If you want to have fun but stay informed about the world of English language arts, you’ve landed on the right page. We’re going to run down the essential facts about some of the most prominent people in the world of comedy and drama.
Graham Norton
Graham Norton is one of the most famous English comedians. He currently has his own show, “Graham Norton – As I Please,” which pits comedians against each other in witty debates. Norton was born in Lancashire in 1963 and began performing stand-up comedy in the 1980s. Since then, he has starred in a number of films, including the Harry Potter films and The Inbetweeners. He has also been a judge on the UK version of The X Factor. In 2015, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to comedy. Find out more about his background, the awards he has won and what he thinks about Donald Trump on our biography page.
Robert Pattinson
Better known as the ex-boyfriend of Katie Langford, Robert Pattinson is an English actor, singer and director. He has appeared in a number of films, most notably the Twilight series, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. He has also received a number of other accolades, including a Bafta Fellow and an Academy Award. Born in London in 1984, Pattinson’s family moved to Australia when he was young, where he grew up. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his partner, Dakota Johnson. Find out more on our bio page.
Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie is a Scottish actor, comedian and writer. He rose to fame in the UK in the 1980s, when he starred in The Dickinson Wife, and went on to become one of the most recognized faces in Britain. Since then, he has appeared in many British TV shows and films, and is now based in Los Angeles. He is perhaps best known for his role as Malcolm Tucker in Breaking Bad and The Donald Trump Show. He has also appeared in The Omen films, The House of Murders, Harvey Jewel and The Joke Series. In 2016, Laurie returned to the big screen in The Joker. Find out more about his history in Scotland, his roles in international productions and whether or not he is a fan of The Donald Trump on our biography page.
Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs is an English actor who rose to fame in the UK in the 2000s. After appearing in The Bill – British TV series, he gained acclaim for his role as Liam Coogan in the comedy series The Inbetweeners. Since then, he has featured in many British productions, including The Mary Rose, In Vogue and Hotel Transylvania. He has also starred in a number of American films, including 21 Days and The Joker. Learn more about his acting career on our biography page.
NEXT
NEXT is a global entertainment company. As well as sponsoring the UK Idol Auction, NEXT has also created and funded a number of stand-alone TV shows. Their first show, Barbican Street, followed a team as they explored the history of liquor traits in London in the form of a tour. More recently, NEXT has produced a docu-soap called The Royals, which traces the origins of the Royal Family through the generations. The company’s founder, Simon Coggins, has said that the main reason for NEXT’s creation was to give a platform for comedy greats like Dara Lynn Goldberg and Jimmy Fallon. The royal family has since endorsed the show in a royal proclamation.
The Inbetweeners
The Inbetweeners is a British comedy series that originally aired on BBC Two. The series centers around a group of students at Wissington College who meet for a night class called The Inbetweener Society. It is based on a 2006 book by Joe Seth, and premiered in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on January 19, 2009. The show’s following three seasons have aired on E4 in the UK.
Follow The Sun
Follow the sun is a BBC documentary series that pits celebrities against each other in a game of celebrity trivia, as the sun sets across the globe. The celebrities represent places around the world that the viewer might not usually get the chance to visit and are given a 15 minute turn to prepare a speech on an unusual topic. The speeches are then paused by the participants as the sun sets across the globe, making this exhibition part of the series a world premiere. Follow the sun is produced by the BBC and has been broadcast across Europe in a number of language versions, including German and French. The series currently airs in the UK on BBC Two.
The Mary Rose
The Mary Rose is a British historical adventure romance television series, based on a true story. The first season of the show follows King Henry VIII’s ill-fated voyage to Ireland in 1529 to marry Anne Boleyn. The season one episode “The Return of the King” was the most watched TV episode in the UK in 2015 with 7.41 million viewers.
Season two premiered in January 2016 and continues the story of the younger Haps Buckle, who accompanies the king on his voyage and is chosen to keep a secret diary. Based on research from the diarist’s own manuscripts, the second season of the show includes scenes based on real-life events that occurred during Henry VIII’s voyage to Ireland. These include the shipwreck of the Mary Rose, which was an epic disaster that claimed the lives of many the royal family’s retainers. The show is created by the BBC and is steered by former BBC editor Jane Taylor. Find out more about this and other historical shows on our pilot programme page.