Bottle Boys http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottle_BoysSunday, January 31, 2010
Mother And Son
Mother And Son, the popular 1984-1994 Australian sitcom considered by many to be the best sitcom to ever come out of there. The UK sitcom Keeping Mum (with Stephanie Cole) was the later British version of this program.Corner Gas
Corner Gas....complete on 7 discs.Those of us in the U.S. that watch PBS are very familiar with the sponsors credits that begin many programs where they note the corporations and charitable organizations that donated funding for a particular program. They always end with something like "and contributions from viewers like you". Now it's time to give credit to some "viewers like you" who, through a great effort on their part, allow me to share some great non-UK programs with you.
The feedback from those that decided to give the Irish sitcom Killinaskully a try was very positive and here are some more opportunities to enjoy comedy from around the English-speaking world.
Thanks to Laura in Toronto (the UKTVFL Canadian Connection) here is the complete set of Corner Gas, the very popular (and recently concluded) sitcom about life in Dog River, Saskatchewan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corner_gas From what I've seen so far I think the writing is clever and I like the absence of an annoying laugh track. Thanks to Laura I hope to be making Trailer Park Boys, another popular Canadian sitcom, available soon.
Colin in New Zealand (the UKTVFL Kiwi Konnection) has been making a great effort to provide us all with the complete (89 episodes to date) Outrageous Fortune, the very popular comedy/drama that is also broadcast in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the UK and Italy. It would be way too risque and adult-themed to be ever shown in the USA because (goodness gracious!) someone might be offended! Oh my! Look for it in the near future as soon as we work out a couple glitches. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outrageous_Fortune_%28TV_series%29
So again, thanks to both for helping us expand our horizons!
Coronation Street - Disc 7
Coronation Street - Disc 7, another 24 vintage episodes from the long running soap. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation_Street
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Sergeant Cork - Disc 1
Sergeant Cork appeared in 66 episodes between 1963 and 1968, but only 36 still exist and here are the first 13. Each episode was 50 to 52 minutes long. John Barrie was the star of this Victorian police procedural and William Gaunt his sidekick. Gaunt is probably better remembered for his roles as Arthur Crabtree on No Place Like Home, Andrew Prentice on Next Of Kin, and Richard Barrett on The Champions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergeant_Cork
Potter - Arthur Lowe
Potter, starring Arthur Lowe (Dad's Army, Bless Me Father), is now complete with the previously missing first episode of the second series. Potter was revived a few years later (Lowe had died) starring Robin Bailey and that can be found on Potter Disc 2. This disc also has 3 of the 6 episodes of Lowe's final program, A.J. Wentworth, B.A. and an episode of Armchair Theatre he was in and is not found on the Armchair Theatre discs. In Potter Lowe played the role of Redvers Potter who is retired from the candy business he developed into a thriving concern but retirement doesn't provide enough for him to do so he lends his "assistance" to those around him, which is more often hindrance than help.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Rock & Chips
Rock & Chips, the John Sullivan-penned feature-length pilot for the prequel to Only Fools And Horses. It's the Trotter family, Peckham 1960. Starring Nicholas Lyndhurst as Freddie 'The Frog' Robdal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_%26_Chipshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qgrc7
Mine All Mine
Mine All Mine... a comedy written by Russell Davies of Dr. Who fame starred Griff Rhys Jones (Not The Nine O'Clock News, Alas Smith And Jones, etc.) and also had Ruth Madoc of Hi-de-Hi! fame. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mine_All_MineOliver's Travels
Oliver's Travels.....no, it's not a travel program about some guy named Oliver going around Wales in his station wagon. It's a mystery.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver%27s_Travels
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Heat Of The Sun
Co-produced by Carlton and WGBH, this period mystery (1930's Kenya) was filmed in Zimbabwe and was also seen by US viewers on PBS Mystery! There are some very good reviews found on IMDB here: Friday, January 22, 2010
Moving On
Moving On is a television series consisting of five standalone contemporary dramas.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moving_On_%28TV_series%29
Gone To The Dogs
Gone To The Dogs was an early 90's comedy-drama with an all-star cast of Jim Broadbent, Alison Steadman, Harry Enfield, Warren Clarke, Martin Clunes. Here is the synopsis from Amazon UK: Set around the not so glamourous world of greyhound racing in London's East End, this comic drama features an excellent cast of British actors. When Jim (Jim Broadbent) is released from prison he sees the greyhounds as his chance to get rich quick. Standing in his way is Larry (Warren Clarke), a millionaire who owns all the best dogs. Their rivalry is heightened when luckless Jim falls in love with Larry's wife Lauren (Alison Steadman), making life even harder for Jim's son Little Jim (Harry Enfield) who works for Larry and therefore finds himself very much stuck in the middle!Fortysomething
Fortysomething is a comedy-drama TV adaptation of the 1999 novel by Nigel Williams. It starred, and was directed by, Hugh Laurie.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortysomething_%28TV_series%29
Fallen Angel
Fallen Angel was an ITV crime-drama based on the Roth Trilogy of novels by Andrew Taylor starring Charles Dance and Emilia Fox.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallen_Angel_%282007_TV_series%29
Dangerous Lady
Dangerous Lady..."Maura Ryan is the only daughter and the youngest child of a poor Irish family enmeshed in the criminal world. She's been sheltered from the family's violent life until their status starts diminishing, at which point she takes the Ryan's family destiny into her own hands, providing an unexpectedly formidable opponent to the tough, underworld figures." There are some good reviews for this on IMDB: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0215693/usercommentsCast includes Jason Isaacs, Susan Lynch, Sheila Hancock, Cal Macaninch, David Calder, Roy Marsden.
Poirot - Disc 8
Poirot Disc 8 has been updated and completed with 2 new episodes. The Clocks has yet to be shown in the UK but it was broadcast on Norway's NRK1 so it has Norwegian subtitles. Three Act Tragedy is the other new episode. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie%27s_Poirot
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Martin Clunes
Martin Clunes can be found in a lot of places. Men Behaving Badly, Doc Martin, No Place Like Home, William And Mary, Islands of Britain, Demob, Reggie Perrin, The Booze Cruise, Gone To The Dogs, All At Number 20 (anyone have that want to trade?), Jeeves And Wooster, guest appearances on Dr. Who, Harry Enfield And Chums & TV Programme, Inspector Morse, Boon, The Paradise Club, If You See God Tell Him.., Bonjour La Classe, Lovejoy, Moving Story, appeared in Never Mind The Horrocks and so on. Here is a collection of his films. Hunting Venus is also on one of the Comedy Smörgåsbord discs, but there was room for it here as well.Crossroads - Disc 9
Crossroads - Disc 9 another 22 eps from 1978. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossroads_%28TV_series%29
Now And Then
That's Jan Francis above, back in 1971 on an episode of Fenn Street Gang. Below last year in ITV's Collision mini-series.
If anyone watched Collision on ITV or PBS how did you like the big "collision" scene? Talk about clueless productions. Pure fantasy. Having actors get into fender-bender cars and having them peacefully close their eyes with red lines painted on their faces is supposed to be the aftermath of a big chain reaction crash scene? OMG. If only it was so simple and serene in real life. What a joke.
Who's the baby-face in the glasses on the left? That's Mike Grady, best known as "my Barry" on Last of the Summer Wine. The photo above is from a 1973 episode of Doctor In Charge.Below is "Barry" in the most recent LOTSW episode from 2009.
The guy in the middle of the photo between Grady and the late Robin Nedwell is Roy Holder, probably best remembered as Frank on the Ronnie Corbett sitcom Sorry! Here he is in 2009 on an episode of Law & Order UK.
Monday, January 18, 2010
The Street
The Street was a BBC drama of 18 1-hour episodes about the residents of one street in Manchester. A lot of big names in this one. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Street_%28TV_series%29
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