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Dark Ages (TV Series)
''Dark Ages'' is a British television sitcom, first broadcast as five thirty-minute episodes on ITV in December 1999. It portrayed medieval English villagers fearful of the turn of the new (second) millennium in the year 999 AD, and parodied contemporary fears at the turn of the third millennium (such as the Millennium Bug) in 1999. It was written by Rob Grant and directed by Steve Bendelack. Production ''Dark Ages'' was created by Merle Nygate in 1996 and commissioned by Granada Television for development. Producer Justin Judd and Nygate could not make the concept work for an ITV audience, so Nygate was replaced by Rob Grant, better known for writing ''Red Dwarf'' for BBC Two. Grant's new scripts for ''Dark Ages'' were described by Judd as being more suited for a BBC Two audience, and Grant was required to alter them accordingly. Though a lot of scenes featuring computer-generated effects were required, ''Dark Ages'' still had a regular sitcom budget of no more than £20 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sitcom
A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent setting, such as a home, workplace, or community. Unlike sketch comedy, which features different characters and settings in each Sketch comedy, skit, sitcoms typically maintain plot continuity across episodes. This continuity allows for the development of storylines and characters over time, fostering audience engagement and investment in the characters' lives and relationships. History The structure and concept of a sitcom have roots in earlier forms of comedic theater, such as farces and comedy of manners. These forms relied on running gags to generate humor, but the term ''sitcom'' emerged as radio and TV adapted these principles into a new medium. The word was not commonly used until the 1950s. Early television sitcoms were often filme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Broadcast (magazine)
''Broadcast'' is a monthly magazine for the United Kingdom television and radio industry, owned by Media Business Insight. History ''Broadcast'' was started in 1973 by Rod Allen, who went on to work at LWT, HTV and HarperCollinsInteractive. He was most recently head of the Department of Journalism at City University, London, until he retired in 2006. The magazine was later owned by Thomson Information Services, EMAP acquired it in 1993. Ascential later sold the magazine as part of a management buyout of Media Business Insight division in 2015. Description The magazine covers a wide range of news and issues affecting the professional broadcast market in the UK. It has regular monthly sections covering news, commissioning, facilities, analysis, opinion, interview, platforms, production and ratings. ''Broadcast'' also often has a special feature covering an issue relevant to the industry. It is owned by Media Business Insight, a publishing, events and information business t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1999 British Television Series Debuts
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launched by NASA. * January 25 – The 6.2 1999 Colombia earthquake, Colombia earthquake hits western Colombia, killing at least 1,900 people. February * February 7 – Abdullah II of Jordan, Abdullah II inherits the throne of Jordan, following the death of his father King Hussein of Jordan, Hussein. * February 11 – Pluto moves along its eccentric orbit further from the Sun than Neptune. It had been nearer than Neptune since 1979, and will become again in 23rd century, 2231. * February 12 – U.S. President Bill Clinton is acquitted in Impeachment of Bill Clinton, impeachment proceedings in the United States Senate. * February 16 ** In Uzbekistan, an apparent 1999 Tashkent bombings, assassination attempt against President Isl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miriam Karlin
Miriam Karlin (23 June 19253 June 2011) was an English actress whose career lasted for more than 60 years. She was known for her role as Paddy in ''The Rag Trade'', a 1960s BBC and 1970s LWT sitcom, and in particular for the character's catchphrase "Everybody out!" Her trademark throughout her career was her deep, rough, and husky voice. Early life Born Miriam Samuels in Hampstead, North London, she was brought up in an Orthodox Jewish family; members of her extended family were among those who were later murdered at Auschwitz. She was the daughter of Céline (née Aronowitz) and Harry Samuels, a barrister, who specialised in industrial and trade union law. Her elder brother was Michael Samuels (1920–2010), a historical linguist responsible for the '' Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary''. When performing in one of her first radio shows, Terry-Thomas's '' Top of the Town'', Karlin based some of the zany characters that she invented and played on peopl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tony Gardner
Tony Gardner (born 10 January 1964) is an English actor and doctor. He sits on the national governing body of the actors' trade union Equity. Early life and education He attended St Augustine's Catholic College in Trowbridge. Career Gardner qualified as a physician at Guy's Hospital in 1987, then as a general practitioner in 1993. He combined medicine and comedy during the 1990s as half of the award-winning comedy duo '' Struck Off and Die'' with Phil Hammond. Acting career Gardner eventually left medicine to become an actor, starring in a number of TV commercials, including that for the Renault Mégane. He reached prominence playing Brian Johnson in CITV's '' My Parents Are Aliens'' (episodes of which he also wrote) and Michael, the café owner in Jack Dee's BBC sitcom '' Lead Balloon''. In 2009–10 he starred in three plays directed by Sir Peter Hall. In 2011 he played Professor Tony Shales in the Channel 4 series '' Fresh Meat''. Between 2012 and 2020, he played J ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jason Byrne (comedian)
Jason Byrne (born 25 February 1972) is an Irish stand-up comedian. In August 2008, he made his twelfth Edinburgh Festival Fringe appearance. Byrne previously presented a mid-morning radio show on Phantom FM as well as a comedy chat show ''The Jason Byrne Show'' featuring P. J. Gallagher, and a comedy panel show called ''The Byrne Ultimatum'' on RTÉ Two. He created and starred in a radio show also called ''The Jason Byrne Show'' from 2010 to 2012 on BBC Radio 2. The second series was awarded a Gold Sony Radio Award for Best Comedy. In 2018, he published ''The Accidental Adventures of Onion O'Brien'', a series of books about a young boy growing up in Ireland who has constant bad luck. The book is based on Byrne's childhood. Personal life Byrne was born on 25 February 1972 in Dublin, in the suburb of Ballinteer. Byrne was married to Brenda from 2004 until 2018 and has two children. Awards and nominations * Finalist in So You Think You're Funny in 1996 * Nominated for the Perr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laurence Howarth
Laurence Howarth is an English comic actor and writer. He has appeared in one episode each of the TV series '' After You've Gone'' (2007), '' Hyperdrive'' (2006), '' Blessed'' (2005), ''The Robinsons'' (2005), '' My Hero'' (2005) and '' Dark Ages'' (1999). He has also appeared in the radio comedy ''Bleak Expectations'' and written for ''TV to Go'', the 2006 TV series of '' Dead Ringers'', and for '' Alistair McGowan's Big Impression'' (1996). He is one half of the double act Laurence & Gus, alongside fellow comedian and writer Gus Brown. Together they have made two series of comedy sketch shows for BBC Radio 4 - ''Laurence & Gus: Untold Stories'' (2004); ''Laurence & Gus: Men In Love'' (2006). In 2009, recording was completed for a series called ''Laurence & Gus: Hearts & Minds''. Howarth has also created two black comedies for BBC Radio 4. ''Rigor Mortis'' looks at the lives of pathologists working in a hospital mortuary, while '' Safety Catch'' is about a man who has drifted ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sheridan Smith
Sheridan Caroline Sian Smith (born 25 June 1981) is an English actress and singer. She came to prominence after playing a variety of characters in sitcoms, including '' The Royle Family'' (1999–2000), ''Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps'' (2001–2009), ''Gavin & Stacey'' (2008–2010, 2024), and ''Benidorm'' (2009). She co-starred as Joey Ross in the drama series ''Jonathan Creek'' (2009–2013) and went on to receive acclaim for starring in a succession of television dramas, such as '' Mrs Biggs'' (2012), ''Cilla'' (2014), '' The C Word'' (2015), '' Black Work'' (2015), '' The Moorside'' (2017), '' Cleaning Up'' (2019), and ''Four Lives'' (2022). Her film credits include ''Tower Block'' (2012), ''Quartet'' (2012), '' The Huntsman: Winter's War'' (2016), and '' The Railway Children Return'' (2022). Smith has appeared in the West End musicals ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (2007), '' Legally Blonde'' (2010), '' Funny Girl'' (2016), '' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mike Hayley
Mike Hayley is a British actor, comedian, impressionist and writer. He starred alongside Susie Blake, Caroline Leddy, James Gaddas, Mike Doyle in the BBC's sketch show, ''Something for the Weekend'' (1989) and Shane Richie, David Schneider, Suzy Aitchison, Frances Dodge, & Lewis MacLeod in ''Up to Something'' (1990). He and Alan Francis wrote the play ''Jeffrey Dahmer is Unwell'', taking it to the Edinburgh Festival in 1995. He also co-presented the Emotional Collection at the Gilded Balloon with Rhona Cameron at the Edinburgh Festival before this. He provided the voice of Colonel White in the CGI remake of ''New Captain Scarlet'' and has had minor roles in several big budget films, including the 2000 film ''102 Dalmatians'', directed by Kevin Lima as well as small budget films like 'The End of the World' where he plays a man who causes the apocalypse. He has written material for Jasper Carrot. He also voiced Chopper in the video game, ''Clock Tower 3 is a survival hor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Putner
Paul Putner (born 18 March 1966) is an English actor and comedian. Life and career Putner was born in March 1966 in East Grinstead, West Sussex. He studied at LAMDA where he won the Kenneth More prize for comedy acting. His first significant TV role saw Putner as numerous characters in '' The Glam Metal Detectives'' shown on BBC2. His real break in comedy came after he set up the club ''The Regency Rooms'' with fellow performers Steve Furst and Oliver Darly. The club developed a cult following and was attended by many comics. Richard Herring saw Paul performing there and cast him in his play ''Punk's Not Dead'' at the Edinburgh Fringe. This role led to many others including TV roles in Lee and Herring's shows. He has appeared in numerous British TV and radio shows, including '' This Morning with Richard Not Judy'' (1998), '' Sir Bernard's Stately Homes'' (1999), ''Spaced'' (1999), '' Rock Profile'' (2000), '' The Day the Music Died'' (2004–2007), '' Look Around You'' (2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dave Lamb
David Alexander Lamb (born 17 January 1969) is an English actor, comedian, narrator and presenter. He is best known for his narration work on ''Come Dine with Me'' as well as appearances in British television and radio programmes, especially comedy programmes like '' Goodness Gracious Me''. He also presented the CBBC game show '' Horrible Histories: Gory Games''. Early life Lamb attended the Broxbourne School in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, and studied philosophy and literature at the University of Warwick. Early work Lamb's first noted credit was in the 1998 British sitcom '' How Do You Want Me?'' He played a homophobic tramp called Buster. His first notable appearances were in the British Indian sketch show '' Goodness Gracious Me'', being the only recurring white person in the cast. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s he also appeared in comedy programmes such as '' People Like Us'', ''Hippies'', ''Armstrong and Miller'', ''The Smoking Room'' and '' Fun at the Funeral Parlo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rædwald Of East Anglia
Rædwald (, ; 'power in counsel'), also written as Raedwald or Redwald (), (died c. AD 624) was a List of monarchs of East Anglia, king of East Anglia, an Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon kingdom which included the present-day English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. He was the son of Tytila of East Anglia and a member of the Wuffingas dynasty (named after his grandfather, Wuffa of East Anglia, Wuffa), who were the first kings of the Kingdom of East Anglia, East Angles. Details about Rædwald's reign are scarce, primarily because the Vikings in East Anglia, Viking invasions of the 9th century destroyed the Monastery, monasteries in East Anglia where many documents would have been kept. Rædwald reigned from about 599 until his death around 624, initially under the overlordship of Æthelberht of Kent. In 616, as a result of fighting the Battle of the River Idle and defeating Æthelfrith of Northumbria, he was able to install Edwin of Northumbria, Edwin, who was acquiescent to his authority ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
