TV I LOVE:
I love the tele box and I don't feel remotely guilty about it. If there's something I've loved then I am now forced to buy a dvd. Especially stuff from the old days, (by which I mean the 1980s.)
*Ever Decreasing Cirlces is one of the finest sitcoms ever written and I was beyond excited when this came out on dvd. I love it and quote it constantly. As far as Richard Briers goes Martin was just a wonderful character for him in this, much nicer than Tom Good in The Good Life. I can take or leave The Good Life, but do love Margot & Gerry, brilliant creations. Just remembering Margot talking to Miss Mountshaft on the phone makes me smile.
*Jam & Jerusalem. Now I came to this a bit late in the day, but now proudly have all 3 series on dvd and can watch it again and again. There is something comforting about the set up of the town, the characters, the situations. And such a wonderful cast. Such a shame the BBC called it a day as this is Jennifer Saunders at her very very best.
*Duty Free. Brilliant dialogue and scenarios and excellent cast. I have gone on to love Gwen Taylor in 'Barbara' as well, but for me this is the jewel in her crown. Particularly love the episodes with Frazier Hines and Judith Chalmers. Classic Eric Chappell/80's sitcom and comedy gold.
*Auf Weidersehen Pet. I loved the first 2 series of this and remained loyal with the later follow ons also. Brilliant cast and writing. I am a big fan of Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais, (Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads special & Porridge special are wonderful), and love seeing the original cast in other things as a result of this brilliant series.
*Fawlty Towers. I think I must know every word of every episode, I watched them that often as a teenager. I think they repeated them when I was about 12 or 13 and then we kept constantly getting them out of the video shop in the school holidays. I think perhaps The Builders might be my favourite, but it's a hard call. All brilliant.
*I'm Alan Partridge. The series when he lived in the Travel Tavern was just wonderful. Another programme I quote all the time. I never really took to the chat show series, but this one and the follow up when he lived in a caravan are brilliant. (I have worked with the actor who played Gordon, Lynn's boyfriend, in the 3rd series at Planet Rabbit. Michael Wardle - a terrific actor, originally discovered by Alec Guiness, also starred in Withnail & I.) I also really enjoy Steve Coogan in Saxondale - I know people just like Tommy Saxondale which makes it all the funnier for me. Tommy Saxondale has the most brilliant lines.
*Extras. Such a fantastic idea for a tv series. The relationship with Andy and his agent is wonderful viewing, especially with Barry from Eastenders thrown in. Simple but very clever, which is always the best way. I am also a big fan of The Office. Highlights for me; 'Freelove Freeway', utter gold - that episode (S1 Ep 4) is the best. TV doesn't get any better for me. Also when Dawn returned to Tim at the party in the final Christmas special. Magical and brilliantly played. So moving and so...right. It was just...right. Filled your heart. Also loved that David had such a lovely date at that party - perfect. I was away doing panto in Sunderland when that was aired and I recorded it at my digs and remember racing back to watch it. It came as no surprise to me that Cemetery Junction was as wonderful as it was. I saw it twice at the cinema and bought it on dvd the day of release. I can't sum up in one sentence what I liked so much about it. It was just perfectly written & beautifully shot and directed. From the very first open segment I knew I was going to love it. Also love both Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant stand up and podcasts, guess I just like what they've got to say.
Other brilliant TV:
Coronation Street, One Foot In The Grave, Peep Show, Jonathan Creek, Fat Friends, Clocking Off, Gavin & Stacey, Phoenix Nights, Anthea Turner Perfect Housewife, Miss Marple (original BBC with Joan Hickson), The Apprentice, Sex And The City, Frazier.
FILMS I RECOMMEND/LOVE:
For me I love British films - you can't beat home grown entertainment.
*Educating Rita (Julie Walters), *Shirley Valentine (Pauline Collins), *Clockwise (John Cleese. Station scene filmed in Hull), *A Fish Called Wanda (John Cleese), *A Private Function (Michael Palin), *The Parole Officer (Steve Coogan), *Letter to Brezhnev (Peter Firth), *Wish You Were Here (Emily Lloyd), *Cemetery Junction (Ricky Gervais), *Brief Encounter (Celia Johnson), *Death on the Nile (Peter Ustinov), *Evil Under the Sun (Peter Ustinov), * A Bunch of Amateurs (Burt Reynolds. Ideal for theatre folk. As is 'Noises Off' with Michael Caine) *Carry On Films (esp. Camping, Convenience & Cruising!) *Falling in Love (Meryl Streep & Robert De Niro)
*Same Time Next Year (Alan Alda. When I was at RADA Alan Alda came to visit one day. The principal was touring him around the building and cut through the stage management common room where I was, alone, using a congestion nasal stick. I had a cold. They'd only just been invented I recall. I didn't realise it was him at first. He smiled. I smiled back. Speechless. At that time M*A*S*H was still regularly screened and he was a living legend to people of my age. Anecdote ends. Well, almost an anecdote. I have a better RADA anecdote when I had to be a maid in a play but as I was an ASM I had to change in a small room on the side of the stage. Richard Attenborough was the patron and had seen the show and was doing the rounds congratulating everyone. He walked in to the said small room as myself and the other ASM were changing. Awkward but we still smiled and said 'thank you very much', polite ASM's that we were. And another time at college I stitched through my finger on a sewing machine and had to go to Casualty with part of the sewing machine and costume still attached. In fact all sorts happened in those 2 years now I look back.)
*The Supergrass (A Comic Strip film from 1985. The best Comic Strip film in my opinion. Just brilliant. Try and find a bit on You Tube if you don't know it. Utterly hilarious.)
*Dutch Girls. (I first saw this in around 1985 and that's when my love of Colin Firth began. Private school boys go to play hockey in Holland. Bill Paterson is the teacher and Timothy Spall is fantastic as one of pupils. Littered with great faces. Makes me feel like a teenager again when I watch it. I searched for a copy of this film for almost 20 years and eventually found the dvd via Amazon in America. And it works in my player. Joy.)
I'm partial to a rom-com on a rainy Sunday as well, anything with Sandra Bullock, The Holiday, Bridget Jones, Notting Hill, Love Actually, etc. The usual.
