Ben Yardley

Just finished work for Christmas and wondering what you’re going to do with all that free time? (Apart from drinking and eating, of course) Don’t worry; there are plenty of British festive comedy specials to keep you occupied and humoured. In no particular order, here’s 10 that never fail to get me laughing, and most importantly, get me into the Christmas spirit. Father Ted- A Christmassy Ted (1996) An hour-long special of the much-loved sitcom by Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews is always a hoot to watch every year with the usual surreal wackiness that this show is known for.…

I’ve never taken much interest in the royal family, despite it being almost impossible to avoid reading about them in this day and age, therefore I was surprised to find myself watching episode 1 of Netflix’s The Crown. There was just something about a drama series based around Queen Elizabeth II that drew me in. Being the current and longest reigning monarch having been on the throne for almost 70 years so there has to be an interesting story there for sure. Creator Peter Morgan seems to specialise in drama about historical figures, having previously written the film ‘The Queen’…

Peep Show is a Channel 4 comedy series written by Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, which ran for 9 series between 2003 and 2015. We follow the lives of Mark (David Mitchell) and his freeloader flatmate and failed musician Jeremy (Robert Webb) as they get themselves in awkward situations, usually by their own faults. Each episode is filmed from the perspective of the characters hence the name “Peep Show”. Whilst I love the entirety of this series, I do have personal favourites which stand out for many reasons. This top 5 wasn’t easy to choose, which I think is a…

This review contains spoilers for A Quiet Place. After a year and a half of not being able to attend my local cinema, I could think of no better way to start than with a horror film that I’d been eagerly awaiting the release of. A Quiet Place Part II had a lot to live up to after the success of the first film and after being due a release in March 2020, was John Krasinski’s highly anticipated sequel worth the 14-month delay? To give the lowdown on the overall plot for the film series, the earth has been invaded…

For the past eighteen months, we’ve been gagging for the chance to have a nice cold pint and wait for all this to blow over. In the interim, Ben and Ruby have indulged in a typical summer staple for Britons: Cornettos! This refers to the aptly named trilogy of movies directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, using the different colours to reflect the theme of each movie. Since the trilogy is critically acclaimed and beloved by many, we’ll do our best not to spoil the storylines for any interested newcomers. If you really don’t want…

“You bumder!” ”Clunge.” “Bus wankers!” If you recognise these phrases, then you had a great childhood. This is likely because you grew up watching The Inbetweeners, and has led to a high degree of fame in social groups of teenagers and adults over time. But when the original Inbetweeners was released in 2008, even the creators couldn’t foresee the explosive impact the show would have. After three short yet jam-packed series, The Inbetweeners Movie came out ten years ago to the day, and is still a critically acclaimed trailblazer for British comedy. (We’re discounting the sequel from this article because…

Is there anything better than a nice cold beer on a warm summer’s evening? We think not. And what better excuse to treat yourself to one than International Beer Day, taking place on 6th August 2021.  From 2007 to 2012, the day was celebrated on the 5th August but it had to be changed in 2013 to the first Friday of every august as otherwise it would’ve been on a Monday – don’t think they would’ve had too many participants that year! Originating in Santa Cruz, California, beer day was created with three specific purposes in mind. Meet with friends…

I was born in Birmingham and have lived here my entire life, and over the years I’ve familiarised myself with my home city and everything it has to offer. People tend to judge this city before actually experiencing it. So why would you want to visit Birmingham? Here are 10 things the second city has to offer to its visitors: Brindley Place and The Canals Did you know that Birmingham has more miles of canals than Venice? Built around the 1700’s and 1800’s there are 35 miles of canals to cover. You can hire your own boat, take a relaxing…

“Without fans who pay at the turnstile football is nothing” Jock Stein The words above from the late great Celtic legend Jock Stein have been repeated more often than usual over the last year with Football games having been played in completely empty and eerily silent stadiums due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. There is good news though, with the easing of lockdown restrictions fans will soon be able to return and watch their beloved clubs in the flesh. These unfortunate circumstances have highlighted just how pivotal fans are to football; not only do they bring in most of the…

Friday Night Dinner was a channel 4 comedy that ran for six series from 2011 to 2020 written by Robert Popper and based around a Jewish family called the Goodmans. Every episode with a couple of exceptions is the family coming together for a traditional Jewish Friday night dinner, which of course is very rarely a boring affair with all sorts of shenanigans and running jokes to keep the viewers entertained. Let’s look back on this modern-day classic without any in-depth spoilers. The Goodman’s are a typical family, the husband and wife pairing of Jackie (Tamsin Greig) and Martin (Paul…