News

On Thursday 18 July 2024, Channel 5 broadcasts Susan Calman’s Grand Days Out!

West Yorkshire Valleys Season 7 Episode 3 Episode Summary

In this episode of “Susan Calman’s Grand Days Out” titled “West Yorkshire Valleys,” airing on Channel 5, Susan embarks on an adventurous journey with her trusty camper van Helen. The episode takes viewers on a scenic exploration of West Yorkshire’s picturesque landscapes, beginning with the rugged terrain of Ilkley Moor. From there, Susan visits the quaint village of Upperthong, known for its charm and local character.

The highlight of the episode is Susan’s visit to Holmfirth, famously recognized as the setting for the beloved sitcom “Last of the Summer Wine.” As Susan navigates through this iconic location, viewers are treated to glimpses of the scenic beauty that has captured the hearts of many. Join Susan on Channel 5 for an episode filled with delightful discoveries, as she shares her enthusiasm...

On Wednesday 5 June 2024, BBC Four broadcasts an episode of the series Roy Clarke Remembers… A Foreign Field!

Episode Summary

In this episode of “Roy Clarke Remembers… A Foreign Field” on BBC Four, viewers are treated to an intimate glimpse into the world of acclaimed writer Roy Clarke, the creative genius behind some of the BBC’s most beloved sitcoms. From the timeless humor of “Open All Hours” to the iconic characters of “Keeping Up Appearances” and the enduring charm of “Last of the Summer Wine,” Clarke’s contributions to British television have left an indelible mark on audiences worldwide.

As Clarke reflects on his illustrious career, viewers are taken on a nostalgic journey through the making of his iconic sitcoms. With behind-the-scenes anecdotes and exclusive insights, the episode offers a rare opportunity to witness the creative process of one of television’s most prolific writers.

Tune in to BBC Four...

British stand-up comedian and actor Lee Mack fears the death of the traditional TV sitcom is upon us.

The star of BBC comedy Not Going Out – which celebrates its 100th episode this Christmas and becomes the second longest-running homegrown sitcom (only Last of the Summer Wine ran longer) – told The Times he feared the demise of the genre:

“We have no young comics coming through who really see, let alone want to write, studio sitcoms. And if we’re not careful it’s going to die.”

The article included the statistic that in 1984 there were 60 newly commissioned studio sitcoms in the UK. By 2004 it was seven. This year the number is zero.

Mack added that he sees the challenge as a class issue, with middle-class commissioners and journalists failing to understand what he calls “the working-class art” of the popular genre. He added: “It is a unique thing because it...

Jean Boht, the beloved star of long-running BBC sitcom “Bread” (1986-1991) died on Sept. 12. She was 91.

Boht’s family issued a statement on social media, saying: “It is with overwhelming sadness that we must announce that Jean Boht passed away yesterday Tuesday 12 September. Jean had been battling Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease with the indefatigable spirit for which she was both beloved and renowned.” She was a resident at Denville Hall, the home for members of the theatrical profession.

Boht’s husband Carl Davis, the BAFTA-winning composer of “The French Lieutenant’s Woman,” died in August.

Boht trained at the Liverpool Playhouse and embarked on a career as a theater actor. Her television credits include “Softly, Softly” (1971), “Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em” (1978), “Grange Hill” (1978), “Last of the Summer Wine” (1978), “Boys from the Blackstuff” (1982), “Scully” (1984) and “Juliet Bravo” (1981-83). In 1993, Boht was one of the stars in “Brighton Belles,” the British remake of hit U.

Warning: This contains spoilers for Not Going Out

Back in 2015, during a BBC Breakfast interview about series seven of Not Going Out, presenter Bill Turnbull asked Lee Mack: “Did you ever imagine when you first got that pilot that you’d get seven series?”

“I didn’t think we’d even get a series,” Mack answers incredulously, explaining that even going from script to a pilot episode felt like “the biggest hurdle”.

And yet, eight years later (17 since the show began in 2006), Not Going Out has now almost doubled its series from seven to 13, still regularly pulling in audiences of over four million, with the newest series arriving on BBC One on Friday 23rd June at 9pm. As ever, the show will focus on Lee Mack as a fictionalised version of himself, alongside his landlady-turned-wife and sparring partner Lucy, and their eventful and often farcical life together.

Series 13 will...

1997 film The Full Monty is remembered for two things: being an unexpectedly massive hit, and its final shot of six naked bums frozen mid-sway to Tom Jones’ “You Can Leave Your Hat On”. Over time, its story about a group of unemployed Sheffield men making themselves a bit of cash and even more notoriety by stripping on stage for one night only has been boiled down to box-office and bare bottoms. So much so that when this 26-years-later sequel was first announced, there was a lot of the same reaction: wouldn’t that lot be in their sixties by now? Who’d want to see them in a thong?

You don’t see anybody in a thong in The Full Monty TV series, which doesn’t even call back to that infamous sold-out night at the Millthorpe Working Men’s Club until episode six of eight. For want of a less troubling mental image,...

Queen Elizabeth II apparently loved Twin Peaks so much that she once turned down a private Paul McCartney performance to instead catch a new episode of the David Lynch drama.

Following the death of the Queen on Thursday (8 September), a past interview resurfaced in which Twin Peaks composer Angelo Badalamenti recalled the incident.

“Back when Twin Peaks was kicking off around the world, I flew by Concorde to London, to work with Paul McCartney at Abbey Road,” Badalamenti explained in an interview included in a Twin Peaks DVD box set .

Then he retold the story that The Beatles musician told him back in the 1990s.

“[McCartney] said, ‘I was asked by the Queen’s office to perform 35 minutes of my music to celebrate her birthday at Buckingham Palace. I’m very excited about it, and here comes the night, and I’m about to go on and the Queen kind of walks by me and says,...

Queen Elizabeth II lived a remarkable life – but not everyone knows she made time to watch TV too.

The Royal Family announced that the Queen died peacefully at Balmoral on Thursday (8 September), aged 96.

In the wake of her death, fans are remembering the Queen’s rather eclectic taste in television.

According to reports, the Queen received selected shows from the BBC, who would occasionally add in unrequested items they thought she may enjoy.

Other reports have suggested that she once asked that a Doctor Who DVD box set be sent to Balmoral, and that she told actor Peter Sallis that she loved Last of the Summer Wine.

She also visited the set of EastEnders in 2001.

It would seem that even royals aren’t above a hate-watch either, as she is said to have once commented on police procedural series The Bill: “I don’t like The Bill but I just can’t help watching it.

British veteran comedy actress Josephine Tewson, who found her biggest success in her sixties starring in one of the 1990s’ biggest TV sitcoms, has died aged 91.

Tewson was best known for playing Elizabeth, the living-on-her-nerves neighbour of Hyacinth Bucket in Keeping Up Appearances, from 1990 to 1995.

But she appeared in a string of other shows too, such as Shelley with Hywel Bennet and No Appointment Necessary with Roy Kinnear. Following the success of Keeping Up Appearances, the show’s writer Roy Clarke gave Tewson the role of Miss Davenport in Last of the Summer Wine, which she played from 2003 to 2010.

In a statement, her agent Jean Diamond said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Josephine Tewson.”

The actress died on Thursday at Denville Hall, a care home for actors and other members of the entertainment industry in north London.

Several decades before she enjoyed sitcom stardom,...

Dan Levy has joined the cast of Netflix’s beloved teen comedy series Sex Education – and fans are delighted.

The actor shared the news of his casting on Twitter on Friday (19 August) with a photo of him beside Maeve Wiley actor Emma Mackey.

He captioned the post: “Sex Ed. Season 4. Very serious news.”

The official Netflix Twitter account also shared the photo and revealed that Levy would be joining the show as a new teacher named Mr Molloy.

Per Variety, Molloy is a famous author and Maeve’s US course tutor at her Ivy League college.

Levy will be joined in the show’s fourth season by fellow newcomers Thaddea Graham, Marie Reuther, Felix Mufti, Anthony Lexa, Alexandra James and Imani Yahshua.

Levy, who gained a wide fan-base thanks to his Emmy-winning series about a wealthy family down on their luck, Schitt’s Creek, was welcomed to the show by delighted fans on social media.

Josephine Tewson, star of Keeping Up Appearances and Last of the Summer Wine, has died at the age of 91.

She died on Thursday night (18 August) at Denville Hall, a retirement home for actors in Northwood, northeast London, her agent said.

The Hampstead-born star trained at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1952.

She went on to play small parts in the Sixties TV series Z-Cars and The Charlie Drake Show, and appeared in sketches with comedians Ronnie Corbett and Ronnie Barker in Hark at Barker and Frost on Sunday.

She also played Edna Hawkins in the first six series of the Eighties and Nineties ITV sitcom Shelley.

Tewson was best known for playing Elizabeth Warden, anxious neighbour and reluctant best friend of the stuck-up social climber Hyacinth Bucket in the adored Nineties BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances.

She collaborated with that show’s writer Roy Clarke again for...

The Oscar-winning star portrayed rival gang leaders in the stage and screen versions of the classic musical. He remembers dancing with Marilyn Monroe, playing Dracula and his role as a trombone

“I don’t think I was good enough,” confesses George Chakiris. “I was too nervous.” Zooming from Los Angeles, the 86-year-old star is not appraising his Oscar-winning role in West Side Story or his stints as a chorus dancer in golden age musicals with Marilyn Monroe and Cyd Charisse. He is recalling appearing alongside Compo, Clegg and Foggy in an episode of Last of the Summer Wine. What sort of country-lane hijinks did that involve? “I was a movie director or something. I don’t remember … Isn’t that awful?”

Not really – it was 25 years ago and he has pretty much retired. But IMDb lists Chakiris as playing a bank manager in the forthcoming movie Not to Forget. He...

British Comedian Bobby Ball Dies

Bobby Ball, the British comedian and star of shows including BBC One’s Not Going Out, has died at the age of 76 after testing positive for coronavirus. He was one half of double-act Cannon and Ball alongside Tommy Cannon, while he has appeared in comedies including Last of the Summer Wine and Benidorm. He was also a contestant on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2005. “At first it was thought to be a chest infection but a test proved positive for Covid-19,” his manager said in a statement. “His wife Yvonne said the hospital and staff could not have been more wonderful, as they were outstanding in their care of duty and they did everything possible for him and she cannot praise them enough.” Cannon paid tribute by quoting his partner’s catchphrase: “Rock on, my good friend, I can’t believe this,...

Three Italian men plot a move to the east to eke out meagre pensions in Gianni Di Gregorio’s sad, sweet and slightly flimsy drama

Gianni Di Gregorio is the veteran Italian director, screenwriter and actor who has served up some lovely filmic dishes in the past, such as his Pranzo Di Ferragosto, or Mid-August Lunch (2008) about a middle-aged man caring for his elderly mother, and his Gianni e le Donne, or Gianni and the Women, released in the UK as The Salt of Life (2011) on very much the same theme. Now he has created this gentle, wistful late-life comedy, a sort of Italian version of Last of the Summer Wine. Three old guys in Rome hang around all day complaining because their modest pensions aren’t stretching very far. They are a retired classics teacher, nicknamed Professore (Di Gregorio himself), unemployed loafer Giorgetto (Georgio Colangeli) and gregarious antiques dealer Attilio.

Life has gotten pretty strange in the last month. Coronavirus went from a localized outbreak to a global pandemic and governments rushed to contain the spread (often too late to prevent a hemorrhage of casualties), with resultant lockdowns forcing billions to adjust to a “new normal.” Pretty heady, pretty strange. But I guarantee things aren’t as strange as they are for a community in the English county of Norfolk.

For non-islanders who don’t know, Norfolk is an odd place at the best of times. With that mind, this story reads as follows. Yesterday, Sky News reported sightings of a man dressed as a plague doctor, roaming around the suburb of Hellesdon in Norwich. The report has been corroborated by footage of the plague doctor uploaded to Twitter by ABC, which you can watch for yourself below.

British police hope to unmask mysterious 'plague doctor' seen during coronavirus lockdown.

Aardman’s Nick Park pays tribute to ‘great storyteller and raconteur’.

Peter Sallis, the British actor who voiced Wallace from Aardman Animation’s Wallace & Gromit franchise and starred in TV show Last of The Summer Wine, has died. He was 96.

Sallis was born on February 1, 1921, in Twickenham, England. After a successful TV and stage career that had also brought great acclaim for the timbre of his voice, he signed on for his longest role as Norman Clegg alongside Brian Wilde and Bill Owen in the sitcom Last Of The Summer Wine. He appeared in all 295 episodes from 1973 until 2010.

He partnered with Bristol-based Aardman in 1993 and voiced Wallace for 15 years over various feature, short and video game iterations. He was awarded the OBE in 2007.

Sallis died at his home in London on June 2. Shortly after the news broke on Monday, Wallace & Gromit director and Aardman partner Nick Park (pictured at right with Sallis) led the tributes.

“I’m so sad...

Peter Sallis, who voiced Wallace in the “Wallace & Gromit” films and co-starred on the British comedy series “Last of the Summer Wine,” died on Friday. He was 96. His agents said in a statement: “It is with sadness that we announce that our client Peter Sallis died peacefully, with his family by his side, at Denville Hall on Friday, June 2.” Sallis portrayed Norman Clegg as part of the original cast on “Summer Wine,” Britain’s longest-running sitcom. He played the role from the show’s first episode in 1973 through its finale in 2010. Also Read: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2017 (Photos) He is also known.

Peter Sallis, the English actor best known for the BBC sitcom Last of the Summer Wine and lending his voice to Wallace in Aardman Animations’ Wallace and Gromit films, has passed away at the age of 96. Born on February 1, 1921 in Twickenham, Middlesex, Sallis got his start as an actor while working as a mechanic in […]

The post ‘Wallace and Gromit’ Voice Actor Peter Sallis Dead at 96 appeared first on /Film.

Peter Sallis, the actor best-known for voicing Wallace in Aardman Animation's Wallace & Gromit and starring in long-running BBC sitcom Last Of The Summer Wine, has died at the age of 96. "It is with sadness that we announce that our client Peter Sallis died peacefully, with his family by his side, at Denville Hall on Friday, June 2," his agents Jonathan Altaras Associates said. London-born Sallis had 25 years of acting experience under his belt, appearing opposite Orson…...

Peter Sallis, the actor best-known for voicing Wallace in Aardman Animation's Wallace & Gromit and starring in long-running BBC sitcom Last Of The Summer Wine, has died at the age of 96. "It is with sadness that we announce that our client Peter Sallis died peacefully, with his family by his side, at Denville Hall on Friday, June 2," his agents Jonathan Altaras Associates said. London-born Sallis had 25 years of acting experience under his belt, appearing opposite Orson…...

Peter Sallis, a much-loved face on British TV and known internationally as the voice of Wallace in the Wallace & Gromit animated films, has died. He was 96. 

The actor's agent announced the news Monday, saying Sallis had died peacefully with his family by his side on June 2.

In the U.K., Sallis was known for decades as the flat-capped and mild-mannered Norman Clegg from the long-running comedy series Last of the Summer Wine. He starred on the show from its very first episode in 1973 right up until its end in 2010, the only actor to appear in all 295...

Peter Sallis, the voice of Wallace in Wallace and Gromit, has died.

The actor died in his sleep on Friday, reports The Guardian. He was 96.

“It is with sadness that we announce that our client Peter Sallis died peacefully, with his family by his side, at Denville Hall on Friday 2 June,” Sallis agent’s said in a statement.

Sallis shot to stardom in the U.K. as Norman Clegg in the BBC1 comedy Last of the Summer Wine. The show would go on to become Britain’s longest-running sitcom, airing from 1973-2010. Sallis was the only actor to appear in...

Rob Leane Apr 6, 2017

Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan chat at length about their next adventure into eateries, The Trip To Spain...

Earlier this year, we were lucky enough to get early access to the first two episodes of The Trip To Spain, and to partake in a pair of group Q&A sessions with Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan, who continue reviewing restaurants and relentlessly ribbing each other in this third series of the show. (If you’re unfamiliar: series 1 was called The Trip and series 2 was The Trip To Italy.)

The episodes, to put it simply, were great; The Trip’s familiar blend of melancholy, meals and mockery slots seamlessly into this new Spanish locale, which serves up some idyllic landscapes to compliment the edibles, the impressions and the introspection.

Creator, writer and director Michael Winterbottom has found a winning formula here, and his stars seem to have an...

Author: Stefan Pape

To label The Time of Their Lives as a flawed endeavour would be something of an understatement, and yet there’s a hesitancy to be overly critical, for this Roger Goldby endeavour represents a unique cinematic experience; as one that features elderly women in the leading roles, and allows actresses nuanced, layered characters to delve into – which should be celebrated, regardless of the fact we’re dealing with a melodrama that makes Dynasty feel like it had been directed by Ken Loach.

Talking of the aforementioned soap opera, Joan Collins takes on the leading role of Helen, a former movie star, now without any of the money she once owned, but with equal amount of style and grace. Struggling to come to terms with her has-been status, she is thrilled to encounter a fan, the timid Priscilla (Pauline Collins), who appears to have had all of her...

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As season 2 of Netflix's martial arts epic Marco Polo arrives on Netflix, we chatted to Kublai Khan himself, Benedict Wong...

In addition to playing the world-straddling leader Kublai Khan in Netflix's big, expensive period action series, Marco Polo, Benedict Wong has carved out a niche in quality UK sci-fi films. He followed Danny Boyle's Sunshine with Duncan Jones' Moon, worked twice with Ridley Scott in The Martian and Prometheus, and recently came aboard Alex Garland's next picture, Annihilation. Before that comes to cinemas, he'll be seen alongside the UK's other acting Benedict in Marvel's Doctor Strange.

Many, of course, will fondly remember Wong as Errol, the optimistic innocent to Sean Lock's cynical misanthropist Vince in cult BBC comedy series 15 Storeys High, or even for a one-time appearance in The It Crowd.

We chatted to him about playing the would-be CEO of the world in Marco Polo,...

Whenever I went to Memphis with my parents, my time was divided between staying with my two grandmothers. How I thought about that time with them was defined, not surprisingly, by what sort of movie experiences I had with each. My dad’s mom was the one who had cable, and she liked to go to bed early, meaning I learned all sorts of things at night. My mom’s mom was the one who took me to the theater more often, and she’d take me to see pretty much anything as long as the rating was okay. One afternoon, she told me to get in the car because there was something special playing. I was ten years old, and I only knew The Pink Panther as a cartoon character. That afternoon, though, I saw The Return Of The Pink Panther, The Pink Panther Strikes Again, and Revenge Of The Pink Panther...

Burt Kwouk, the actor who played martial arts expert Cato in the original Peter Sellers "Pink Panther" films, has died at the age of 85. He "passed peacefully" according to his agent Jean Diamond, with no specific cause of death mentioned.

Born in northwest England in 1930 and raised in Shanghai, Kwouk had his first major role in 1958's "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness". He also appeared in two James Bond classics - "Goldfinger" and "You Only Live Twice" - along with the original "Rollerball" and Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun". He also had guest spots on popular 1960s shows like "The Avengers," "Secret Agent" and "The Saint" and a regular role on 1980s British sitcom "Last of the Summer Wine'.

But it's his work in a half dozen "Pink Panther" films as Cato Fong that he'll always be remembered for. The character, a manservant to Sellers' bumbling Inspector Clouseau,...

Actor best known for his roles in the Pink Panther films and the BBC’s Last of the Summer Wine

Anna May Wong, the first of the few Chinese actors to gain Hollywood stardom, explained why she retired from the screen: “I was so tired of the parts I had to play. Why is it that the screen Chinese is nearly always the villain? And so crude a villain – murderous, treacherous, a snake in the grass. We are not like that. How should we be, with a civilisation that is so many times older than that of the west?” Burt Kwouk, who has died aged 85, felt the same way but, as he remarked: “I look at it this way – if I don’t do it, someone else will. So why don’t I go in, get some money and try to elevate it a bit, if I can?”

Kwouk, mostly...

Burt Kwouk, the actor who played Cato in the “Pink Panther” films, has died. He was 85. According to the BBC, a statement issued by his agent read, “Beloved actor Burt Kwouk has sadly passed peacefully away. The family will be having a private funeral but there will be a memorial at a later date.” Kwouk appeared in seven “Pink Panther” films opposite Peter Sellers, starring as Clouseau’s servant Cato. Kwouk also starred in three James Bond films, including “Goldfinger” and “You Only Live Twice,” as well as the BBC sitcom “Last of the Summer Wine” from 2002 to 2010. Also Read:.

British-born actor who grew up in China starred in three James Bond movies and Last of the Summer Wine as well as his celebrated role alongside Peter Sellers

Pink Panther star Burt Kwouk, best known for playing Inspector Clouseau’s manservant Cato opposite Peter Sellers, has died aged 85.

A statement from the Warrington-born actor’s agent to the BBC revealed the news. No further details were given as to cause of death.

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Ground-breaking, intelligent, prescient 1970s drama Doomwatch, now out on DVD, is a British television classic...

Playing on the public's fear that 'this could actually happen', Doomwatch had a veneer of credibility unusual in the escapist television drama landscape of the late 60s/early 70s. This spring sees the most comprehensive haul of Doomwatch episodes released on DVD for the first time. The nickname for the "Department for the Observation and Measurement of Scientific Work", the series first appeared on BBC1 on Monday 9th February 1970 at 9.40pm. It followed half an hour of comedy from Kenneth Williams, which must have surely heightened its dramatic impact.

The series would run in tandem with the early Jon Pertwee era of Doctor Who; the first episode made its debut two days after part two of Doctor Who And The Silurians. The two shows undoubtedly shared a synergy of ideas - not to mention cast and crew.

As if Strictly Come Dancing wasn't sparkly enough, it's time to inject some of the magic of Hollywood - that's right, it's Movie Week! The celebs and their partners will be boogying on down to some classic tunes from cinema, but who will come out on top?

We'll be here hoping for some serious movie-level drama, so grab the popcorn and join us from 6.20pm when the show begins and we'll bring you all the action.

20:25Right, that's it for tonight's show! Who was your favourite? Who do you think will be in the dance-off tomorrow? Let us know all your thoughts below and stick with DS for all the Strictly coverage you need...

20:19Right, here's the leaderboard - Jay is right up at the top followed by Kellie and Helen. Down at the bottom is Carol, with Anthony and Ainsley making up the bottom three. And get dialling/clicking,...

You might not know her name, but Jessica Gunning has been part of some of the best, most ground-breaking British film and TV of the last decade. Born in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire ("... where Last of the Summer Wine was filmed," she says. "Claim to fame!"), Gunning later joined the National Theatre where she shared the stage with Hayley Atwell.

Unforgettable moments in Doctor Who (destroyed by CGI munchkins), Fortitude (by far some of the icy drama's grisliest scenes) and BBC Three comedy Top Coppers have confirmed her place as an exciting talent.

1. Doctor Who (2008)

Gunning brought charm to the part of poor Stacey Campbell, who met a darkly comic fate - she melted and was replaced by a pack of adorable Adipose, marshmallow-like blobs that posed an unlikely threat to Earth.

"You do really feel when you're doing Doctor Who that you're part of something that's pretty special," says Gunning.

Downton Abbey already counts the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge among its fans, and now one more member of the Royal Family can reportedly be added to that list.

According to The Daily Telegraph, Queen Elizabeth II is a big fan of the ITV show - and also one of its biggest critics.

"[The Queen] loves watching Downton Abbey and pointing out things they have got wrong, partly because she is familiar with Highclere Castle, where it is filmed," author and royal chronicler Brian Hoey told the newspaper.

"She is the same when she is watching anything on television. In one programme she was watching, the Queen noticed that a British officer was wearing medals that were from the wrong era. It was set in the First World War but the medals he was wearing did not come in until the Second World War."

Hoey also added that Her Majesty enjoys watching Dad's Army,...

On the Buses and Last of the Summer Wine star Stephen Lewis has died, aged 88.

His family has confirmed to multiple media outlets that Lewis passed away on Wednesday (August 12) at a nursing home in East London.

Lewis's niece Rebecca told the press that the actor remained in "high spirits" in his last days, adding: "He was always singing and joking."

Through more 50 years in front of the camera, Lewis was best known for portraying Cyril 'Blakey' Blake in the ITV comedy On the Buses and its three spinoff films.

Lewis would later become a regular presence on UK television on The Generation Game, Oh, Doctor Beeching! and more recently Last of the Summer Wine from the 1970s through to the 2000s.

The London-born actor was also an accomplished screenwriter, having penned the Barbara Windsor and Roy Kinnear-starring 1963 film Sparrers Can't Sing.

From Bananaman to Grange Hill, join us in a spot of TV nostalgia as we celebrate 50 great 1980s kids' TV theme songs...

There comes a time to turn away from the horrors of the world and retreat underneath the soft, comforting duvet of nostalgia. That time is Friday. That metaphorical duvet is below.

Here are fifty of the best kids’ TV theme songs (spread over two pages and in arbitrary order) of the 1980s. Some, like Alan Hawkshaw’s distinctive Grange Hill intro, are unarguable classics of the era, while others, like Mike Harding's Count Duckula, only started in the late-eighties and spent the rest of their run in the next decade.

Obviously, there being only 50 on this list, we may have missed out your favourite (deliberately or otherwise). Let us know if so, but remember that links may take a while to appear in the comments thread because...

Julian Fellowes and ITV have confirmed that popular drama Downton Abbey will come to an end after this year's sixth series.

The news is pretty huge in the world of television, as it has been consistently one of the UK's biggest shows since its launch in 2010, and has achieved massive success in the Us and beyond.

Downton Abbey: 8 stories we want for series 6

Ending the series was likely to be a very difficult decision for ITV, especially considering its appeal abroad and its continued success at Us award ceremonies, but it was also in danger of hanging around too long.

Julian Fellowes was stuck in a peculiar situation, as he could never have imagined that it would take off in the manner in which it did. UK audiences are used to dramas either lasting for a few series or going on for yonks, while the Us are accustomed to...

Lilyhammer's 'gangster on the lam in a remote Norwegian town' story is a quirky, comic gem that richly deserves a fourth season...

Lilyhammer’s third season arrived on Netflix last November, bolder, bloodier and sillier than ever. The most recent batch of episodes, boasting a budget bigger than Norway’s Gdp, catapulted viewers from the cold climes of Scandinavia to the tropical slums of Rio de Janeiro and back again, with a few stop-offs in New York along the way. There was murder, intrigue, Islamic terrorism, a dying whale, a mafia cookbook, drug-running, a big-budget Brazilian telenovela, reindeer racing and of course the requisite explosions, gun fights and fist fights that are now a permanent staple of life in the quiet and quaint little town of Lillehammer. There was also a finale that featured one of the more bizarre cliff-hangers in modern television history: a bludgeoned breast-crazed maniac lying...

Jeremy Clarkson has joked about what could replace Top Gear on TV at the weekend, following his suspension by the BBC.

The presenter was temporarily dropped from the channel after a "fracas" with a producer, with widespread reports suggesting that Clarkson allegedly aimed a punch at the co-worker.

Jeremy Clarkson: A list of people offended by the Top Gear star

An investigation is under way at the corporation and no-one else has been suspended over the incident. All three remaining episodes in the current series of Top Gear have reportedly been delayed.

Taking to Twitter hours after the news, Clarkson jested with his fellow Top Gear hosts that 1968 World War II movie Where Eagles Dare could replace it in the schedule.

James May first wrote: "No Top Gear this weekend, apparently. How about [the film] 633 Squadron instead?" to which Richard Hammond replied: "No, surely, Last of the Summer Wine; no one will notice the difference.

It sounded so surreal, we had to double-check it wasn't April Fools' Day when we first heard the news. A BBC theme park is in the early stages of development, and could arrive as early as 2020.

You could be riding the Only Fools and Horses wurlitzer or bashing against Nick Hewer and Karren Brady on The Apprentice dodgems in only 6 years' time. It may sound ridiculous, but the success of the Harry Potter Studio Tour suggests that cashing on huge entertainment franchises isn't actually a bad idea and might even work.

Here are our 9 best suggestions for possible rides. Any profits resulting from their success can be sent in an envelope to Digital Spy Towers.

1. The Top Gear Escape From Argentina Thrill Ride

A ride as fast as a lap with The Stig as you're taken on a whirlwind tour of a mocked-up Argentina, before an international incident means you have to escape.

I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! has crowned its latest King of the Jungle tonight (December 7), with Carl 'Foggy' Fogarty taking the coveted title.

The grand finale of this year's competition garnered quite a lot of discussion on social media, as Foggy achieved jungle glory over Jake Quickenden and Melanie Sykes.

Digital Spy rounds up all of the best reactions to the I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! finale below:

I defy anyone not to bloody love #Foggy what a rock star!!!

— Will Greenwood (@WillGreenwood) December 7, 2014

Froggy?!? Haha. Wow!! Yea that would be Foggy. Enjoyed this season x

— Ashley Roberts (@ImAshleyRoberts) December 7, 2014

Doubt Foggy would've won if it wasn't for Jimmy!

— Lb (@LewisBrown1996) December 7, 2014

why is everyone shouting foggy has the weather rapidly changed

— louisa (@ptvmikes) December 7, 2014

Foggy deserved that one! I shed a little tear there like

— Laura Norton (@lawrencenotrin) December 7, 2014

Well done #foggy King of the jungle...

From The Twilight Zone to Penny Dreadful, Doctor Who and more, Den Of Geek’s writers revisit the TV episodes that truly terrify them…

It’s Halloween! Icicles are glistening from window sills. Chestnuts are roasting on open fires. North Pole elves are… hang on, no. None of that nice, fluffy stuff is happening. At Halloween, demonic creatures hunt for flesh, monsters creep out of their graves, and TV does its level best to freak us all the hell out.

In the spirit of all that, we asked our writers to select and share the TV episodes, horror or otherwise, that have made them whimper with fear. Here they all are, 31 of them, because, well, at Halloween, we like things to add up to 31.

Note that this isn’t a Top 10, or a Best Of, nor is it listed in order of scariness. It’s a collection of the particular...

Last of the Summer Wine may be revived in the form of a spinoff series.

Actors Ken Kitson and Louis Emerick are developing a pilot episode for a potential new comedy, along with former series producer and director Alan Jw Bell.

The duo paid hapless policemen Cooper Walsh for several years on the show, before it came to an end in 2010.

They are seeking funding to film either a feature-length film or a short series, and have hinted that other former stars may return.

Associate producer Terry Bartlam said: "When the BBC decided they didn't want to make any more episodes of Last of the Summer Wine it was a double blow for the two actors.

"People were anxious that the series should have a proper ending, with perhaps a feature-length episode to bring it all together.

"There is also thinking that in Cooper and Walsh there was scope for...

TV, stage and movie actress Dora Bryan has passed away.

The star, whose TV roles included Ros Utterthwaite in Last of the Summer Wine and June Whitfield's on-screen friend Dolly in Absolutely Fabulous, was 91.

Bryan also appeared in films such as A Taste of Honey, The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery and Apartment Zero.

She was awarded an OBE for services to drama in 1996.

Bryan's manager David Hill has paid his respects to her via Twitter, saying: "As her agent / manager, but above all her friend, I'm so sad to announce that #DoraBryan has died today. A legend, an icon & a true star!"

The actress died at a nursing home in Hove today (July 23), with her sons Daniel and William Lawton telling The Argus: "It was heartbreaking but it was peaceful. She just left us.

"She was a tiny woman but her constitution was incredible. She loved being on stage,...

This Spanish animation, with voices from Martin Sheen and Matthew Modine, is intelligent and entertaining

Adapted from a comic strip by Paco Roca, this traditional cel animation from Spain is a surprising thing indeed an intelligent, entertaining, altogether unsentimental evocation of the experience of old age. With its crisply drawn, unfussy visuals, Wrinkles is about Emilio, an elderly ex-bank manager who reluctantly enters a retirement home and tries to hide the onset of Alzheimer's. Oh yes, all the joyous things are here dementia, incontinence, callous adult offspring and yet Wrinkles is a tender, life-affirming piece, mischievous although it never tries to package its theme in a falsely cheery Last of the Summer Wine fashion. The American dubbing is done by Martin Sheen, as sobersided Emilio, and Matthew Modine as his son but the winning turn is by veteran George Coe, as charismatic and often downright obnoxious old cynic Miguel.

Continue reading.

BBC One has announced details of a new Comedy Playhouse season.

Three new half-hour one-off specials will be broadcast on the channel later this year, featuring the likes of Hugh Dennis, My Mad Fat Diary star Sharon Rooney and Mark Heap.

Steptoe and Son, Till Death Us Do Part, Are You Being Served? and Last of the Summer Wine are among classic BBC sitcoms which were born out of former BBC Comedy Playhouse seasons.

Comedy commissioning controller Shane Allen said: "BBC One delivers enormous audiences for comedy and this season revival reflects our commitment in mainstream to do new and daring projects.

"We want BBC One to fly the flag of popular British comedy and want this dedicated space to promote tomorrow's classic comedy today."

Dennis and Neil Morrissey will star in Over To Bill, a sitcom from Red Dwarf writer Doug Naylor.

BBC weatherman Bill Onion (Dennis) is fired...

Review Louisa Mellor 7 Mar 2014 - 15:00

In The Flesh returns to BBC Three in May with twice the episodes and every bit of the charm of series one…

Un-zombie drama In The Flesh arrived on BBC Three last year fully-formed, having sprung Athena-like from the head of creator Dominic Mitchell. Similar to a carved miniature or a Swiss Army Knife, its containment - a complete story of grief, prejudice and acceptance folded neatly into three hour-long episodes - was part of the attraction.

Doubling the length and broadening the scope for series two then, was a dangerous prospect. A second run of In The Flesh risked being a bloated, diluted version of the first, a drama that had made its point, outstayed its welcome, and was hanging around only to weaken the good work of its predecessor.

Danger averted. The second run is nothing of the sort. In the most natural of ways,...

The Top Gear phenomenon is showing no signs of slowing down, even as it heads into its 21st series. It remains the BBC's biggest show on iPlayer and it still managed to haul in over 5 million viewers for BBC Two last night, even when head-to-head with Call the Midwife.

So just how does a show that features James May in the worst shirt on television since Timmy Mallett in the '80s and Jeremy Clarkson chatting to Hugh Bonneville about number plates on Volvos still have such a hold over audiences after all these years?

It is largely down to self-confidence and a complete faith from the show's producers in the format. Nothing ever changes in Top Gear land.

From Clarkson's horrendous taste in jeans to the Lad Banter in the news section, from Hamster Hammond's constant crashing to the same old jokes about sandal-wearers, Lexus-owners and James May being a very old man,...

With I, Frankenstein in theatres, The Creature is sure to be on a lot of people's minds; and if you're in the UK, you'll soon get a chance to check out Michael Sarrazin in the role when 1970's TV movie Frankenstein: The True Story finally arrives to your shores.

One of the most acclaimed versions of Mary Shelley’s classic tale, Frankenstein: The True Story, featuring a stellar all-star cast including James Mason and Leonard Whiting, makes its UK DVD debut on 10 March 2014 thanks to Second Sight Films.

Originally airing on NBC in 1973, this much lauded film also stars David McCallum ("The Man From U.N.C.L.E."), Jane Seymour ("Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman"), Tom Baker ("Doctor Who"), Ralph Richardson (Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes), John Gielgud (Ghandi), Peter Sallis (Last of the Summer Wine), and Michael Sarrazin (They Shoot Horses, Don't They?; Feardotcom) as The Creature.

Synopsis:

In 19th century England,...

Watch this week's movie and TV catch-up - Screen Time:

On this week's episode of Screen Time, Jack Howard discovers what the cast of Game of Thrones have planned for New Year's Eve and looks back at the best film trailers of 2013.

What happens when you combine Last of the Summer Wine and The Hangover?

Will Sherlock and Watson finally admit their love for each other in series three?

Find out all the answers and more in our TV and movie news round-up - Screen Time.

Hosted by YouTube star Jack Howard, the latest update also features more brilliant fan videos from all over the internet, including Breaking Bad's Hank and Marie's reaction to a certain Miley Cyrus performance.

To watch all the clips shown in the video, they can be seen, in full, on our new Screen Time 'bonus extras' blog.