Colin Gilbert
Colin Gilbert, born 1954, is a Glasgow-born television producer and former senior creative director of The Comedy Unit. Career Gilbert began his career in comedy writing jokes for the radio shows ''Week Ending'' and ''The News Huddlines''. He joined BBC Scotland as an Assistant Floor Manager in 1975 and continued writing comedy in his spare time. He was then asked to script edit the Rikki Fulton sketch show ''Scotch and Wry''. This led to a move to London to script edit ''Not the Nine O'Clock News''. On his return to BBC Scotland in 1983 he set up the Comedy Unit where he began working as a producer and director. His credits during this period include ''A Kick Up the Eighties'' with Tracey Ullman, Miriam Margolyes Roger Sloman, Ron Bain and Robbie Coltrane, '' Naked Radio'', ''Laugh??? I Nearly Paid My Licence Fee'' with Robbie Coltrane and John Sessions, ''Naked Video'' with Gregor Fisher, Jonathan Watson, Helen Lederer, John Sparkes, Andy Gray, Tony Roper and Elaine C Smith ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 635,640. Straddling the border between historic Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire, the city now forms the Glasgow City Council area, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and is governed by Glasgow City Council. It is situated on the River Clyde in the country's West Central Lowlands. Glasgow has the largest economy in Scotland and the third-highest GDP per capita of any city in the UK. Glasgow's major cultural institutions – the Burrell Collection, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Ballet and Scottish Opera – enjoy international reputations. The city was the European Capital of Culture in 1990 and is notable for its architecture, cult ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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John Sessions
John Marshall (11 January 1953 – 2 November 2020), better known by the stage name John Sessions, was a British actor and comedian. He was known for comedy improvisation in television shows such as ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'', as a panellist on '' QI'', and as a character actor in numerous films, both in the UK and Hollywood. Early life John Sessions was born John Marshall on 11 January 1953, according to most sources in Largs, Ayrshire, Scotland. His family moved to Bedford, England, when he was three. His father was a gas engineer. He had an older brother, Bill, and a twin sister, Maggie. Education Sessions was educated at Bedford Modern School, an independent school for boys (now co-educational), and Verulam School, St Albans, followed by the University College of North Wales in Bangor, from which he graduated with an MA in English literature. At university, he had begun to appear to audiences with his comedy in shows such as "Look back in Bangor" and "Marshall Arts". He ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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City Lights
''City Lights'' is a 1931 American silent romantic comedy film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. The story follows the misadventures of Chaplin's Tramp as he falls in love with a blind girl (Virginia Cherrill) and develops a turbulent friendship with an alcoholic millionaire (Harry Myers). Although sound films were on the rise when Chaplin started developing the script in 1928, he decided to continue working with silent productions. Filming started in December 1928 and ended in September 1930. ''City Lights'' marked the first time Chaplin composed the film score to one of his productions and it was written in six weeks with Arthur Johnston. The main theme, used as a leitmotif for the blind flower girl, is the song "La Violetera" ("Who'll Buy my Violets") from Spanish composer José Padilla. Chaplin lost a lawsuit to Padilla for not crediting him. ''City Lights'' was immediately successful upon release on January 30, 1931, with positive reviews an ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Rik Mayall
Richard Michael Mayall (7 March 1958 – 9 June 2014) was an English actor, stand-up comedian and writer. He formed a close partnership with Ade Edmondson while they were students at Manchester University and was a pioneer of alternative comedy in the 1980s. Mayall starred in numerous successful comedy series throughout his career, including '' The Young Ones'', '' The Comic Strip Presents...'', ''Blackadder'', ''Filthy Rich & Catflap'', ''The New Statesman'', ''Bottom'' and ''Believe Nothing''. Mayall also starred in the comedy films ''Drop Dead Fred'' and ''Guest House Paradiso''; he won a Primetime Emmy Award for his voice-over work in '' The Willows in Winter''. His comedic style was described as energetic "post-punk". Mayall died suddenly at his home in London on 9 June 2014 at the age of 56. BBC Television director Danny Cohen praised him as a "truly brilliant" comedian with a unique stage presence, whose "fireball creativity" and approach to sitcom had inspired a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kevin Turvey The Man Behind The Green Door
Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ). The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicized from , an Irish diminutive form.''A Dictionary of First Names''. Oxford University Press (2007) s.v. "Kevin". The feminine version of the name is (anglicised as ''Keeva'' or ''Kweeva''). History Saint Kevin (d. 618) founded Glendalough abbey in the Kingdom of Leinster in 6th-century Ireland. Canonized in 1903, he is one of the patron saints of the Archdiocese of Dublin. Caomhán of Inisheer, the patron saint of Inisheer, Aran Islands, is properly anglicized ''Cavan'' or ''Kevan'', but often also referred to as "Kevin". The name was rarely given before the 20th century. In Ireland an early bearer of the anglicised name was Kevin Izod O'Doherty (1823–1905) a Young Irelander and politician; it gained popularity from the Gaelic revival of the l ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Norman Lovett
Norman Lovett (born 31 October 1946) is a British stand-up comedian and actor best known for his portrayal of Holly, the ship's computer in ''Red Dwarf''. Career Lovett became a stand-up comedian in his thirties, initially supporting punk bands in the late 1970s, before establishing himself on the alternative comedy scene during the 1980s. He played London's Comedy Store on many occasions. From 1989 to 1993, Lovett wrote and starred in his own surreal BBC2 sitcom called ''I, Lovett''. He played a version of himself who is an inventor living in a world of surrealism with his talking dog, voiced by Geoffrey Hughes; spider, voiced by Mary Riggans; and talking inanimate objects. During this time, he also wrote and starred in a one-off special called ''Lovett Goes To Town'', which was aired as part of Galaxy series ''The Last Laugh''. In 1996, Lovett played a doctor in the short-lived sitcom ''Asylum'', created by Edgar Wright, alongside Simon Pegg, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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I Lovett
''I, Lovett'' is a BBC television sitcom written by Norman Lovett and Ian Pattison. Seven episodes were broadcast, a pilot in 1989 and a six-episode series in 1993. Plot The series stars Norman Lovett playing a version of himself who is an inventor living in a world of surrealism with his talking dog, voiced by Geoffrey Hughes; spider, voiced by Mary Riggans; and inanimate objects. Production In 1989 a one-off pilot episode was made for the anthology series ''Comic Asides'', the BBC commissioned a full series which was broadcast four years later in 1993. In total seven episodes were made each one was shown on BBC2, directed by Ron Bain and produced by Colin Gilbert Colin Gilbert, born 1954, is a Glasgow-born television producer and former senior creative director of The Comedy Unit. Career Gilbert began his career in comedy writing jokes for the radio shows ''Week Ending'' and ''The News Huddlines''. He j .... Episode list Pilot Series 1 References External links ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Elaine C Smith
Elaine Constance Smith (born 2 August 1958) is a Scottish actress, comedian, and political activist. She has starred in the BBC Scotland sitcoms '' City Lights'' (1984–91), ''Rab C. Nesbitt'' (1988–2014) and '' Two Doors Down'' (2016–), for which she won a BAFTA Scotland award. Her stage credits include the original productions of ''The Steamie'' (1987) and ''I Dreamed a Dream'' (2012). She has actively campaigned for Scottish independence. Born and raised in Glasgow, Smith attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and then completed a teacher training course at the Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, where she then worked as a drama teacher at Firrhill High School for three years. She made her first TV debut on the BBC Scotland's ''Laugh??? I Nearly Paid My Licence Fee'' in 1984. She then went on to star in sketch show ''Naked Video'' and the sitcom ''City Lights'' for seven years. Smith made her breakthrough, becoming a household name, after starr ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tony Roper (actor)
Tony Roper (born 19 August 1941) is a Scottish actor, comedian, playwright and writer. Career In his early life he worked as a miner in Fife (where there were family connections), and as a van boy in a Glasgow bakery. His first major starring role was in ''Scotch and Wry''. He wrote the comedy-drama ''The Steamie'' in 1987, for which he won a BAFTA. He achieved even greater fame in ''Naked Video'' and in the spin-off series ''Rab C. Nesbitt'', in which he played Rab's partner-in-crime, Jamesie Cotter. He also starred in the short-lived 1999 sitcom ''All Along the Watchtower''. Tony also had a small part as the postman in the longer version of the 1973 cult film, ''The Wicker Man''. In theatre, he played Tom Weals in Miles Tredinnick's farce '' It's Now or Never!'' at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch in 1994. Also starred other stage plays such as ''Willie Rough'' by Bill Bryden, "The Red Runner" by Billy Connolly, and various other plays by Alyn Aykbourn, Shaw and Shakespeare. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Andy Gray (actor)
Andy Gray (13 September 1959 – 18 January 2021) was a Scottish actor and writer from Perth, Scotland. He appeared on stage and TV, including starring roles in the BBC series ''Naked Video'', ''City Lights'', and ''River City''. Education He trained in Drama at Edinburgh's Queen Margaret University from 1976 to 1979. Career Gray starred in the BBC Radio Scotland sketch show ''Naked Radio'', and its later television counterpart ''Naked Video''. He then became well known as the appropriately named "Chancer", best friend and source of problems to Willie Melvin (Gerard Kelly) in the 1987 sitcom ''City Lights''. He was well known for pantomiming, usually co-writing the script and often alongside other former ''City Lights'' cast members. He appeared opposite Kelly in a touring production of ''The Odd Couple''. He took the starring role in a Channel 4 proposed comedy pilot show ''Miles is Better'' where he played a very enthusiastic burglar alarm salesman (Miles). Gray worked ex ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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John Sparkes
John Sparkes (born 6 January 1954) is a Welsh actor and comedian. He portrayed Barry Welsh, presenter of the HTV Wales series ''Barry Welsh Is Coming''. He has also had major roles in ''Naked Video'', '' Absolutely'', ''Fireman Sam'', ''Shaun the Sheep'', and ''Jeff Global's Global Probe'', and is the narrator of the children's television show ''Peppa Pig''. Early life Sparkes was born on 6 January 1954 in Swansea, Wales. He began his working life at Lloyds Bank in Mumbles. After a time as an English teacher, in the 1980s, he turned to comedy and moved to London, becoming an established performer in the first years of London's alternative cabaret circuit alongside Alexei Sayle, Jo Brand, Paul Merton, and Rik Mayall. Television comedy career ''Naked Video'' and ''Absolutely'' Sparkes starred in the sketch show ''Naked Video'', where he played Siadwel, the geeky South Wales poet who wore an anorak and glasses. The character also appeared when Sparkes was part of the BBC Radio ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Helen Lederer
Helen Margaret Lederer (born 24 September 1954) is an English comedian, writer and actress who emerged as part of the alternative comedy boom at the beginning of the 1980s. Among her television credits are the BBC2 sketch series ''Naked Video'' and BBC One's ''Absolutely Fabulous'', in which she played the role of Catriona. In 2015 her comedy novel ''Losing It'' was published by Pan Macmillan. It was nominated for the P. G. Wodehouse Comedy Literary Award and the Edinburgh Book Festival First Book Award. Early life Helen Lederer was born on 24 September 1954 in Carmarthen, Wales to an English mother and Czech-Jewish father.''Sunday Telegraph'' 13 May 2012 Her father was born in 1926 in [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |