Mr. Bean
British comedy stars invade the London stage
As we (im)-patiently await the next Facebook status update from the inhabitants of Downton Abbey, chronicling the devastating events of series 3, episode 4, it time to, yet again, turn our attention to what really sets British actors apart from their American counterparts. As we experienced, first hand, back in 2009 at the Theatre Royal [...]
Ministers heed Blackdder’s advice, amend law outlawing ‘insulting words or behaviour’
Let me just start out by saying admitting for all the world to hear…I LOVE THE CIVILITY OF BRITISH POLITICS!. You might remember back in November when we reported on the efforts of Rowan Atkinson taking issue with a particular clause in the Public Order Act of 1986 in Britain. As Section 5 of the [...]
Mr. Bean’s New Year’s Eve Bash
Happy 2013 from Tellyspotting! Fresh off a quiet but ‘challenging’ Christmas Day celebration, Mr. Bean hosted a New Year’s party with his friends Rupert and Hubert, fully equipped with party hats, music and some homemade snacks and drink. Unfortunately for Mr. Bean, the new year can’t get here fast enough for Rupert and Hubert and [...]
Happy Thanksgiving from Tellyspotting!
It’s hard to believe that it’s already Thanksgiving here in the States and, as mind-numbing as it may be, Christmas is right around the corner. That said, it’s important to remember today as a day where it’s important to take a moment and think about family and friends and all the things you are truly [...]
Rowan Atkinson lends support for free speech and the right to insult people
I have to say, upfront, I love the civility that surrounds any discussion of British politics. The most recent example occurred 16 October when Rowan Atkinson took issue with a particular clause in the Public Order Act of 1986 in Britain. As Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 currently reads, Edmund Blackadder would [...]
Regional theatre stronger than ever in Bath
Following our 2009 interview with Penelope Keith on the stage of the Theatre Royal in Bath for the PBS special, More Funny Ladies of British Comedy, we spent a bit of down time getting the full understanding of the importance of regional theatre in the UK from one of the grand dames of British comedy. [...]
A London West End return for Rowan Atkinson
Unfortunately, it’s not Blackadder V or Mr. Bean III but the good news is that Rowan Atkinson will perform the title role in Simon Gray’s ‘Quartermaine’s Terms‘ running 23 January through 13 April 2013. The play, which is set in Cambridge in the 1960s English language school for foreigners and centers around the friendly but [...]
A little post-Sherlock/Downton Abbey scattershooting
Now that UK audiences are 2/3rd through series 2 of Sherlock and the long Downton Abbey series 2 wait is over for U.S. audiences time to peruse the Internets for some stories that may have been missed while both sides of the pond had stayed away from any potential spoiler alerts this week…. Voldemort the [...]
Remembering John Howard Davies, David Croft and Trevor Bannister
While wishing everyone a Happy New Year and prosperous 2012, I wanted to remember some ‘friends’ the world of comedy lost in 2011. Over the past several years, those of us involved in the production of a number of British comedy retrospective specials for PBS have had the incredible good fortune to spend quality time [...]
