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Birthday:
08-26-1946
(78 years)
Birthplace:
Liverpool, England, UK
Biography
Alison Steadman (born 26 August 1946) is an English actor. She won the 1991 National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress for the Mike Leigh (her husband 1973-2001) film Life is Sweet, and the 1993 Olivier Award for Best Actress for her role as Mari in the original production of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. In a 2007 Channel 4 poll, the "50 Greatest Actors" voted for by other actors, she was ranked No. 42.
Steadman made her professional stage debut in 1968 and went on to establish her career in Mike Leigh's 1970s TV plays Nuts in May (1976) and Abigail's Party (1977). She received BAFTA TV Award nominations for the 1986 BBC serial The Singing Detective, and in 2001 for the ITV drama series Fat Friends (2000–05). Other television roles include Pride and Prejudice (1995), Gavin & Stacey (2007–10, 2019) and Orphan Black (2015–16). Her other film appearances include A Private Function (1984), Clockwise (1986), Shirley Valentine (1989), Topsy Turvy (1999), and The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004).
Steadman made her professional stage debut in 1968 and went on to establish her career in Mike Leigh's 1970s TV plays Nuts in May (1976) and Abigail's Party (1977). She received BAFTA TV Award nominations for the 1986 BBC serial The Singing Detective, and in 2001 for the ITV drama series Fat Friends (2000–05). Other television roles include Pride and Prejudice (1995), Gavin & Stacey (2007–10, 2019) and Orphan Black (2015–16). Her other film appearances include A Private Function (1984), Clockwise (1986), Shirley Valentine (1989), Topsy Turvy (1999), and The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004).
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Their works
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Loony in the Woods
Act like Crazy Butcher
event2006 star_border 2.1
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A camping trip seems like the perfect way for a group of friends to spend a vacation they will never forget. Unfortunately, no one will be left alive to remember the trip! Something lurks in these barren woods, something more insane than a chainsaw-wielding psycho, something more brutal than machete swinging mama's boy and more savage than a tribe of flesh-eating cannibals. There's a LOONY loose!
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
Act like Self
event2007
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Boasting an amazing selection of the most watched, most influential and most highly acclaimed programmes ever made, The 50 Greatest Television Dramas presents a long overdue assessment of the rich heritage television drama has to offer. Channel 4 invited over 200 of Britain's top television drama professionals – writers, directors, producers and commissioners – to take part in an exclusive poll to discover what they consider the finest dramas ever produced.
Confetti
Act like Sam's Mum
event2006 star_border 5.5
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A mockumentary that follows three couples as they battle it out to win the coveted title of 'Most Original Wedding of the Year'.
Abigail's Party
Act like Beverley
event1977 star_border 7.4
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Beverly and Laurence are entertaining their new neighbours, Angela and Tony as well as Sue, whose teenage daughter, Abigail, is having a party. Over drinks and small talk, class differences and relationship difficulties emerge.
Blame It on the Bellboy
Act like Rosemary Horton
event1992 star_border 5.4
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Mike Lawton, Maurice Horton, and Melvin Orton are three men who come to Venice. One of them is a hit man sent to take out a mobster. Another is a lech looking for a little action with a woman he never met, whom he was set up with. And one of them was sent by his employer to inspect a property his boss wants to buy. All three men stay at the same hotel. But when the bellboy gets their names mixed up and gives info meant for someone else. So one of them meets a Realtor who will whatever she has to, to close the sale. And another follows a woman looking for romance. And another goes to the home of the mobster who thinks he's sent there to kill him.
Life Is Sweet
Act like Wendy
event1990 star_border 7
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Just north of London live Wendy, Andy, and their twenty-something twins, Natalie and Nicola. Wendy clerks in a shop, Andy is a cook who forever puts off home remodeling projects, Natalie is a plumber and Nicola is jobless. This film is about how they interact and play out family, conflict and love.
Wilt
Act like Eva
event1989 star_border 6.2
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Henry Wilt is a more or less failed teacher who fantasizes about murdering his dominant, non-attentive wife Eva. At a party who gets stuck in an inflatable doll and makes a complete fool of himself. Eventually, he dumps the doll in a hole at a building site. However, he has been witnessed getting rid of the doll and when his wife disappears on the night after the party, the police and Inspector Flint have strong suspicions on Mr Wilt.
Santa's Last Christmas
Act like Mrs Whatnot (voice)
event1999 star_border 6
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Santa and his helpers oversleep and risk causing a toy shortage at Christmas.
P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang
Act like Miss Land
event1982 star_border 7
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Summer, 1948. 14-year-old Alan has just three wishes: that there will be lasting peace, that England will win the Ashes, and that he will finally kiss classmate Ann. So when he's cast opposite her in a play that requires a kiss and England seem to be doing well in cricket, life couldn't be better.
Off Grid
Act like Grace Tanner
event2019 star_border 10
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A man takes to a remote hideout with his sick wife, where they live in isolation as he battles to protect her life, and his own sanity, from a supernatural threat plaguing humanity. When a drifter happens upon their cabin and they take him in, old wounds are exposed and a harrowing twist reveals the true nature of the catastrophe that has befallen the couple.
Degas and Pissario Fall Out
Act like Emma Dumay
event1994
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A forgotten gem made for the British arts anthology series Without Walls, this half-hour drama imagines the two 19th century impressionist painters on a modern-day talk show–-exploring their friendship and historic conflict over the Dreyfus Affair. Resembling Patrick Watson’s Witness to History in its dramatization of the past, filmmaker Paul Morrison goes one step further by creating a behind-the-scenes world around the show; and in doing so, he offers up a clever satire, as timely as ever, on the medium’s exploitation of two men who are united through art, but divided over politics. For this short piece, Morrison assembled a wonderful cast, featuring Henry Goodman (this year’s Love Gets a Room), Michael Pennington, Louise Jameson (Doctor Who) and Alison Steadman (Life is Sweet).
Better Man
Act like Betty
event2024 star_border 7.6
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Follow Robbie Williams' journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.
Fanny Hill
Act like Mrs. Brown
event2007 star_border 6
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Orphaned by smallpox, young Lancashire country lady Fanny Hill cheerfully accepts her friend Esther Davies's offer to join the London 'working girls' with Mrs. Brown, a madam who recruits her as charmingly fresh enough to wait, in-living, on gentlemen.
Shirley Valentine
Act like Jane
event1989 star_border 6.3
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Wondering what has happened to herself, now feeling stagnant and in a rut, Shirley Valentine finds herself regularly talking to the wall while preparing her husband's chips and egg. When her best friend wins a trip-for-two to Greece Shirley begins to see the world, and herself, in a different light.
Come Rain Come Shine
Act like Dora Mitchell
event2010 star_border 5
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David Jason stars as cockney ex-docker Don Mitchell in this emotional drama. Don is incredibly proud of his son David’s affluent lifestyle. The cars, the detached house and private schooling for the children were things Don could only dream about as a young man. His wife Dora, on the other hand, has doubts about her son’s financial affairs. When David’s life starts to unravel under a mountain of debt, family bonds are tested to the limit.
We Love Gavin and Stacey
event2020
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A celebration of Ruth Jones and James Corden's comedy, with stars including Alison Steadman, Larry Lamb and Melanie Walters revealing backstage gossip. Location manager Nicky James lets viewers in on filming secrets, including how they managed to pull off that cliff-hanger finale, despite hundreds of fans turning up to watch, while favourite scenes are recounted as fans of the show including Ruth Langsford and Tamzin Outhwaite talk about why they love the sitcom.
Virtuoso
Act like Brenda
event1989
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In 1962, the young pianist, John Ogdon wins international success in Moscow and embarks on a whirlwind career. Ten years later he suffers the onset of mental illness that threatens to destroy his playing, marriage and sanity.
Number One
Act like Doreen
event1985 star_border 5
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A down on his luck Irishman in London decides to play snooker for money.
Champions
Act like Mary Hussey
event1984 star_border 6.8
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The true story of jockey Bob Champion who overcame cancer to win the 1981 Grand National
Monster Maker
Act like Perriwinkle
event1989 star_border 6.4
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A young boy wants to work with a famous creature/fx man but gets more than he bargained when one of the creatures, The Ultra-Gorgon, takes him under his wing. Literally.
D.I.Y. Hard
Act like Woman
event2002 star_border 8.7
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A hostage situation takes an unusual turn.
A Civil Arrangement
Act like Isobel
event2012
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Mother of the bride Isobel speaks direct to camera about her selfish Lesbian daughter Kelly's upcoming civil partnership to the older, sensible Janice.
Nuts in May
Act like Candice Marie
event1976 star_border 7.2
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A middle-class couple go camping in Dorset, but peace and quiet elude them.
Let's Do It: A Tribute to Victoria Wood
Act like Self
event2016
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Friends and fans pay tribute to a great comic talent in this celebration of the life and work of the hugely popular Victoria Wood, who died of cancer in April 2016 at age 62. Victoria wrote some of television's greatest comedy sketches and musicals, won two BAFTAs for her drama Housewife, 49, and was once voted by the British public as the person they would most like to have as their next door neighbour.
Selling Hitler
Act like Edda Goering
event1991 star_border 7
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In 1981, Gerd Heidemann, a war correspondent and reporter with the German magazine Stern, makes what he believes is the literary and historical scoop of the century: the personal diaries of Adolf Hitler. Over the next two years, Heidemann and the senior management figures at Stern secretly pay 10 million German marks to a mysterious 'Dr Fischer' for the sixty volumes of 'Hitler's diaries'. However, to the dismay of all, it is discovered after the publication of first extract that the diaries are crude forgeries, faked by Stuttgart criminal Konrad Kujau.
Do You Remember the First Time?
event1994
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An unconventional promo for the 1994 single of the same name by British band Pulp. Various celebrities are interviewed about their memories of losing their virginity, and frontman Jarvis Cocker reminisces about his.
Becky Watts Killed for Kicks
Act like Narrator
event2017
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The story behind the murder of 16-year-old Becky Watts, who was killed by her stepbrother Nathan Matthews and his 21-year-old partner Shauna Hoare in Bristol in February 2015. This programme documents the huge police manhunt that unfolded in the wake of her disappearance, and the police investigation which eventually brought her murderous stepbrother to justice.
Gavin & Stacey: A Special Christmas
Act like Pam Shipman
event2019 star_border 9
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The Shipmans and the Wests get together once again for Christmas. Bryn is cooking dinner, Dawn is in shock, and there are revelations in the pub on Christmas Eve.
The 1970s Dinner Party
Act like Self - Narrator (voice)
event2023
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A colourful trip back in time, as Debbie McGee hosts a 1970s-style dinner party.
News Hounds
Act like Jackie Johns
event1990
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Every cub reporter wants a front page 'splash' and the journalists from The Brit, a top-selling daily tabloid, are no exception. They're on the trail of a sensational story and their jobs depend on it.
Queen and Country
Act like Narrator (voice)
event2022
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A film exploring the Queen's love of country life - whether in Scotland, Norfolk, or Windsor - through the eyes of those who came into contact with her and shared her passion.
Clockwise
Act like Gwenda Stimpson
event1986 star_border 6.3
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School headmaster Brian Stimpson is obsessed with timeliness, order, and discipline. Brian misses his train after meticulously preparing a speech for an education conference. With no one else to turn to, he asks young former student Laura Wisely for a ride. Laura, upset over a break-up, agrees to drive him in her parents' car - which alarms her mother and father, who worry that she has run away with a married man and subsequently alert the police.
The Short & Curlies
Act like Betty
event1987 star_border 6.3
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A short comedy by Mike Leigh about the romance between a young woman and a man who communicates only through jokes and humor...
Dad's Army
Act like Mrs. Fox
event2016 star_border 5
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A cinema remake of the classic sitcom Dad's Army (1968). The Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard platoon deal with a visiting female journalist and a German spy as World War II draws to its conclusion.
Peterman
Act like Auntie Jean
event2015 star_border 6.7
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The death of his safe cracking grandfather has landed Johnny as the only one left alive who can open a safe for a degenerate crew of violent gangsters,but he's just a junkie with little more on his mind than getting that next fix.
Two Days That Shook the Branch
Act like Norma Hardy
event1978
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Des, an enthusiastic incompetent, always promises rather more that he can deliver.
A Small Mourning
Act like Marjorie
event1989
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When Marjorie's husband of 20 years dies of a brain tumour, she's hit financially as well as emotionally. The money she makes packing tights in a factory isn't enough to cover her rent, and her TV is repossessed. Soon after the funeral she meets Arnold, a wealthy pub landlord, who squires her to the local Conservative Club ball in an effort to cheer her up. Life with Arnold promises not only companionship but undreamt-of luxury, but Marjorie's friends and family do not necessarily approve.
Ivor the Invisible
Act like Auntie Barbara (voice)
event2001 star_border 7
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Written by Raymond Briggs, this beautifully animated film tells the story of ten-year-old John. After being woken up early one morning. John finds a big invisible something sitting on his bed.
Burn Burn Burn
Act like Diana
event2016 star_border 6.6
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Following the death of their friend, two girls in their late twenties embark on a road trip to spread his ashes. Seph and Alex take turns driving. Dan is in the glove compartment, in tupperware, decreasing in volume as the trip progresses.
Chunky Monkey
Act like Beryl
event2003 star_border 2
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Fitness fanatic, Donald Leek, indulges in a monthly Chunky Monkey experience with, someone vaguely resembling movie-songstress, Julie Andrews, who he's expecting at 7:30pm. His obsession with Ms. Andrews (and her posterior) is somewhat disturbing to say the least. Before she arrives however, he has to dispose of the body parts of Mr Azam, manager of his favourite Indian restaurant, who has neglected to send him a Christmas card. He is interrupted by a peculiar assortment of unwelcome visitors, amongst them, Jesus Christ and a one-testicled self-made millionaire. Each one is as unhinged as their host, who retaliates to the intrusion in extreme fashion
A Private Function
Act like Mrs. Allardyce
event1984 star_border 6.3
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In the summer of 1947, Britain prepares to commemorate the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. To get around food-rationing laws, Dr. Charles Swaby, accountant Henry Allardyce and solicitor Frank Lockwood are fattening a black-market pig for the big day. Egged on by his wife, meek Gilbert Chilvers steals the swine, but the couple must conceal it from inspector Morris Wormold.
The Missing Postman
Act like Christine Peacock
event1997 star_border 5
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When Dorset postman Clive Peacock is forced into early retirement, the years ahead look bleak. But on his last day in the job, in a moment of unexpected rebellion he makes a decision that will change his life. As he makes his final collection from the postbox in the small seaside town where he lives, he decides to deliver the letters himself, by hand, no matter the destination. Mounting his trusty bicycle, he sets off on what proves to be an odyssey of self-discovery. Pursued by the police and lionised by the media, Clive becomes both a fugitive and a reluctant hero.
Happy Now
Act like Bronwyn Race
event2001 star_border 5.5
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All grown up and gunning for political power in a small North Wales community, Glen Marcus and his best mate harbour a dark secret which seems to be coming back to haunt them. But can the daughter of Tina Trent, a local woman just returned from Alaska, be the same girl the two lads buried fourteen years earlier? Only local policeman Max Bracchi can solve the case with the help of a wrongly accused tramp, Tin Man.
The Dinner Party
Act like Juliet
event2007 star_border 6
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Young couple Jackie and Leo move from North London to a suburban home in the green belt paradise of Southern England. At the birthday party of a neighbor, they soon discover the strict social hierarchies of village life.
Through the Night
Act like Christine Potts
event1975
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The play tells the story of Christine Potts, who undergoes an unexpected mastectomy, and struggles to cope with the aftermath and the deficiencies of her post-operative care.
Topsy-Turvy
Act like Madame Leon
event1999 star_border 6.6
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After their production "Princess Ida" meets with less-than-stunning reviews, the relationship between Gilbert and Sullivan is strained to breaking. Their friends and associates attempt to get the two to work together again, which opens the way to "The Mikado," one of the duo's greatest successes.
Coming Through
Act like Kate
event1985 star_border 4.8
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While researching the work of author D.H. Lawrence (Kenneth Branagh), Kate (Alison Steadman) begins a romance with a fellow academic, and learns about Lawrence's love affair with the married aristocrat Frieda Von Richthofen (Helen Mirren) in this made-for-television drama. As Lawrence and Von Richthofen fall deeper into their forbidden relationship, Kate grows more familiar with Lawrence's work, such as the sensuous Lady Chatterly's Lover.
Girl
Act like Jackie
event1974 star_border 5
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An episode of the BBC drama series Second City Firsts. Jackie is leaving the army. While waiting for her car to arrive, she encounters Corporal Harvey, the woman who used to be her lover.
Early to Bed
Act like Helen
event1975 star_border 1
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Alan Bleasdale’s television debut, this beautifully observed drama stars Alison Steadman as a woman having a passionate tryst with the boy next door while her husband is at work.
French Exchange
Act like Mrs. Phillips
event2011 star_border 6.5
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15-year-old Jack is on a French Exchange trip with his school. But his mum won't stop ringing to check-up on him. On his last night, his host falls ill and Jack is forced to spend the last day of the trip with his French teacher; the sexy, chic, mysterious Camille. But she is due to endure a family lunch to celebrate her cantankerous father's birthday. Jack's young yet sophisticated philosophy charms Camille and as the day goes on they bond. Without realising, they help each other to overcome their parallel family problems, teaching Jack a few lessons along the way.
The Ugly Duckling
Act like The Hen (voice)
event1997 star_border 6.1
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The Ugly Duckling teams up with friend Scruffy, and the lovable misfits embark on a journey that helps them realize that their differences are what make them special.
Who Gets the Dog
Act like Jenny Evans
event2007 star_border 5
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A drama about a couple on the edge of divorce, their solicitors, their daughter and of course, their dog.
Stormy Monday
Act like Mayoress
event1988 star_border 5.8
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When a corrupt American businessman tries to strong arm his way into businesses in Newcastle, England, he is thwarted by a club attendant and his waitress girlfriend.
Mike Leigh: Making Plays
Act like Self
event1982 star_border 8
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Writer and Director Mike Leigh discusses the techniques used to create his plays.
Hard Labour
Act like Veronica Thornley
event1973 star_border 6.5
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A quiet and put-upon house cleaner breaks her silence.
The One and Only Mike Leigh
Act like Self
event2014 star_border 9
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In a revealing documentary, Mike Leigh, director of Secrets & Lies, Vera Drake and Abigail's Party among many others, talks to Alan Yentob about a unique body of work and a lifelong struggle to make films on his own terms. On day one of a Mike Leigh film, there is no script, no story and the actors do not know if they will even be in the final film. It is a process that has yielded some of cinema's most celebrated performances, and Leigh's new film Mr Turner is already winning critical acclaim. Actors including Jim Broadbent, Eddie Marsan, Sally Hawkins, Lesley Manville and James Corden give fascinating insights into the director and his distinctive method of working.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
Act like Daisy
event1988 star_border 7
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An account of Baron Munchausen's supposed travels and fantastical experiences with his band of misfits.
Secrets & Lies
Act like Woman with Dog
event1996 star_border 7.5
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After her adoptive mother dies, Hortense, a successful black optometrist, seeks out her birth mother. She's shocked when her research leads her to Cynthia, a working class white woman.
Fry and Laurie Reunited
Act like Self - Narrator (voice)
event2010 star_border 6.8
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Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie reunite for a TV special to mark the 30th anniversary of their partnership.
We Can Be Heroes
Act like Granny Evans
event2017
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Ben never knew his father; he was killed in 9/11 when Ben was just a baby. Eleven years later, Ben goes to spend the summer with his grandparents, hanging out with Priti, the girl next door, and his wayward cousin, Jed. Priti is a livewire and a Muslim who gradually begins to suspect her older brother is a terrorist. The trio set out to investigate and uncover more than they expected in this family film.
Tartuffe, or The Imposter
Act like Elmire
event1983
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Royal Shakespeare Company's televised adaptation of Moliere's play with Antony Sher in the title role of Tartuffe.
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
Act like Casting Agent
event2004 star_border 6.6
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The turbulent personal and professional life of actor Peter Sellers (1925-1980), from his beginnings as a comic performer on BBC Radio to his huge success as one of the greatest film comedians of all time; an obsessive artist so dedicated to his work that neglected his loved ones and sacrificed part of his own personality to convincingly create that of his many memorable characters.
Yours Faithfully, Edna Welthorpe (Mrs)
event2017 star_border 8
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Chris Shepherd directs a short animation in tribute to Joe Orton (Entertaining Mr Sloane, Loot) to mark the 50th anniversary of his death. Joe Orton would write letters of complaint using the pseudonym of Edna Welthorpe. Using this persona, Orton would wind up companies, vicars and even ridicule his own plays. In this short we see what mayhem ensues when Edna writes to Smedley Jams and Littlewood home catalogue service.
The Muscle Market
Act like Susan
event1981 star_border 7
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Danny Duggan runs a failing building contractors, and resorts to sub-gangster thuggery to keep the business afloat. However, with the bottom falling out of the building game, Duggan finds that playing at gangster is only fun when you're on the winning side.
Bag of Yeast
Act like Margaret Hudson
event1976
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When teacher Tony Scannell decides he wants to be ordained as a Catholic Priest his decision has wide ranging effects on his family and loved ones.
Jack and the Beanstalk
Act like Mother / Veronica
event1999 star_border 6.8
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In this spell-binding story brave Jack climbs the Beanstalk to the magical world of Beanland. He and his new friends Dilly (the small but fearless Bean girl) and Ambrose (the nervous donkey) are drawn into all sorts of exciting adventures as they attempt to rid the Beanland of the wicked Giant. This exciting and beautifully animated re-telling of the classic tale is filled with fun, humour and wonderful music to delight children of all ages time and time again.
Taking Leave
Act like Nonie
event1974
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Mike comes home on leave from Ulster. After six years in the Army he has to decide whether to sign up again or not. His parents want him to leave the army and come home, but the family flare-ups and bickerings are not conducive to helping him choose.
Our Flesh and Blood
Act like Jan Blincoe
event1977
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Comedy about a couple expecting their first baby.
Care
Act like Mary
event2018 star_border 6.6
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Jenny, a single mother raising two daughters after her husband leaves, is aided by her widowed mother, Mary. But Jenny struggles to stay afloat after Mary suffers a devastating stroke and develops dementia.
The King's Man
Act like Rita
event2021 star_border 6.8
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As a collection of history's worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them.
All About 'Abigail's Party'
Act like Self
event2007 star_border 6.3
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A look at the production of Play for Today: Abigail's Party (1977).
Gotta Get Out
Act like Maggie
event1995 star_border 8
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About a personal experience of claustrophobia and how to deal with it. When you can't have another cup of coffee or another brandy because you just gotta get on the plane. And there you are. And suddenly there's a flight attendant saying "good morning".
23 Walks
Act like Fern
event2020 star_border 6.6
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A gentle, sweet, funny, romantic story of love in later life. Following a couple in their sixties, Dave and Fern who get to know one another over the course of 23 dog walks. Set against the dramatic background of the changing seasons of one year.
Pasmore
Act like Kay Pasmore
event1980
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Colin Pasmore tests his strength against his family ties but finds them stronger than he ever imagined.
Caravans: A British Love Affair
Act like Narrator
event2009
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Documentary about the love affair between the British and their caravans, which saw the country establish the world's largest caravan manufacturer and transformed the holiday habits of generations of families. In telling the intriguing story of caravanning in Britain from the 1950s through to the present day, the film reveals how caravans were once the plaything of a privileged minority, but after World War II became a firm favourite with almost a quarter of British holidaymakers.
The Snow Queen's Revenge
Act like Pearl
event1996 star_border 5.5
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The Snow Queen holds Ellie responsible for ruining her plans to freeze the world and sets out to seek revenge. She kidnaps Dimly the flying reindeer and once again Ellie and her friend Peeps the Sparrow are forced to travel, this time to the South Pole, where the Snow Queen and her Trolls have taken up residence.
Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse
Act like Dora
event2020 star_border 6
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Roald & Beatrix, the tail of the curious mouse, a heart-warming Christmas film inspired by the true encounter between a six-year-old Roald Dahl and his idol Beatrix Potter. A magical story of what really can happen when you are brave enough to follow your dreams. Joining Dawn French who plays Beatrix, the cast includes Jessica Hynes, Rob Brydon, Alison Steadman, Nina Sosanya, Bill Bailey and Nick Mohammed.
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Act like Kato/Natella/Aniko
event1985
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The hardships faced by a woman trying to survive a bloody civil war while caring for the abandoned child of the deposed former ruler.
King of the Teds
Act like Tina
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Ron and Tina's lives are changed when long lost friend Nina calls, reawakening memories of when Ron was the charismatic 'King of the Teds' and both women loved him. A painful question carried for forty years will finally be answered.
7 Deadly Sins: Stage Acting
Act like Janista Maine
event1989
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A short satirical film devised by and starring Alan Rickman, Jim Broadbent and Alison Steadman about the seven sins of stage acting.
Gavin & Stacey: The Finale
Act like Pam Shipman
event2024 star_border 9.2
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It’s five years since Nessa declared her love for Smithy – and a lot has happened since. Journey to Barry and Billericay to catch up with the gang for the very last time.
Bob the Builder: A Christmas to Remember - The Movie
Act like Mayoress Bunty Ferguson (voice)
event2001 star_border 7.8
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Near Christmas, Robert "Bob The Builder" McGraw Jr. and his machine team gang of talking construction vehicles are preparing for the Winter Christmas Holiday celebration season. Bob's twin brother Thomas "Tom The Zoologist" McGraw (who lives in the Arctic Circle near the North Pole) is coming for Christmas, Spud The Scarecrow is trying to be good to get presents and a big Christmas concert is coming up with the rock band Lenny Lazenby and the Lasers (including Elton John). but unfortunately, a huge ULTIMATE DISASTER has happened with the Christmas tree and the town hall has nearly smashed to SMITHEREENS!!. will the concert work out? will Tom get there for Christmas? will Spud be on the nice list? will the tree and the town hall be alright??? find out these answers, in "A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER".
Gavin & Stacey: The Making of the Finale
Act like Self
event2024
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Seventeen years after Gavin & Stacey begun, the series comes to an end with a 90-minute finale. Before the final episode, the last we saw of Nessa and Smithy was in the 2019 Christmas special, where Nessa went down on one knee, asking Smithy to marry her. The BBC's Colin Paterson went behind the scenes during the filming of the last episode.
Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell
Act like Self
event2025 star_border 8
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An uplifting and touching documentary special which tells the story of one of Britain's best loved sitcoms as it comes to an end after 17 years. Featuring unprecedented access to creators James Corden and Ruth Jones as well as the cast and crew, including filming the final episode as they all say goodbye to the much-cherished show.
Pride and Prejudice
Act like Mrs. Bennet (6 ep.)
event1995 star_border 8.2
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Set in England in the early 19th century, Pride and Prejudice tells the story of Mr and Mrs Bennet's five unmarried daughters after the rich and eligible Mr Bingley and his status-conscious friend, Mr Darcy, have moved into their neighbourhood. While Bingley takes an immediate liking to the eldest Bennet daughter, Jane, Darcy has difficulty adapting to local society and repeatedly clashes with the second-eldest Bennet daughter, Elizabeth.
Fat Friends
Act like Betty Simpson (25 ep.)
event2000 star_border 7.7
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Fat Friends was an ITV drama, following a group of overweight people, their laughter and pain and addresses the absurdities of dieting in our modern age. The drama looks at people and how they relate to one another and use body weight as an excuse for all sorts of failings in their relationships, or not living their lives to the full. Four of the cast, Ruth Jones, James Corden, Sheridan Smith and Alison Steadman, went on to appear in Gavin & Stacey.
Let Them Eat Cake
(6 ep.)
event1999 star_border 6.8
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Let Them Eat Cake is a British sitcom starring Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders set in France, 1782, just seven years before the French Revolution. It is one of the few programmes in which French and Saunders have appeared which they did not create themselves.
The Singing Detective
Act like Mrs. Marlow (6 ep.)
event1986 star_border 7.7
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Tormented and bedridden by a debilitating disease, a mystery writer relives his detective stories through his imagination and hallucinations.
The One Show
Act like Self (2 ep.)
event2006 star_border 4.6
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A topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One.
Butterfly
Act like Barbara (3 ep.)
event2018 star_border 5.8
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From a young age, 11-year-old, Max, has identified as a girl and as puberty looms, she begins to present increasing signs of gender variance. When Max was eight, her father, Stephen, left the family home. But as Max’s conviction that she’s in the wrong body intensifies, her distress escalates, and Stephen seizes the opportunity to return to live at the family home and support his daughter.
Dalziel & Pascoe
(1 ep.)
event1996 star_border 6.4
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British crime drama based on the "Dalziel and Pascoe" series of books by Reginald Hill, set in the fictional Yorkshire town of Wetherton. The unlikely duo of politically incorrect elephant-in-a-china-shop-copper Detective Superintendent Andrew Dalziel (pronounced Dee-ell) and his more sensitive and university educated sidekick Detective Sargent, later Detective Inspector, Peter Pascoe is always on hand to solve the classic murder mystery, while maintaining a down to earth wit and humour.
Crown Court
(1 ep.)
event1972 star_border 5.4
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Crown Court is an afternoon television courtroom drama produced by Granada Television for the ITV network that ran from 1972, when the Crown Court system replaced Assize courts and Quarter sessions in the legal system of England and Wales, to 1984.
Gavin & Stacey
Act like Pam Shipman (19 ep.)
event2007 star_border 7.5
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Gavin is an ordinary boy from Billericay, Essex. Stacey is an ordinary girl from Barry Island, South Wales. They’ve spoken on the phone every day at work for months but they’ve never actually met… until now.
The Worst Week of My Life
Act like Angela Cook (17 ep.)
event2004 star_border 8.1
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The Worst Week of My Life is a British comedy television series, first broadcast on BBC One between March and April 2004. A second series was aired between November and December 2005 and a three-part Christmas special, The Worst Christmas of My Life was shown during December 2006. It was written by Mark Bussell and Justin Sbresni.
Coogan's Run
(1 ep.)
event1995 star_border 6.4
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Coogan's Run was a 1995 UK TV series featuring Steve Coogan as a series of odd characters living in the fictional town of Ottle. It was written by various people including Coogan, Patrick Marber, David Tyler, Graham Linehan, Arthur Mathews, Geoffrey Perkins and Henry Normal. The series consists of six self-contained stories, although Coogan's characters from the other episodes in the series make occasional cameo appearances.
Oil Strike North
(1 ep.)
event1975 star_border 5
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Oil Strike North is a BBC television drama series produced in 1975.
The series was created and produced by Gerard Glaister and dealt with life on Nelson One, a North Sea oil rig owned by the fictional company Triumph Oil. Eschewing the corporate power struggles of Mogul / The Troubleshooters and concentrating on more personal storylines, Oil Strike North was essentially a character study of how workers faced life on the rig and the impact it had on the lives of their families and loved ones.
The scenario was later revived by the BBC for the mid-1990s drama Roughnecks.
Oil Strike North lasted for one series of thirteen episodes. The leading cast members included Nigel Davenport, Glyn Owen, Barbara Shelley, Angela Douglas, Andrew Robertson, Richard Hurndall, Sean Caffrey and Maurice Roëves.
Gerard Glaister later moved onto to produce the Second World War resistance drama Secret Army, the air freight series Buccaneer and then onto the boating soap serial Howards' Way. Two of the leading actors in Oil Strike North, Nigel Davenport and Glyn Owen, also later appeared in Howards' Way.
Crapston Villas
(20 ep.)
event1995 star_border 7.5
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Crapston Villas was a British animated television series, in which the characters were made from plasticine and filmed with stop motion clay animation. It was a comedy satire on inner-city London life, directed at a mature audience. It featured a set of characters, living in a grim apartment building in the fictional postcode of SE69, who were plagued by various dilemmas. Foul language, sex and violence are present.
Lenny Henry in Pieces
(15 ep.)
event2000 star_border 3
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Lenny Henry in Pieces was a British stand-up and sketch show by comedians Lenny Henry and Gina Yashere. It aired on BBC One between 2000 and 2003.
The show began with two Christmas specials in 2000 and 2001. The 2000 show won the Golden Rose of Montreux award. This was followed up by a six-part series in March 2002. A second and final series consisting of seven episodes began in March 2003. It was followed by The Lenny Henry Show, which also featured sketches.
The primary feature of the show is the sketches, although Henry has a brief stand-up section in each episode.
Play for Today
Act like Nonie (1 ep.)
event1970 star_border 6.1
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Play for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted. The individual episodes were between fifty and a hundred minutes in duration.
Stressed Eric
(13 ep.)
event1998 star_border 6
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Eric Feeble is a middle-class divorced father of two who resides in London, England. An average man, with a less than average life, Eric is endlessly at his wits end -- stressed out with his family, coworkers, and his life in general.
The Missing Postman
Act like Christine Peacock (2 ep.)
event1997 star_border 6.5
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Postman Clive Peacock decides to rebel when his employers force him to take early retirement. Setting off on his bike, he determines to deliver his last batch of post by hand all over the country. The police are soon on his trail, while the media acclaim him as a hero. For Clive it is a journey of discovery, but he is unaware that back at home his wife is undergoing her own transformation.
No Bananas
Act like Evelyn Hamilton (10 ep.)
event1996 star_border 5
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This 10-episode television miniseries, set in England during World War II, tells the story of two families, the wealthy Hamiltons and the working-class Slaters, now united through marriage.
GMTV
Act like Self (1 ep.)
event1993 star_border 5.6
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GMTV is the name of the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor/licensee, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end. The final edition of GMTV was broadcast on 3 September 2010.
Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years
Act like Pauline Mole (6 ep.)
event2001 star_border 3
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Adrian Mole: the Cappuccino Years is a British television series which was first aired on BBC One in 2001. The series was based on the fifth book from the Adrian Mole series, The Cappuccino Years. The series was produced by Tiger Aspect/Little Dancer Production for the BBC.
The Wackers
Act like Bernadette Clarkson (7 ep.)
event1975 star_border 5.5
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Comedy series set in Liverpool about an half-protestant/half-catholic family.
Fanny Hill
Act like Mrs. Brown (2 ep.)
event2007 star_border 7.2
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Two-part TV drama based on the novel by John Cleland. Set in the 18th century, the story of a young country girl who through financial neccessity falls into prostitution.
Inside No. 9
Act like Anne (1 ep.)
event2014 star_border 8
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An anthology of darkly comic twisted tales, each one taking place behind a door marked 'number 9'.
DNA Journey
(1 ep.)
event2019 star_border 6
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Celebrities are given a unique insight into their lives using innovative DNA science and technology to trace their ancestors.
Orphan Black
Act like Kendall Malone (5 ep.)
event2013 star_border 7.8
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A streetwise hustler is pulled into a compelling conspiracy after witnessing the suicide of a girl who looks just like her.
Boomers
Act like Joyce (12 ep.)
event2014 star_border 6.6
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Sitcom following the ups and downs of three retired couples living in Thurnemouth, 'Norfolk's only West-facing resort'.
The Syndicate
Act like Rose Wilson (6 ep.)
event2012 star_border 7.6
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A drama exploring how winning the lottery transforms the lives of ordinary people.
Rules of the Game
Act like Anita Jenkins (4 ep.)
event2022 star_border 6.1
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Sam is a hard-headed manager at a family-run business in the North West. However, when Sam arrives at work one day to find a dead body in the office reception she is forced to reckon with not only murky behaviour in the present, but murderous secrets from the past as well.
Twisted Tales
(1 ep.)
event2005 star_border 7.5
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Twisted Tales is a dark and stylish comedy drama series. With intense scripts written by a mix of established writers and upcoming talent, each story is a self-contained episode with a mysterious twist.
The tales set out to spook the brain and tickle the funny bone, so be prepared to expect the unexpected.
The series is very closely related to Spine Chillers, an earlier BBC Three series. In effect, Twisted Tales is a rebranded second series of the earlier successful production.
Alison & Larry: Billericay To Barry
Act like Alison Steadman (3 ep.)
event2023
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Gavin & Stacey stars Alison Steadman and Larry Lamb take a 210-mile road trip from Billericay to Barry Island.
Kavanagh Q.C.
Act like Evelyn Marie Kendall (1 ep.)
event1995 star_border 7
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James Kavanagh QC is one of the top flight barristers in Britain. Each episode has him handling challenging cases and defendants which put his skills to the test regularly.
Here We Go
Act like Sue Jessop (12 ep.)
event2022 star_border 6.5
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Family life with no filter. The Jessops navigate life's everyday challenges - from changing jobs to kidnapping dogs.
The Jim Henson Hour
Act like Perriwinkle (1 ep.)
event1989 star_border 9
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The Jim Henson Hour was developed as a showcase for the Jim Henson Company's various puppet creations, including the popular Muppet characters. This hour-long anthology series was hosted by Jim Henson and generally included two segments. The first segment,"Muppetelevision," included comedy skits starring the Muppets, as well as frequent guest appearances by popular entertainers. The second segment often featured rebroadcasts of original, Henson-created productions, such as episodes from Jim Henson's "The StoryTeller" anthology series.
Little Crackers
Act like Alison's Mother (1 ep.)
event2010 star_border 6.8
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Little Crackers is a series of Christmas short films featuring stars of British and Irish comedy.
The Wimbledon Poisoner
Act like Elinor Farr (2 ep.)
event1994 star_border 3.5
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Henry Farr, a Wimbledon solicitor desperate to rid himself of his wife, settles on murder as a solution to his problem.
The Great War: The People's Story
Act like Hallie Eustace Miles (3 ep.)
event2014 star_border 6.1
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Through original diaries, letters, and memoirs, this unforgettable documentary tells how the lives of regular British men and women were transformed by the Great War.
Hold the Sunset
Act like Edith (12 ep.)
event2018 star_border 6.3
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Edith's dreams of retirement to the sun with her long-term suitor Phil are shattered when her 50-year-old son Roger arrives home, seeking to recapture his boyhood happiness.
Karaoke
Act like Mrs. Haynes (4 ep.)
event1996 star_border 6.9
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Daniel Feeld, writer of the film Karaoke, starts to believe that his characters are coming alive.
Hans Christian Andersen: My Life as a Fairytale
Act like Mrs. Meisling (2 ep.)
event2002 star_border 7.2
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The only child in a wretchedly poor family in the Danish village of Odense, Hans Christian Andersen lives in a fantasy world. His hand carved dolls and puppets, his father's bedtime stories, and his own natural flair for fantastic tales brings the child temporary escape. It takes him all the way to Copenhagen where, he's been told, dreams can really come true.
Gadget Man
(1 ep.)
event2012 star_border 7
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Gadget Man shows the world's collection of handy gadgets throughout the ages, from today's smart devices to decades old electronics to even older mechanical devices.
Great British Menu
Act like Self - Guest Judge (1 ep.)
event2006 star_border 6.4
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Britain's top chefs compete for the chance to cook a four-course banquet for a high-profile figure.
Gone to Seed
Act like Hilda Plant (6 ep.)
event1992 star_border 3.7
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The Plant family has run a garden centre in Rotherhithe since Dickens’ time, surviving both war and redevelopment. But now, family rivalry threatens to poison their unlikely paradise when matriarch Mag refuses to hand over control to her triplet children. Frumpy Hilda has only one passion in life: Milwall FC. Country and Western singer Monty dreams of turning the run-down nursery into a floral oasis in the heart of Docklands, whilst his one-eyed jobless builder and part-time wrestler Winston doesn’t know a begonia from a buttercup! A local conman, Wesley Willis, lurks in the shadows and knows the true-worth of prime-location London real-estate.
Gone to the Dogs
Act like Lauren Patterson (6 ep.)
event1991 star_border 6
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Comedy drama about rivalry in the lucrative world of greyhound racing. Self-made millionaire Larry Patterson is powerful and charismatic, with the best dogs in the greyhound racing world. Jim Morley is one of life’s losers, always ‘just one business away’ from making his fortune; his only link to the world of greyhound racing is a three-legged dog called Highland Fling. On the financial scale, they’re as far removed as it’s possible to be. But they have one thing in common: they both love the same woman…
All Roads Lead Home
Act like Herself (3 ep.)
event2011
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Sue Perkins, Alison Steadman and Stephen Mangan use a new form of navigation, Natural Navigation, in order to learn more about the UK and the areas that mean something to them.
Gareth's All Star Choir
Act like Herself - Choir Member (2 ep.)
event2014
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Choirmaster Gareth Malone brings together an array of untrained voices from the world of television, sport and theatre to release the official 2014 BBC Children in Need single.
The Great Sport Relief Bake Off
Act like Self - Contestant (1 ep.)
event2012
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Well-known faces don their aprons in this charity special. Who has got what it takes to go all the way and compete for the Great Sport Relief Bake Off crown?
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
Act like Self - Participant (1 ep.)
event2011 star_border 5
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Antiques experts accompany celebrities on a road trip around the UK searching for treasures and competing to make the most money at auction
Lewis
Act like Rev. Martha Seager (2 ep.)
event2007 star_border 7.6
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Inspector Robert Lewis and Sergeant James Hathaway solve the tough cases that the learned inhabitants of Oxford throw at them.
Midsomer Murders
Act like Abigail Tonev (1 ep.)
event1997 star_border 7.5
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The peacefulness of the Midsomer community is shattered by violent crimes, suspects are placed under suspicion, and it is up to a veteran DCI and his young sergeant to calmly and diligently eliminate the innocent and ruthlessly pursue the guilty.
Yonderland
Act like Barbara (1 ep.)
event2013 star_border 7.2
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A bored young mum steps through a portal and discovers a world of incompetent knights, monks who are incapable of lying, and a race of people intent on firing the cleverest amongst them into the sun.
Life
Act like Gail Reynolds (6 ep.)
event2020 star_border 7.5
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Follow the lives and woes of the residents of a Manchester house divided into four different flats. Gemma Foster's neighbour, Emma, now goes by the name of Belle, looking to start a new life. Three other interconnected stories tell a tale of love, loss, birth, death, the ordinary, the extraordinary, and everything in between.
The BAFTA Awards
Act like Self (1 ep.)
event1949 star_border 10
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BAFTA presents awards for film, television and games, including children's entertainment, at a number of annual ceremonies across the UK and in Los Angeles, USA.
Cold Lazarus
Act like Mrs. Haynes (4 ep.)
event1996 star_border 6.8
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The year is 2368 and a group of scientists are on the brink of a major breakthrough as they begin to tap into the memory of a man who died in the 1990s.
Countryfile
Act like Self (1 ep.)
event1988 star_border 3.9
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The people, places and stories making news in the British countryside.
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