1.
Armando Iannucci
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Armando Giovanni Iannucci, OBE is a Scottish satirist, writer, television director, and radio producer. Born in Glasgow, Iannucci studied at Oxford University and left work on a PhD about John Milton to pursue a career in comedy. Starting on BBC Scotland and BBC Radio 4, his work with Chris Morris on the radio series On the Hour was transferred to television as The Day Today. A character from series, Alan Partridge, went on to feature in a number of Iannuccis television and radio programmes including Knowing Me, Knowing You. In the meantime, Iannucci also fronted the satirical Armistice review shows and in 2001 created his most personal work, The Armando Iannucci Shows, for Channel 4. Moving back to the BBC in 2005, Iannucci created the political sitcom The Thick of It as well as the spoof documentary Time Trumpet in 2006. Winning funding from the UK Film Council, he directed an acclaimed feature film, In the Loop. As a result of works, he has been described by The Daily Telegraph as the hardman of political satire. Iannucci created the HBO political satire Veep, and was its showrunner for four seasons from 2012 to 2015, other works during this period include an operetta libretto, Skin Deep, and his radio series Charm Offensive. In March 2012, it was announced that he is working on his first novel, Tongue International and his father, also called Armando, is from Naples, while his mother was born in Glasgow to an Italian family. His father, who came to Scotland in 1950, ran a pizza factory, Iannucci has two brothers and a sister. He was educated at St Peters Primary School, St. Aloysius College, Glasgow, the University of Glasgow, and University College, Oxford, in his teens, he thought seriously about becoming a Roman Catholic priest. He abandoned graduate work on 17th-century religious language, with reference to Miltons Paradise Lost. Iannucci first received fame as the producer for On the Hour on Radio 4. Baynham was closely involved with both Morriss and Lee & Herrings work – simultaneously at one point, between 1995 and 1999, Iannucci produced and hosted The Saturday Night Armistice. In 2000, he created two pilot episodes for Channel 4, which became The Armando Iannucci Shows and this was an eight-part series for Channel 4 broadcast in 2001, written with Andy Riley and Kevin Cecil. The series consisted of Iannucci pondering pseudo-philosophical and jocular ideas and fantasies in between surreal sketches, Iannucci has been quoted as saying it is the comedy series he is most proud of making. He told The Metro in April 2007 The Armando Iannucci Show on Channel 4 came out around 9/11, people had other things on their minds
2.
Simon Blackwell
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Simon John Blackwell is a comedy writer and producer. He is best known for his work on The Thick of It, In The Loop and Veep, Blackwell started writing TV comedy in 1999 on shows such as Have I Got News For You, The Kumars at No. 42, Alastair McGowans Big Impression and The Armstrong and Miller Show and he first worked with Armando Iannucci in 2003 on the topical Channel 4 show Gash. He went on to write on all four series of Iannuccis political sitcom The Thick of It and co-wrote its spin-off film In The Loop, other work with Iannucci includes 2004, The Stupid Version and Time Trumpet. Blackwell wrote for Chris Morriss 2010 black comedy film Four Lions, alongside Jesse Armstrong and he had previously collaborated with them on the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show and BBC Ones The Old Guys. In 2016, Blackwell created the sitcom Back starring David Mitchell and it will premiere on Channel 4 in 2017. Simon Blackwell on Twitter Simon Blackwell at the Internet Movie Database
3.
David Copperfield
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David Copperfield is the eighth novel by Charles Dickens. The novels full title is, The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and it was first published as a serial in 1849–50, and as a book in 1850. Many elements of the novel follow events in Dickens own life and it was Dickens favorite among his own novels. In the preface to the 1867 edition, Dickens wrote, like many fond parents, and his name is David Copperfield. The story follows the life of David Copperfield from childhood to maturity, David was born in Blunderstone, Suffolk, England, six months after the death of his father. David spends his years in relative happiness with his loving, childish mother and their kindly housekeeper. When he is seven years old his mother marries Edward Murdstone, during the marriage, partly to get him out of the way and partly because he strongly objects to the whole proceeding, David is sent to lodge with Peggottys family in Yarmouth. Her brother, fisherman Mr Peggotty, lives in a built in an upturned boat on the beach, with his adopted relatives Emily and Ham. Little Emly is somewhat spoilt by her foster father. On his return, David is given good reason to dislike his stepfather and has feelings for Murdstones sister Jane. David bites him and soon afterwards is sent away to a school, Salem House, under a ruthless headmaster. There he befriends a boy, James Steerforth, and Tommy Traddles. He develops an admiration for Steerforth, perceiving him as something noble. David goes home for the holidays to learn that his mother has given birth to a baby boy, shortly after David returns to Salem House, his mother and her baby die, and David returns home immediately. Peggotty marries the local carrier, Mr Barkis, Murdstone sends David to work for a wine merchant in London – a business of which Murdstone is a joint owner. Davids landlord, Wilkins Micawber, is arrested for debt and sent to the Kings Bench Prison, no one remains to care for David in London, so he decides to run away. He walks from London to Dover, to his only relative and she had come to Blunderstone at his birth, only to depart in ire upon learning that he was not a girl. Davids great-aunt renames him Trotwood Copperfield and addresses him as Trot, Davids aunt sends him to a far better school than the last he attended
4.
Charles Dickens
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Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the worlds best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era and his works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity, born in Portsmouth, Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors prison. Dickenss literary success began with the 1836 serial publication of The Pickwick Papers, within a few years he had become an international literary celebrity, famous for his humour, satire, and keen observation of character and society. His novels, most published in monthly or weekly instalments, pioneered the publication of narrative fiction. The instalment format allowed Dickens to evaluate his audiences reaction, and he modified his plot. For example, when his wifes chiropodist expressed distress at the way Miss Mowcher in David Copperfield seemed to reflect her disabilities and his plots were carefully constructed, and he often wove elements from topical events into his narratives. Masses of the poor chipped in hapennies to have each new monthly episode read to them, opening up. Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age and his 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also adapted, and, like many of his novels. His 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London, Dickens has been praised by fellow writers—from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton—for his realism, comedy, prose style, unique characterisations, and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of depth, loose writing. The term Dickensian is used to something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings. Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on 7 February 1812, at 1 Mile End Terrace, Landport in Portsea Island and his father was a clerk in the Navy Pay Office and was temporarily stationed in the district. He asked Christopher Huffam, rigger to His Majestys Navy, gentleman, Huffam is thought to be the inspiration for Paul Dombey, the owner of a shipping company in Dickenss eponymous Dombey and Son. In January 1815 John Dickens was called back to London, when Charles was four, they relocated to Sheerness, and thence to Chatham, Kent, where he spent his formative years until the age of 11. His early life seems to have been idyllic, though he himself a very small. Charles spent time outdoors but also read voraciously, including the novels of Tobias Smollett and Henry Fielding, as well as Robinson Crusoe
5.
Dev Patel
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Dev Patel is an English actor. Patel went on to star in the successful romantic comedy The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its 2015 sequel, the fantasy film The Last Airbender. His portrayal of Neal Sampat on the HBO television series The Newsroom earned him a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. In 2015, Patel starred as the mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan in the biopic The Man Who Knew Infinity, and the following year he played Saroo Brierley in the drama Lion. For the latter, he won the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for the Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award, SAG Award, and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Dev Patel was born on 23 April 1990 in Harrow, the son of Anita, a worker, and Raj. His parents are Indian Hindus, though they were born in Nairobi, where there is a significant Indian community, they emigrated to England separately in their teens. Patel was raised in the Hindu faith, Patel grew up in the Rayners Lane district of Harrow and attended Longfields Middle School. He had his first acting role as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in the production of Twelfth Night. He was given the Best Actor award for his performance, Patel later attended Whitmore High School, receiving an A* in GCSE Drama for his self-penned portrayal of a child in the Beslan school siege. His drama teacher Niamh Wright has stated, Dev was a student who quickly impressed me with his innate ability to communicate a wide variety of characters imaginatively and creatively. He was awarded full marks for his GCSE performance to a live audience and he completed his AS Levels in PE, Biology, History, and Drama in 2007 at Whitmore High School while working on Skins. Patel said that he was bloody energetic as a child, and he started training at the Rayners Lane Academy of Taekwondo in 2000. He competed regularly in national and international championships, including the 2004 AIMAA World Championships in Dublin, where he won a bronze medal. The World Championships took place in October 2004, when he was a red belt competing in the division against other red. He made it to the semi-finals, where he lost to Irish black belt Niall Fitzmaurice in a close and tough fight. He later gained a 1st dan black belt in March 2006, in 2006, Patel began his acting career when he auditioned for the E4 teen drama television series Skins. Patels mother saw the ad in a newspaper and took him to the audition even though he had a science exam the next day
6.
Tilda Swinton
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Katherine Matilda Tilda Swinton is a British actress, performance artist, model, and fashion muse, known for her roles in independent and Hollywood films. She is the recipient of two BAFTA Awards, one BIFA Award, an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and has received three nominations for a Golden Globe Award. She began her career in films directed by Derek Jarman, starting with Caravaggio, followed by The Last of England, War Requiem, Swinton won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for her performance as Isabella of France in Edward II. She next starred in Sally Potters Orlando, and was nominated for the European Film Award for Best Actress, Swinton was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her performance in The Deep End. She followed this with appearances in Vanilla Sky, Adaptation, Young Adam and she then starred in the crime drama Julia, I Am Love, and the psychological thriller We Need to Talk About Kevin. Swinton later starred in the romantic fantasy drama, Only Lovers Left Alive. She is also known for her performances as the White Witch in the Chronicles of Narnia series, Swinton won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as lawyer Karen Crowder in Michael Clayton. In 2005, Swinton was given the Richard Harris Award by the British Independent Film Awards in recognition of her contributions to the British film industry, in 2013 she was given a special tribute by the Museum of Modern Art. Swinton was born in London, the daughter of Judith Balfour and her father is a retired major general in the British Army, and was Lord Lieutenant of Berwickshire from 1989 to 2000. Her paternal great-grandfather was a Scottish politician and herald, George Swinton, the Swinton family is an ancient Anglo-Scots family that can trace its lineage to the Middle Ages. The family is one of three families that can trace their unbroken land ownership and lineage to before the Norman Conquest. Swinton attended three independent schools, Queens Gate School in London, the West Heath Girls School and also Fettes College for a brief period, West Heath was an expensive boarding school where she was a classmate and friend of Princess Diana. Children need their parents and the parents can provide. Swinton went to volunteer in Kenya during a break from college with a charity called Project Trust. In 1983, Swinton graduated from New Hall at the University of Cambridge with a degree in Social and Political Sciences, while at Cambridge, she joined the Communist Party, she later joined the Scottish Socialist Party. It was in college that Swinton began performing on stage, Swinton joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1984, appearing in Measure for Measure. She also worked with the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, starring in Mann ist Mann by Manfred Karge in 1987, on television, she appeared as Julia in the 1986 mini-series Zastrozzi, A Romance based on the Gothic novel by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Her first film was Caravaggio in 1986, directed by Derek Jarman, Swinton also played the title role in Orlando, Sally Potters film version of the novel by Virginia Woolf
7.
Hugh Laurie
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James Hugh Calum Laurie OBE is an English actor, writer, director, musician, singer and comedian. From 2004 to 2012, he played Dr. Gregory House, Laurie was listed in the 2011 Guinness World Records as the most watched leading man on television and was one of the highest-paid actors in a television drama, earning £250,000 per episode in House. Laurie has portrayed Senator Tom James in HBO political satire Veep since 2015, in 2016 Laurie appeared in the BBC / AMC miniseries The Night Manager, and received the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor, his third overall. The youngest of four children, he has a brother named Charles Alexander Lyon Mundell Laurie. He had a relationship with his mother, Patricia. He notes that his mother was Presbyterian by character, by mood and his father, William George Ranald Mundell Laurie, was a doctor who won an Olympic gold medal in the coxless pairs at the 1948 London Games. Lauries parents, who were of Scottish descent, attended St. Columbas Presbyterian Church of England in Oxford and he notes that belief in God didnt play a large role in my home, but a certain attitude to life and the living of it did. He followed this by stating, pleasure was something that was treated with great suspicion, I was going to say it had to be earned but even the earning of it didnt really work. It was something to this day, I mean, I carry that with me, I find pleasure a difficult thing, I dont know what you do with it, I dont know where to put it. He has stated, I dont believe in God, but I have this idea that if there were a God, or destiny of some kind looking down on us, that if he saw you taking anything for granted hed take it away. Laurie was brought up in Oxford and attended the Dragon School from ages seven to 13 and notes that he was, in truth, Not much given to things of a bookey nature, spent a large part of youth smoking Number Six and cheating in French vocabulary tests. Laurie went on to Eton College, which he describes as the most private of private schools and he attributes his attending Selwyn College, Cambridge, as a result of family tradition as his father went to Cambridge and I applied to the same college. Laurie notes his father had a bout as an oarsman at Cambridge. He studied for a degree in archaeology and anthropology, specialising in social anthropology, in 1980, Laurie and his rowing partner, J. S. Palmer, were runners-up in the Silver Goblets coxless pairs for Eton Vikings rowing club, later, Laurie also achieved a Blue while taking part in the 1980 Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. Cambridge lost that year by five feet, during this time, Laurie was training for up to eight hours a day and was on course to become an Olympic-standard rower. Laurie is a member of Leander Club, one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world and he was also a member of the Hermes Club and the Hawks Club. Forced to abandon rowing during a bout of fever, Laurie joined the Cambridge Footlights
8.
Aneurin Barnard
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Aneurin Barnard is a Welsh stage and screen actor. He is best known for his roles as Davey in Hunky Dory, Claude in The Truth About Emanuel, Robert Bobby Willis Jr. in Cilla and King Richard III in The White Queen. Barnard was born in the borough of Ogwr in Mid Glamorgan, Wales, the son of June, a factory worker, and Terry Barnard. He has a sister named Ceri and he attended Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari in Rhondda Cynon Taf during his secondary school years. He starred in HTV Wales series Jacobs Ladder as an 11-12-year-old and he then trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama alongside Kimberley Nixon and Tom Cullen, graduating in 2008. Barnard played Melchior, one of the three leads, in the London premiere of the Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening, which opened in February 2009 at the Lyric Hammersmith, the play later transferred to the Novello Theatre in March 2009, running until May 2009. Barnard won a Laurence Olivier Award for his role in Spring Awakening in 2010 and he has appeared in guest roles in TV series Doctors, Casualty, Shameless, Y Pris and Jacobs Ladder. He has also appeared in the short TV films The Big Day, Night on the Tiles, barnards theatre work in Wales includes Singin’ in the Rain, playing Don Lockwood, for Bridgend County Youth Theatre and Il Miracolo for Elan Wales. At drama school, he appeared in productions of The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Hobson’s Choice, The Importance of Being Earnest and West Side Story and he was also involved in a radio production of Under Milk Wood. Barnard appeared in Ironclad, a set in 1215 and featuring the signing of the Magna Carta by King John. The film also stars Paul Giamatti, Derek Jacobi, Kate Mara, James Purefoy, Jason Flemyng, in 2011 Barnard starred in Hunky Dory alongside Minnie Driver. The film is set in 1976 during the hottest summer recorded, Barnard played the role of Davey and in the film sang songs from the era such as David Bowies Life on Mars and The Whos Love Reign Oer Me. In January 2012 Barnard starred as photographer David Bailey in the television film Well Take Manhattan alongside Karen Gillan and he also appeared in the 2012 horror movie Elfie Hopkins alongside Jaime Winstone. Barnard was considered for the role of Jack in the 2013 film Jack the Giant Slayer, the film also stars Alex Reid, Chris Larkin, Steve Evets, Nia Roberts, Oliver Coleman, Skye Lourie, Jack Doolan and Amit Shah. Later in 2012 he starred in the horror-thriller film Citadel, Barnard portrayed King Richard III of England in the television series The White Queen on BBC One. He also appeared as John Trenchard in an adaptation of Moonfleet that was filmed in Ireland. In 2014, Barnard planned his role of Charles Knight in the upcoming science-fiction film Grotesque alongside Nicholas Hoult, Alex Reid, Ivan Dorschner and he will also appear in the film The Devils Harvest. He also played the part of Liverpool Music Manager Bobby Willis alongside Sheridan Smith in ITVs 3-part drama Cilla focusing on the life of Cilla Black
9.
Ben Whishaw
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Benjamin John Ben Whishaw is an English actor. He has also played the role of Q in the James Bond films starting with Skyfall, and was the voice of Paddington Bear in the 2014 film, Paddington. Whishaw was born in Clifton, Bedfordshire, and was brought up there and in Langford, the son of Linda, who works in cosmetics, and Jose Whishaw and his father is of French, German and Russian descent, and his mother is of English background. He has a twin, James. Whishaw is not the original surname. He first rose to prominence as a member of the Bancroft Players Youth Theatre, Big Spirit and he attended Henlow Middle School and then Samuel Whitbread Community College in Shefford. He graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 2003 and it was adapted into a physical theatre piece by the group and taken to the 1995 Edinburgh Festival, where it garnered five-star reviews and great critical acclaim. As the lead in Trevor Nunns 2004 production of Hamlet at the Old Vic, Whishaw received highly favourable reviews and was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Actor and the Ian Charleson Award. The role was shared with Al Weaver in an arrangement that saw Whishaw playing all nights except for Mondays. Nunn is reported to have made this arrangement due to the youth of the two playing the lead, to relieve some of the pressure on each. It was Whishaw, however, who featured most prominently in the marketing materials and his film and television credits include Layer Cake and Chris Morriss 2005 sitcom Nathan Barley, in which he played a character called Pingu. He was named Most Promising Newcomer at the 2001 British Independent Film Awards for My Brother Tom and he also played Keith Richards in the Brian Jones biopic Stoned. In the spring of 2005, Whishaw received lots of attention for his role as a dealer in Philip Ridleys controversial stage play Mercury Fur. In Perfume, Whishaw played Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a perfume maker whose craft turns deadly, the film was released in Germany in September 2006 and in US theaters in December 2006. In the same year, Whishaw worked on Pawel Pawlikowskis abandoned The Restraint of Beasts. some trace of her, at the end of 2009 he starred in Cock, a new play by Mike Bartlett at the Royal Court Theatre. In 2009 he also starred as the poet John Keats in the film Bright Star, in February 2010, Whishaw made a successful off-Broadway debut at MCC Theater in the American premiere of the awarding-winning play The Pride by Alexi Kaye Campbell. He played Ariel in Julie Taymors 2010 film adaptation of The Tempest, and was featured in The Hour, a BBC Two drama series. In 2012 Whishaw appeared as Richard II in the television film Richard II, also in 2012, he appeared as part of the ensemble cast of the science-fiction drama film Cloud Atlas
10.
Peter Capaldi
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For reprising the role in the spinoff film In the Loop, Capaldi was honoured several film critic award nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He further took on the role of Paddington Bears irascible neighbour Mr. Curry in the comedy film Paddington. As a director, Capaldi won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film and he went on to write and direct the drama film Strictly Sinatra and helmed two series of sitcom Getting On. Capaldi was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of Nancy and his paternal grandfather was Italian while the rest of his ancestry is Scottish and Irish. His parents ran an ice cream business and he was educated at St Teresas Primary School in Possilpark, St Matthews Primary School in Bishopbriggs, and St Ninians High School, Kirkintilloch, before attending the Glasgow School of Art. Capaldi displayed a talent for performance by putting on a puppet show in primary school. While at high school, he was a member of the Antonine Players, as an art student, he was the lead singer and guitarist in a punk rock band called The Dreamboys, whose drummer was future comedian Craig Ferguson. Capaldi has appeared in over 40 films and television shows since his appearance as Danny Oldsen in Local Hero and he voiced Chief Petty Officer Grieves in the BBC Radio Ministry of Defence comedy Our Brave Boys. Capaldis first starring role on television was as Luke Wakefield, a gay man who imagines he has witnessed a crime. He played fictional Songs of Praise producer Tristan Campbell in two episodes of the sitcom The Vicar of Dibley, and a transvestite in ITVs Prime Suspect, in Neil Gaimans gothic fantasy Neverwhere, he portrayed the angel Islington. Capaldi is also a narrator, and his many titles include several of the works of Iain Banks. He starred as Rory in the 1996 television version of Bankss The Crow Road, in the 1999 Channel 4 series Psychos, he played a mathematician with bipolar disorder. Capaldi made an appearance as a university professor in the sitcom Peep Show, in 2007, Capaldi appeared as Mark Jenkins in the E4 teen comedy drama series Skins. He returned for a series in 2008, only to be killed off in the third episode. He appeared in the Midsomer Murders episode Death in Chorus and ITV1s Fallen Angel and he also appeared in the 2007 British comedy film Magicians. He appeared as King Charles I in the Channel 4 series The Devils Whore, Capaldi provided his voice for the animated film Haunted Hogmanay in 2006. He played Balthazar, one of the Biblical Magi, in the 2010 BBC adaptation of The Nativity, in November 2011, he began playing Professor Marcus in The Ladykillers at the Liverpool Playhouse, then transferred to the Gielgud Theatre in London. The original run closed at the Gielgud on 14 April 2012 and he appeared in The Field of Blood as Dr. Pete, for which he received a BAFTA Scotland nomination in the TV actor/actress category, he was beaten by his co-star Jayd Johnson
11.
Gwendoline Christie
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Gwendoline Christie is an English actress and model. She is known for portraying the warrior Brienne of Tarth in the HBO fantasy-drama series Game of Thrones and Captain Phasma in Star Wars, christies mentor since drama school has been actor and author Simon Callow. Her theatrical career includes a performance as the Queen in Shakespeares Cymbeline, portraying Mag Wildwood in Breakfast at Tiffanys, and standing out as Lucifer in Marlowes Doctor Faustus. Christies striking height,6 ft 3 in, attracted the attention of photographer Polly Borland, according to Christie, she felt then that the photographs—in which she appears mostly nude—could help her come to terms with her body, and challenge notions of femininity. However, she said that she was shocked in retrospect that she had agreed to them. In July 2011, Christie was cast as the warrior Brienne of Tarth in the season of HBOs fantasy TV series Game of Thrones. After being cast in the role, she prepared for it by taking horsemanship, sword-fighting and her debut in the second seasons third episode on 15 April 2012 was well received by critics. For her role as Brienne, Christie was nominated for the 2013 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress, in 2015, Christie played Commander Lyme in the final film in the The Hunger Games series, The Hunger Games, Mockingjay - Part 2. Actress Lily Rabe had signed on for the previously, but had to back out due to scheduling conflicts. Also that year, Christie co-starred in Star Wars, The Force Awakens, as Captain Phasma and she has confirmed that she will reprise the role in Star Wars, The Last Jedi. In June 2015, Christie joined the cast of Swallows and Amazons as Mrs. Blackett, in March 2017, it was reported that she is in talks to join the movie Darkest Minds, an adaptation of the trilogy The Darkest Minds series by Alexandra Bracken. Christie was born in Worthing, West Sussex, to a housewife mother and she grew up in a hamlet near the South Downs. She trained as a gymnast as a child, but after an injury forced her to abandon that career. Christie graduated from Drama Centre London in 2005, gwendoline Christie at the Internet Movie Database Meet the British stars of Game of Thrones
12.
Paul Whitehouse
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Paul Julian Whitehouse is a British actor, writer and comedian. He became known for his work with Harry Enfield and as one of the stars of the popular BBC sketch comedy series The Fast Show, in a 2005 poll to find The Comedians Comedian, he was in the top 50 comedy acts voted for by comedians and comedy insiders. He is most well known for his characters in The Fast Show, Harry and Paul and Harry Enfield. He also appears in AVIVA insurance adverts, Whitehouse was born in Stanleytown in the Rhondda Valley, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. His father worked for the National Coal Board and his mother was a singer with the Welsh National Opera, I think it was because everyone was speaking so differently from how it had been in Wales. Then, after four weeks, I came home one day and said, Muumm, for her that was the end because I had lost my lovely Welsh lilt. So I became very conscious of speech and the effects it can have, but when I went back to Wales I would start talking all Welsh, lyke that you see before going all Alf Garnett while coming back the other way. Whitehouse attended the University of East Anglia in Norwich from autumn 1977, Whitehouse dropped out and lived with other drop-outs in a council flat in Hackney, east London and occasionally worked as a plasterer. After Higson graduated in 1980, he moved in with Whitehouse, working by day as a decorator and performing at night, the pair began working as tradesmen on a house shared by comedians Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry, which inspired them to start writing comedy. They moved to an estate where in a pub they met Harry Enfield, a neighbour with an act, and after he gained a place on Channel 4s Saturday Live. While watching a tape of highlights from Enfields program, Whitehouse and Higson were inspired to create a rapid-fire delivery comedy series. In 2001 and 2002, Whitehouse wrote and performed in two series of the BBC comedy drama Happiness, in which he played a voice-over actor with a mid-life crisis, Whitehouse wrote, produced and appeared with Chris Langham in the 2005 comedy drama Help, also for the BBC. In this series he took 25 roles, all patients of Langhams psychotherapist, the pairs collaboration resulted in Whitehouse taking the witness stand on 24 July 2007 in the trial of Langham, in regard to the charge of holding explicit images and videos of minors. Langham claimed he downloaded this material as research for a character in the series of Help. Whitehouse appeared in the BBC sketch series Harry & Paul, starring alongside Harry Enfield, Whitehouse starred alongside Charlie Higson in the BBC2 comedy series Bellamys People, with the first episode broadcast on 21 January 2010. The comedy evolved from the BBC Radio 4 program Down the Line, the show originally had the working title of Bellamys Kingdom. In October 2014, Harry Enfield and Whitehouse returned to the characters of Frank, in 2015, his sitcom Nurse, based on his Radio 4 series of the same name, debuted on BBC2 on 10 March. In August 2015, Whitehouse, alongside Enfield, in celebration of their 25-year partnership, presented An Evening With Harry Enfield, Whitehouse and Charlie Higson produced and appeared in a spoof phone-in show Down the Line on BBC Radio 4
13.
Lionsgate
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Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. doing business as Lionsgate, is an American, Canadian-domiciled entertainment & media company. The company was formed on July 10,1997, in Vancouver, British Columbia and it owns a variety of subsidiaries such as the American film production company Summit Entertainment, and Debmar-Mercury, a television syndication company acquired by Lionsgate in 2006. Giustra had recently retired as CEO from Yorkton, an investment bank, Giustra then merged Lionsgate with Toronto Stock Exchange listed Beringer Gold Corp. to take the company public. Beringers mining assets were sold off. Lionsgate then began a series of acquisitions to get into the film industry, the company bought a number of small production facilities and distributors, starting with Montreal-based Cinépix Film Properties and North Shore Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia. Mandalay Television was acquired by Lionsgate from Peter Guber for a 4% Lionsgate stake, in 1998, Lionsgate helped Guber form Mandalay Pictures with a 45% investment in Mandalay. Lionsgate followed that up with a June purchase of International Movie Group, Inc. a bankrupt film distributor previously invested in by Guber and Yorktown Securities, iMGs CEO Peter Strauss became president of Lions Gate Entertainment, Inc. Lionsgates U. S. film & TV production & distribution subsidiary, Lions Gate Media subsidiary was also formed to produce for television. Completing its first year of operation, Lionsgate had revenue of $42.2 million with loss of $397,000, the company share price dropped to a low of $1.40. This limited the ability to make acquisitions via stock swaps. Lionsgate instead made its acquisition of Termite Art Productions, a reality-based television production company. Lionsgate created US based Avalanche Films and acquired half of Sterling Home Entertainment, again, Lionsgate registered losses in its second year of $9.3 million on revenues of $78.3 million with most of the losses were from its stake in Mandalay Pictures. Thus in the summer, Lionsgate placed its studios up for sale with no buyers, TV operations were changed to non-network hourlong series over riskier network shows and ended its relationship with Mandalay Television. The corporation sought out more capital and cash with a filing of a prospectus for the sale of preferred stock and common stock warrants. This led to Feltheimer taking over as CEO from Giustra thus the passed over Doroniuk left the company, Feltheimer increased film making including several $1 million films at Avalanche. However, Federgreen still remains one of the owners of the company and is extremely involved in the making of all their major movies. In June, Lionsgate acquired Trimark Holdings, Inc. for approximately $50 million in stock, Lionsgate continued making acquisitions during the decade to boost distribution and its film library. On December 15,2003, Lionsgate acquired Artisan Entertainment for $220 million, in 2004, Erik Nelson reacquired Termite Art and renamed it to Creative Differences
14.
David Copperfield (character)
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David Copperfield, Jr. is the protagonist after which the 1850 Charles Dickens novel, David Copperfield, was named. The character is thought to be based on Dickens himself. Scholars believe that David Copperfields childhood, career, friendships, and love life were highly influenced by Dickens experiences, Davids involvement with the law profession and later his career as a writer mirror the experiences of Dickens. Many of Davids acquaintances are based on people Dickens actually knew, Davids first wife, Dora Spenlow, is believed to be based upon Maria Beadnell, whom Dickens loved in his early youth. Davids friend since boyhood and his second wife Agnes Wickfield, the heroine of the novel, is based on Dickens sisters-in-law Mary. However, there are differences in the lives of the two. Unlike Dickens, David grew up in the country as an only child, also there were never any wicked stepfather or any great aunt. Throughout the novel, David is rarely called by his birth name, instead, he is called alternately Davy, Trot, Trotwood, Copperfield, Daisy, and Doady. David Copperfields birth name comes from Dickens inverted initials, David Copperfield is the pivotal character of the novel David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. He is first introduced in the novel when he is born on a Friday in March in the early 19th century, died 6 months before his sons birth. Davids happy childhood is marred by the arrival of his stepfather, Edward Murdstone. David is soon sent off to Salem House school for biting Murdstone, where he befriends an older boy James Steerforth, David returns home upon the death of his mother and baby half-brother. Because of his hate for the boy, Murdstone and his sister decide to send David to work in the bottling factory. Life at the factory is miserable, where David is befriended by the penniless Wilkins Micawber and he soon runs away to his great-aunt Betsey Trotwood in Dover. Aunt Betsey adopts him and sends him to Dr. Strongs private school in Canterbury, there, David resides in the house of Mr. Wickfield, his daughter Agnes becomes Davids friend and confidante. David also makes acquintance of cunning and trecherous Uriah Heep, a clerk of Mr. Wickfield, David falls in a passionate but highly impractical love with innocent, inexperienced and foolish Dora Spenlow. After a humorously sentimental courtship, David marries Dora, whom he loves despite her uselessness in household chores, after suffering a miscarriage, she falls ill and dies, leaving David single and heartbroken. He travels throughout Europe, and stays in Switzerland for a long time, during that time he publishes a story about his own life with the help of old school-friend Traddles, and realizes that he loves Agnes, praying she loves him too
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James Steerforth
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James Steerforth is a character in the novel David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. He is a young man noted for his wit and romantic charm. Though he is liked by his friends, he proves himself to be lacking in consideration for others. David Copperfield first meets James Steerforth as a boy attending Salem House boarding school and he is a few years older than David, and is first seen when dealing with a group of younger boys who are taunting David about biting his stepfather. David quickly comes to admire and respect him, as the boys at the school do. As Steerforth is several years older, David looks up to him as a sort of protector, Steerforth is said to be the only boy at the school bold enough to stand up to Mr Creakle, the schools strict headmaster, and to make Mr Creakle feel intimidated. Several years later, after moving to London, David encounters Steerforth, and the two resume their friendship. Steerforth takes David to his home in Highgate and introduces him to his mother, Mrs Steerforth, and her companion, Miss Rosa Dartle, David later invites Steerforth to Yarmouth to meet Daniel Peggotty, a fisherman who is the brother of his former housekeeper Clara Peggotty. During this visit, Steerforth catches sight of Dans niece Emily and this news greatly distresses both the Steerforth and Peggotty families. Emily is regarded as a seductress by Miss Dartle, while Mr Peggotty and his nephew Ham, Mr Peggotty leaves home on a quest to find his niece, searching all through Europe for her. Eventually, Emily returns to England, where she is found by her uncle, a while later, David makes another visit to Yarmouth and is caught in the midst of a great storm. When he reaches Yarmouth, this storm has reached the peak of its ferocity, the storm causes a ship to be wrecked near the coast, with sailors stranded aboard. Eventually all but one lone sailor have been washed away, Ham sees this and attempts to board the ship to rescue the sailor. After reaching the ship, he and the sailor are crushed and killed by a strong wave and their bodies are afterwards dragged ashore. The sailor whom Ham sought to rescue is found to be Steerforth, his death brings grief and shock to both his mother and Miss Dartle. At this point Miss Dartle confesses that she had always loved Steerfoth and desired to be his wife, she angrily blames Steerforths associates for having corrupted him, Steerforth at the Internet Movie Database
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Wilkins Micawber
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Wilkins Micawber is a fictional character from Charles Dickenss 1850 novel, David Copperfield. He was modelled on Dickens father, John Dickens, who like Micawber was incarcerated in prison after failing to meet his creditors demands. Micawbers long-suffering wife, Emma, stands by him despite his financial exigencies that force her to all of her familys heirlooms. She lives by the maxims, I will never desert Mr. Micawber. Micawber is hired as a clerk by the scheming Uriah Heep, who assumes wrongly that Micawbers debts arise from dishonesty. But working for Heep allows Micawber to expose his boss as a forger, to start anew, Micawber and his family emigrate to Australia with Daniel Peggotty and Little Emly, where Micawber becomes manager of the Port Middlebay Bank and a successful government magistrate. In Hablot Knight Brownes illustrations for the first edition, Micawber is shown wearing knee-breeches, a top hat, Micawber is known for asserting his faith that something will turn up. His name has become synonymous with someone who lives in hopeful expectation and this has formed the basis for the Micawber Principle, based upon his observation, Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen pounds nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds nought and six, - The character was played by W. C. Fields in the 1935 screen classic, Personal History, Adventures, Experience, bob Hoskins took the role in a 1999 BBC serial. Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones named one of his guitars Micawber, Richards is known to be a fan of Dickens. Of the unusual moniker attached to the instrument, Richards said, Theres no reason for my guitar being called Micawber, Theres no one around me called Micawber, so when I scream for Micawber everyone knows what Im talking about. In addition, the formed the basis of Micawber, a 2001 ITV drama series written by John Sullivan. The character of Wilkins Micawber has given rise to the English noun Micawber, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a Micawber as one who is poor but lives in optimistic expectation of better fortune. Judge David Halpern described Craig Whytes legal arguments in a case heard in 2013 as pure Micawberism. If, in the progress of revolving years, I could persuade myself that my blighted destiny had been a warning to you, remaining always, &c, &c, Wilkins Micawber. Welcome poverty. Welcome misery, welcome houselessness, welcome hunger, rags, tempest, mutual confidence will sustain us to the end. Boy, as I have frequently had occasion to observe, When the stomach is empty, I could not depart this metropolis without paying a valedictory visit to my dear friend Copperfield, in whose debt I shall forever remain Bloom, Harold. Mr. Micawber and the redefinition of experience, information, Illustrations, Analysis, Select Resources on the novel
17.
Peggotty
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The Peggotty family are fictional characters in Charles Dickenss 1850 novel David Copperfield. Yarmouth fisherman Daniel Peggotty is the brother of Clara, referred to as Mr. Peggotty, he is a fisherman and dealer in lobsters, crabs, and crawfish. He lives in a boat on the beach at Yarmouth with Emily, Ham. When Emily abandons them to elope with Steerforth, Daniel vows to find her, Steerforth later leaves Emily and she is re-united with Daniel. At the end of the novel Daniel, Emily, and Mrs. Gummidge resettle in Australia, Clara Peggotty is usually referred to as simply Peggotty so as not to confuse her with Davids mother, who is also called Clara. Peggotty is the housekeeper of the home and plays a big part in Davids upbringing. Peggotty is the sister of Yarmouth fisherman Daniel Peggotty, and the aunt of Ham Peggotty, early in the novel, Davids aunt, Betsey Trotwood, dismisses Peggottys surname as being pagan, Peggotty. Repeated Miss Betsey, with some indignation, do you mean to say, child, that any human being has gone into a Christian church, and got herself named Peggotty. Mrs Copperfield then explains that Peggotty is known by her surname to avoid confusion with herself as they share the same first name, as a peggotty or a knitting nancy is a knitting device, the name may be a reference to Clara Peggottys fondness for knitting. Peggotty is described as having cheeks like a red apple, Peggotty is gentle and caring, opening herself and her family to David whenever he is in need. She remains faithful to David Copperfield all her life, being like a mother to him, never abandoning him, his mother. In her kind motherliness, Peggotty contrasts markedly with the harsh and unloving Miss Murdstone and she marries carrier Mr Barkis and is afterwards sometimes referred to as Mrs. Barkis, a name Aunt Betsey Trotwood regards as much more suitable. On her husbands death Peggotty inherits £3,000 — equivalent to about £290 thousand in present-day terms, after his death, she becomes Betsy Trotwoods servant and companion. Peggotty has been played by Judy Cornwell, Pauline Quirke, Jenny McCracken, Lila Kaye, Elsa Vazzoler, Barbara Ogilvie, Jessie Ralph and he drowns trying to rescue Steerforth during a storm at sea off Yarmouth. He was a huge, strong fellow of six high, broad in proportion, and round-shouldered. He was dressed in a jacket, and a pair of such very stiff trousers that they would have stood quite as well alone. And you couldnt so properly have said he wore a hat, as that he was covered in a-top, like an old building, whos Who in David Copperfield Information, Illustrations, Analysis, Select Resources on the novel and characters
18.
The Thick of It
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The Thick of It is a British comedy television series that satirises the inner workings of modern British government. It was first broadcast for two series on BBC Four in 2005, initially with a small cast focusing on a government minister, his advisers. These characters continued when the show switched channels to BBC Two for its series in 2009. A fourth series about a government was broadcast in 2012. In a 2012 interview, series creator Armando Iannucci said the series of the programme would probably be its last. The series has been described as the 21st centurys answer to Yes Minister, highlighting the struggles, as with Yes Minister, the political parties involved are never mentioned by name, although the context makes clear which is which. Iannucci describes it as Yes Minister meets Larry Sanders, the journalist and former civil servant Martin Sixsmith is an adviser to the writing team, giving some of the storylines an element of realism. The series became known for its profanity and for featuring storylines which have mirrored, or in some cases predicted real-life policies. A feature film spin-off, In the Loop, was released in the UK on 17 April 2009. A pilot for a U. S. Armando Iannucci originally conceived of a political satire after arguing the case for Yes Minister in a 2004 Best British Sitcom poll for BBC Two. His idea was commissioned by Roly Keating, the controller of BBC Four, Iannucci created the first series of three episodes, which aired in May–June 2005, and a second series, also of three episodes, which followed in October. The series is written by a team of writers led by Armando Iannucci, some of the dialogue is improvised rather than scripted, and includes some very strong language. Peter Capaldi said Fundamentally 80% of the cut is the script that we started with. The improvisation just makes it more real and not written. Prior to rehearsals, the scripts are sent to a consultant in Lancaster called Ian Martin. The programmes producer is Adam Tandy, who has produced all of Iannuccis television projects since 2000, the programme is shot with hand-held cameras to give it a sense of vérité or fly-on-the-wall documentary. The documentary style is furthered by the absence of any music or laughter track. The action centres on the fictional Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship, thus it acts as a super department overseeing many others, with some similarities to the Cabinet Office
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Norfolk
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Norfolk /ˈnɔːrfək/ is a county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the west and north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea and, to the north-west, The Wash. With an area of 2,074 square miles and a population of 859,400, of the countys population, 40% live in four major built up areas, Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Kings Lynn and Thetford. The Broads is a network of rivers and lakes in the east of the county, the area is not a National Park although it is marketed as such. It has similar status to a park, and is protected by the Broads Authority. Norfolk was settled in times, with camps along the higher land in the west. A Brythonic tribe, the Iceni, inhabited the county from the 1st century BC to the end of the 1st century AD, the Iceni revolted against the Roman invasion in AD47, and again in 60 led by Boudica. The crushing of the second opened the county to the Romans. During the Roman era roads and ports were constructed throughout the county, situated on the east coast, Norfolk was vulnerable to invasions from Scandinavia and Northern Europe, and forts were built to defend against the Angles and Saxons. Norfolk, Suffolk and several adjacent areas became the kingdom of East Anglia, the influence of the Early English settlers can be seen in the many place names ending in -ton and -ham. Endings such as -by and -thorpe are also common, indicating Danish place names, in the 9th century the region came under attack. In the centuries before the Norman Conquest the wetlands of the east of the county began to be converted to farmland, and settlements grew in these areas. Migration into East Anglia must have high, by the time of the Domesday Book survey it was one of the most densely populated parts of the British Isles. During the high and late Middle Ages the county developed arable agriculture, the economy was in decline by the time of the Black Death, which dramatically reduced the population in 1349. During the English Civil War Norfolk was largely Parliamentarian, the economy and agriculture of the region declined somewhat. During the Industrial Revolution Norfolk developed little industry except in Norwich which was an addition to the railway network. In the 20th century the county developed a role in aviation, during the Second World War agriculture rapidly intensified, and it has remained very intensive since, with the establishment of large fields for growing cereals and oilseed rape. Norfolks low-lying land and easily eroded cliffs, many of which are chalk and clay, make it vulnerable to the sea, the low-lying section of coast between Kelling and Lowestoft Ness in Suffolk is currently managed by the Environment Agency to protect the Broads from sea flooding
20.
King's Lynn
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Kings Lynn /ˌkɪŋz ˈlɪn/, known until 1537 as Bishops Lynn, is a seaport and market town in Norfolk, England,97 miles north of London and 44 miles west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800, the town has two theatres, museums and other cultural and sporting venues. There are three schools and one college. The service sector, information and communication technologies and creative industries, provide employment for the population of Kings Lynn, the etymology of Kings Lynn is uncertain. As the Domesday Book mentions many saltings at Lena, an area of partitioned pools or small lakes may have existed here at that time, the salt may even have contributed to Herbert de Losingas interest in this modest parish. In the Domesday Book, it is known as Lun, and Lenn, and is described as the property of the Bishop of Elmham, the town is and has been for generations generally known by its inhabitants and local people simply as Lynn. The city of Lynn, Massachusetts, just north of Boston, was named in 1637 in honour of its first official minister of religion, Samuel Whiting, Lynn originated as a settlement on a constricted site to the south of where the River Great Ouse exits to the Wash. Development began in the early 10th century, but the place was not recorded until the early–11th century, until the early–13th century, the Great Ouse emptied via the Wellstream at Wisbech. After the redirection of the Great Ouse in the 13th century, Lynn and its port became significant, in 1101, Bishop Herbert de Losinga of Thetford began to construct the first mediaeval town between two rivers, the Purfleet to the north and Mill Fleet to the south. He commissioned St Margarets Church and authorised a market, in the same year, the bishop granted the people of Lynn the right to hold a market on Saturday. Trade built up along the waterways that stretched inland and the town expanded between the two rivers, during the 14th century, Lynn ranked as Englands most important port. It was considered as vital to England during the Middle Ages as Liverpool was during the Industrial Revolution, Sea trade with Europe was dominated by the Hanseatic League of ports, the transatlantic trade and the rise of Englands western ports did not begin until the 17th century. The Trinity Guildhall was rebuilt in 1421 after a fire and it is possible that the Guildhall of St George is the largest and oldest in England. Walls entered by the South Gate and East Gate were erected to protect the town, the town retains two former Hanseatic League warehouses, Hanse House built in 1475 and Marriotts Warehouse, in use between the 15th and 17th centuries. They are the remaining buildings from the Hanseatic League in England. In the first decade of the 16th century, Thoresby College was built by Thomas Thoresby to house priests of the Guild of The Holy Trinity in Lynn, the guild had been incorporated in 1453 on the petition of its alderman, chaplain, four brethren and four sisters. The guildsmen were licensed to found a chantry of chaplains to celebrate at the altar of Holy Trinity in Wisbech, in 1524 Lynn acquired a mayor and corporation. In 1537 the king control of the town from the bishop
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IMDb
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In 1998 it became a subsidiary of Amazon Inc, who were then able to use it as an advertising resource for selling DVDs and videotapes. As of January 2017, IMDb has approximately 4.1 million titles and 7.7 million personalities in its database, the site enables registered users to submit new material and edits to existing entries. Although all data is checked before going live, the system has open to abuse. The site also featured message boards which stimulate regular debates and dialogue among authenticated users, IMDb shutdown the message boards permanently on February 20,2017. Anyone with a connection can read the movie and talent pages of IMDb. A registration process is however, to contribute info to the site. A registered user chooses a name for themselves, and is given a profile page. These badges range from total contributions made, to independent categories such as photos, trivia, bios, if a registered user or visitor happens to be in the entertainment industry, and has an IMDb page, that user/visitor can add photos to that page by enrolling in IMDbPRO. Actors, crew, and industry executives can post their own resume and this fee enrolls them in a membership called IMDbPro. PRO can be accessed by anyone willing to pay the fee, which is $19.99 USD per month, or if paid annually, $149.99, which comes to approximately $12.50 per month USD. Membership enables a user to access the rank order of each industry personality, as well as agent contact information for any actor, producer, director etc. that has an IMDb page. Enrolling in PRO for industry personnel, enables those members the ability to upload a head shot to open their page, as well as the ability to upload hundreds of photos to accompany their page. Anyone can register as a user, and contribute to the site as well as enjoy its content, however those users enrolled in PRO have greater access and privileges. IMDb originated with a Usenet posting by British film fan and computer programmer Col Needham entitled Those Eyes, others with similar interests soon responded with additions or different lists of their own. Needham subsequently started an Actors List, while Dave Knight began a Directors List, and Andy Krieg took over THE LIST from Hank Driskill, which would later be renamed the Actress List. Both lists had been restricted to people who were alive and working, the goal of the participants now was to make the lists as inclusive as possible. By late 1990, the lists included almost 10,000 movies and television series correlated with actors and actresses appearing therein. On October 17,1990, Needham developed and posted a collection of Unix shell scripts which could be used to search the four lists, at the time, it was known as the rec. arts. movies movie database
22.
The Day Today
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The Day Today is a British comedy television show which parodies television current affairs programmes, broadcast in 1994 on BBC2. For The Day Today, Peter Baynham joined the writing team, the principal cast of On the Hour was retained for The Day Today. The Day Today is composed of six episodes and a selection of shorter. The six half-hour episodes were originally broadcast from 19 January to 23 February 1994 on BBC2, the Day Today has won many awards, including Morris winning the 1994 British Comedy Award for Best Newcomer. All six episodes are available on BBC DVD, having previously issued on VHS. Each episode is presented as a news programme, and the episodes rely on a combination of ludicrous fictitious news stories, covered with a serious. Each episode revolves around one or two stories, which are pursued throughout the programme, along with a host of other stories usually only briefly referred to. The final episode features reports from the fictitious documentary The Office, other non-news segments of the programme include the occasional physical cartoons of current events set in the studio. The programme occasionally features producer Armando Iannucci and writer Peter Baynham, John Thomson, Graham Linehan, Tony Haase, and Minnie Driver also appear. Michael Alexander St John provides the voiceover stings, as he did in On the Hour, much of the programmes humour derives from its excessively brash style of reporting, and its unnecessarily complex format. Morris presents aggressively, often arguing with reporters and guests on-air, the programme frequently lambasts Conservative government politicians in office at the time of the programmes production. Those repeatedly lampooned by the series include John Major, Michael Heseltine, Chris Patten, Douglas Hurd, Virginia Bottomley, Michael Portillo, each episode ends in a familiar style for news reports, with the camera panning out as the studio lights dim on Morris. The programme features surreal news items, examples include, Reports that explosive-packed terrorist dogs were being released in London by the IRA. These bomb dogs wreak havoc, and prompt the British police to begin executing any dog on sight and this story is accompanied by a clip of Steve Coogan impersonating a Gerry Adams-esque Sinn Féin leader, spouting rhetoric while inhaling helium to subtract credibility from his statement. Coverage of a feud between John Major and the Queen, coverage of an ongoing rail crisis, following a train trapped on the tracks in Hampshire. Trapped by a signal post, the stranded train rapidly becomes the scene of anarchy and paganism. In the fifth episode, Morris provokes a war between Hong Kong and Australia, and much of the episode revolves around the resulting conflict, subsequent reports of the war, delivered from Eastmanstown in the Upper Cataracts on the Australio-Hong-Kong border, are humorously blown out of proportion. Morris has several computers giving him the news instantly from around the world and he is always confrontational and aggressive, frequently picking fights with his staff and guests while on-air, and his efforts to resolve problems frequently make bad situations even worse
23.
The Saturday Night Armistice
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The Saturday Night Armistice was a British satirical television comedy programme presented by Armando Iannucci with Peter Baynham and David Schneider, which ran from 1995 to 1999. The programme took an irreverent and often look back at topical events. Iannucci was the presenter and sat at a desk with Schneider. On Armandos desk was a rotund cuddly toy named Mister Tony Blair, the programme featured a title theme sung by Johnny More in the style of Frank Sinatra. The prize for spotting her appearances was originally The Saturday Night Armistice Hors dŒuvre Tree complete with a different selection of Hors dœuvres each week and this reward later changed to the much coveted set of Friday Night Armistice Dart Flights. Which showed a supposed CCTV clip that followed an item of news, in 1996, scheduling changes and low Saturday-night ratings meant the programme became The Friday Night Armistice. The team did a live 3 hour-long 1997 Election special and a series in 1998 and several Christmas and New Year specials. A fourth series was announced for broadcast in 1999 but was not produced, none of the episodes have ever been made available commercially and owing to their topical nature are unlikely to gain a release on DVD. However, episodes have been distributed on the internet via various BitTorrent download sites
24.
I'm Alan Partridge
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Im Alan Partridge is a 1997 BBC situation comedy starring Steve Coogan and written by Coogan, Peter Baynham and Armando Iannucci. It features Alan Partridge, a tactless and inept radio DJ, after he has left by his wife. The show follows Partridge as he lives in a hotel, presents a graveyard slot on Norwich local radio. A second series followed in 2002, with Partridge now living in a static caravan after recovering from a mental breakdown, Iannucci said the writers used the sitcom as a kind of social X-ray of male middle-aged Middle England. Supporting Coogan are Felicity Montagu as his faithful but timid personal assistant, Lynn Benfield, Simon Greenall as Geordie handyman Michael, the series was nominated for three BAFTAs, two British Comedy Awards, and a Royal Television Society award. In a list drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, voted by industry professionals, the main character of the series, Alan, a former host on Knowing Me, Knowing You. By series two, following a mental breakdown, Alan has fixed himself slightly. He lives in a static caravan next to the house he is having built. Besides this, he has a show in the evening, hosts a military-based quiz show on digital television, has published his autobiography. Alan is generally loathsome and narcissistic with very poor social skills, Lynn is a member of a local Baptist church, which Alan finds strange but is willing to tolerate. Her mother, with whom Lynn possibly lives, is apparently housebound, when accompanying Alan, Lynn appears inhibited by him, but seems capable of easily blending into social situations when Alan is not present. Despite her intense and frequently ludicrous workload, Lynn receives a paltry £8,000 per year, by the second series, her mother has died, and Lynn finds romance with a fellow churchgoer, a retired policeman. At the celebration following her church baptism, she is shown to have friends and is held in high regard by other churchmembers. An all-purpose worker at the Linton Travel Tavern, Michael speaks with a heavy Geordie accent, Partridge and Alan clearly regards Michael with a great deal of disdain. Michael is almost as desperate and neurotic a character as Alan, Michael frequently tells stories of his time in the British army, to the delight of Alan, especially if they are of a salacious or violent nature. During a period of military placement in the Philippines, Michael married a Filipino woman, however, his wife left him and now lives with his brother in Sunderland, possibly shedding light on the origins of Michaels neuroticism. In the last episode of the first series, Michael appears at Alans party already drunk on Scrumpy Jack and he is also a recurring character in the second series of Im Alan Partridge, where he has left the Linton Travel Tavern and now works in a BP petrol station. Dave is a Radio Norwich DJ who runs the right after Alans graveyard slot show
25.
The Armando Iannucci Shows
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The Armando Iannucci Shows is a series of eight programmes directed by Armando Iannucci and written by Iannucci with Andy Riley and Kevin Cecil. It was shown on UKs Channel 4 from September to October 2001, each episode focused on specific themes relating to human nature and existentialism, around which Iannucci would weave a series of surreal sketches and monologues. Iannucci has been quoted as saying it is the series he is most proud of making. He told The Metro in April 2007 The Armando Iannucci Show on Channel 4 came out around 9/11, people had other things on their minds. But that was the closest to me expressing my comic outlook on life, the show is also notable for its use of music, the quality of its direction and the often extensive use of CGI effects. A DVD of the series was released on 4 September 2006 after years of wrangles due to rights issues. The East End Thug - A middle-aged Cockney Villain who can solve almost any problem through the medium of violent gangland threats, hugh - an old man who visits Armando and recalls his past, his reminiscences containing a modern twist. The Television Executives - a group of TV executives unable to conceive of anything other than in terms of a TV pitch, usually end up congratulating themselves with a conga. Each episode is themed around a certain subject, the following episode order is according to the DVD which had its contents significantly reshuffled from the original broadcast timeline. The original broadcast version featured a number of classical pieces including, Spiegel im Spiegel – Arvo Pärt – Angela Yoffe and Vadim Gluzman Shaker Loops. There is also a snippet of a modern opera, Ibiza Uncovered. Empire called the show an effort, even if this does display flashes of the wit behind The Day Today. The Armando Iannucci Shows at the former BBC Guide to Comedy The Armando Iannucci Shows at the Internet Movie Database
26.
Time Trumpet
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Time Trumpet is a six-episode satirical television comedy series which aired on BBC Two in 2006. The series was written by Armando Iannucci, Roger Drew and Will Smith in a manner to Iannuccis earlier one-off programmes 2004, The Stupid Version and Clinton. One sketch was later spun off by Irish network RTÉ into the cult TV series Soupy Norman in 2007, Time Trumpet is set in the year 2031 and is a retrospective documentary on the first thirty years of the 21st century. Actors and actresses played the parts of todays stars thirty years on, the show also included interviews with comedians, billed in the show as top cultural commentators slash TV pundits, speaking about the events of the past. These included Stewart Lee, Richard Ayoade, Jo Enright, Matthew Holness, Adam Buxton, Mark Watson, Iannucci himself is seen once per episode interviewing guests, but at an oblique angle and with a different physical appearance. Series co-creator Will Smith also appears in the series, as the host of a TV show My Name is Phil, each episode had a main theme running throughout, such as The Olympics or the War in Iraq. The cancelled episode was shown a week later, without the footage of an assassinated Blair. However, a sketch was aired, involving a play on the events of 9/11. A DVD of the series was released on 27 April 2009, the assassination of Tony Blair sketch was also removed from this, as was some sketches that included footage of the Olympic Games. This ended up forming the basis of the cult TV show Soupy Norman on RTÉ, alan Moores final issue of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen includes a reference to Rape An Ape, as well as several references to Iannuccis The Thick of It. In December 2011, US network Comedy Central announced they would be remaking the series, ultimately the series was not picked up by the network, and Iannucci has since moved on to other projects. Time Trumpet website Time Trumpet at BBC Programmes Time Trumpet at the Internet Movie Database Iannucci profiled on BBC News Faces of the Week with reference to Time Trumpet BBC comedy blog
27.
Veep
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Veep is an American political satire comedy television series, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, that premiered on HBO on April 22,2012. The series was created by Armando Iannucci as an adaptation of the British sitcom The Thick of It, Veep is set in the office of Selina Meyer, a fictional Vice President, and subsequent President, of the United States. The series follows Meyer and her team as they attempt to make their mark and leave a lasting legacy without getting tripped up in the political games that define Washington. Veep has received acclaim and won several major awards. It has been nominated five years in a row for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, Louis-Dreyfus has won five consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Award, two Critics Choice Television Awards and one Television Critics Association Award for her performance. Supporting cast members Anna Chlumsky and Tony Hale have both received four consecutive Emmy nominations for their work on the series, including Hale winning in 2013 and 2015, the series has been renewed for a 10-episode sixth season which will premiere on April 16,2017. Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer, a former Maryland Senator who, in the start of the series, is the titular Vice President, during this term, she often feels powerless, disregarded, and discontented in her position as second-in-command. During her tenure as Vice President, she has a relationship with the President. She ascends to the office of the presidency in season 3, after the sitting president resigns for personal reasons. Due to a complex manipulation of constitutional law, she loses the race in season 5. She is divorced with one daughter, but remains romantically entangled with her ex-husband during the first two seasons, Anna Chlumsky as Amy Brookheimer, the Vice Presidents Chief of Staff. She credits herself as the Vice Presidents trouble-shooter, problem-solver, issue-mediator, doubt-remover, conscience-examiner, thought-thinker, Amy is constantly sacrificing her own reputation to save Selinas political credibility. She is known to be uptight and overly dedicated to her career, unwilling to settle down and have children and she has history with both Jonah and Dan, and may still have feelings for the latter. Amy becomes Selinas campaign manager during her run, but resigns as a result of the brief appointment of an unopinionated friend of Selinas to her campaign team. She rejoins the Meyer team when a tie in the election leads to a statewide recount in Nevada. Chlumsky previously portrayed a character, Liza Weld, in Iannuccis 2009 film. She has received four consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her performance, Tony Hale as Gary Walsh, Selinas personal aide and body man. A long-term associate and confidant of Selina, Gary is portrayed as incredibly loyal, despite his menial job, Gary is actually a graduate of Cornell University, having majored in hotel management
28.
Tube Tales
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Tube Tales is a collection of nine short films based on the true-life experiences of London Underground passengers as submitted to Time Out magazine. The stories were scripted and filmed independently of each other, filming took place on the London Underground network in 1999 by nine directors including Stephen Hopkins, Charles McDougall and Bob Hoskins, with directorial debuts by Ewan McGregor and Jude Law. The film was produced by Richard Jobson and is also Simon Peggs film debut, in a small role. Cast, Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Kelly Macdonald. Director, Charles McDougallWriter, Nick PerryOriginator, TJ AustinStarring, Hans Matheson and Carmen EjogoSynopsis, Two young opportunists steal a briefcase and their victim shoots at them, but they seem to escape unscathed onto an unused platform where they board a mysterious train. A preacher reads from the bible and a young boy washes passengers feet, Tube Tales Official Site Tube Tales at the Internet Movie Database
29.
In the Loop
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In the Loop is a 2009 British satirical black comedy film directed by Armando Iannucci. The film is a spin-off from the BBC Television series The Thick of It and satirizes Anglo-American politics in the 21st century and it was nominated for the 2009 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film stars Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander, Gina McKee, Chris Addison, David Rasche, with the help of his girlfriend Suzy, Simons new aide Toby Wright manages to get him into the Foreign Office meeting that day. The report heavily opposes intervention, noting the lack of intelligence except that which is coming from a source known as Iceman. Also during the committee it is hinted at that the US Assistant Secretary of State for Policy, Linton Barwick, after the meeting, Simon is ambushed by reporters and contradicts his previous statements by saying the government has to be prepared to climb the mountain of conflict. Again he is subjected to chastisement from Tucker, returning to the US, Karen and Liza conclude that Linton has created a war committee under the guise of Future Planning. At a party Karen teams up with General George Miller who opposes the war believing that the US does not have enough troops to succeed and she tells him that they could use Simon on the committee as he would internationalise the dissent. While on a mission in Washington, Simon and Toby are invited by Karen to the Future Planning committee. Toby accidentally leaks the details of the meeting to a friend at CNN before meeting up with Liza at a bar, due to Tobys leak the Future Planning committee is swamped, but Karen and George fail to find out anything about the war. Both Karen and Linton turn to Simon to back their respective causes, Tucker, who is in the US, is diverted by Linton to the White House for a fake briefing. He confronts Linton, who tells him that he has to supply the US with the British intelligence on the situation in the Middle East, news of this reaches the papers, who criticise Simon for not acting on the issue. Suzy finds out about Tobys one-night-stand with Liza and they break up, when leaving their apartment he gives her a copy of PWPPIP to leak if she chooses, but she calls him a coward for not doing it himself. The President rushes forward the security council vote on intervention by vetoing tariffs on Chinese imports. Simon tells his Director of Communications Judy Molloy, to leak to the press that he would if the committee votes in favour. Once at the UN Headquarters Tucker gets word that PWPPIP has been leaked and it is later revealed that Michael Rodgers of the Foreign Office accidentally leaked it, not realising its importance. Miller and Tucker convince Jonathan Tutt, the UK Ambassador, to push the meeting forward so that the leak will not have time to spread in the US. However, Linton asserts his dominance over Tucker by telling him that the British intelligence has to be handed over before a vote can be taken, subsequently the committee votes in favour of intervention. After the vote, Miller informs Karen that he not resign now that the war is happening
30.
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
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The film was directed by Declan Lowney and written by Coogan, Armando Iannucci, Peter Baynham, Neil Gibbons, and Rob Gibbons. Principal photography began on 7 January 2013 in Norwich and Mitcham, the film was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 7 August 2013 by StudioCanal UK, where it opened at number one in the box office. Magnolia Pictures distributed the film in America, the film received a positive reception and grossed $9.8 million on a £4 million budget. It also received a Grand Marnier Fellowship Award nomination for Best Film, a book of the screenplay was published on 21 November 2013. Norwich radio station North Norfolk Digital is bought out by a multinational conglomerate, DJ Alan Partridge is not concerned, but fellow DJ Pat Farrell convinces him to gatecrash a board meeting to persuade the new owners not to fire Pat. When Alan discovers that either he or Pat must go, he urges them to fire Pat, during a company party, Pat enters the station with a shotgun and holds the staff hostage, demanding his job back. The police enlist Alan as a negotiator, and he builds a rapport with Pat, with Alans co-presenter Sidekick Simon. Alan daydreams of ending the siege heroically, but cannot bring himself to grab Pats gun, Alan accidentally locks himself out of the building and loses his trousers trying to get back in through a window. The police realise he is a negotiator and send in an undercover officer disguised as a pizza delivery man. Alan interrupts and takes the pizzas in himself, when Pat discovers a taser in one of the boxes, an argument erupts between the hostages and the police burst in. Pat escapes in the tour bus, bringing Alan and security guard Michael. On the bus, Alan regains Pats trust and they continue to host the radio show, however, Pat sees Alans JUST SACK PAT message in a photo and deduces that Alan was behind his redundancy. Alan hides in the bus toilet compartment and escapes in the septic tank, on Cromer Pier, Pat faces off with Alan and the police. Michael tries to distract Pat by throwing himself off the pier, Pat tells Alan that he is depressed due to the death of his wife and prepares to shoot himself. Unable to pull the trigger, he gives his shotgun to Alan, the gun goes off, shooting Alan in the leg, he is then shot again by a police sniper reacting to gunfire. Lynn arrives and thinks Alan is dead, but a paramedic assures him that he will be fine, Alan returns to North Norfolk Digital with Sidekick Simon and Pat calls the show from jail. Alan goes on holiday with Angela and her sons, several characters from Im Alan Partridge make appearances in the film. The character is a television presenter and radio announcer, whose presenting style is a parody of cliched media reporting or presentation
31.
On the Hour
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On the Hour was a British radio programme that parodied current affairs broadcasting, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1991 and 1992. On the Hour featured the first appearance of Coogans character Alan Partridge as the Sports Desk reporter and it did fool many people, with some listeners ringing in to complain about how the anchor treated his guests. The programme also utilised editing of out-of-context sound-clips and prank phone calls, episodes would often feature a main storyline interspersed between the various news items. Twelve episodes were made and broadcast in 1991 and 1992, the final episode of On the Hour closed with Morris introducing a set of headlines with the line And there is still just time to part the beef curtains on tomorrows news. Running throughout the episode was the announcement that On the Hour would be taking over all of Radio 4 to transmit 24-hour Perma-News. On the Hour was named Best Radio Comedy at the 1992 British Comedy Awards, the On the Hour team subsequently made a television series called The Day Today, which retained the same regular cast and several characters from On the Hour. Combative and overly zealous, h believes in the infallibility of the news, bombastically delivering slogans like Man is only 90% water, and These facts are ear-shaped, lets ram them home. Morris frequently talks over his guests and does not realise or will not admit when he has the person on the other end of the phone. Morris reprised his newsman persona for The Day Today and Brass Eye, Roger Blatt/Michael Blatt, Roger Blatt is the Disaster correspondent for a train crash report, the identically-voiced Michael Blatt is the Strategy correspondent for the On the Hour War Special. Wayne Carr, Cloyingly-upbeat and smug DJ with a penchant for contracting words, waynes reports include inappropriately-upbeat coverage of a train crash disaster, an exposé on hidden messages in pop records, and a chinnywag about endangered animals. The character of Wayne Carr was retained from Morriss previous radio projects and his name is a reference to the abusive term wanker. Morris later used the Continuity Announcers voice for the national emergencies propaganda reel in the episode of The Day Today. Lionel Cosgrave, An Everyman who appears in news reports. Lionels age varies according to each report – sometimes he is a youngster, lionel is usually presented as a victim. Rosy presents absurd environmental-themed news in the segment Green Desk and this segment is accompanied by new-age music, including synthesised whale song. Rosy later appeared in The Day Today, although her segment was re-titled Enviromation, jacques Œuf, Appears in two episodes as a French counterpart to Wayne Carr. Like Carr, his name is a slang term for masturbation. Highly incompetent, reporting dubious facts and figures before being forced by Morris to admit that he hasnt actually read the reports he is ostensibly presenting and he later appeared in The Day Today
32.
I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan
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I, Partridge, We Need to Talk About Alan is a 2011 mock autobiography as written by the British comedy character Alan Partridge. It was written by Steve Coogan, Armando Iannucci and Rob, an audiobook version recorded by Coogan as Partridge was released on CD and downloadable audio formats. Coogan said, We just wanted to do what he would do in trying to write his autobiography and he wants to make his life more than unremarkable, so every single event in his life he tries to spin into something its not. There was an argument between his parents about tax returns that he tries to turn into some kind of nightmare childhood - as if it was torturous for him, the Independent described the book as an acutely observed mock-memoir. The book received reviews and became a bestseller. Coogan appeared as Partridge to promote the book on The Jonathan Ross Show on 1 October 2011, a second autobiography, Alan Partridge, Nomad, was released in 2016
33.
Uriah Heep
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Uriah Heep is a fictional character created by Charles Dickens in his novel David Copperfield. The character is notable for his humility, obsequiousness, and insincerity. His name has become synonymous with being a sycophant and he is one of the main antagonists of the book. Uriah Heeps schemes and behaviour are more based on Thomas Powell, employee of a friend of Dickens. Powell. ingratiated himself into the Dickens household and was discovered to be a forger and he later attacked Dickens in pamphlets, calling particular attention to Dickens social class and background. The characteristics of grasping manipulation and insincerity can lead to a person being labelled a Uriah Heep as Lyndon Johnson is called in Robert Caros biography The Years of Lyndon Johnson, seymour Fleming, a character in the play Babes in Arms, is also called thus. Author Philip Roth once compared President Richard Nixon to Uriah Heep, more recently, historian Tony Judt used the term to describe Marshal Philippe Pétain of the French Vichy government. Pakistani-British historian and leftist political commentator Tariq Ali likened Pakistani dictator Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq to the character, the British rock band Uriah Heep is named after the character. In the BBC television series Blakes 7, the computer character Slave was described by Peter Tuddenham, information, Illustrations, Analysis, Select Resources on the novel
34.
Edward Murdstone
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Edward Murdstone is a fictional character and one of the primary antagonists in the first part of the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield. Near the beginning of the novel, Murdstone marries Clara Copperfield when David is about eight years old and this arrangement is done secretly, while David is away at the Yarmouth seashore. Soon after the marriage and Davids return home, Murdstones sister Jane moves into the house at Blunderstone with them, Murdstone thrashes David merely for falling behind in his studies, and David retaliates by biting Murdstones fingers severely. While David is at Salem House, Clara gives birth to her and Murdstones son, David is summoned home from Salem House and sent to work at Murdstones wine bottling factory, Murdstone and Grinbys, in London. Murdstone also arranges for David to live with a friend called Wilkins Micawber, after being released from a debtors prison, Mr Micawber is forced to move to Plymouth and David flees the factory to find his aunt Betsey Trotwood at Dover. Murdstone later receives a letter from Miss Trotwood, informing him of Davids arrival, Murdstone, apparently feeling remorse for the first time for his actions, merely leaves without a word. Murdstone and his sister appear a few times later in the novel, being one of the central antagonists of the novel, Murdstone has appeared in every adaptation of David Copperfield to date. In the 1935 film version, he is portrayed by Basil Rathbone, in the 1969 version, he is played by James Donald. In this version, Murdstone does not bother to search for a David after he leaves for Dover, in the 1974 BBC TV series he is played by Gareth Thomas. In the 1986 BBC TV series he is played by Oliver Cotton, in the 1993 version, he is portrayed by Michael York. In the 1999 BBC mini-series, Murdstone is portrayed by Trevor Eve, in this version, his role plays out fairly closely to the novel, only he does not appear again after his scolding by Betsy Trotwood. In the 2000 British-American television film, he is portrayed by Anthony Andrews, Murdstone appears much later in the film, where David is an adult and catches him dining with Jane and another young woman. David furiously confronts Murdstone and openly accuses him of murdering his mother, information, Illustrations, Analysis, Select Resources on the novel and characters
35.
Dora Spenlow
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Dora Spenlow is a character in the novel David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. She is portrayed as beautiful but childish, David, who is employed by her father, the lawyer Mr Spenlow, falls in love with Dora at first sight and marries her. She proves unable to cope with the responsibilities of married life, all this has a profound effect on David, but he still loves her. However, a year into their marriage she suffers a miscarriage, Charles Dickens named his daughter Dora Annie Dickens after the character on her birth in 1850, but she died the following year at the age of eight months. The Oxford Companion to English Literature
36.
Betsey Trotwood
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Betsey Trotwood is a fictional character from Charles Dickens 1850 novel David Copperfield. Betsey Trotwood is David Copperfields great-aunt on his fathers side, and has a view of men and boys. She provides him with a place at a school in Canterbury and opportunities for a career in Doctors Commons. The character is based on Miss Mary Pearson Strong who lived at Broadstairs, Kent and her sister Ann married Stephen Nuckell, who was a prominent bookseller in Broadstairs from around 1796 to 1822. Mary Pearson Strongs former home now hosts Broadstairs Dickens House Museum, there is a public house in Clerkenwell, Central London, called The Betsey Trotwood. It adopted the name in 1983, having previously been The Butchers Arms, information, Illustrations, Analysis, Select Resources on the novel and characters
