May 1 , 2008
For Immediate Release

WKNO to air CHOOSE OUR NEXT BRITCOM marathon

British comedy (Britcom) has been a long-time staple of WKNO’s television schedule. Many of these series have been airing for several years on Channel 10. On June 30, the two-year contracts expire for As Time Goes By and Last of the Summer Wine and WKNO will let viewers decide whether they want to continue with the familiar series or try something new.

On two Sundays, June 1 and June 8 from 8:00 – 11:00 p.m., WKNO will present the Choose Our Next Britcom Marathon. During these three-hour blocks, WKNO will present one episode of six different series. Viewers will have the option of renewing As Time Goes By, getting new episodes of Last of the Summer Wine or trying a new series like ‘Allo ‘Allo!, To the Manor Born, Ever Decreasing Circles or My Hero. WKNO will ask then viewers to vote online or by phone for two choices for the Britcom lineup.

The current contracts on two other Britcoms, Are You Being Served? and Keeping Up Appearances, do not expire until June of 2009.

“We often hear from viewers that they love our Britcoms but are ready to see something different,” said WKNO Program Manager Debi Robertson. “But we also hear from viewers that they hope we never take off their favorite series. Britcoms are costly and we want to use our members’ dollars wisely, so we thought the Choose Our Next Britcom Marathon would offer a great opportunity for our viewers tell us what they want – their old favorites or new choices.”

After watching the selections on June 1 and 8, viewers can vote for two choices online at wkno.org or by calling 901-325-6523. Voting will end on June 13. The new Britcoms will begin in July.

Up For Renewal:

As Time Goes By, which was originally produced by the BBC in the 1990s, stars Dame Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer as a couple in their 60s who meet and fall in love after a 40-year separation.

Last of the Summer Wine has been delighting audiences since 1973, making it the longest-running sitcom in the world. Still producing new episodes, this favorite features the antics of a group senior citizens set in a picturesque village in the Yorkshire Dales, one of the most beautiful parts of England.

New Choices:

‘Allo ‘Allo! is set in a small café in occupied France. With the German Army in residence at the bar, the proprietor Rene is risking his neck to aid the Resistance by hiding two British airmen and a radio transmitter upstairs. He’s also trying to hide his affair with two waitresses from his wife. ‘Allo ‘Allo! originally ran on British television from 1982 to 1992.

Ever Decreasing Circles originally aired on British television from 1984 to 1987. This series features the situations encountered by control freak Martin when laid-back Paul moves into his neighborhood.

My Hero is the newest of the British comedy choices, having originally aired from 2000 to 2006 on British television. This quirky series follows the adventures of health-food shop-owner George Sunday, alias the world’s most famous superhero, Thermoman.

In To the Manor Born the snobbish Lady fforbes-Hamilton becomes a happy widower upon the death of her husband. But in the face of her late husband’s creditors, bank, and the government, she can no longer afford to maintain the family’s hold on Grantleigh Manor. It originally aired from 1979 to 1981 in Britain.

WKNO is a non-profit, private foundation serving the Mid-South for more than 50 years. An important community resource, WKNO uses the power of non-commercial public broadcasting to provide the Mid-South with quality educational and cultural programs that inform, entertain, and inspire.

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