Best of British: Comedy

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Tony Robinson

You may know him best as Blackadder’s sidekick, Baldrick.

That scene was back in 1989 and marked the end of probably the funniest sitcom ever, but Tony had a cunning plan way before.

He started acting aged 12 back in 1958, playing a role in the original West End production of Oliver. After appearing in a few West End shows, the die was cast.

Or was it?

Tony Robinson had bit parts in quite a lot of productions, both on TV and the big screen, and also did a stint on the kids show Play Away. He a very easy manner which suited the job as a television presenter well.

His real fame came with a role in Blackadder which made him a household name. Since then, he has become the face and voice of archaeology and history on TV.

Hey, there is an unofficial Tony Robinson website which is full of facts..

http://www.unofficialtonyrobinsonwebsite.co.uk/

Here in Canada, we got the Blackadder series, and we also get Tony’s history and archaeology television presentations, and I must admit to being able to listen to them all day.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Mulberry

Not the tree or the berries.

An apprentice Grim Reaper is sent in to ‘collect’ an aging, crotchety lady, trampled down throughout her life by two sisters who always had the edge over her.

The stuff of comedy? Excuse the pun, but ‘hell yes’. I saw it first time around on TV. The credits rolled and I didn’t know what to expect. Within minutes, I was hooked by the amazing performances by all of the cast, most especially the two main stars, Karl Howman and Geraldine McEwan.

The series only ran for two seasons, and at the end.. no, I can’t spoil it for you. Watch it for yourself. If you have seen it before, it will bring back memories, all good of course, and if it is your first time, you will be enchanted, just as I was.

Here is a taster for you, episode 1, part 1

You are going to want to save the entire set of both series because I know that you will want to see it again and again. So, I will give you a link to a free YouTube downloader where you can save each episode and watch it at your leisure in Windows Media Player or Windows Media Centre. Your choice..

http://www.dvdvideosoft.com/products/dvd/Free-YouTube-Download.htm

OK. You have the tools, and you have seen the first episode. What are you waiting for? Permission? Permission granted.

Why so many manufactured goods?

Great Britain, the UK, whatever you want to call us is a small island surrounded by even smaller islands. Until the ice receded all of those eons ago, there was no island. The ice cleared late and, when it finally did, left little time for the development of flora and fauna. What wasn't there couldn't get there. Size also determined the amount of collectible raw materials available.

We don't have copious amounts of anything which we can sell in its raw state, but we can buy in raw materials and then make something really useful out of them. This enables us to trade with the rest of the world.

So now you know why this blog features so many manufactured items.

You may well make fun of us, but before you do, consider this.

Our small island, bordered by some of the roughest seas and oceans in the world, commanded an Empire larger and longer lived than any other nation on earth. The Industrial Revolution started in Britain and much of our technology and wares have found their way to many countries across the world. While much junk has been produced by us, there are some outstanding examples of Britishness that command respect from people across seas and oceans, classics of a time gone by.

If we feel the need, we can produce fine products which are head and shoulders above anything else. I will endeavour to show you what we have done and can do