Alison Steadman

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John Cleese To Return To BBC For First Sitcom In Nearly 40 Years


John Cleese Alison Steadman Jason Watkins

Comedy legend John Cleese is set to star in his first BBC sitcom in nearly four decades, having once vowed never to work with the British national broadcaster again.

The 77 year old former ‘Monty Python’ star is set to appear alongside Alison Steadman in the upcoming comedy series ‘Edith’, a six-part series that will also feature BAFTA-winning actor Jason Watkins, the BBC announced in a statement on Tuesday (April 11th).

As such, it will be the first time that Cleese has held down such a prominent role in a Beeb sitcom since the classic ‘Fawlty Towers’ finished in 1979.

Continue reading: John Cleese To Return To BBC For First Sitcom In Nearly 40 Years

Alison Steadman seen attending the 2016 British Independent Film Awards held at Old Billingsgate Market - London, United Kingdom - Sunday 4th December 2016

Alison Steadman

Burn Burn Burn Review

Excellent

An unusually intelligent black comedy, this British independent film takes the audience on a road trip that's packed with surprises. Darkly hilarious and deeply moving, the film somehow manages to avoid both cheap jokes and cloying sentimentality to tell a story that's genuinely entertaining and resonant. And as it travels the length and breadth of Great Britain, the film makes terrific use of its eclectic cast.

Grieving over the death of their close friend Dan (Jack Farthing), best pals Seph and Alex (Downton Abbey's Laura Carmichael and War & Peace's Chloe Pirrie) are shocked to get a video message from him instructing them to take an epic drive to scatter his ashes across the country. Seph is looking for a reason to get away from her cloying boyfriend (Joe Dempsie) and annoying boss (Sally Phillips), and Alex is reeling after catching her girlfriend (Eleanor Matsuura) with another woman. So they hit the road, heading first to Glastonbury, then to Cardiff, York and finally to Ben Lomond in Scotland. Along the way, Dan's videos guide them as they have a variety of small adventures.

Writer Charlie Covell and director Chanya Button are cleverly exploring the idea that we all need to confront the secrets we are keeping from each other. Dan never told anyone he was dying of cancer, so he's challenging Seph and Alex to open up in ways he never could, understanding that the truth brings catharsis. Carmichael and Pirrie make a terrific team in this sense, united by years of friendship but divided by their unspoken issues. The actresses bring a striking individuality to these roles that makes the characters both infuriating and loveable. And the key points in their journey are fiendishly clever. For example, Alex makes her big confession while actually hanging on a cross, standing in for an actor playing Jesus.

Continue reading: Burn Burn Burn Review

Dad's Army Trailer


Everybody's favourite British regiment is back in the new version of Dad's Army. Director Oliver Parker has recruited the much loved classic British TV Show with the help of some of the UK's best known actors. Like the TV show, the movie is set in 1944 and World War II is almost at its peak. The Home Guard is patrolling the streets of Walmington-on-Sea and their spirits are rather dampened by the thought of the imminent invasion. Their only light relief comes from a visit from a beautiful journalist going by the name of Rose Winters. Rose soon has all the men on their best behaviour and all the ladies of the town attempting to up their game. However it's soon 'back to work' for the men when they find out there's a spy living amidst the residents in their small seaside town.

Continue: Dad's Army Trailer

Dad's Army Trailer


And they're back! The hilarious band of men that put their lives on the line for their country return in an all new adventure on the big screen. World War II is at its very peak during the 1940s and the Home Guard at Walmington-on-Sea are about to have an unusually eventful episode. Hours of patrolling the army base at Dover - trying to keep spirits up on the eve of the soldiers' impending journey to France to take on the Germans - are over for now, because UK intelligence have just uncovered a mysterious secret signal over the radio - apparently someone has been sending messages from Walmington to Berlin, and now nobody can be trusted. The Home Guard aid the mission to uncover the spy - though nobody dares put too much faith in this bumbling lot.

Continue: Dad's Army Trailer

10 Things You Didn't Know About James Corden


James Corden Ruth Jones Alison Steadman Sheridan Smith Sir Paul McCartney

Rumours are rife of James Corden’s appointment as the new host of the CBS chat programme, The Late Late Show. Reports have suggested that Corden is taking over the slot from current host, Craig Ferguson, although representatives for the British comedy actor and CBS have yet to confirm the situation. 

James Corden
Reports suggested that James Corden will be the next host of CBS' The Late Late Show

Already a big hit in the UK from Gavin and Stacey, Americans seem as yet unsure about the potential new face on their screens as they know little about him. So, to help our stateside counterparts and to give us Brits a little bit more information about this comedy favourite, here are 10 things that you didn’t know about James Corden.

Continue reading: 10 Things You Didn't Know About James Corden

Russ Abbot To Join Onscreen 'Grey Mates' For Newly Commissioned BBC One Comedy


June Whitfield Stephanie Beacham Alison Steadman Philip Jackson Paula Wilcox James Smith

Acting veteran Russ Abbot has been confirmed to join the cast of an upcoming BBC One comedy, provisionally titled Grey Mates, will also star June Whitfield and Stephanie Beacham, rounding out a trio of pensioners living out their twilight years on the Norfolk coast. The premise is that each of the seniors faces his or her golden years in a different way. And OK, it might not sound that exciting, but let’s all think back to the original premise of Downton Abbey. There might still be some potential here too.

Alison Steadman, Philip Jackson, Paula Wilcox and James Smith will join Abbot to complete the principal cast of the series. Controller of BBC One Charlotte Moore said for BBC News: "Comedy has a unique ability to make the ordinary extraordinary and Grey Mates delivers that with a big hit of characters."

She added that the onset of retirement is "hilariously brought to life by a stellar cast whose relationships are tested in a multitude of ways."

Continue reading: Russ Abbot To Join Onscreen 'Grey Mates' For Newly Commissioned BBC One Comedy

Pride And Prejudice (1995) Review


Excellent
Most film adaptations of classic books are inferior to the books they are based on. This is partly because the written word allows more nuance than the camera, but also because great books don't always have enough plotting or action to make great movies, and film adaptations often overcompensate by rewriting the book in a quest to make it more cinematic. The most obvious recent example (speaking of quests) is The Lord of the Rings: Peter Jackson omitted key scenes, changed others, and generally jacked up Tolkien's fanatically-loved bestseller for no good reason.

So it's an achievement when a famous book makes it to the big screen, or the small screen, intact -- and kudos must go to the A&E/BBC miniseries Pride and Prejudice for flawlessly recreating the classic Jane Austen novel. This production is as faithful to the book as Cliff notes (though at five hours long, it's not much of a time-saver -- you might as well read the book). The filmmakers fill in the off-camera scenes of the book so seamlessly that Austen might have written them herself.

Continue reading: Pride And Prejudice (1995) Review

Alison Steadman

Alison Steadman Quick Links

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Alison Steadman Movies

Burn Burn Burn Movie Review

Burn Burn Burn Movie Review

An unusually intelligent black comedy, this British independent film takes the audience on a road...

Dad's Army Trailer

Dad's Army Trailer

Everybody's favourite British regiment is back in the new version of Dad's Army. Director Oliver...

Dad's Army Trailer

Dad's Army Trailer

And they're back! The hilarious band of men that put their lives on the line...

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