Lead Balloon is a British television series produced by Open Mike Productions for BBC Four. The series was created and is co-written by comedian Jack Dee and Pete Sinclair. It stars Dee as Rick Spleen, a cynical and misanthropic comedian whose life is plagued by petty annoyances, disappointments and embarrassments. Raquel Cassidy, Sean Power and Tony Gardner also star. The first series of six episodes was broadcast on BBC Four in 2006, with the first episode achieving the highest ratings for a comedy on the channel. Repeats of the series were run on BBC Two and BBC HD, bringing it to a larger audience. A second series of eight episodes aired on BBC Two in November 2007, and a third series began airing in November 2008. A fourth and final series commenced broadcast on 31 May 2011 on BBC Two and ended on 5 July.
Comparisons were made by critics to the successful American comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm, and positive comments were made about Lead Balloon's characters, particularly Magda, the Eastern European housekeeper.
When Nick Garrett was 18, he packed up his truck and said goodbye for a summer road trip that turned into 10 years of being away. He has since become a literary celebrity in New York, living off the fame and fortune of his best-selling novel and movie, based on his hometown friends. To the literary world, Nick defined a generation, but to his hometown, he betrayed them by sharing secrets. Now, without inspiration for a new book, Nick returns to his hometown to find that feelings toward him have changed.
This series reveals recent natural disasters as they happened in real-time through footage captured by eyewitnesses who found themselves in the wrong place at the right time and boldly held up their camera phones to capture the eye of the storm.
Over two extraordinary years, National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory discovered never-before-filmed secret traditions, surprising intelligence and close-knit societies of penguins. This astonishing series reveals they are more like us than we ever dreamed, from their powerful friendships to the courageous risk-takers using ingenuity and innovation in some of the world's most extreme places.
Throughout the history of comedy, many comedians have lost themselves to the art’s darker side, through addiction, suicide, depression and self-destruction. Dark Side of Comedy explores these stories, shining a new light on comedy’s darkest corners.
After a whirlwind romance, Olivia finds herself as the mistress of the imposing Foxworth Hall, where she soon discovers that the fairy tale life she expected has quickly become a nightmare.
Explore the revolutionary life of one of the 18th century’s most consequential and compelling personalities, whose work and words unlocked the mystery of electricity and helped create the United States.
Explore the hidden truths behind the fable and philosophy of the Playboy empire through a modern-day lens. The documentary series delves into the complex world Hugh Hefner created and examines its far-reaching consequences on our culture’s view of power and sexuality.
Sasha, a 25-year-old wannabe singer and rapper thrown out of home, but right now she’s a bedroom artist spending her days smoking weed, stalking her ex-boyfriend on social media and avoiding her family.
Sixth-grader Nate Wright has a never-ending need to prove his awesomeness to the world. Whether he’s dealing with disasters at home or detention at school, Nate is no stranger to a challenge. Luckily, he’s able to express himself through the world of cartoons that he creates. Charming, mischievous and a magnet for misadventure – trouble is always fun when Nate is around.
When Army surgeon Jeffrey MacDonald is sent to prison for killing his family, a storm of swirling narratives challenges our very ability to find the truth all the while overshadowing a chilling possibility: MacDonald may be an innocent man. Based on the best-selling book by Errol Morris.
It is not easy to make an appointment with the in-demand 40-year-old Moscow psychotherapist Oleg. To his clients, he seems to be a successful and independent family man, while passions are raging inside him, he himself needs qualified help from a specialist, and his wife went missing a little over a year ago.
A normal girl’s life is made extraordinary by her best friend – an unpredictable, outrageous, and hilarious talking pony. No matter the complications he causes, Annie knows that everything is better when Pony is around.
Two recent community-college graduates get stuck working at Rent-T-Own in the Chicago neighborhood of Englewood and work to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams.
Dave Turin visits several disused gold mines around the Western United States and decides which mine to get up and running, turning it into a profitable, working mine.
Experts dive deep into the secrets of Ancient Egypt, and use cutting-edge archaeological technology to reveal the hidden truths that could potentially answer questions that have befuddled Egyptologists for generations.
In this hidden camera prank show, celebrities are transformed by a team of special effects artists to go undercover as substitute teachers to surprise a class of unsuspecting students. A $25,000 donation will be made to each school.
Follow Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin as they run the extraordinary Australia Zoo in the bushlands of northern Australia. Caring for over 1,200 animals, overseeing a world-class wildlife hospital, and conducting high-octane global conservation expeditions, the Irwins’ lives are full of adventure, fueled by their love of animals and passion for protecting them.