The Website for People Who Love Britain - Anglophiles
I know I typically babble about good, old-fashioned books here. But as a busy graduate student working several jobs, I've recently found myself forced to seek out stories I can savor whilst multitasking - say, on my afternoon walks, during lengthy car commutes, or over some laundry and cooking. Audiobooks are, of course, ideally suited for this. … [Read more...]
British Museum Director Neil MacGregor presents Shakespeare's Restless World, a new series for Radio 4, (broadcast from 16 April at 1.45pm and repeated at 7.45pm) and part of a wider BBC Shakespeare Season. The 20-part series looks at the world through the eyes of Shakespeare's audience by exploring objects from that turbulent … [Read more...]
I had the pleasure of appearing by phone on the morning show in Coventry & Warwickshire hosted by Malcolm Boyden on the BBC. I had a chance to talk about Anglotopia, my love for Britain and at the end they gave me a fun little quiz on my British knowledge (which was perhaps a bit too easy). It was a lot of fun and worth getting up at 3am … [Read more...]
We found this audio recording of the BBC reporting that the King had died and that Britain now had a new Queen. Very sad and moving. Death of King George VI - 6 Feb 1952 - Snagge (mp3) … [Read more...]
Hitchhiker's fans rejoice! Arthur Dent is headed for the stage with the original BBC cast. According to the BBC: Original cast members of the TV and radio versions of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy are reuniting for a new stage production. The show will star Simon Jones, who played lead character Arthur Dent in the TV and radio … [Read more...]
I love British radio. I think they have a legacy of presenting narrative stories in an interesting and compelling wya tha tis second to none. Somehow, growing up as a nation with radio has affected the UK culturally and allowed it to make great radio pf all sorts. I also think that the Brits do a swell job of presenting music programming. As a … [Read more...]
Exciting news today for audiophiles and fans of the BBC. The BBC is working on digiziting it's entire historical radio archive so that it can be placed online in a new 'Audiopedia.' According to the Telegraph: The service is being developed for launch “within the next 12 months”, said Tim Davie, director of BBC Audio and Music. … [Read more...]
Here's the final episode of Life and Fate - the BBC Radio 4 series starring David Tennant. As the Russian tanks encircle Stalingrad, the commanders of the German 6th Army realise that the end is in sight but Hitler will not permit a surrender. Spiridonov abandons the power station to join his daughter, Vera, and her new baby on a barge frozen into … [Read more...]
Here are episodes 10 and 11 of the David Tennant starring Radio 4 Drama Life and Fate. Krymov denounces Grekov as an enemy of the state. After a session of speeches marking the 25th anniversary of the Revolution at which he is cold-shouldered by his colleagues, he slips out to find Stepan Spiridonov at the Central Power Station. He recalls … [Read more...]
Here are yesterday's installments of the David Tennant starring Radio Drama Life and Fate. Peter Bach, a German officer, is wounded and treated at a military field hospital. The brief respite from the fighting gives him time to contemplate his secret affair with a Russian girl, Zina, an affair that he roughly denies when confronted with … [Read more...]
Here are the next installments of the David Tennant starring Radio 4 Drama about life in the Soviet Union. Episode 6 Synopsis: Lyuda's ex-husband, Abarchuk, is still a staunch believer in the Party even though he was arrested and sent to a Russian labour camp some years ago. He assumes his son, Tolya, is fighting for the Motherland and composes … [Read more...]
Here's episode four of the David Tennant Radio 4 Drama Life and Fate. In a forest in northern Russia, Lenya, a pilot, longs to see his pregnant girlfriend, Vera. She is stranded in Stalingrad with her father, Stepan. Her mother (another sister of Lyuda) has drowned in the Volga. She watches the planes hoping to catch sight of Lenya. Listen … [Read more...]
The BBC has released two more episodes of the Radio 4 audio drama Life and Fate. Listen to them below. Episode 2 - Anna's Letter Viktor's mother, Anna, writes him a farewell letter. As a Jew in Berdichev, in the Ukraine now occupied by the Germans, she has been forced into a ghetto and understands what will come next. Janet Suzman plays … [Read more...]
The first episode of the latest radio drama starring David Tennant is now live. Here's the synopsis of the first episode: Kenneth Branagh plays Viktor, a nuclear physicist, evacuated with his family and members of his research institute eastwards from Moscow to Kazan. It's October 1942 and other members of his family are fighting the Germans in … [Read more...]
Kenneth Branagh and David Tennant introduce the characters they play in the upcoming BBC 4 Radio Play: Life and Fate (BBC Radio 4). Branagh and Tennant star in an eight-hour dramatisation of Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman. Thirteen episodes will be broadcast from 18 to 25 September on Radio 4. This epic masterpiece, centred around the bloody … [Read more...]
The British TV Podcast with Chrissy & Ryan Show 99 has a feature on Richard Armitage ("Robin Hood," "Spooks," and rather improbably going to play a dwarf in "The Hobbit"). Chrissy is heading to London in November and needs tickets to shows. In the news, both "The Hour" and "Luther" get recommissioned by the BBC, three new "AbFab" specials are … [Read more...]
SiriusXM stirred a hornet's nest last week when BBC Radio 1 mysteriously disappeared from their network, enraging thousands of customers who got the service just to listen to the station. Petitions were started, Facebook support pages were started - it was beautiful to see Anglophiles mobilize so quickly to save something they loved. Well, … [Read more...]
The news spreading around fellow Anglophiles today is that Sirius XM has dropped the BBC Radio 1 feed without explanation. Honestly, I didn't even know they had BBC Radio 1! According to Digital Home: Without any notice to listeners, subscription satellite radio provider Sirius XM has dropped BBC Radio 1 from its line-up as of 12:00 AM … [Read more...]
David Tennant recently starred in a Saturday Play on BBC Radio Four called The Purple Land. And we have it here for you to listen to. Here's what it's about: Published in 1885, The Purple Land was the first novel of William Henry Hudson, author of Green Mansions. The Anglo-Argentine naturalist distinguished himself both as one of the finest … [Read more...]
I had a chance to appear on the radio last night on BBC Radio Five Live during the Tony Livesey show talking about the Royal Wedding. It was a quick interview but it was a lot of fun. You can listen to it yourself here: Anglotopia Radio Five Live It was a really fun experience and hopefully the first of many media appearances for us as we … [Read more...]
[picappgallerysingle id="9675469"]It's far too rare of a treat to see Stephen Fry's work in America, and unless they happen to be Bones fans, most younger Americans may know him far more for his Twitter account than his excellent acting skills. So it was a wonderful treat to find out from the man himself on BBC Radio 5 Saturday that he's been cast … [Read more...]
Now that the BBC has gotten approval for their various apps - they're going Apple App crazy and have released a ton of great apps - so many that even I'm starting to lost track. In an effort to keep everyone informed of the best BBC iPhone and iPad apps - here's a list of all of them with links back to the iTunes store where you can download. BBC … [Read more...]
The face of BBC on Friday night will continue to be a very familiar one, on both sides of the pond. Graham Norton has been tapped to take over the BBC1 time slot currently held by "Friday Night With Jonathan Ross," which ends its run on Friday. "In all likelihood, when [Norton's] show returns later in the year it will play in the Friday night … [Read more...]
I'm happy to report that the fellows behind World Football Daily will be posting daily soccer (football) reports for the foreseeable future. They'll also be providing us extensive coverage during the upcoming World Cup in South Africa. It's going to be an exciting few months! We took a few minutes to catch up with the hosts from … [Read more...]
The British TV Podcast with Chrissy & Ryan Show #26 celebrates its six month anniversary this week. We do a feature on the career of writer Steven Moffat, now the new producer on "Doctor Who," as well as our usual segments with news about British TV, what's running in the UK and USA this week (lots of old favorites coming back including "Have … [Read more...]
Even though I'm a straight dude, I'd listen to David Tennant read the phone book. This an excellent adaptation of the great work by Steinbeck. It's quite strange hearing him speak in a American Southern Accent but entertaining nonetheless! From the David Tennant Website: David stars in a BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and … [Read more...]
This week on the British TV Podcast, guest host Howard fills in as he and Ryan examine news about British TV, what's on this week both in the UK and USA, DVD releases, review "The End of Time Part 2," "Day of the Triffids," "Hamlet," "The Turn of the Screw," "Nevermind the Buzzocks" and take a look at the state of modern sketch comedy in Britain … [Read more...]
[picappgallerysingle id="3843480"] The BBC Reports that Rage Against the Machine has beat out all the other contenders for Christmas Number One with their song Killing in the Name. There was a movement afoot to unseat the X Factor Winner, which is who usually wins the Christmas Number 1 race, in the last few years at least. From the … [Read more...]
A couple of weeks ago, there was rejoicing on all shores after it was announced that the BBC would make a international version of its iPlayer. Finally, "Doctor Who" and "Torchwood" on the same air date as the UK! It was like Christmas for DW fans. Even if we do have to pay, which is only fair - Brits get a license fee and we've happily paid $1.99 … [Read more...]
For the Anglophile on the budget who can't afford Satellite radio, the internet is an invaluable resource to find British Radio content for free that you can take with you anywhere. I've found that filling my iPod every morning with these podcasts helps make the day a little better. Itunes does a good job of listing every British podcast you can … [Read more...]
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Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas in 2007 in a closet in Chicago. Anglotopia is for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Anglotopia is now our full time jobs and we spend our time working on the site and planning our yearly trips to Britain. Join us as we explore Britain and everything it has to offer!
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