"If everyone is extraordinary, then no one is extraordinary"
Articles
When Batman became a 1966 sensation, rival networks rushed out their own quirky heroes. But NBC's Captain Nice and CBS's Mr. Terrific flopped fast—debuting and disappearing together in 1967 after just one short season
Do modern day heroes live up to the reputation of their predecessors? What will today's children learn from them?
Daniel Tessier takes a deep dive into the 2000 remake of an offbeat 1960s cult classic, and debates the missed opportunity for a third season...
Dick Emery's characters were some of the best remembered on British television for a number of years. This article looks at how he created these characters utilising his natural flair for mimicry.
In the golden age of British comedy, when radio waves crackled with wit and television screens flickered with laughter, there existed a cadre of unsung heroes. These were the wordsmiths, the invisible architects behind the guffaws and punchlines that echoed across living rooms and theatres
When it comes to situation comedy, the comedies of Jimmy Perry and David Croft are a unique chronicle of Britain in the 20th century.
Morecambe and Wise continue to be lauded for their Golden Era at the BBC. But are their earlier ATV shows too easily overlooked and deserving of more praise? Brian Slade thinks they do, and explains why
Brian Slade recalls the ever-reliable regulars that supported Morecambe and Wise and thanks you for watching their little show. If you've enjoyed it, it's all been worthwhile!
Over the years, Morecambe and Wise entertained some of the most famous top-name celebrity guests performing sketches and comedy dance routines. Here are ten - they’re all the right guests, just not necessarily in the right order
Morecambe and Wise treated us to some of the most memorable television song and dance routines ever. But with so many to choose from, just which one will come out the best?
Robert Ross explains how a single episode of 'Comedy Playhouse' changed the course of situation comedy forever.
On a bitterly cold winter's day, escaped convicts Johnny and Frank take refuge in the Steptoes' freezing home, where unexpected friendships and striking parallels reveal that life in Oil Drum Lane can feel like a prison itself
The story of how one of Britain's all-time favourite sitcoms came to our screens
Festive laughter inside the walls of Slade Prison, in the company of Norman Stanley Fletcher and Lenny Godber.
The incomparable Messrs Corbett and Barker in two all-but-forgotten silent slapstick movies from the seventies and eighties - The Picnic and By the Sea
Andrew Cobby reflects on the ups and downs and the coming of goings at a run-down boarding house, somewhere in England in the 1970s.
A tribute to the unseen comedy characters who were an essential part of some of America's greatest sitcoms. You may have heard them, you certainly didn't see them, but you will always remember them...
Using racist words and language that would see a swift ending of a Twitter or Facebook account if they were replicated today, 'Love Thy Neighbour' shows how times have changed. No young eyes can look now at an episode of this once prime-time series and not be astonished by what they see.
The Goods and the Leadbetters plan their respective Christmases, but when Margo discovers her tree is too short, Christmas is very nearly cancelled...
Dan Tessier looks back at three million years of comedy...and it's smegging fantastic!
Britain has always had a great history of turning out some of the funniest comedy shows. But of late they appear to be fewer and farther between. Is the fear of offence ruining our sense of humour? Brian Slade asks 'Where Are the Sitcoms?
Andrew Cobby remembers an all-time classic music-hall sketch that shows no sign of dating.
Andrew Cobby takes a nostalgic trip back to Emmerdale Farm's early days.
From Jack Hargreaves' shed to Countryfile's sweeping panoramas, British TV has transformed the way we see rural life. Discover how programmes about the countryside evolved from quiet reflection to glossy reality — and why the fascination never fades
Onome Okwuosa reveals the facts of the fiction in creating the hit TV series Downton Abbey.
In 1978, Cedric Messina persuaded the British Broadcasting Corporation to take on the task of filming the whole canon of William Shakespeare's plays for television, under the title The Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare.
