The name comes from British slang, an apparent misunderstanding of the established term "spit and image;" a person who closely resembles another person can be described as their "spitting image". Furthermore, in the early 1980s in Britain spitting was still perceived by the public as an inextricable component of the punk phenomenon. The puppets, caricaturing public figures, were designed by the cartoonists Peter Fluck and Roger Law (who sometimes spoonerized their names as 'Luck and Flaw'). They were assisted by various young caricatu ...

See also:

Spitting Image, Spitting Image - Introduction, Spitting Image - Sketches of note, Spitting Image - Voices, Spitting Image - Performers, Spitting Image - Writers, Spitting Image - Producers, Spitting Image - Similar shows elsewhere, Spitting Image - United States, Spitting Image - Serbia and Montenegro, Spitting Image - Mexico, Spitting Image - Chile, Spitting Image - France, Spitting Image - Germany, Spitting Image - Ireland, Spitting Image - Israel, Spitting Image - Russia, Spitting Image - Portugal, Spitting Image - Spain, Spitting Image - Sweden

Read more here: » Spitting Image: Encyclopedia II - Spitting Image - Introduction

There are places that have the name Costa (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish for coast): Costa - Nation. Costa Rica Costa - In France. Costa, a commune of the Haute-Corse département, on the island of Corsica Costa - In Italy. Costa de' Nobili, in the province of Pavia Costa di Mezzate, in the province of Bergamo Costa di Rovigo, in the province of Rovigo Costa di Ser ...

See also:

Costa, Costa - Places, Costa - Nation, Costa - In France, Costa - In Italy, Costa - In Portugal, Costa - In Spain, Costa - Other, Costa - Surnames

Read more here: » Costa: Encyclopedia II - Costa - Places

The group began auditioning lead singers — "We got quite a lot of weirdos, because of Peter and his costumes," Rutherford recalled in an interview. Phil Collins, whose backing vocals had featured heavily in the Genesis sound of the Gabriel era, was given the job of coaching prospective replacements how to sing Genesis songs. Slowly, it dawned on the rest of the band that the "teacher" sounded a lot better than any of the potential new replacements. But the band were reluctant to concede that their own drummer might be Peter Gabriel's successor. Jon Anderson of Yes wa ...

See also:

Genesis band, Genesis band - The beginning, Genesis band - The Classic Era, Genesis band - The Phil Collins era, Genesis band - Hackett's departure, Genesis band - A more rock/pop direction, Genesis band - Reunion and solo successes, Genesis band - Genesis with Ray Wilson, Genesis band - Discography, Genesis band - Studio albums, Genesis band - Live recordings and compilations, Genesis band - Hit singles, Genesis band - Other releases of interest

Read more here: » Genesis band: Encyclopedia II - Genesis band - The Phil Collins era

British humour has a reputation for being puzzling to non-British speakers of English. Nonetheless, many UK comedy TV shows which use it as a basis have been internationally popular. British humour - Themes. Some themes which underpin twentieth-century British humour were: Smut and innuendo with sexual and scatological themes, typified by the seaside postcards of Donald McGill, the humour of Benny Hill, the series of Carry On films, and the comi ...

Including:

• British humour - Themes
• British humour - Historical roots

Read more here: » British humour: Encyclopedia - British humour

British Comedy, in film, radio and television, is known for its consistently quirky characters, plots and settings, and has produced some of the most famous and memorable comic actors and characters in the last fifty years. British comedy - Film comedy. British comedy films are legion, but among the most notable are the Ealing comedies, the 1950s satires of the Boulting Brothers, and innumerable popular comedy series including the St Trinian's films, the "Doctor" series, and the long-running Carry On films. ...

Including:

• British comedy - Film comedy
• British comedy - Radio
• British comedy - Television

Read more here: » British comedy: Encyclopedia - British comedy

The Right Honourable Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service. He has led the Labour Party since July 1994, (following the death of John Smith in May of that year) and brought Labour into power with a landslide victory in the 1997 general election, replacing John Major as Prime Minister and ending 18 years of Conservative government. He is now the Labour Party's longest-serving Prime Minister, and the only person to have led the party ...

Including:

• Tony Blair - Family background
• Tony Blair - Early political career
• Tony Blair - In opposition
• Tony Blair - Leader of the Labour Party
• Tony Blair - First term 1997 to 2001
• Tony Blair - Establishment of the Third Way
• Tony Blair - Control over House of Commons
• Tony Blair - Domestic policies
• Tony Blair - Second term 2001 to 2005
• Tony Blair - Iraq war
• Tony Blair - Domestic politics
• Tony Blair - Attempted impeachment
• Tony Blair - Health problems
• Tony Blair - Third term 2005 to present
• Tony Blair - G8 and EU presidencies
• Tony Blair - 2012 Summer Olympics
• Tony Blair - 2005 London bombings
• Tony Blair - Departure
• Tony Blair - Common criticisms of Blair
• Tony Blair - 'Spin'
• Tony Blair - Authoritarianism
• Tony Blair - Relationship with USA
• Tony Blair - Criticisms by the left
• Tony Blair - Satire
• Tony Blair - Works

Read more here: » Tony Blair: Encyclopedia - Tony Blair

A caricature is a humorous illustration that exaggerates or distorts the basic essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. Although caricatures can be made of inanimate objects such as cars or buildings, the art form is usually reserved for illustrations of people, especially celebrities and politicians. Caricatures can be insulting or complimentary and can serve a political purpose or be drawn solely for entertainment. Caricatures of politicians are commonly used in editorial cartoons, while caricatures of movie ...

Including:

• Caricature - A Brief History of Caricature
• Caricature - Notable Practitioners

Read more here: » Caricature: Encyclopedia - Caricature

There are places that have the name Costa (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish for coast): Costa - Nation. Costa Rica Costa - In France. Costa, a commune of the Haute-Corse département, on the island of Corsica Costa - In Italy. Costa de' Nobili, in the province of Pavia Costa di Mezzate, in the province of Bergamo Costa di Rovigo, in the province of Rovigo Costa di Ser ...

Including:

• Costa - Places
• Costa - Nation
• Costa - In France
• Costa - In Italy
• Costa - In Portugal
• Costa - In Spain
• Costa - Other
• Costa - Surnames

Read more here: » Costa: Encyclopedia - Costa

Central Independent Television, commonly referred to as Central, is the Independent Television company that succeeded ATV on 1 January 1982. Apart from a new name and logo, the company was essentially a continuation of ATV, having originally applied for the franchise as ATV Midlands Limited. The new name was adopted as one of a set of conditions imposed upon ATV by IBA regulators who believed that the company needed to more fully reflect the area it served. Another condition was that ATV move its headquarters to Birmingham from ...

Read more here: » Central Independent Television: Encyclopedia - Central Independent Television

Breyten Breytenbach (born September 16, 1939) is a South African writer and painter with French citizenship. Breyten Breytenbach was born in Bonnievale in the Western Cape, approximately 180km from Cape Town and 100km from the southernmost tip of Africa at Cape Agulhas. He studied fine arts at the University of Cape Town and became a committed opponent against the long held policy of apartheid. He left South Africa for Paris in the early 1960s. When he married a French woman of Vietnamese ancestry, he was not allowed to return. ...

Including:

• Breyten Breytenbach - Poetry in English
• Breyten Breytenbach - Prose in English

Read more here: » Breyten Breytenbach: Encyclopedia - Breyten Breytenbach

John Major - Early political career. Major was interested in politics from an early age, giving speeches on a soap-box in Brixton market. He stood as a candidate for Lambeth Borough Council at the age of 21 in 1964, and was unexpectedly elected in the Conservative landslide in 1968. While on the council he served as Vice-Chairman of the Housing Committee, being responsible for the building of several council housing estates. Despite moving to a ward which was easier for the ...

See also:

John Major, John Major - Early life, John Major - Political career, John Major - Early political career, John Major - Major as Prime Minister, John Major - 1997 General Election Defeat, John Major - After leaving office, John Major - Media representation, John Major - Honours, John Major - Titles and honours, John Major - Styles from birth, John Major - Honours, John Major - Miscellany

Read more here: » John Major: Encyclopedia II - John Major - Political career

Sketch comedy - Roots and Development. Sketch comedy has its origins in vaudeville and Music Hall, where a large number of brief but humorous acts were strung together to form a larger program. In England, it moved to stage performances by Cambridge Footlights, such as Beyond the Fringe and A Clump of Plinths (which evolved into Cambridge Circus), to radio with such shows as ITMA and ISIRTA and then to television with such shows as Monty Python's Flying Circus< ...

See also:

Sketch comedy, Sketch comedy - History, Sketch comedy - Roots and Development, Sketch comedy - Festivals, Sketch comedy - Amateurs, Sketch comedy - List of sketch comedy groups, Sketch comedy - Australia, Sketch comedy - Canada, Sketch comedy - China, Sketch comedy - Ireland, Sketch comedy - UK, Sketch comedy - USA, Sketch comedy - India

Read more here: » Sketch comedy: Encyclopedia II - Sketch comedy - History

Following the 11 September 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, Blair was very quick to align the UK with the US, engaging in a round of shuttle diplomacy to help form and maintain a coalition prior to their attack on Afghanistan (in which British troops participated). He maintains this role to this day, showing a willingness to visit countries on diplomatic missions that other world leaders might consider too dangerous to visit. In 2003 he was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal by the United States Congress for being "a staunch and steadf ...

See also:

Tony Blair, Tony Blair - Family background, Tony Blair - Early political career, Tony Blair - In opposition, Tony Blair - Leader of the Labour Party, Tony Blair - First term 1997 to 2001, Tony Blair - Establishment of the Third Way, Tony Blair - Control over House of Commons, Tony Blair - Domestic policies, Tony Blair - Second term 2001 to 2005, Tony Blair - Iraq war, Tony Blair - Domestic politics, Tony Blair - Attempted impeachment, Tony Blair - Health problems, Tony Blair - Third term 2005 to present, Tony Blair - G8 and EU presidencies, Tony Blair - 2012 Summer Olympics, Tony Blair - 2005 London bombings, Tony Blair - Departure, Tony Blair - Common criticisms of Blair, Tony Blair - Spin, Tony Blair - Authoritarianism, Tony Blair - Relationship with USA, Tony Blair - Criticisms by the left, Tony Blair - Satire, Tony Blair - Works

Read more here: » Tony Blair: Encyclopedia II - Tony Blair - Second term 2001 to 2005

The "Raving Loony" tag only came when Sutch returned to politics in the 1980s, after leaving the USA thoroughly disillusioned with what he saw as an increasingly violent United States (including being shot at during a mugging attempt). A similar concept appeared in the "Election Night Special" sketch by Monty Python's Flying Circus in 1970 in which the "Silly Party" and the "Sensible Party" competed against each other, and The Goodies did a similar skit with Graeme Garden as a "Science Loony". Monty Python and The Goodies also popular ...

See also:

Official Monster Raving Loony Party, Official Monster Raving Loony Party - Sutch's early political activity, Official Monster Raving Loony Party - Formation of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, Official Monster Raving Loony Party - Candidates and party manifesto, Official Monster Raving Loony Party - Divisions within the Loony Party, Official Monster Raving Loony Party - Split leads to Raving Loony Green Giant Party, Official Monster Raving Loony Party - Stuart Hughes's electoral successes, Official Monster Raving Loony Party - Loonies embarrass Social Democrats, Official Monster Raving Loony Party - Serious attempts to gather votes, Official Monster Raving Loony Party - Sutch's death and after, Official Monster Raving Loony Party - Second split: the Rock'N'Roll Loony Party, Official Monster Raving Loony Party - Non-Loonies who nevertheless claimed to be, Official Monster Raving Loony Party - Councillor defects to BNP, Official Monster Raving Loony Party - 2005 general election, Official Monster Raving Loony Party - York Branch terminal split, Official Monster Raving Loony Party - 2005 school mock elections shock, Official Monster Raving Loony Party - The current status of the OMRLP, Official Monster Raving Loony Party - Quotation

Read more here: » Official Monster Raving Loony Party: Encyclopedia II - Official Monster Raving Loony Party - Formation of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party

Following the 11 September 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, Blair was very quick to align the UK with the US, engaging in a round of shuttle diplomacy to help form and maintain a coalition prior to their attack on Afghanistan (in which British troops participated). He maintains this role to this day, showing a willingness to visit countries on diplomatic missions that other world leaders might consider too dangerous to visit. In 2003 he was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal by the United States Congress for being "a staunch and steadf ...

See also:

Tony Blair, Tony Blair - Family background, Tony Blair - Early political career, Tony Blair - In opposition, Tony Blair - Leader of the Labour Party, Tony Blair - First term 1997 to 2001, Tony Blair - Establishment of the Third Way, Tony Blair - Control over House of Commons, Tony Blair - Domestic policies, Tony Blair - Second term 2001 to 2005, Tony Blair - Iraq war, Tony Blair - Domestic politics, Tony Blair - Attempted impeachment, Tony Blair - Health problems, Tony Blair - Third term 2005 to present, Tony Blair - G8 and EU presidencies, Tony Blair - 2012 Summer Olympics, Tony Blair - 2005 London bombings, Tony Blair - Departure, Tony Blair - Common criticisms of Blair, Tony Blair - 'Spin', Tony Blair - Authoritarianism, Tony Blair - Relationship with USA, Tony Blair - Criticisms by the left, Tony Blair - Satire, Tony Blair - Works

Read more here: » Tony Blair: Encyclopedia II - Tony Blair - Second term 2001 to 2005

In the show, the Red Dwarf is a spaceship 5 miles long belonging to the Jupiter Mining Corporation. An on-board radiation leak kills everyone except for Dave Lister, who was in suspended animation at the time, and his pregnant cat, Frankenstein, who was safely sealed in the cargo hold. Lister had smuggled Frankenstein aboard the ship, but had been caught in possesion of the illegal life form (by having his photo taken with the cat and sending the film off the ship's lab for processing). Given the choice of giving up the location of the cat, or going into Stas ...

See also:

Red Dwarf, Red Dwarf - Scenario, Red Dwarf - Production history, Red Dwarf - Episode list, Red Dwarf - Characters and actors, Red Dwarf - Regular cast, Red Dwarf - Recurring guest characters, Red Dwarf - Recurring guest actors, Red Dwarf - Ships, Red Dwarf - Red Dwarf, Red Dwarf - Blue Midget, Red Dwarf - Starbug, Red Dwarf - US version, Red Dwarf - Spin-offs, Red Dwarf - Invented words, Red Dwarf - Talking Backwards, Red Dwarf - Groovy Funky Channel 27, Red Dwarf - Notes, Red Dwarf - Continuity, Red Dwarf - Lyrics

Read more here: » Red Dwarf: Encyclopedia II - Red Dwarf - Scenario

Ross and Norris both became sports journalists in 1950. In 1951 they published Get to Your Marks and later in 1951 they founded an agency to provide facts and figures to Fleet Street. Norris came to particular public attention while working for the BBC as a sports commentator. On May 6, 1954, Norris McWhirter kept the time when Roger Bannister ran the first four minute mile. After the race, McWhirter began his announcement: :As a result of Event Four, the one mile, the winner was R.G. Bannister of Exeter and Merton Colleges, ...

See also:

Norris McWhirter, Norris McWhirter - Early Life, Norris McWhirter - Sports, Norris McWhirter - Political activity, Norris McWhirter - Record Breakers and later events, Norris McWhirter - Selected bibliography

Read more here: » Norris McWhirter: Encyclopedia II - Norris McWhirter - Sports

This Is Spinal Tap chronicles the group's waning popularity during a tour of the United States while promoting their latest record, Smell The Glove. The sexist, misogynist and overly-masculized elements of heavy metal music are parodied throughout. Marty DiBergi (Reiner), a director of television commercials, films the tour and interviews the musicians. St. Hubbins and Tufnel were childhood friends, and ran through many bandnames at the beginning of their career before settling on The Thamesmen, who had a hit with "Gimme ...

See also:

This Is Spinal Tap, This Is Spinal Tap - Plot overview, This Is Spinal Tap - Response, This Is Spinal Tap - DVD, This Is Spinal Tap - Other musical parodies, This Is Spinal Tap - Related works

Read more here: » This Is Spinal Tap: Encyclopedia II - This Is Spinal Tap - Plot overview

The second series, The Invisible Man, debuted in 1975 on NBC and starred David McCallum as a scientist (Daniel Westin). The initial movie, which is the pilot of this series, relates to the fact that Daniel Westin is working for a company called "Klae". Klae is doing experiments in molecular disintegration and is having the side effect of making it possible to turn objects invisible. He first does successful experiments on animals, and tries to find medical applications for his invention. Objects that are invisible reappear after a few ...

See also:

The Invisible Man, The Invisible Man - The First Movie, The Invisible Man - The TV series, The Invisible Man - 1958 - Invisible Man - Uncredited, The Invisible Man - 1975 - Invisible Man - David McCallum, The Invisible Man - 1976 - Gemini Man - Ben Murphy, The Invisible Man - 2000 - Invisible Man - Vincent Ventresca, The Invisible Man - Misc., The Invisible Man - Other references

Read more here: » The Invisible Man: Encyclopedia II - The Invisible Man - 1975 - Invisible Man - David McCallum

Not the Nine O'Clock News was produced by John Lloyd, a mainstay in much of British comedy as well as the BBC Light Entertainment department. Lloyd pitched the idea of a sketch show to the heads of BBC Comedy and Light Entertainment, and was given a six-show series, on condition that he collaborate with Sean Hardie, who had worked previously in current affairs at the BBC. Their original cast list was Rowan Atkinson, Christopher Godwin, John Gorman, Chris Langham, Willoughby Goddard and Jonathan Hyde, and was scheduled to be bro ...

See also:

Not the Nine O'Clock News, Not the Nine O'Clock News - History, Not the Nine O'Clock News - Name and format, Not the Nine O'Clock News - Memorable sketches, Not the Nine O'Clock News - Commercial releases, Not the Nine O'Clock News - Video and DVD, Not the Nine O'Clock News - Audio, Not the Nine O'Clock News - Books and Misc

Read more here: » Not the Nine O'Clock News: Encyclopedia II - Not the Nine O'Clock News - History