Room Service (1979 TV Series)
Room Service is a 1979 Thames Television comedy series written by Jimmy Perry without his usual writing partner David Croft. It and Perry's other work without Croft, ''High Street Blues'' (1989, co-written with Robin Carr) "remain contenders for the title of worst British sitcom". The cast included Penelope Nice, Bryan Pringle and Matthew Kelly Matthew Kelly (born David Allan Kelly, 9 May 1950) is an English actor and presenter. Having been trained as a theatre actor, he first came to public prominence as a television presenter of ITV light entertainment shows such as ''Game for a L .... DVD release The Complete series was released on DVD on 27 April 2015. Notes and references {{reflist ITV sitcoms 1979 British television series debuts 1979 British television series endings 1970s British sitcoms English-language television shows Television shows produced by Thames Television Television series by Fremantle (company) ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term originated in ancient Greece: in Athenian democracy, the public opinion of voters was influenced by political satire performed by comic poets in theaters. The theatrical genre of Greek comedy can be described as a dramatic performance pitting two groups, ages, genders, or societies against each other in an amusing '' agon'' or conflict. Northrop Frye depicted these two opposing sides as a "Society of Youth" and a "Society of the Old". A revised view characterizes the essential agon of comedy as a struggle between a relatively powerless youth and the societal conventions posing obstacles to his hopes. In this struggle, the youth then becomes constrained by his lack of social authority, and is left with little choice but to resort to ruses w ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Jimmy Perry
James Perry, (20 September 1923 – 23 October 2016)Simon Morgan-Russell, "Perry, James (Jimmy) (1923–2016)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Jan 202available online Retrieved 25 August 2020. was an English script writer and actor. He devised and co-wrote the BBC sitcoms ''Dad's Army'' (1968–77), ''It Ain't Half Hot Mum'' (1974–81), ''Hi-De-Hi'' (1980–88) and '' You Rang, M'Lord?'' (1988–93), all with David Croft. Perry co-wrote the theme tune of ''Dad's Army'', "Who Do You Think You Are Kidding, Mr. Hitler?" along with Derek Taverner, for which Perry received an Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in 1971. Early life Perry was born in Barnes, Surrey. His father, Arthur, was an antiques dealer, whose shop was in South Kensington, London. He was a founder of the British Antique Dealers' Association. His son was educated at two independent schools, Colet Court and St Paul's School, whi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bryan Pringle
Bryan Pringle (19 January 1935 – 15 May 2002) was an English character actor who appeared for several decades in television, film and theatre productions. Life and career Born in Glascote, Tamworth, Staffordshire, he was brought up in the Lancashire town of Bolton. After boarding at St Bees School, Cumberland, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, winning the 1954 Bancroft Gold Medal and leaving in 1955. Three years later he married character actress Anne Jameson; together they had two children. She died in 1999. Theatre work Pringle started as a member of the Old Vic company between 1955 and 1957, appearing with Coral Browne, John Neville, Claire Bloom and others in several Shakespeare plays and touring with four of them - ''Romeo and Juliet'', '' Richard II'', ''Troilus and Cressida'' and ''Macbeth'' - in the USA. He then moved to Nottingham Playhouse, where he appeared in the Willis Hall drama ''Boys It's All Hell'' and was the only cast member t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Thames Television
Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a Broadcast license, franchise holder for a region of the British ITV (TV network), ITV television network serving Greater London, London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broadcast from 9:25 Monday morning to 5:15 Friday afternoon (7:00 Friday night until 1982) at which time it would hand over to London Weekend Television (LWT). Formed as a joint company, it merged the television interests of British Electric Traction (trading as Associated-Rediffusion) owning 49%, and Associated British Picture Corporation—soon taken over by EMI—owning 51%. Like all ITV franchisees, it was a broadcaster, a producer and a commissioner of television programmes, making shows both for the local region it covered and, as one of the History of ITV#The Big Four and Big Five, "Big Five" ITV companies, for networking nationally across the ITV regions. After its loss of franchise i ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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ITV Network
ITV is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network. It was launched in 1955 as Independent Television to provide competition to BBC Television (established in 1936). ITV is the oldest commercial network in the UK. Since the passing of the Broadcasting Act 1990, it has been legally known as Channel 3 to distinguish it from the other analogue channels at the time, BBC1, BBC2 and Channel 4. ITV was for four decades a network of separate companies which provided regional television services and also shared programmes between each other to be shown on the entire network. Each franchise was originally owned by a different company. After several mergers, the fifteen regional franchises are now held by two companies: ITV plc, which runs the ITV1 channel, and STV Group, which runs the STV channel. The ITV network is a separate entity from ITV plc, the company that resulted from the merger of Granada plc and Carlton Communications in 2004. ITV plc holds the Channel 3 b ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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David Croft (TV Producer)
Major David John Croft, (born David John Andrew Sharland; 7 September 1922 – 27 September 2011) was an English television comedy screenwriter, producer and director. He produced and wrote a string of BBC sitcoms with partners Jimmy Perry and Jeremy Lloyd, including ''Dad's Army'', ''Are You Being Served?'', ''It Ain't Half Hot Mum'', ''Hi-de-Hi!'' and '' 'Allo 'Allo!'' Early life Croft was born into a show business family: his father, Reginald Sharland (1886–1944), had a successful career as a radio actor in Hollywood, and his mother, Annie Croft (1896–1959), was a famous stage actress who had starred in the 1927 silent film ''On With The Dance,'' she was also the first woman to own a West End theatre company. His first public appearance was at the age of seven, when he was seen in a commercial which aired in cinemas. After that, his acting career in films "began and ended" with his uncredited appearance as Perkins in the film ''Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' (1939). Croft w ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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High Street Blues
''High Street Blues'' was a short-lived British television sitcom series produced by LWT for ITV from 6 January to 10 February 1989. It ran for six episodes, each 30 minutes long. The series starring Phil McCall, Ron Pember, Elizabeth Stewart, Georgia Mitchell, Valerie Walsh, Chris Pitt, Victoria Hasted, Martin Turner, Johnny Shannon, Eve Bland and Shirley Dixon. Cast * Phil McCall as Charlie McFee * Ron Pember as Chesney Black * Elizabeth Stewart as Mavis Drinkwater * Georgia Mitchell as Paula Franks * Valerie Walsh as Ritta Franks * Chris Pitt as Bob Farthing * Victoria Hasted as Susan Drinkwater * Martin Turner as Valentine * Johnny Shannon Johnny Shannon (born 29 July 1932) is an English actor who appeared in numerous television and film productions over a 40-year period, often playing policemen or crooks in crime dramas. Shannon's most memorable roles include the crime lord Harry ... as Sharpe * Eve Bland as Sheila * Shirley Dixon as managing director References Ext ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Penelope Nice
Penelope Nice is a British comedy actress. Filmography *''Doctors'' - Sarah Shapiro (1 episode, 2000) *''Mr. Bean'' (1 episode, 1995) *''Bodger and Badger'' (1 episode, 1995) *''Drop the Dead Donkey'' - Nurse (1 episode, 1991) *''The Bill'' - Mrs. Potter (1 episode, 1991) *''Press Gang'' - Mrs. Day (6 episodes, 1989–1990) *'' The Franchise Affair'' (1988) (TV) - Mrs. Wynn *''Casualty'' - Mrs. Lippman (1 episode, 1987) *''She'll Be Wearing Pink Pyjamas'' (1985) - Ann *'' Tales of the Unexpected'' - Julie Forester (1 episode, 1983) *''BBC2 Playhouse'' - Tina (1 episode, 1982) *''Room Service'' (1979) TV series - Marlene Barry (unknown episodes) *''Within These Walls'' - Carol Standstead / ... (2 episodes, 1976–1978) Radio *'' Revolting People'' - Cora Oliphant (2001-2004) *''Old Harry's Game'' - Penelope Whittingham/Gracie Fields Dame Gracie Fields (born Grace Stansfield; 9 January 189827 September 1979) was an English actress, singer, comedian and star of cinema and ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly (born David Allan Kelly, 9 May 1950) is an English actor and presenter. Having been trained as a theatre actor, he first came to public prominence as a television presenter of ITV light entertainment shows such as ''Game for a Laugh'', ''You Bet!'' and ''Stars in Their Eyes''. In the 2000s he returned to acting, appearing in several West End productions, while also acting in some television roles. Early life Kelly was born in Urmston, Lancashire. As a child, he lived on Primrose Avenue in the town and became interested in acting when at the Urmston Musical Theatre, most notably playing the role of Louis in a production of ''The King and I'' in 1963. He continues to be President of the theatre group. After 1961, Kelly went to Urmston Grammar School. He trained as an actor at the Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre (now Manchester School of Theatre, part of Manchester Metropolitan University) and joined a theatre group which included Julie Walters and Pete ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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ITV Sitcoms
ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands **ITV1, a brand name used by ITV plc for twelve franchises of the ITV television network covering England, Southern Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands **ITV Digital, a defunct UK digital terrestrial television broadcaster, which opened in 1998 as ONdigital and closed in 2002 **ITV plc, the British parent company which owns thirteen of the fifteen ITV television network franchises **ITV Studios, a television production company owned by ITV plc **itv.com, the main website of ITV plc *ITV Parapentes, a defunct French aircraft manufacturer *ITV Independent Television Tanzania, a Tanzanian television station and member of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) *CITV-DT, a television station in Edmonton, Alberta, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1979 British Television Series Debuts
Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ''Chiquitita'' to commemorate the event. ** The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations. ** Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France. * January 7 – Cambodian–Vietnamese War: The People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnamese-backed Cambodian insurgents announce the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the collapse of the Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreat west to an area along the Thai border, ending large-scale fighting. * January 8 – Whiddy Island Disaster: The French tan ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1979 British Television Series Endings
Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ''Chiquitita'' to commemorate the event. ** The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations. ** Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France. * January 7 – Cambodian–Vietnamese War: The People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnamese-backed Cambodian insurgents announce the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the collapse of the Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreat west to an area along the Thai border, ending large-scale fighting. * January 8 – Whiddy Island Disaster: The Fren ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |