I am the ghost of groovymother.com. Woooooo!
This is an old page from Rod Begbie's blog.
It only exists in an attempt to prevent linkrot. No new content will be added to this site, and links and images are liable to be broken. Check out begbie.com to find where I'm posting stuff these days.
Filed under 'comedy'
➠ July 23, 2012
Delving into Terry Gilliam's personal archive
Oh man. The comedy nerd in me is drooling. Terry Gilliam’s daughter is organizing his personal archives and blogging what she uncovers. Seeing some of the original bits of card he used for Monty Python animations brings back a lot of memories.
➠ March 27, 2012
➠ August 15, 2011
Comedy Podcast Inside News Corp. Feasts on a Scandal - NYTimes.com
NYTimes piece on The Bugle, the fab podcast from Andy Zaltzman and John Oliver. Highlight: The author translating the common emailed cry of “Fuck you, Chris” into “sending Mr. Skinner e-mail and Twitter messages telling him off”.
➠ May 5, 2011
BBC - Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, Social Stew
God, Stewart Lee is a funny, funny man.
➠ January 10, 2011
Gallery1988's "Is This Thing On" Art Show
Art for comedy nerds. I love the Orkan “ENLIST” poster.
➠ August 3, 2010
America has another bash at The IT Crowd
YouTube video of the 2008 pilot for a US remake of The IT Crowd, starring Joel McHale “as” Roy.
➠ March 26, 2010
➠ December 1, 2009
BBC Radio 4 - The Infinite Monkey Cage
Oh, BBC Radio, I could kiss you sometimes. A thirty minute show about science and comedy from Robin Ince and Brian Cox? With Dara O’Briain as a guest? And available as a podcast? YES PLEASE!
➠ November 6, 2009
➠ August 12, 2009
➠ June 12, 2009
Radio Spiritworld (Inter-dimensional)
“The only station broadcasting from the afterlife to the living world.” 30 minute radio show from Robert Popper and Peter Serafinowicz.
➠ May 29, 2009
Hulu - Peep Show
Attention Americans with senses of humour (sic): Hulu are now streaming the first series of top-notch British sitcom Peep Show. You should watch it, because it is bloody funny, and only mildly uncomfortably close to the bone.
➠ May 19, 2009
Everything Tracy Jordan Said
Every line delivered by Tracy Jordan in Season 3 of 30 Rock.
“Hi. I’m Tracy Jordan. My wife is throwing away some of our old towels. Do you want them cuz they’re out by the trash cans. Now that’s gots to be 30 seconds. Nine? OK, here comes the fun cooker.”
➠ April 20, 2009
Roger Ebert's Journal: Parrot asks, "What'd the frozen turkey want?"
Great Ebert column on comedy and joke-telling.
➠ December 29, 2008
➠ December 3, 2008
Prop 8 - The Musical
Massive amounts of awesomeness abound. Three solid minutes of musical greatness.
➠ November 4, 2008
On The Hour
The iconic BBC radio series (which gave way to The Day Today) finally gets a full CD release (including bonus material, such as Chris Morris’s fantastic flexidisc for Select Magazine). Subscribe to the podcast for snippets of genius.
➠ May 6, 2008
➠ April 9, 2008
Absolutely Everything DVD Box Set
The superb 90s sketch show Absolutely is finally getting a complete DVD release. Hurrah!
➠ March 21, 2008
Will This Judd Apatow Movie Be Any Good? Vulture Does the Math
It’s just simple science. Superbad > Anchorman > Talladega Nights
➠ March 9, 2008
This American Life: Tough Room
Excellent segment on This American Life about The Onion’s writing room. Skip about five minutes into the episode to find it.
➠ March 6, 2008
STEWART LEE - ENGLISH HECKLERS IN NEW ZEALAND
Stewart Lee’s essay on only needing, or *wanting*, 7,000 fans.
➠ December 20, 2007
BBC Radio 4 - Comedy - 28 Acts In 28 Minutes
Fast-paced stand-up and sketches from BBC Radio 4. The great thing about this format is if you don’t like an act, that’s fine — there’ll be another one along in a minute.
➠ April 12, 2007
➠ March 20, 2007
CRACKED.com - Sickboy Syndrome: Five Great Comedians Who've Lost It
I agree with all of them, except I never found Jim Carrey funny to begin with.
➠ March 2, 2007
The PopWatch Interview: Controversy on 'South Park,' what-what-what?!?
Trey Parker and Matt Stone hint that the season premiere of South Park is so controversy-prone, they can’t reveal its topic in case it gets pulled. Also coming soon: Cartman as Jack Bauer in a 24 spoof.
➠ February 26, 2007
Christopher Guest Jumps Into 'The Thick of It' - 'Best in Show' director helming ABC pilot - Zap2it
Christopher Guest is to direct the pilot of the US version of “The Thick of It”. Very cool.
➠ January 4, 2007
BBC NEWS | Opera treatment for Question Time
The creators of Jerry Springer The Opera are composing five 30-minute operas for the BBC, based on TV shows like Question Time and Wife Swap.
➠ November 25, 2006
Go Faster Stripe
Small start-up producing reasonably-priced stand-up comedy DVDs from comedians who aren’t mainstream enough for high-street stores. Starting off with a set the splendid Stewart Lee. Ordered!
➠ October 30, 2006
TIME.com: Borat Make Funny Joke On Idiot Americans! High-Five!
Ignore the shit headline, and you get a pretty good analysis of why Borat, Ali G, et al are so gut-wrenchingly funny to some, and just plain nasty to others.
IGN: New Series from Arrested Development's Creator
Mitch Hurwitz’s new project is a US port of the low-key British political sitcom “The Thick of It”.
➠ July 21, 2006
MediaGuardian.co.uk | Broadcast | NBC signs up YouTube sitcom
NBC’s commissioned six episodes of the sitcom “Nobody’s Watching”, after the rejected pilot garnered good reviews on YouTube.
➠ July 13, 2006
➠ June 14, 2006
➠ June 8, 2006
edfringe.com : official site of the edinburgh festival fringe
The programme for this year’s Fringe is out. Now I just have to decide what I want to see when we’re in Edinburgh in August. Decisions, decisions…
➠ April 30, 2006
OFF THE TELLY: Comedy: "Fool If You Think It's Over"
Incredible story of how a fan bought the DVD rights to the excellent, but forgotten, BBC sitcom “Joking Apart” (written by Stephen Moffat of Press Gang and Coupling fame). I only caught a couple of episodes, but loved it, and can’t wait to buy this.
➠ April 7, 2006
BBC Radio 4 -The Now Show
Auntie releases a Radio 4 comedy show for MP3 download & podcast. Hurrah! If they do this with the next series of Just a Minute and I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, I’m going to be a happy camper indeed.
➠ March 29, 2006
No More 'Development' for Hurwitz - Creator's decision may spell end of series - Zap2it
Hopes for a return of Arrested Development are dashed. No worries — It ended on such a pitch-perfect note that I almost don’t want them to return for fear of pissing on their legacy.
➠ March 17, 2006
➠ March 4, 2006
YouTube - O! News
Silly little Oscars news parody from Peter Serafinowicz — Apparently just made for fun. His Alan Alda impression is spookily good.
➠ January 27, 2006
Channel4.com - IT Crowd
Channel 4 are streaming the first episode of Graham Linehan’s new sitcom. It’s good, but not great, but then I didn’t think the first episodes of either Father Ted or Black Books were all that good, but the series turned out to be fantastic.
➠ January 13, 2006
➠ December 19, 2005
➠ December 2, 2005
➠ November 18, 2005
Bill Hicks: Salvation
I happened upon this last week, and it’s bloody fantastic. A complete unedited 100-minute Bill Hicks act from 1992. Due to his early death, Hicks gets a lot of messianic hyperbole, but listening to this act, it’s a reminder that a) he was a very smart guy getting angry at the same stuff that’s still going on today in America, and b) he is an incredibly talented stand-up, whose skill at reading the audience and winning them back round with dick jokes after losing them to rants on US politics is nothing short of masterful.
➠ October 16, 2005
➠ September 24, 2005
➠ September 14, 2005
About This Site
This is an archive of groovmother.com, the old blog run by Rod Begbie — A Scottish geek who lives in San Francisco, CA.
I'm the co-founder of Sōsh, your handy-dandy guide for things to do in San Francisco this weekend.