Sam Bain lifts the lid on 'painful' decision to turn down HBO series, Three Men in a Boat stars enter choppy waters – and Britain's smelliest-looking celebrity
This week's comedy news
Laughing Stock this week brings you news, not of something that's happened in the world of comedy, but something that didn't. According to an interview with Peep Show creator Sam Bain on the Stateside podcast A Bit of a Chat, Bain and his writing partner Jesse Armstrong "were about a week away from flying to La to co-create Flight of the Conchords, and then Peep Show got recommissioned and we couldn't go".
Bain and Armstrong had agreed to make the HBO series with Conchords stars Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement – "[although] we didn't know it was gonna be as good as it was," Bain told interviewer Ken Plume. (It turned out – with the Conchords' eventual co-writer James Bobin – to be very good indeed.
This week's comedy news
Laughing Stock this week brings you news, not of something that's happened in the world of comedy, but something that didn't. According to an interview with Peep Show creator Sam Bain on the Stateside podcast A Bit of a Chat, Bain and his writing partner Jesse Armstrong "were about a week away from flying to La to co-create Flight of the Conchords, and then Peep Show got recommissioned and we couldn't go".
Bain and Armstrong had agreed to make the HBO series with Conchords stars Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement – "[although] we didn't know it was gonna be as good as it was," Bain told interviewer Ken Plume. (It turned out – with the Conchords' eventual co-writer James Bobin – to be very good indeed.
- 5/22/2013
- by Brian Logan
- The Guardian - Film News
Su Pollard has led the tributes to the late actor Paul Shane.
Shane died yesterday (May 16) at the age of 72, after a short illness.
Pollard starred opposite Shane in the sitcoms Hi-de-Hi! and You Rang, M'Lord?, for which they were both perhaps most well-known.
The pair remained close friends throughout Shane's life, and she visited him a few days before his passing.
"I just remember the great fun we had, always laughing, every single day," Pollard told BBC Breakfast.
"He would never be the one to push himself forward, but as soon as he was Ted Bovis [in Hi-de-Hi!], he came into his own. There was very definitely two sides to him, but [they were] equally lovely."
Ricky Gervais also paid tribute to Shane on Twitter, calling him an "old school Britcom hero".
Austin Powers star Mike Myers wrote: "Rip Paul Shane. Great British Comic, actor and talent. Rest in peace sir."
Paul Shane...
Shane died yesterday (May 16) at the age of 72, after a short illness.
Pollard starred opposite Shane in the sitcoms Hi-de-Hi! and You Rang, M'Lord?, for which they were both perhaps most well-known.
The pair remained close friends throughout Shane's life, and she visited him a few days before his passing.
"I just remember the great fun we had, always laughing, every single day," Pollard told BBC Breakfast.
"He would never be the one to push himself forward, but as soon as he was Ted Bovis [in Hi-de-Hi!], he came into his own. There was very definitely two sides to him, but [they were] equally lovely."
Ricky Gervais also paid tribute to Shane on Twitter, calling him an "old school Britcom hero".
Austin Powers star Mike Myers wrote: "Rip Paul Shane. Great British Comic, actor and talent. Rest in peace sir."
Paul Shane...
- 5/17/2013
- Digital Spy
Paul Shane has died. The 72-year-old actor - who was best known for sit-coms 'Hi-d de-Hi' and 'You Rang M'Lord' - passed away in a hospice in Rotherham, South Yorkshire yesterday (16.05.13) following a short illness. The actor - whose wife Dory passed away in 2001 - was surrounded by close family when he died. He leaves behind his three daughters and six grandchildren. His agent, Linda Kremer, said: ''Paul Shane was a consummate professional, a true gentleman, a good friend, and a joy to work with. ''He didn't suffer fools, always maintained his sense of humour, never stinted on the time he gave to...
- 5/17/2013
- Virgin Media - Celebrity
London, May 17: British actor Paul Shane, best known for his stint with 1980s comedy show 'Hi-de-Hi!,' died after a short illness on Thursday in South Yorkshire. He was 72.
He was surrounded by his family members at the hospice in Rotherham.
Shane's other TV credits includes 'Holby City,' 'A Touch of Frost,' 'Emmerdale' and 'Oh, Doctor Beeching!,' the Sun reported.
His show 'Hi-de-Hi!' - set in a holiday camp - was aired on TV from 1980 to 1988.
According to his agent Linda Kremer, Shane had "lightened" her life.
Shane, whose wife Dory expired in Apr 2001, leaves behind three daughters and six grandchildren..
He was surrounded by his family members at the hospice in Rotherham.
Shane's other TV credits includes 'Holby City,' 'A Touch of Frost,' 'Emmerdale' and 'Oh, Doctor Beeching!,' the Sun reported.
His show 'Hi-de-Hi!' - set in a holiday camp - was aired on TV from 1980 to 1988.
According to his agent Linda Kremer, Shane had "lightened" her life.
Shane, whose wife Dory expired in Apr 2001, leaves behind three daughters and six grandchildren..
- 5/17/2013
- by Machan Kumar
- RealBollywood.com
Paul Shane has died at the age of 72.
The actor is best known for playing Ted Bovis in Hi-de-Hi!.
Shane passed away after a short illness today (May 16) in a Rotherham hospice surrounded by his family.
His agent Linda Kremer described Shane as "a consummate professional, a true gentleman, a good friend and a joy to work with over the past 15 years".
"He didn't suffer fools, always maintained his sense of humour, never stinted on the time he gave to his fans," she told ITV News. He lightened my life and I'll miss him enormously."
The actor, who was born George Frederick Speight in South Yorkshire, originally worked as a miner before retiring from the job aged 27 following an accident.
As well as his role in the popular BBC sitcom, Shane starred in Turtle's Progress, You Rang, M'Lord? and Oh, Doctor Beeching!, and has also appeared in Emmerdale and A Touch of Frost.
The actor is best known for playing Ted Bovis in Hi-de-Hi!.
Shane passed away after a short illness today (May 16) in a Rotherham hospice surrounded by his family.
His agent Linda Kremer described Shane as "a consummate professional, a true gentleman, a good friend and a joy to work with over the past 15 years".
"He didn't suffer fools, always maintained his sense of humour, never stinted on the time he gave to his fans," she told ITV News. He lightened my life and I'll miss him enormously."
The actor, who was born George Frederick Speight in South Yorkshire, originally worked as a miner before retiring from the job aged 27 following an accident.
As well as his role in the popular BBC sitcom, Shane starred in Turtle's Progress, You Rang, M'Lord? and Oh, Doctor Beeching!, and has also appeared in Emmerdale and A Touch of Frost.
- 5/16/2013
- Digital Spy
Blackadder
By Kieran Kinsella
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on twitter.
Without butlers the British would never have been able to solve any murders that involved the rich and famous. British TV butlers have always been key figures in both period dramas and anything involving Agatha Christie. With so many men in black to choose from, narrowing down the 10 best British TV butlers was no easy task but here are our men.
Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) in Blackadder III. Blackadder III (to use his American name) treated all men in the same manner – with complete contempt. His dislike for fellow man was understandable given that he worked for a playboy prince (Hugh Laurie) and a man called Sod-off (Tony Robinson).
Angus Hudson (Gordon Jackson) in Upstairs Downstairs. In The Great Escape Gordon Jackson caused Richard Attenborough to get killed as a result...
By Kieran Kinsella
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on twitter.
Without butlers the British would never have been able to solve any murders that involved the rich and famous. British TV butlers have always been key figures in both period dramas and anything involving Agatha Christie. With so many men in black to choose from, narrowing down the 10 best British TV butlers was no easy task but here are our men.
Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) in Blackadder III. Blackadder III (to use his American name) treated all men in the same manner – with complete contempt. His dislike for fellow man was understandable given that he worked for a playboy prince (Hugh Laurie) and a man called Sod-off (Tony Robinson).
Angus Hudson (Gordon Jackson) in Upstairs Downstairs. In The Great Escape Gordon Jackson caused Richard Attenborough to get killed as a result...
- 8/25/2011
- by admin
Rotherham-born roly-poly Paul Shane is an unlikely TV star. Born George Frederick Speight, he originally worked as coal-miner before becoming a full-time funnyman in Yorkshire's clubland. His rubbery features and portly figure didn't suggest that he would make it out of the working men's bars, but after a few small TV parts, he was eventually picked up for a cameo in Coronation Street. His turn as Dave-The-Rave in the ITV soap attracted the attention of prestigious comedy writer Jimmy Perry, who snapped him up to play lead character Ted Bovis in his new corny holiday-camp (more)...
- 5/29/2009
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
Veteran actor Paul Shane entered hospital earlier this week for a double heart bypass operation. The 68-year-old TV star was warned by doctors that if he did not undergo the surgery, he may not survive another year. Shane, who had the six-hour operation at Sheffield Northern General, told The Mirror: "If I didn't have this op I could be dead (more)...
- 5/27/2009
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.