Tag Archives: Queen Elizabeth I

Cunk Tease

Posted on 23/04/2016 by

Apparently today marks the 400-year anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, the alleged author* of some of the greatest plays ever written in the English language. To mark the occasion, the BBC wisely commissioned ace presenter/pundit ‘Philomena Cunk’ (Diane … Continue reading →

Posted in Rants about Theatre, Rants about TV | Tagged , , , , ,

Queenie says:

Posted on 08/12/2014 by

“I WANT A PRESSIE!!! Give me something nice and shiny… and if you don’t, I’ve got something nice and shiny for you… it’s called an AXE!!” [Miranda Richardson as ‘Queen Elizabeth I’ and Patsy Byrne as ‘Nursie’ in Blackadder’s Christmas … Continue reading →

Posted in Rants about TV | Tagged , , , ,

“A Weak And Feeble Woman…”

Posted on 31/10/2014 by

[Contains sealed-up spy-holes and SPOILERS!!!] Despite the unassertive presentation of the DVD boxset I bought, The Virgin Queen (2005) turned out to one of the best historical dramas I’ve seen in a long while. Obviously it still suffers from a little … Continue reading →

Posted in Rants about Music, Rants about TV | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Vergin’ On The Ridiculous

Posted on 30/10/2014 by

While trawling the local charity shops for bargains, my eye fell on the CD/DVD combo pictured to the left. At first glance, it appears to be a compilation of mainstream pop music, aimed at undiscriminating mothers… but on closer inspection, … Continue reading →

Posted in Rants about TV | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

She’s Got It Bard

Posted on 10/08/2014 by

The jewel of the period boxset I’ve been working through this week was undoubtedly Shakespeare in Love (1998), an apocryphal rom-com starring Joseph Fiennes as the eponymous playwright, and Gwyneth Paltrow as the well-born woman who supposedly inspired him to write … Continue reading →

Posted in Rants about Films | Tagged , , ,

R.I.P. Patsy Byrne

Posted on 22/06/2014 by

According to various sources, the actress Patsy Byrne passed away on Tuesday, at 80 years of age. Besides her recurring role as Malcolm’s snobbish mother in Watching, she’s probably best remembered for playing ‘Nursie’ (aka “Bernard”) in the second series … Continue reading →

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Man, I Feel Like A Woman

Posted on 15/02/2012 by

[Contains gender-bending SPOILERS!] Inspired by seeing Tilda Swinton at the BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday, I plucked my copy of Orlando (1992) from the diminishing pile of unwatched Xmas pressies. For those who don’t know, this satirical feminist parable stars … Continue reading →

Posted in Rants about Films | Tagged , , ,