John Inman
R.I.P. – Frank Thornton (a.k.a. Captain Peacock)
Sadly, this is getting all-too frequent these days. Most recently was the passing of Richard Briers and, now, the passing of the great Frank Thornton at age 92. Known to us all as simply Captain Peacock and, more recently, Truly Truelove in Last of the Summer Wine, Frank Thornton rivaled Richard Briers for who had [...]
A British comedy Labor Day salute to the workforce
It’s Labor Day here in the States, the American holiday that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers. While it also signals the end of summer and, thankfully, considered the last day of the year when it is considered fashionable to wear white, we can’t let the long weekend pass by without paying a bit [...]
Remembering Geoffrey Hughes; R.I.P., Onslow
The man, who most knew as Onslow, the slovenly bane of Hyacinth’s existence (except for one special moment on the QE2) in Keeping Up Appearances, has died at the age of 68. Geoffrey Hughes, one of the true British comedy greats, was also known to many over the years for his supporting role as Twiggy [...]
British comedy legend, Dad's Army, AYBS co-creator, David Croft dies at 89
British comedy legend, writer/producer David Croft, has died at age 89. Responsible for such classic sitcoms as Dad’s Army, It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, Hi-de-Hi, ‘Allo ‘Allo and Are You Being Served?, Croft began his career in show business with an early childhood advertisement appearance and then a small part in the 1939 film, Goodbye [...]
Jeremy Lloyd to BBC: Good comedy is good writing and acting, %$@#&*
New BBC controller, Danny Cohen, lobbed the first grenade with his desire for the Beeb to “…curb middle class comedy” and add more “…blue-collar comedy shows“. Series like the long-running My Family and Outnumbered seem to not reflect the country as a whole. According to Cohen, the UK needs more shows like Only Fools and [...]
Connie Booth checks out of Fawlty Towers – for good
It’s an old story, but one worth re-telling. You’re an actor/actress targeted for life for a role done a lifetime ago. A legion of fans worldwide don’t want to let go. It’s something that every actor worries about. In the world of British comedy alone, just ask Patricia Routledge (Hyacinth Bucket), John Cleese (Basil Fawlty) [...]
Book of Minutiae – Chapter 1
From the Tellyspotting book of little known facts….. Next time you feel the need to amaze your friends with some British comedy trivia, here are some great starters that will have them, well, amazed. Guaranteed. Or, if you find yourself at a pub quiz and one of these questions pops up…you can thank me later. [...]
Memo to John Inman: Thanks for the years of laughter
When John Inman (Mr. Humphries, Are You Being Served?) passed away on March 8, 2007, all the years past, present and future of smiles and laughter did not end. John was, and will continue to be, a very good friend to public television viewers nationwide through his comedic talents on screen. Many of us will [...]
Birthday salute to two Britcom giants – Richard Briers and Frank Thornton
Raise a collective glass wherever you are today and tomorrow and toast two of the great comedy icons that have graced the small screen for years on public television as they celebrate birthdays today, January 14, and tomorrow, January 15. Richard Briers (January 14) Better known to public television British comedy fans as both Tom [...]
Happy Thanksgiving from Tellyspotting!
Well, it’s not British, but it’s a classic and it has something to do with turkey. If anyone can find the entire clip of this, I’d love to have it. For those of you that remember this, enjoy! For those of you that don’t, you need to find it. That said, we hope everyone has [...]
