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Alistair McGowan
Alistair Charles McGowan (born 24 November 1964) is an English impressionist, BAFTAaward winning comic, actor, pianist, poet, and writer. He starred in '' The Big Impression'' (formerly '' Alistair McGowan's Big Impression''). He has also worked in theatre and appeared in the West End (for which he received a '' Laurence Olivier Award'' nomination). He released an album of classical piano music called The Piano Album in 2017, and his poetry collection ''Not What We Were Expecting'' was published in 2024. He also provided voices for the original '' Spitting Image''. From 2 June to 7 July 2012, McGowan hosted the ITV comedy series '' You Cannot Be Serious!'', in which his impressions included England manager Roy Hodgson, Eurovision duo Jedward, TV personality Louie Spence, and footballers David Beckham and Gary Neville. He has written and starred in three plays for BBC Radio 4 about Erik Satie (''Three Pieces in the Shape of a Pear''), John Field (''The Peregrinations o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Asian Awards
The Asian Awards is an annual award ceremony for the global British Asian, Asian community which takes place in the United Kingdom, with 14 categories that include business, philanthropy, entertainment, culture and sport. Nominees are selected by an independent judging panel initially co-chaired by Baroness Verma and Nat Wei, Baron Wei then from 2014 onwards Karan Bilimoria, Baron Bilimoria. In 2010 and 2011, the awards were only open to those born in or with direct family origin from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, or Bangladesh. From 2013, they were expanded to include all people of South, East and South East Asian origin. The tenth edition of the awards took place in October 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was hosted in Dubai for the first time. History The Asian Awards were founded by businessman Paul Sagoo OBE through his Lemon Group. Past awards ;2010 The 1st Asian Awards took place on 26 October 2010 at Grosvenor House Hotel and was hosted by Lord Sebastian Coe. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Erik Satie
Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (born 17 May 18661 July 1925), better known as Erik Satie, was a French composer and pianist. The son of a French father and a British mother, he studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, Paris Conservatoire but was an undistinguished student and did not obtain a diploma. In the 1880s he worked as a pianist in café-cabarets in Montmartre, Paris, and began composing works, mostly for solo piano, such as his ''Gymnopédies'' and ''Gnossiennes''. He also wrote music for a Rosicrucian sect to which he was briefly attached. After a period in which he composed little, Satie entered Paris's second music academy, the Schola Cantorum de Paris, Schola Cantorum, as a mature student. His studies there were more successful than those at the Conservatoire. From about 1910 he became the focus of successive groups of young composers attracted by his unconventionality and originality. Among them were the group known as Les Six. A meeting with Jean Cocteau in 1915 led to the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Only An Excuse?
''Only an Excuse?'' is an annual Scottish comedy sketch show that was broadcast on BBC One Scotland on Hogmanay from 1993 to 2020. It starred the actor and comedian Jonathan Watson and featured impressions of some of Scottish football's great characters such as Denis Law, Tommy Burns, Barry Ferguson, Sir Alex Ferguson, Frank McAvennie, Walter Smith and Graeme Souness, as well as caricatures of the "stereotypical" Old Firm fan. History ''Only an Excuse?'' was first broadcast as a one-off special on BBC Radio Scotland, prior to the 1987 Scottish Cup Final. It was a parody of the five-part BBC Scotland television documentary ''Only a Game?'', which had aired in Scotland prior to the 1986 World Cup Finals and comprehensively documented the history of Scottish football. The documentary was narrated by Scottish novelist William McIlvanney, whose distinctive voice was expertly mimicked by Jonathan Watson for the radio spoof. After further occasional radio specials inc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dead Ringers (comedy)
''Dead Ringers'' is a British radio and television comedy impressions show broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and later BBC Two. The programme was devised by producer Bill Dare and developed with Jon Holmes, Andy Hurst and Simon Blackwell. Among its stars are Jon Culshaw and Jan Ravens. The BBC cancelled the television run in 2007 after five years. ''Dead Ringers return to Radio 4 was announced in 2014. History The programme first aired on BBC Radio 4 in January 2000. ''Dead Ringers'' returned to radio in July 2014. In November 2001 BBC One said it had commissioned a pilot for a television version. The pilot was well received and in August 2002 a full series was commissioned, this time on BBC Two. The TV show ran for seven series and was axed in April 2009. In 2002 the BBC's ''Arena'' broadcast a documentary about the series entitled ''Radio Ha! - Meet The Dead Ringers'', directed by Fisher Dilke. It featured interviews with the cast and writers, and behind-the-scenes footage from a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jonathan Creek
''Jonathan Creek'' is a long-running British mystery fiction, mystery crime drama series produced by the BBC and written by David Renwick. It stars Alan Davies as the title character, who works as a creative consultant to a stage magician while also solving seemingly supernatural mysteries through his talent for logical deduction and his understanding of Magic (illusion), illusions. Production The series ran semi-regularly from 1997 to 2004, broadcasting for four series and two Christmas specials, initially co-starring Caroline Quentin as Creek's collaborator, writer Maddy Magellan. After Quentin's departure in 2001, Julia Sawalha joined the cast as new character Carla Borrego, a theatrical agent turned television presenter. Following a five-year hiatus, the series returned for a one-off special on 1 January 2009, "The Grinning Man (Jonathan Creek), The Grinning Man", which featured Sheridan Smith as another paranormal investigator with whom Creek joins forces. A further 90-mi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Children's Ward
''Children's Ward'' (retitled ''The Ward'' from 1995 to 1998) is a British children's television drama series produced by Granada Television and broadcast on the ITV network as part of its '' Children's ITV'' strand on weekday afternoons. It aired from 15 March 1989 until 4 May 2000. The programme was set in Ward B1, the children's ward of the fictitious ''South Park Hospital'' (known as Sparky's), and told the stories of the young patients and the staff present there. Aimed at older children and teenagers, ''Children's Ward'' was a long-lived series for a children's drama, starting life in 1988 as a contribution to the '' Dramarama'' anthology strand "Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night", then first broadcast as a series in 1989 and running from then until 2000. Production history The series was conceived by Granada staff writers Paul Abbott and Kay Mellor, both of whom went on to enjoy successful careers as award-winning writers of adult television drama. At the time, th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Preston Front
''All Quiet on the Preston Front'' was a British comedy-drama series broadcast on BBC One between 4 January 1994 and 8 September 1997. Conceived by Tim Firth, the programme charted the lives, misadventures & relationships of a group of friends in the fictitious Lancashire town of Roker Bridge. The first series used the full title, ''All Quiet on the Preston Front'', highlighting the military facet that initially united some of the characters. For the second and third series, the title was abridged to ''Preston Front'', with a focus on the characters’ personal lives. Throughout its run, the series delivered a moving portrayal of small-town existence, capturing the tension between youthful idealism & the responsibilities of adulthood. Plot Set in the fictional Lancashire town of Roker Bridge, the series follows the lives of a group of young adults whose membership in the local Territorial Army (TA) platoon serves as a common thread throughout the series. Initially, TA enlistme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tim Firth
Tim Firth (born 13 October 1964) is an English dramatist, screenwriter and songwriter. Life and career Firth was born in Frodsham, England. He spent much of his time at school writing songs and it was only a few weeks before going to King's College, Cambridge to read English that he attended an Arvon Foundation course in West Yorkshire. This was run by Willy Russell and whilst on it, Firth had to write dialogue. He wrote about the only thing he knew - two sixteen-year-olds trying to write a song. Another course participant optioned it for his production company and Firth decided to become a writer. While at Cambridge he joined the Footlights where his contemporaries included fellow King's student David Baddiel who later invited him to contribute music to '' The Mary Whitehouse Experience'' on BBC radio. His first plays at this time were all directed by Sam Mendes. On leaving Cambridge, he wrote and composed music for the award winning Radio Four series '' And Now In Colour ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stephen Tompkinson
Stephen Phillip Tompkinson (born 15 October 1965) is an English actor, known for his television roles as Marcus in '' Chancer '' (1990), Damien Day in '' Drop the Dead Donkey'' (1990–1998), Father Peter Clifford in '' Ballykissangel'' (1996–98), Trevor Purvis in '' Grafters'' (1998–1999), Danny Trevanion in '' Wild at Heart'' (2006–2013) and the titular Alan Banks in '' DCI Banks'' (2010–2016). He won the 1994 British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Actor. He also starred in the films '' Brassed Off'' (1996) and '' Hotel Splendide'' (2000). Early life Tompkinson was born in Stockton-on-Tees. When he was about age 4, his family moved to Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire and then to Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, where he grew up and attended St Bede's Roman Catholic High School in Lytham and St Mary's Sixth Form in Blackpool. Tompkinson's first lead was as a red admiral butterfly in ''The Plotters of Cabbage Patch Corner''. He went on to train at the Central ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Doon MacKichan
Sarah Doon Mackichan (; born 7 August 1962) is a British actress, comedian and writer. She co-created, wrote and performed in the double-Emmy awards, Emmy-award-winning ''Smack the Pony''. She frequently collaborates with Armando Iannucci and Steve Coogan, having played multiple characters in ''The Day Today'', ''Brass Eye'' and Alan Partridge, and has also appeared in ''Toast of London'' and ''Two Doors Down (TV series), Two Doors Down''. Mackichan was nominated for British Academy Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance, Best Female Comedy Performance at the 2014 British Academy Television Awards for her performance in ''Plebs'' and won critical praise for her performance alongside John Malkovich in ''Bitter Wheat'' in 2019. Early life Mackichan was born on 7 August 1962 in London and later moved with her family to the Scottish village of Upper Largo. She studied drama at Manchester University. Career Mackichan had her television debut in comedy series ''Five Ali ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BBC 2
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and documentaries. BBC Two has a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio channels, it is funded by the television licence, and is therefore free of commercial advertising. It is a comparatively well-funded public-service channel, regularly attaining a much higher audience share than most public-service channels worldwide. Originally styled BBC2, it was the third British television station to be launched (starting on 21 April 1964), and from 1 July 1967, Europe's first television channel to broadcast regularly in colour. It was envisaged as a home for less mainstream and more ambitious programming, and while this tendency has cont ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ITV (TV Network)
ITV, legally known as Channel 3, is a British free-to-air public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television network. It is branded as ITV1 in most of the UK except for central and northern Scotland, where it is branded as STV (TV channel), STV. 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 Legal name, legally known as Channel 3 to distinguish it from the other analogue channels at the time: BBC1, BBC2 and Channel 4. ITV was, for decades, a network of separate companies that provided regional television services and also shared programmes among themselves 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 ITV1, the ITV1 cha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
