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John D. Collins
John Christopher Dixon (born 2 December 1942), billed as John D. Collins, is a British actor and narrator, perhaps best known for appearing in the BBC sitcom '''Allo 'Allo!'' in which he played Flt. Lt. Fairfax, a stranded British airman in occupied France during World War II. He is the actor to have been cast most frequently in writer/producer David Croft's hit sitcoms: a total of six different series and ten characters. Biography Collins won the Ivor Novello and Robert Donat Scholarships to RADA. After graduating he went on to run the Summer Theatre at Frinton-on-Sea, Essex for three years and then went to work in the first season of the Nottingham Playhouse. In his early years he made a number of films including the Hammer Film ''Dracula Has Risen from the Grave'' (1968), the film versions of ''Till Death Us Do Part'' (1969) and ''Dad's Army'' (1971), ''The Adventures of Barry McKenzie'' (1972), '' The Ghoul'' (1975), and '' The Boys in Blue'' (1982), and also many p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
London, England
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for two millennia. The City of London, its ancient core and financial centre, was founded by the Romans as '' Londinium'' and retains its medieval boundaries.See also: Independent city § National capitals The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has for centuries hosted the national government and parliament. Since the 19th century, the name "London" has also referred to the metropolis around this core, historically split between the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire, which largely comprises Greater London, governed by the Greater London Authority.The Greater London Authority consists of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. The London Mayor is distinguished from the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coronation Street
''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Originally broadcast twice weekly, the series began airing six times a week in 2017. The programme was conceived by scriptwriter Tony Warren. Warren's initial proposal was rejected by the station's founder Sidney Bernstein, but he was persuaded by producer Harry Elton to produce the programme for 13 pilot episodes, and the show has since become a significant part of English culture. ''Coronation Street'' is made by ITV Granada at MediaCityUK and shown in all ITV regions, as well as internationally. In 2010, upon its 50th anniversary, the series was recognised by Guinness World Records, as the world's longest-running television soap opera. Initially influenced by the conventions of kitchen sink realism, ''Coronation Street'' is noted for its ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Brittas Empire
''The Brittas Empire'' is a British sitcom created and originally written by Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen. Chris Barrie played titular character Gordon Brittas, the well-intended but hugely incompetent manager of the fictional Whitbury New Town Leisure Centre. The show ran for seven series and 52 episodes – including two Christmas specials – from 1991 to 1997 on BBC1. Creators Norriss and Fegen co-wrote the first five series. The series peaked at 10 million viewers. In 2022, the series was described by Daily Mirror as "fondly-remembered". ''The Brittas Empire'' enjoyed a long and successful run throughout the 1990s, and gained large mainstream audiences. In 2004 the show came 47th on the BBC's ''Britain's Best Sitcom'' poll, and all series have been released on DVD both individually as series and as a complete boxset. ''Best of the Britcoms'' noted the series has been hailed as "the Fawlty Towers of the 1990s" due to its "fast-paced, outrageous omedyfull of inventive gag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
You Rang, M'Lord?
''You Rang, M'Lord?'' is a BBC television sitcom written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of ''Dad's Army''. It was broadcast between 1990 and 1993 on the BBC (although there had earlier been a pilot episode in 1988). The show was set in the house of an aristocratic family in the 1920s, contrasting the upper-class family and their servants in a house in London, along the same lines as the drama '' Upstairs, Downstairs''. The series featured many actors who had previously appeared in earlier works by Perry and Croft, notably Paul Shane, Jeffrey Holland and Su Pollard, all of whom had starred in ''Hi-de-Hi!''; also featured were Donald Hewlett and Michael Knowles from ''It Ain't Half Hot Mum'', and Bill Pertwee and—occasionally— Frank Williams from ''Dad's Army''. Numerous small parts were played by other alumni of David Croft and/or Jimmy Perry shows. The memorable 1920s-style theme tune was sung by comedian Bob Monkhouse. Episodes of ''You Rang, M'Lord?'' were ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oh, Doctor Beeching!
''Oh, Doctor Beeching!'' is a BBC television sitcom written by David Croft and Richard Spendlove which, after a broadcast pilot on 14 August 1995, ran for two series from 8 July 1996, with the last episode being broadcast on 28 September 1997. The series is notable for being the last in a series of three comedies by co-writer David Croft to use many of the same actors, starting with ''Hi-de-Hi!'' and followed by '' You Rang, M'Lord?'' and was also the last full series written by Croft. Introduction ''Oh, Doctor Beeching!'' focuses on the small fictional branch line railway station of Hatley, which is threatened with closure under the Beeching Axe. The programme was filmed on the Severn Valley Railway. Arley SVR station in Upper Arley was used as Hatley station. Plot Set in 1963, at a rural branch line railway station called Hatley, Jack Skinner (Paul Shane) the porter is acting stationmaster until a replacement is found. Jack deeply loves his wife May (played by Sherrie He ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Are You Being Served?
''Are You Being Served?'' is a British sitcom created and written by executive producer David Croft (Croft also directed some episodes) and Jeremy Lloyd, with contributions from Michael Knowles and John Chapman, for the BBC. Set in London, the show follows the misadventures and mishaps of the staff of the retail ladies' and gentlemen's clothing departments in the flagship department store of a fictional chain called Grace Brothers. The series was broadcast on the BBC for ten series, totalling 69 episodes between 8 September 1972 and 1 April 1985 – and included five Christmas specials. There was also a 1977 film, a spin-off series ''Grace & Favour'' with the same main cast in 1991–1992, and a one-off episode with a new cast in 2016. Since its original release, all 69 episodes, the pilot, the Christmas specials, the sequel and the film have been released on DVD. ''Are You Being Served?'' was a success in the UK audience ratings. The series was screened in Canada, New Zeal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hi-de-Hi!
''Hi-de-Hi!'' is a BBC television sitcom shown on BBC1 from 1 January 1980 to 30 January 1988. Set in 1959 and 1960 in Maplins, a fictional holiday camp, the show was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, who also wrote ''Dad's Army'' and ''It Ain't Half Hot Mum'' amongst other programmes. The title was the greeting the campers heard and in early episodes was written ''Hi de Hi''. The series revolved around the lives of the camp's entertainers, most of whom were struggling actors and has-beens. Inspiration for the series were the experiences of Jimmy Perry, one of the programme's writers. After being demobilised from the Army, he was a Redcoat at Butlins in Filey and Pwllheli during the holiday season. The series gained large audiences and won a BAFTA as Best Comedy Series in 1984. In a 2008 poll on Channel 4, ''Hi-de-Hi!'' was voted the 35th most popular comedy catchphrase. In 2014, Jimmy Perry confirmed that ''Hi-de-Hi!'' would be repeated, and it began a rerun on 2 Fe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
It Ain't Half Hot Mum
''It Ain't Half Hot, Mum'' is a BBC television sitcom about a Royal Artillery concert party based in Deolali in British India and the fictional village of Tin Min in Burma, during the last months of the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, who had both served in similar roles in India during that war. Fifty-six episodes were broadcast across eight series on BBC1 between 1974 and 1981. Each episode ran for thirty minutes. The title comes from the first episode, in which young Gunner Parkin ( Christopher Mitchell) writes home to his mother in England. In 1975, a recording of "Whispering Grass" performed by Don Estelle and Windsor Davies in character as Gunner "Lofty" Sugden and Sergeant Major Williams, reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and remained there for three weeks. The series, which attracted up to seventeen million viewers in its heyday, has been accused of racism, homophobia and a pro-imperialist attitude. One specific criticism has been ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Get Some In!
''Get Some In!'' is a British television sitcom about National Service life in the Royal Air Force, broadcast between 1975 and 1978 by Thames Television. Scripts were by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey, the team behind sitcoms such as '' The Good Life''. The programme drew its inspiration from late 1950s – early 1960s National Service situation-comedy ''The Army Game'' and from nostalgic BBC TV sitcom ''Dad's Army'' but the RAF setting gave it enough originality not to seem formulaic. Thirty-four (commercial) half-hour episodes were made. The title is a contraction of "Get some service in!", which was a piece of Second World War-era military slang sometimes shouted by conscripted soldiers at civilians of conscription age whom the conscripts may have believed were avoiding call-up. By the 1960s the expression had a clear and self-evident sexual connotation which replaced the original meaning and resulted in a convenient double entendre for the programme. The series has never been ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Lindsay (actor)
Robert Lindsay Stevenson (born 13 December 1949) is an English actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a British Academy Television Award, a Tony Award and two Laurence Olivier Awards. His first major role on TV was playing Wolfie Smith in ''Citizen Smith''. He appeared in sitcoms, most notably as Ben Harper in ''My Family'', playing the role for over a decade, and narrated TV adaptations of the children's television series ''Brambly Hedge''. His film appearances include ''Fierce Creatures'' and ''Wimbledon''. He has appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company and in musical theatre. Early life Lindsay was born in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, to Joyce (''née'' Dunmore) and Norman Stevenson, who worked at the local Stanton Ironworks. He was one of three children and his father was a World War II veteran, having been on a minesweeper. After leaving Gladstone Boys' School, [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Family At War
''A Family At War'' is a British drama Television program, series that aired on ITV (TV network), ITV from 1970 to 1972. It was created by John Finch and made by ITV Granada, Granada Television for ITV. The original producer was Richard Doubleday, and with 13 directors during the series. The series examined the lives of the lower middle-class Ashton family of the city of Liverpool and their experiences from 1938 and through the Second World War. Fifty-two episodes were produced, all but eight of them in colour. Episodes numbers 25 to 32 were recorded in black and white because of the ITV Colour Strike. The memorable theme tune is from the end of the First Movement (Allegro) of Vaughan Williams's Symphony No. 6 (Vaughan Williams), ''Sixth Symphony''. The programme opening titles show a scene of a beach with a child's Sand art and play, sand castle, with Union Flag flying, slowly being approached by the encroaching tide, symbolic of a beleaguered Britain standing alone in 1940–1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Q (TV Series)
''Q...'' is a surreal television comedy sketch show written by Spike Milligan and Neil Shand, and starring Spike Milligan with supporting players, usually including Julia Breck, John Bluthal, Bob Todd, and John Wells. The show ran from 1969 to 1982 on BBC2. There were six series in all, the first five numbered from ''Q5'' to ''Q9'', and a final series titled ''There's a Lot of It About''. The first and third series ran for seven episodes, and the others for six episodes, each of which was 30 minutes long. Various reasons have been suggested for the title. One possibility is that it was inspired by the project to construct the Cunard liner '' QE2'', launched in September 1967, which was previously codenamed ''Q4''. Another theory is that Milligan was inspired by the BBC 6-point technical quality scale of the time, where "Q5" was severe degradation to picture or sound, and "Q6" was complete loss of sound or vision. This was extended by some engineering departments to a 9-point s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
