Sherlock Holmes of France. Having first appeared in print in 1931, Maigret is the creation of Belgian author Georges Simenon who wrote 75 Maigret novels and is considered […]

Posted March 3, 2016 - 1 Comment

A London re-cap including a brush with Bill Nighy greatness

I knew this would happen. First day back on U.S. soil from a jam-packed two weeks in the UK for the 2016 BBC Showcase in Liverpool and I find myself wide awake and it’s just a bit shy of 4:00am local time. Guess it makes sense considering it’s almost 10:00a London time which is what I’ve […]

Posted March 1, 2016 - No Comment

Churchill’s Secret highlights UK drama wars

Chalk this up as yet another reason why UK telly is more than a cut above the rest of Planet Earth. Take for example, Sunday night. While a majority of the U.S. was trying to think of anything possible to watch other than the mindless red-carpet preview of the 88th Academy Awards, the BBC and […]

Posted February 28, 2016 - No Comment

PBS to cure ‘Downton Abbey’ blues with Sunday S6 binge marathon

With only one episode left before Carson closes the doors for the final time at Downton Abbey, there are those already deep into the throws of a severe case of separation anxiety. And, with good reason! The sixth and final series will be in Branson’s rear view mirror by the end of the night on […]

Posted February 22, 2016 - No Comment

‘Keeping Up Appearances’ considered THE most successful BBC program – EVER!

It’s opening night of the BBC Showcase in Liverpool, the annual gathering of hundreds of international television buyers here for the opportunity to screen upcoming BBC programming to bring back to their respective countries. This year didn’t open with a laundry list rundown of programs and series ‘in the pipeline’ for people to screen over the […]

Posted February 20, 2016 - No Comment

Stephen Fry welcomes Tellyspotting to the UK for BBC Showcase 2016

Well, the genius that is Stephen Fry may have left Twitter, but he has still found time to welcome Tellyspotting to the UK this morning for the 2016 BBC Showcase! The English comedian, actor, writer, presenter, activist and self-professed tech geek has teamed up with Heathrow Airport to welcome weary travelers to the United Kingdom. With over 73 million […]

Posted February 15, 2016 - No Comment

Grantchester 2: a ‘making of’ look back and an S2 look ahead on PBS

Buck up, little Grantchester campers, PBS has confirmed that the second series will premiere on Sunday, March 27! Taking its inspiration from “The Grantchester Mysteries” by James Runcie, head of literature at the Southbank Centre in London and whose father Robert was Archbishop of Canterbury in the 1980s, Grantchester tells the story of a vicar-turned-detective set in 1950’s Cambridgeshire. The Making of Grantchester […]

Posted February 14, 2016 - No Comment

Downton Abbey’s 7 Best Couples…so far!

The best (and only) thing about America being in the home stretch of the final series of Downton Abbey is that it gives us the ability to look back on a series that, for six years, has given us some of the best television on television. Once again, a huge tip of the hat goes to the […]