Comedy Connections
- TV documentary
- BBC Two / BBC One
- 2003 - 2008
- 47 episodes (6 series)
A series of comedy documentaries, examining one hit comedy show per episode, with cast and crew interviews providing additional background info. Features Julia Sawalha and Doon Mackichan.
Press clippings
Legendary sitcom producer/director Sydney Lotterby dies
Producer and director Sydney Lotterby, whose credits include Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Porridge, The Liver Birds and As Time Goes By, has died at the age of 93.
British Comedy Guide, 30th July 2020The weakness of May day television made me wistful for That Was the Week That Was. Comedy Connections (BBC1) traced the trajectory of its comet-like life.
Nancy Banks-Smith, The Guardian, 2nd May 2006In Comedy Connections (BBC1) it emerged that Roy Clarke, the writer, and Harold Snoad, the producer/director, were horns locked during its run. The BBC had to bring in a script editor to interpose his innocent body between the combatants.
Nancy Banks-Smith, The Guardian, 27th July 2004He [Dermot Morgan] was a comic not an actor and, apparently, he went through a lot of anguish and angst about his performance while Father Jack, who is played by an established actor, chuntered under his breath about frigging amateurs. Most comics are remarkable actors but they are probably doing it the hard way.
Nancy Banks-Smith, The Guardian, 13th July 2004A fool's paradise
An incidental delight was the discovery of how posh Marlene, Boycie's wife, is in real life. Sue Holderness said "All of them really are deep down jolly good eggs. For all that they are involved in some slightly dodgy dealing, they are actually awfully nice." You could confidently invite her to open your fete.
Nancy Banks-Smith, The Guardian, 15th July 2003Whatever Porridge had could not be replicated. Clement said: "The BBC invited us to a thank-you lunch, which went on till five o'clock. After the seventh large brandy, we walked out of there having agreed to do a sequel called Going Straight." It had precisely the same ingredients. It failed. So did a film. Porridge itself can be seen on Thursdays doing its characteristic impression of a daisy.
Nancy Banks-Smith, The Guardian, 10th June 2003Die-hard fans of Porridge and comedy connoisseurs probably won't have discovered very much at all about the show, but Connections worked quite well as an introduction to its subject.
Chris Orton, Off The Telly, 9th June 2003