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The 1980s was a unique decade for British comedies and films in general, with a golden tinge on the ten-year run that produced some incredible cinematic works. In contrast to many American comedies at the time, the differences between the two are often noted, with British work dripping in irony, satire, and self-deprecation, which create a unique brand of comedy. It was also a time when many of Britain's rising stars and comedians were really coming into their own and blossoming into internationally known talents.

There are many films from the time that stand out as rewatchable British classics, such as A Fish Called Wanda and Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life. These films represent some of the very best of comedy, from the surreal and absurd sketch comedy of Monty Python to films that lean on social commentary and hilarious premises to provide the breeding ground for comical moments.

As far as iconic animated feature films are concerned, 1994’s The Lion King can arguably be considered one of the best of all time. Over the decades, the heartwarming narrative of a father-son legacy has continued to stay relevant for various generations of audiences.

A still from 1994’s The Lion King (image credit: Walt Disney Studios)

While the remake by Jon Favreau in 2019 also received high praise, the allure of the original is still considered unmatched thanks to memorable voice performances by veteran stars including Rowan Atkinson, whose distinctive voice gave life to the famous Zazu. But fans will be shocked to know that Atkinson initially refused to take on this project.

Rowan Atkinson Wasn’t Interested in Playing This Cult Character In The Lion King

Almost 30 years after is release, The Lion King continues to provide some wonderfully nostalgic moments for fans of different generations. The emotional story of...

The animated version of Rowan Atkinson’s silent slapstick sitcom Mr Bean is to return to television for a fourth series in 2025.

Mr Bean must be one of the most well known comedy characters on the planet. Relying entirely on Rowan Atkinson’s rubber face, slapstick and visual humour, Atkinson first wrote the show with Richard Curtis and Robin Driscoll almost 35 years ago.

Premiering in 1990, Mr Bean ran for just 15 episodes, with stories typically following a formula of the hapless title character trying to accomplish a seemingly simple task and escalating it to farcical levels. Memorable moments include a dangerous diving experience, putting his swimming trunks on without removing his trousers and, perhaps the most iconic sequence from the entire series – getting a turkey stuck on his head. In 1997, the character went to America in the feature film Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie, which was directed by the much missed comedian Mel Smith.

James Hunt Jan 24, 2017

Harry Potter, Twin Peaks, Alan Partridge, Lost and even Mr Bean: we salute 'in-universe' books...

On November 17th, the new Harry Potter-verse movie Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them hit cinemas as start of what Warner Bros hopes will be a new and long-lived chapter for the franchise. Considering Harry Potter was considered "over" by its chief writer (except for the website, and the play… and now this…) it’s quite the achievement for Warner to have found a way to continue it in a way that does, at least, feel creatively valid.

Of course, Fantastic Beasts was a book originally released as a Comic Relief special in 2001 alongside Quidditch Through The Ages. Purporting to be written by Newt Scamander (the eventual protagonist of the movie), the edition as published claimed to be Harry Potter’s own copy, as annotated by Ron Weasley. Rowling clearly liked the idea,...

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It's the final entry in Wesley's top 100 Christmas TV episodes of all time list, numbers 20 to 1. Merry Christmas to all!

Read entries 100 - 81 here, entries 80 - 61 here, entries 60 - 41 here, and entries 40 - 21 here.

Since the medium’s infancy, viewers have enjoyed sharing holidays with their favourite television characters. We grow invested in our friends on screen over the years; spending Christmas with them is a rite of passage, a chance for us to share tradition from our world with the fictional ones we see on screen. Some shows embrace the season wholeheartedly, characters in good spirits and enjoying the trappings of the season; others skew a little darker, bringing the more oppressive, burdensome side of the holidays to life. Either way, Christmas episodes tend to demonstrate the strengths of our favourite series, and it’s long been a festive ritual of mine to wheel out old...