Ben Elton
- 65 years old
- English
- Writer and stand-up comedian
Press clippings Page 13
Blackadder on Netflix: why you should re-watch it
In among the huge swaths of original content on Netflix, there are also plenty of beloved old favourites primed to be revisited. One such timeless classic is the incomparable Blackadder.
Robert Keeling, Metro, 14th March 2018Blackadder's greatest episodes
With an ensemble cast that no other sitcom can ever hope to match, the show gave us plenty of memorable episodes, but we've tried to narrow them down to just a select few.
Rob Keeling, Cult Box, 25th October 2017Upstart Crow gets Series 3
Upstart Crow will return to screens for a third series, the BBC has announced.
British Comedy Guide, 16th October 2017Upstart Crow and its Shakespearean accuracy
Upstart Crow is more accurate about Shakespeare than you might think.
Finlay Greig, i Newspaper, 18th September 2017Upstart Crow makes a quiet return on BBC2
While I am Will-ing Upstart Crow to have more jokes, it is still an enjoyable watch and worth tuning in for again. "All's well that ends well"
Cecilia, The Custard TV, 12th September 2017Preview - Upstart Crow
Ben Elton recently complained about critics being too harsh on sitcoms filmed in front of studio audiences. He may well have evidence to back his point, because in January 2017 readers of the British Comedy Guide voted his sitcom Upstart Crow the best new TV sitcom of last year.
Ian Wolf, On The Box, 11th September 2017The return of Ben Elton's Blackadder-style take on the travails of William Shakespeare with David Mitchell as the man himself. Actually, Blackadder this ain't by a long stretch, but it's likable and often clever in its satire of the bard's times. The cast is also excellent, featuring Mark Heap, Harry Enfield and Liza Tarbuck. Tonight, William invites a Prince Othello to dinner hoping to boost his claim for a coat of arms. Unintended romance ensues.
David Stubbs, The Guardian, 11th September 2017Ben Elton: Shakespeare is ripe for the sitcom treatment
Ben Elton reveals why Shakespeare was the original sitcom writer.
Radio Times, 11th September 2017TV: Upstart Crow, BBC2
Ben Elton's eloquent defence of the mainstream sitcom last month was illuminating, fascinating and persuasive. And in a way maybe it could be seen by some as an incidental pre-emptive strike against critics who might have their hatchets sharpened for the new series of Upstart Crow, Elton's popular sitcom about Shakespeare's early years starring David Mitchell. If that is the case though Elton needn't worry. The only thing he has to live with here is critics trotting out the "not-as-good-as-Blackadder" line.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 9th September 2017Ben Elton is wrong: the studio sitcom isn't dying
He's right, up to a point, though "thoughtless" is unfair.
Alice Jones, i Newspaper, 1st September 2017