Comedy Map Of Britain
''Comedy Map of Britain'' is a BBC documentary series which visits the places that have inspired many of Britain's leading comedians. It first aired on BBC Two in 2007 and 2008. Narrated by veteran broadcaster Alan Whicker, comedians included in the two series include Angus Deayton, Anton Rodgers, Arthur Smith and Hale and Pace, Bill Bailey, Chris Moyles, the Chuckle Brothers, Dudley Moore, Eric Idle, Graham Fellows, Hugh Grant, Ian Hislop, Ian Lavender, Jim Davidson, Jon Culshaw, Mark Thomas, Maureen Lipman, Michael Palin, Paul Merton, Richard Whiteley, Ricky Gervais, Ronni Ancona, Rowan Atkinson, Roy Chubby Brown, Steve Coogan, Syd Little and Eddie Large, Terry Jones, Leigh Francis Leigh Izaak Francis (born 30 April 1973), who is often known by the name of a character he plays, Keith Lemon, is an English television presenter, comedian, actor, and writer. He is best known for creating and starring in Channel 4's sketch co ... and many others. References External l ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Documentary Film
A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and Media studies, media analyst Bill Nichols (film critic), Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in terms of "a filmmaking practice, a cinematic tradition, and mode of audience reception [that remains] a practice without clear boundaries". Research into information gathering, as a behavior, and the sharing of knowledge, as a concept, has noted how documentary movies were preceded by the notable practice of documentary photography. This has involved the use of singular Photograph, photographs to detail the complex attributes of History, historical events and continues to a certain degree to this day, with an example being the War photography, conflict-related photography achieved by popular figures such as Mathew Brady during the Am ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ian Lavender
Arthur Ian Lavender (16 February 1946 – 2 February 2024) was an English stage, film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Private Pike in ''Dad's Army'', a BBC sitcom set during World War II, of which he was the last surviving main cast member. Early life Arthur Ian Lavender was born to Edward and Kathleen (nee Johnson) Lavender in Birmingham, England on 16 February 1946. He attended Bournville Boys Technical School (later Bournville Grammar-Technical School for Boys) where he appeared in many school dramatic productions. From there he went to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, with the assistance of a grant from the City of Birmingham. Following his graduation in 1967 he appeared on stage in Canterbury. Career Lavender's first television appearance was as the lead in a Rediffusion play entitled ''Half Hour Story: Flowers at my Feet'' in 1968. ''Dad's Army'' In 1968, aged 22, Lavender was cast as Private Frank Pike, the youngest member and "stupid boy" o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Syd Little
Syd Little (born Cyril John Mead; 19 December 1942) is an English comedian who was the straight man in the double act Little and Large, with Eddie Large. Life and career Born in Blackpool, Little was raised in Manchester. After leaving Yew Tree Secondary Modern School, Wythenshawe, and working as an interior decorator, Little began his performing career as a singer and guitarist in Manchester pubs before teaming up with Large. Originally titled ''Cyril Mead and Friend'', then ''Mead and McGinnis'', after changing their name to ''Little and Large'' their double act won '' Opportunity Knocks'' in 1971 leading to a successful 20-year television career. The partnership's first television pilot was recorded in 1976, followed by a regular series in 1977. After switching to the BBC, their show was cancelled in 1991. After the cancellation of '' The Little and Large Show'', Little appeared occasionally on shows such as '' Shooting Stars'', until 2005 when he took part in the reality ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Steve Coogan
Stephen John Coogan (; born 14 October 1965) is an English-Irish actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer. His accolades include four BAFTA Awards and three British Comedy Awards, and nominations for two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. He is best known for his character Alan Partridge, a socially inept and politically incorrect media personality, which he developed while working with Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris on '' On the Hour'' (1991–1992) and '' The Day Today'' (1994). Partridge has featured in several television series, such as '' I'm Alan Partridge'' (1997–2002), and the film '' Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa'' (2013). Coogan began his career in the 1980s as a voice actor on the satirical puppet show '' Spitting Image'' and providing voice-overs for television advertisements. He grew in prominence in the film industry in 2002, after starring in '' The Parole Officer'' and '' 24 Hour Party People''. He continued to appear in films such as '' Around t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Roy Chubby Brown
Royston Vasey (born 3 February 1945), better known professionally as Roy Chubby Brown, is an English comedian. His act consists of offensive humour, high profanity and outspoken disdain for political correctness. Early life Roy Chubby Brown was born Royston Vasey on 3 February 1945 in Grangetown, Middlesbrough in the North Riding of Yorkshire He left school without any qualifications, leaving home at the age of fourteen, spent time living rough and moving from job to job, at one point joining the Merchant Navy. He became homeless and for some time slept in a fishing boat in Redcar. He was arrested and taken to a detention centre and then on to borstal, following which he went to prison. Whilst in prison, Vasey read ''I Owe Russia $1200'' by Bob Hope, which made him decide he wanted to be a stand-up comic. When he saw Ken Dodd perform live, he thought he was so good it inspired him to try comedy himself. Vasey formed a comedy duo with a fellow ex-Pipelines band member. The ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born 6 January 1955) is an English actor, comedian and writer. He played the title roles in the sitcoms ''Blackadder'' (1983–1989) and '' Mr. Bean'' (1990–1995), and in the film series '' Johnny English'' (2003–present). Atkinson first came to prominence on the BBC sketch comedy show ''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' (1979–1982), receiving the 1981 British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance. Atkinson has appeared in various films, including the James Bond film ''Never Say Never Again'' (1983), ''The Witches'' (1990), ''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' (1994), '' Rat Race'', ''Scooby-Doo'' (both 2002), ''Love Actually'' (2003), and ''Wonka'' (2023). He played the voice role of Zazu in the Disney animated film ''The Lion King'' (1994). Atkinson portrayed Mr. Bean in the film adaptations ''Bean'' (1997) and '' Mr. Bean's Holiday'' (2007), and voiced the title character in '' Mr. Bean: The Animated Series'' (2002–present). H ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ronni Ancona
Veronica Jane Ancona (born 4 July 1966) is a British actress, comedian, impressionist and writer best known for '' The Big Impression'', which she co-wrote and starred in and was, for four years, one of BBC One's top-rated comedy programmes, winning numerous awards, including a BAFTA in 2003. Ancona also starred in the first series of the BAFTA-winning ITV series ''The Sketch Show''. Ancona has appeared in the BAFTA-winning '' Last Tango in Halifax'' since its creation in 2012. She is a co-director, alongside Sally Phillips and Nick Hamson, of the production company Captain Dolly. Early life Ancona was born in Louth, Lincolnshire in 1966, but moved to Scotland when she was a few days old and was brought up in Troon. She is of Italian Jewish descent. Her father was a commander in the Royal Navy and her mother was an artist who painted the sets at the Gaiety Theatre in Ayr and the Theatre Royal in Glasgow. Ancona is the youngest of three children, with two older brothers, one ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervais ( ; born 25 June 1961) is an English comedian, actor, writer, television producer and filmmaker. He co-created, co-wrote, and acted in the British television sitcoms ''The Office (British TV series), The Office'' (2001–2003), ''Extras (TV series), Extras'' (2005–2007), and ''Life's Too Short (TV series), Life's Too Short'' (2011–2013) with Stephen Merchant. He also created, wrote, and starred in ''Derek (TV series), Derek'' (2012–2014) and ''After Life (TV series), After Life'' (2019–2022). Gervais has won seven British Academy Television Awards, BAFTA Awards, five British Comedy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and the Rose d'Or twice (2006 and 2019). In 2003, ''The Observer'' named Gervais one of the 50 funniest performers in British comedy. In 2007, he was placed at No. 11 on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups, and at No. 3 in their 2010 list. In 2010, he was included in the ''Time 100'' list of World's Most ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Richard Whiteley
John Richard Whiteley (28 December 1943 – 26 June 2005) was an English presenter and journalist, best known for his twenty-three years as host of the game show '' Countdown''. ''Countdown'' was the launch programme for Channel 4 at 4:45 pm on 2 November 1982, and Whiteley was the first person to be seen on the channel (not counting a programme montage). Whiteley enjoyed projecting the image of an absent-minded eccentric. His trademarks were his jolly, avuncular manner, his fondness for puns, and his bold, sometimes garish wardrobe. Thanks to over twenty years' worth of daily instalments of ''Countdown'' as well as his work on the Yorkshire magazine programme ''Calendar'' and various other television projects, at the time of his death Whiteley was believed to have clocked more hours on British television screens—and more than 10,000 appearances—than anyone else alive, apart from Carole Hersee, the young girl who appeared on the BBC's Test Card F. Early life Whitele ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Paul Merton
Paul James Martin (born 9 July 1957), known by the stage name Paul Merton, is an English comedian who is best known as one of the two regular panellists on the television show '' Have I Got News for You''. Known for his improvisation skill, Merton's humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and sometimes dark comedy. He has been ranked by critics, fellow comedians and viewers to be among Britain's greatest comedians. He made his breakthrough in the late 1980s as a regular performer on the original British version of the comedy improvisation show ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'', and has been a team captain on '' Have I Got News for You'' since it began in 1990. He was also the host of '' Room 101'' from 1999 to 2007, replacing original host Nick Hancock. Merton appears as a panellist regularly on Radio 4's ''Just a Minute'', first appearing in 1989, and became the only remaining regular panellist in 2009 following the death of Clement Freud. He has also appeared as one of the Comedy ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Michael Palin
Sir Michael Edward Palin (; born 5 May 1943) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter. He was a member of the Monty Python comedy group. He received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award, BAFTA Fellowship in 2013 and was knighthood, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019 New Year Honours, 2019. Palin started in television working on programmes including the ''Ken Dodd Show'', ''The Frost Report'', and ''Do Not Adjust Your Set''. He joined ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' (1969–1974) alongside John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Graham Chapman. He acted in some of the most famous Python sketches, including "Argument Clinic", "Dead Parrot sketch", "The Lumberjack Song", "The Spanish Inquisition (Monty Python), The Spanish Inquisition", "Bicycle Repair Man", and "The Fish-Slapping Dance". Palin continued to work with Jones away from Python, co-writing ''Ripping Yarns''. Palin co-wrote and starred in ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail'' (1975 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Maureen Lipman
Dame Maureen Diane Lipman (born 10 May 1946) is an English actress, columnist and comedian. She trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and her stage work has included appearances with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. She was made a dame in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to charity, entertainment and the arts. Lipman has been nominated for seven Olivier Awards across categories commending acting in plays, musicals and comedy, winning in 1984 for ''See How They Run''. On film, Lipman was BAFTA nominated for ''Educating Rita'' (1983) and has also appeared in ''The Wildcats of St Trinian's'' (1980), ''Carry On Columbus'' (1992), ''Solomon & Gaenor'' (1999) and ''The Pianist'' (2002). On television, Lipman had prominent roles in ''Agony'' (1979–1981), ''Smiley's People'' (1982), ''Eskimo Day'' (1996) and ''Ladies of Letters'' (2009–2010). Since 2018, she has starred in ''Coronation Street'' as Evelyn Plummer. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |