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Humphrey Barclay
Humphrey Barclay BEM (born 24 March 1941, Dorking, Surrey, England) is a British comedy executive and producer. Career Barclay was educated at Harrow School, before reading Classics at Trinity College, Cambridge, where his first foray into show business was via the Amateur Dramatic Society. He then appeared in Cambridge Footlights revues alongside Tim Brooke-Taylor, Bill Oddie, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, David Hatch, Jonathan Lynn, Jo Kendall and Miriam Margolyes. Barclay was offered a job as a BBC radio producer and soon afterwards put together the team who performed the comedy show ''I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again'' (four series starting in 1964). Moving to television, Barclay oversaw Associated-Rediffusion ''Do Not Adjust Your Set'' (1967–69). Following the ITV franchise changes of 1968, Barclay joined London Weekend Television (LWT), for whom he produced the '' Doctor...'' series (1969–77). One episode in that series involved a hotel proprietor and his wife and was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dorking
Dorking () is a market town in Surrey in South East England, about south of London. It is in Mole Valley District and the council headquarters are to the east of the centre. The High Street runs roughly east–west, parallel to the Pipp Brook and along the northern face of an outcrop of Lower Greensand. The town is surrounded on three sides by the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is close to Box Hill and Leith Hill. The earliest archaeological evidence of human activity is from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods, and there are several Bronze Age bowl barrows in the local area. The town may have been the site of a staging post on Stane Street during Roman times, however the name 'Dorking' suggests an Anglo-Saxon origin for the modern settlement. A market is thought to have been held at least weekly since early medieval times and was highly regarded for the poultry traded there. The Dorking breed of domestic chicken is named after the town. The loca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Do Not Adjust Your Set
''Do Not Adjust Your Set'' (''DNAYS'') is a British television series produced originally by Rediffusion, London, then, by the fledgling Thames Television for British commercial television channel ITV from 26 December 1967 to 14 May 1969. The show took its name from the message (frequently seen on the TV screen in those days) which was displayed when there was a problem with transmission. It helped launch the careers of Denise Coffey, David Jason, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin; the last three became members of the Monty Python comedy troupe soon afterward. Although originally conceived as a children's programme, it quickly acquired a fandom amongst adults, including future Python members John Cleese and Graham Chapman. The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, a satirical comedy/art/pop group, also performed songs in each programme and frequently appeared as extras in sketches. The programme itself comprised a series of satirical sketches, often presented in a surreal, absurd an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of Star Wars, phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into List of Star Wars films, various films and Star Wars expanded to other media, other media, including List of Star Wars television series, television series, Star Wars video games, video games, List of Star Wars books, novels, List of Star Wars comic books, comic books, List of Star Wars theme parks attractions, theme park attractions, and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, themed areas, comprising an all-encompassing fictional universe. ''Star Wars'' is one of the List of highest-grossing media franchises, highest-grossing media franchises of all time. The original film (''Star Wars''), retroactively subtitled ''Episode IV: A New Hope'' (1977), was followed by the sequels ''The Empire Strik ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Metal Mickey
Metal Mickey is a fictional five-foot-tall robot, as well as the name of a spin-off television show starring the same character. The robot character was created, controlled and voiced by Johnny Edward. The character of Metal Mickey first appeared on British television in the ITV children's magazine show '' The Saturday Banana'', produced by Southern Television in 1978. Humphrey Barclay saw Mickey on Jimmy Savile's ''Jim'll Fix It'' television show. Seeing the children chatting in the marketplace with the friendly robot led to the creation of the ''Metal Mickey'' television show. Within a month the pilot had been video-taped, and shortly after this the series went live with its first six episodes. 41 episodes were made in total, broadcast over three separate series between September 1980 and January 1983. The show attracted viewing figures of around 12 million at its peak. Micky Dolenz, formerly of The Monkees pop group, was brought in to produce and direct the series along wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Fine Romance (1981 TV Series)
''A Fine Romance'' is a British situation comedy starring husband-and-wife team Judi Dench and Michael Williams. The series was nominated for ten BAFTA British Academy Television Awards and was a winner of two for Dench's performances in 1982 and 1985. Cast Judi Dench starred as the female lead, Laura, against Michael Williams as the male lead, Mike. Laura's matchmaking sister and brother-in-law were played by Susan Penhaligon and Richard Warwick, respectively. Creatives, production, and broadcast ''A Fine Romance'' was written by Bob Larbey, and took its name from the Jerome Kern song, " A Fine Romance". Judi Dench recorded the song as the theme music of the production. It was produced for London Weekend Television by James Cellan Jones (series one and two), Don Leaver (series three and four), and Graham Evans (one episode in series four). It was first broadcast on 1November 1981, and lasted for twentysix episodes over four series. The final episode was broadcast on 17Fe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
No, Honestly
''No, Honestly'' is a British television sitcom that starred real-life married couple John Alderton and Pauline Collins as Charles ("C.D.") Danbee and Claira Burrell. It depicted their meeting and courtship up to their first wedding anniversary. It aired on ITV from 4 October 1974 to 5 January 1975. It also aired on PBS in the United States in 1975. The theme song was written and performed by Lynsey de Paul. A subsequent television series titled ''Yes, Honestly'' aired on ITV from 9 January 1976 and 23 April 1977, starring Liza Goddard and Donal Donnelly Donal Donnelly (6 July 1931 – 4 January 2010) was an Irish theatre and film actor. Perhaps best known for his work in the plays of Brian Friel, he had a long and varied career in film, on television and in the theatre. He lived in Ireland, th ... as sweethearts Lily and Matthew Browne who marry halfway through the second series. Episodes *"The Facts of Life" *"The Object of the Game" *"More Royle Than Noble Really" * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
British Academy Television Award For Best Situation Comedy
British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, the English language as spoken and written in the United Kingdom or, more broadly, throughout the British Isles * Celtic Britons, an ancient ethno-linguistic group * Brittonic languages, a branch of the Insular Celtic language family (formerly called British) ** Common Brittonic, an ancient language Other uses *''Brit(ish)'', a 2018 memoir by Afua Hirsch *People or things associated with: ** Great Britain, an island ** United Kingdom, a sovereign state ** Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1800) ** United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922) See also * Terminology of the British Isles * Alternative names for the British * English (other) * Britannic (other) * British Isles * Brit (other) * Briton (d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Two's Company (British TV Series)
''Two's Company'' is a British television situation comedy series that ran from 1975 to 1979. Produced by London Weekend Television for the ITV Network, the programme starred Elaine Stritch and Donald Sinden. Premise Dorothy McNab (Stritch) is an American author residing in London. As she spends most of her days writing, she hires an English butler, Robert Hiller (Sinden), to help run her Chelsea home. Being the epitome of the English gentleman, Robert does not approve of Dorothy's lurid thriller novels or her American ways. Much of the comedy stems from the banter between the two, as they continually disagree due to their cultural differences and often try to outwit each other. History ''Two's Company'' was created by Bill MacIlwraith, who also wrote all of the episodes. Although the first and second series were not simulcast nationally in the UK, the third and fourth series were shown in a primetime Sunday evening slot by all ITV stations. It was nominated for a BAFTA Award f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sit-com
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use new characters in each sketch, and stand-up comedy, where a comedian tells jokes and stories to an audience. Sitcoms originated in radio, but today are found mostly on television as one of its dominant narrative forms. A situation comedy television program may be recorded in front of a studio audience, depending on the program's production format. The effect of a live studio audience can be imitated or enhanced by the use of a laugh track. Critics disagree over the utility of the term "sitcom" in classifying shows that have come into existence since the turn of the century. Many contemporary American sitcoms use the single-camera setup and do not feature a laugh track, thus often resembling the dramedy shows of the 1980s and 1990s rather tha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elaine Stritch
Elaine Stritch (February 2, 1925 – July 17, 2014) was an American actress, best known for her work on Broadway and later, television. She made her professional stage debut in 1944 and appeared in numerous stage plays, musicals, feature films and television series. Stritch was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1995. She is often considered by critics as one of Broadway’s greatest female performers. Stritch made her Broadway debut in the 1946 comedy ''Loco'' and went on to receive four Tony Award nominations: for the William Inge play ''Bus Stop'' (1956); the Noël Coward musical '' Sail Away'' (1962); the Stephen Sondheim musical ''Company'' (1970), which included her performance of the song " The Ladies Who Lunch"; and for the revival of the Edward Albee play '' A Delicate Balance'' (1996). Her one-woman show ''Elaine Stritch at Liberty'' won the 2002 Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event. Stritch relocated to London in the 1970s and starred in sever ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Donald Sinden
Sir Donald Alfred Sinden (9 October 1923 – 12 September 2014) was a British actor. Sinden featured in the film ''Mogambo'' (1953), and achieved early fame as a Rank Organisation film star in the 1950s in films including ''The Cruel Sea (1953 film)'', ''Doctor in the House'' (1954), ''Simba'' (1955), '' Eyewitness'' (1956) and '' Doctor at Large'' (1957). He then became highly regarded as an award-winning Shakespearean and West End theatre actor and television sitcom star, winning the 1977 Evening Standard Award for Best Actor for ''King Lear'', and starring in the sitcoms '' Two's Company'' (1975–79) and ''Never the Twain'' (1981–91). Early life Sinden was born in St Budeaux, Plymouth, Devon on 9 October 1923, the middle child of chemist Alfred Edward Sinden and his wife Mabel Agnes (''née'' Fuller). His elder sister Joy became an English teacher at Claverham Community College in Battle, East Sussex, and younger brother Leon (1927–2015) became an actor. They grew up ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fawlty Towers
''Fawlty Towers'' is a British television sitcom written by John Cleese and Connie Booth, broadcast on BBC2 in 1975 and 1979. Two series of six episodes each were made. The show was ranked first on a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000 and, in 2019, it was named the greatest ever British TV sitcom by a panel of comedy experts compiled by the ''Radio Times''.Mattha Busby, 9 April 2019"Fawlty Towers named greatest ever British TV sitcom" ''The Guardian'', Retrieved 24 May 2019 The series is set in Fawlty Towers, a fictional hotel in the seaside town of Torquay on the English Riviera. The plots centre on the tense, rude and put-upon owner Basil Fawlty (Cleese), his bossy wife Sybil (Prunella Scales), the sensible chambermaid Polly (Booth) who often is the peacemaker and voice of reason, and the hapless and English-challenged Spanish waiter Manuel (Andrew Sachs). They show their attempts to run the hotel amidst far ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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