Pythons reveal favorite modern comedies….

After having to suffer for years and years of fans worldwide wanting to know what are the Pythons favorite sketches or what were their early days influences for the brilliant Python sketches, at long last, someone has asked the likes of Terry Gilliam, Carol Cleveland, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, what makes them laugh…non-Python related. Together to launch the Monty Python’s Flying Circus Python Bytes app (which seems to be the sole reason people get together today, to release apps), Digital Spy asked each of the Pythons in attendance what their favorite modern comedies were.

Thankfully, after all these years, it was nice to hear we share the same tastes in comedy with Terry Gilliam mentioning Family Guy, Carol Cleveland talking Six Feet Under, Michael Palin acknowledging he’s a big fan of Dexter and Twenty Twelve, while Terry Jones, unfortunately, seemed to shock the Pythons by revealing that his telly is in the garage so a bit difficult to identify his current favorites.

Time to channel your inner Sherlock

In our continued euphoria spillover effect during Sherlock premiere week on PBS, it’s time lose the ‘…these are professionals, do not attempt this at home‘ subtext that has been running through your mind as you watch. Quit thinking you would be starring at Irene Adler and see nothing but ????. Now is the time to channel your inner-Sherlock, or, after 4 episodes now, maybe even your inner-Watson and take the Sherlock Observation Game.

Never mind the thought that Sherlock will be standing beside you uttering the words “Bored” or “Obvious”, it’s time to test your powers of perception and see how you stack up against the world’s greatest, and only, consulting detective. To play, spot a difference, then click on it. Find all five differences in each picture set if you can before time runs out.

Careful where you click — wrong clicks take away time and, in the words of Jim Moriarty, you’ll get burned. Right clicks and you might get a call from DI Lestrade soon.

Sherlock co-creator hints at Sherlock 3 content

With last night’s premiere of the second series of Sherlock on PBS still a hot topic on numerous website chat rooms, co-writer/co-creator, Mark Gatiss, has lobbed the first Sherlock 3 grenade and hinted as to at least one of the stories that will be featured. Much like the 2010 Moffat/Gatiss simple three word tease for series two of “…Adler, Hounds, Reichenbach“, this one is equally as intriguing. Gatiss hinted recently that series three, which is tentatively set to begin filming in early 2013, would begin with Conan Doyle’s ‘The Adventure of the Empty House’. While the Sherlock series two finale, ‘The Reichenbach Fall’, is a loose adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘The Final Problem’, ‘The Adventure of the Empty House’ is the next story chronologically, so it makes perfect sense.

***Spoiler Alert***

Digital Spy has reported that Gatiss told the Press Association that “There’s certain things about ‘The Adventure of the Empty House’ which feel set in stone because that’s how Sherlock comes back, but at the same time we feel free to invent and to introduce new stuff to it.”

To go any further with Gatiss’ comments would reveal too many spoilers for viewers in the States that have only just seen the first episode, ‘A Scandal in Belgravia’, so, we’ll leave you with a trailer for next Sundays episode, ‘The Hounds of Baskerville’.

Spooks 10 – This is the End

As Jim Morrison and The Doors sang….This is the End.

With all the recent Sherlock and Downton Abbey talk the last few months, lets not forget the final series premiere of, perhaps, the best television show on television, MI5 (Spooks in the UK), as the series takes a final bow on public television this month (KERA premieres the final series on Thursdays beginning 10 May). If you feel the need to catch up, start now as there are 80 episodes in the first 9 seasons that you’ll need to get through before you being the final series. Spooks is definitely the definition of ‘you can’t tell the players without a scorecard’. Unfortunately, with Spooks, you have to buy a new scorecard ever series. The final series is no different.

Finally….as we get closer to the final series premiere, if you just don’t have the time to watch 80 hours prior to Thursday, (or whenever your local public television station begins the final series), we’ll get you ready wherever you are with the Spooks 10 drinking game as created by Officer Skully and readers over at the Spooks Fan Blog.

Personal favorite that, over the long haul, requires a great deal of moderation? How about when Harry puts on his black gloves. On screen, you know someone is about to die, but it’s a sure sign that someone in the audience is going to need a drink of their favorite beverage to get through the scene.

For the final season, you may recognize Lara Pulver as the new head of Section D. Where from, you might ask? Lara also stars in the new season of Sherlock, which premieres tonight on PBS, as Irene Adler. As with Sherlock, UK fans already know what we are in for here in the States with respect to the final series of Spooks. Anyone care to share some spoiler-free hints?

Don’t forget – Sherlock, tonight at 8:00p CT / 9:00p ET on PBS.

Post Sherlock – the greatness that is Lead Balloon

I’m guessing a few of you are already sitting in front of the telly eagerly awaiting the Sunday night premiere of the new season of Sherlock on PBS. If you happen to be in the North Texas area and KERA is your local public television station, then hang out with us until 11:00pm for the premiere of Lead Balloon, starring Jack Dee.

Dee stars as Rick Spleen, a cynical comedian whose life is overly plagued by petty annoyances, disappointments and embarrassments. Created and co-written by Dee and Pete Sinclair, the story centers around Spleen, the ultimate comedian who hates being a comedian, and his daily struggle to score a decent gig, trying to make ends meet by hosting corporate events such as the Frozen Goods Awards Evening or filling in on the the Bargain Channel.

As with most successful situation comedies coming out of the UK, besides the writing, one of the strengths of Lead Balloon is the stellar supporting cast. His partner Mel (Raquel Cassidy) is a talent agent blessed with a career that, unfortunately, tends to highlight the failure aspect of Rick’s career. Marty (Sean Power), an American, writes the majority of Rick’s material, often working with him at Rick’s home or at a local café owned by Michael (Tony Gardner), a somewhat socially awkward former high-flying city banker who suffered from burn-out and bought a café. Earlier this year, we spoke with Sean Power, who plays Marty, just prior to the UK premiere of the 4th and final season of Lead Balloon.

Rick’s daughter Sam (Antonia Campbell-Hughes) attends college with what seems to have a sole purpose in life to extract money from her father. Her slacker boyfriend Ben (Rasmus Hardiker) has held numerous jobs and interests including a circus skills course.

The best, however, is Magda (Anna Crilly), the Spleens’ sullen Eastern European housekeeper, who is often puzzled by British attitudes, language and, in her view, softness.

Since the beginning, Lead Balloon has been compared, sometimes unfairly, to Curb Your Enthusiasm. Personally, whichever side of the Curb fence you are on, I would suggest you judge Lead Balloon on its’ own merits and leave the inevitable comparisons to the TV critics because that’s what they do.

So….Sherlock 2, Sunday at 8:00p CT / 9:00p ET on PBS and the for North Texas viewers, stick around until 11:00p and let us know what you think about Lead Balloon. For those outside NT, would love to hear your thoughts, too, as Lead Balloon is currently beginning to run on public television stations nationwide.