Carry On Films To Return!
The Carry On films are making a big screen comeback. The long-running comedy series, which began with Carry On Sergeant in 1958, will return with two new films after a 24-year absence. The first film to go into production will be Carry On Doctors, followed by Carry On Campus.
Producer Jonathan Sothcott, CEO of Hereford Films which is behind the project, said the new entries in the franchise wouldn’t be “a remake or an attempt to reinvent the wheel”.
He added: “We won’t be trying to find new Sids or Kenneths – we’re looking to create a whole new ensemble of brilliant British comedic actors. No stunt casting. No big American stars.
“This will be British film at its best, as the truly remarkable heritage deserves.”
Cast and filming dates for the new films are to be announced.
Source BBC News
Of course we’ve been here before. First of all we had the return of the Carry On series with Carry On Columbus in 1992. The film had an all star cast including original Carry On stars Jim Dale and June Whitfield. However the film failed to live up to it’s predecessors and that was what we thought was the end of the road for the franchise. In 2003 rumours began to circulate about a retun to the series with Carry On London, stories attached to it remained in circulation well into 2008, even legendary Carry On producer Peter Rogers said at the 50th anniversary party held at Pinewood Studios in March 2008, that he was planning a series of Carry On films after London, subject to the success of the first.
When in 2009 Peter Rogers died the project was shelved. As for the next generation we’ll have to wait and see, it was a franchise of it’s time with a stella cast many of whom have now passed away. I’m not sure that even on the big screen you’d get away with the saucy humour today, but I’d like to them at least try.
BBC Landmark Comedy Season, Still No Dates
We are now less than a month away from the launch of the BBC’s landmark comedy season and as far as we casn ascertain still no firm dates for transmission.
As previously reported it kicks off with a live episode of Mrs Brown’s Boys on BBC1 in June. Also on the BBC we will see a new episode of Up Pompeii, or this is the impression we get from the BBC. Earlier the BBC website reported that this would go out on BBC1 sources now indicate that nothing has been confirmed yet, but it will be one of the mainstream BBC channels BBC1 or BBC2. There are of course six other classic sitcoms getting the remake treatment: Porridge, Keeping Up Appearences, Hancock’s Half Hour, Steptoe and Son, Are you Being Served and Till Death Us Do Part. Perhaps we can blame it on the football but these shows will air on BBC4.
Casting details have already been announced and we know that the Steptoe episode, A Winter’s Tale will be in colour (the existing copy in the BBC archive is black and white). It seems strange that the risque Up Pompeii should get it’s showing on BBC1. However the new script is written by: Paul Minett and Brian Leveson, who also wrote the revival Further Up Pompeii in 1991. Few details seem to exist on casting and whether or not it’s a remake or a fresh script so we’ve asked someone in the know and will report back when we know.
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