John Howard Davies Movies

Host Vanessa Williams takes audiences on a tour through decades of African-American music and dance -- and explores their influences on the film industry. This made-for-TV special, which includes a historical retrospective of a number of American movies, features interviews with such luminaries as Quincy Jones, Ice-T, Spike Lee, and Russell Simmons. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi

Rowan Atkinson stars as the incredibly clueless, accident-prone title character in this first of 13 half-hour Mr. Bean specials. The action is divided into three segments: In "The Exam," Mr. Bean hasn't got the answers; in "The Beach," he tries to change his trunks without removing his trousers; and in "The Church," he just can't seem to stay awake. Mr. Bean was the winner of the 1990 Golden Rose of Montreaux award (one hopes that Bean didn't collect the prize!). The special first aired in Britain on January 1, 1990, and in the United States on April 2, 1992; it can be found on several video compilations, notably The Amazing Adventures of Mr. Bean and The Complete Mr. Bean, Vol. 1. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The central character in this British sitcom was middle-aged Les Brooks (Sam Kelly), who after several years at the same job was suddenly rendered "redundant" (that is, he was given the boot). In order to keep food on the family table, Les hatched a number of get-rich-quick schemes, all of which quickly fizzled. Meanwhile, his more level-headed wife Maureen (Marcia Warren) landed a job at a local pub. The six-episode We'll Think of Something was telecast from September 1 to October 13, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Anthony Hopkins essayed the title role in the four-part British miniseries A Married Man. During his annual holiday, contentedly married barrister John Strickland (Hopkins) found himself casually entering into a brief extramarital affair. As noted by author Piers Paul Read, upon whose novel the miniseries was based, to fully understand the disastrous events following Strickland's indiscretion, one must have a basic knowledge of the English Legal Profession. By the time the story had ended, there was nary a viewer who didn't possess that knowledge. Co-produced by Channel 4 and London Weekend Television, A Married Man first aired in 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Originally broadcast from February 19 to October 25, 1979, the second and final season of BBC2's Fawlty Towers finds Torquay hotelier Basil Fawlty (John Cleese) continuing to insult and terrorize guests and staffers alike, while Basil's wife Sybil (Prunella Scales) proves anew that she is the most spectacularly unhelpful "helpmate" in the history of domestic relations. The first of the season's six episodes, "Communication Problems," finds Basil the prime suspect when a wealthy and deaf-as-a-post guest insists that she's been robbed. In "The Psychiatrist," Basil's inherent paranoia and Sybil's suspicions that her husband is cheating on her reach hitherto unimagined heights. An American guest's demands for after-hour room service drives Basil batty and the other guests to mount a "revolt" in "Waldorf Salad." "The Kipper and the Corpse" is set in motion by the death of a guest after being served breakfast in bed, obliging Basil to hide both the body and the breakfast! "The Anniversary" is a slapstick comedy of errors involving a surprise party and a missing guest of honor. And in the concluding episode, "Basil the Rat," the hotel's Spanish waiter, Manuel (Andrew Sachs), courts disaster when he adopts a "Siberian hamster." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Created by David Nobbs' and based on his novel, the BBC comedy series The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin stars Leonard Rossiter in the title role. Outwardly a successful executive, Reginald Perrin suffers from boredom on the job and a humdrum home life. He yearns to break free from his existence, a yearning that turns into reality after he suffers a nervous breakdown. Unfortunately, his "new" life proves to be just as wearisome as his old one. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

" 'Nutter' runs small hotel" is the terse-but-true description given by an English catalog to the weekly comedy series Fawlty Towers. Created by John Cleese, the series stars Cleese as Basil Fawlty, the insufferable--and insufferably inept--owner-manager of a tenth-rate British hotel. Co-starring as Basil's equally impossible wife Sybil is Prunella Scales, while Connie Booth (who co-wrote and occasionally directed the series) is on hand as Jill-of-all trades Polly Sherman. First seen on the BBC in 1975, Fawlty Towers made it to American viewers by way of local PBS outlets in 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In one of several sketches in this early Python episode, two Frenchmen with berets discuss the commercial feasibility of flying sheep. The host of "And Now for Something Completely Different" interviews Arthur Frampton, the man with three buttocks. A performance by Arthur Ewing and His 23 Musical Mice is followed by a lively marriage counseling session (cowboy regalia optional). A wrestling match is staged to determine God's existence. And "The World Around Us" offers a hard-hitting expose of The Mouse Problem. "Sex and Violence" originally aired in England on October 12, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

After a guitar rendition of "Jerusalem" at the Cardiff Rooms in Libya, an art critic joins Marge and Janet in lunching on a few masterpieces. A bather performs a striptease, much to the dismay of the Colonel. A Sergeant-Major demonstrates the proper self-defense techniques when dealing with an assailant armed with fruit. A tobacconist and a bookseller are enmeshed in international intrigue when the former asks for a copy of "An Illustrated History of False Teeth." And Arthur Lemming of the British Dental Association makes a surprise appearance. Carol Cleveland, Dick Vosburgh, and Katya Wyeth are featured on "Owl-Stretching Time," which first aired October 26, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The oft-filmed "realistic" Emile Zola novel Nana was given the British miniseries treatment in 1968. Katherine Schofield essayed the leading role as ill-fated Parisian courtesan Nana. After fomenting a deadly feud between two of her lovers (who also happened to be brothers), Nana made up for all past misdeeds by conveniently succumbing to smallpox. The four 50-minute installments of Nana were originally telecast by BBC2. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi