
Acting
Paul James O'Grady, MBE DL (14 June 1955 - 28 March 2023) was an English comedian, television presenter, actor, writer and radio disc jockey. He achieved fame using his comedic drag queen character, "Lily Savage", and later became well known for presenting TV programmes as himself, such as The Paul O'Grady Show. Born to a working-class Irish family in Birkenhead, he attended Blessed Edward Campion Secondary Modern School, in Claughton Village, Birkenhead, Cheshire (now Merseyside). O'Grady moved to London in the late-1970s, there working as a peripatetic care officer for Camden Council. It was here in 1978 that he developed his drag act, basing the character of Lily Savage upon traits found amongst female relatives. Touring northern England as part of drag mime duo, the Playgirls, he eventually went solo as a stand-up comedian. Performing as Savage for eight years at a South London gay pub, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT), he gained a popular following among the city's gay community and used his character to speak out for LGBT rights. After being nominated for a 1992 Perrier Award, he attracted mainstream attention and made various television, radio, and theatrical appearances. As Savage, he presented morning chat show The Big Breakfast (1995–96), game show Blankety Blank (1997–2002) and comedy series Lily Live! (2000–01), earning various awards and becoming a well known public figure. Seeking to diversify his career away from Savage, O'Grady starred in BBC sitcom Eyes Down (2003–04) and presented two travel documentaries for ITV. In 2004, he began presenting ITV's daytime chat show The Paul O'Grady Show, which proved a hit with audiences. After the network refused to transfer creative control of the series to O'Grady's production company, Olga TV, in 2006 he defected to rival Channel 4, where the show was rebranded as The New Paul O'Grady Show and ran until 2009. O'Grady subsequently presented a late night ITV show, Paul O'Grady Live (2010–11) as well as Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs (which ran from 2012 until his death in 2023) and Paul O'Grady's Animal Orphans (2014–2016), while presenting BBC Radio 2's Paul O'Grady on the Wireless and publishing a four-volume autobiography. O'Grady received a variety of awards, among them honorary degrees and an MBE in the 2008 Birthday Honours for services to entertainment. He died on 28th March 2023 aged 67.

Enjoy the outrageous and flamboyant First Lady of British Comedy, Lily Savage, as she performs her incredibly hysterical live show before a star-studded audience.

ITV pays tribute to the iconic and much-loved entertainer Paul O'Grady in this special celebratory film, featuring highlights from his incredible career and interviews with those who knew him best. Celebratory documentary broadcast following the death of the comedian and presenter. Features Paul O'Grady

Multi award-winning TV personality Paul O'Grady stars as Lily Savage, the Scouse bombshell who catapulted him to superstardom. From her Lambeth Council flat to top billing on television and on the West End stage, this stand-up special spans Lily's career from her 1959 Miss Pears triumph to numerous shop-lifting convictions and finally her international sex-kitten status.

From her Lambeth council flat to top billing on television and the West End stage comes the Scouse bombshell who's shaken British comedy to it's foundations; Lily Savage is live, loud and very, very funny.

After 50 years in the business, Mr. David Raven still performs as 'Maisie Trollette', Britain's Oldest Drag Artiste. But as his 85th birthday approaches, we see the challenges this brings, and when he meets fellow Drag Queen, Darcelle XV from America, Guinness World Record Holder at 87, professional rivalries flare between our feisty Pantomime Dame and the regal Pageant Queen.

In the late Eighties, there had been a series of comedy concerts (modelled on the Amnesty International “Secret Policeman’s Ball series”) to raise both awareness and raw cash for HIV/AIDS charities. The series was called Hysteria to reflect the hysteria (and downright untruths) surrounding the issue of HIV/AIDS. The last one of these had been in 1989, so in 1994, Pozzitive set out to revive the idea of a fundraiser with “Filth!” a night of comedy and music at the Sadlers Wells theatre, on Sunday 24 April. In fact, so many comedians and writers said “yes” to the idea, that we hit on the notion of doing two shows in one evening back to back. The first show was hosted by Lynn Ferguson and Arthur Smith, the second show by Mark Lamarr. Artists involved in the show included Tom Robinson, Steve Coogan, Spitting Image, Eddie Izzard, Jo Brand, Jeremy Hardy and Ben Elton.

Lily Savage performs her first live tour in four years, captured here at the 1998 Edinburgh Festival. Lily pulls no punches in an act designed to demonstrate that, despite her mainstream television breakthrough with 'Blankety Blank', she is still as outrageous as ever.

Doumentary telling the story of Cilla Black, who rose from working-class roots in Liverpool to become one of the nation's most successful and best-loved singers, presenters and all-round entertainers.
Shot live at the one off Comic Aid benefit gig at London’s Carling Apollo – which sold out in just three and a half minutes of tickets being put on sale – the DVD features the entire uncut show for all those unfortunate enough to have missed out on tickets. The 3 hour show sees Jonathan Ross, Jack Dee, Graham Norton, Julian Clary, and Lily Savage host a stellar comic line-up that includes; Lee Evans, Dawn French, Jimmy Carr, Ardal O’Hanlon, Johnny Vegas, Bill Bailey, Bo’ Selecta! star The Bear, Jo Brand, Jon Culshaw, Omid Djalili, Otis Lee Crenshaw, Eddie Izzard, The League Of Gentlemen with Miranda Richardson, Alistair McGowan, Dylan Moran, Dave Spikey, Simon Pegg & Jessica Stevenson. Psychological illusionist Derren Brown and international percussion sensation Stomp also present their own unique blend of stage entertainment.

A small-time Belfast thief, Gerry Conlon, is wrongly convicted of an IRA bombing in London, along with his father and friends, and spends 15 years in prison fighting to prove his innocence.

In the late Eighties, there had been a series of comedy concerts (modelled on the Amnesty International “Secret Policeman’s Ball series”) to raise both awareness and raw cash for HIV/AIDS charities. The series was called Hysteria to reflect the hysteria (and downright untruths) surrounding the issue of HIV/AIDS. The last one of these had been in 1989, so in 1994, Pozzitive set out to revive the idea of a fundraiser with “Filth!” a night of comedy and music at the Sadlers Wells theatre, on Sunday 24 April. In fact, so many comedians and writers said “yes” to the idea, that we hit on the notion of doing two shows in one evening back to back. The first show was hosted by Lynn Ferguson and Arthur Smith, the second show by Mark Lamarr. Artists involved in the show included Tom Robinson, Steve Coogan, Spitting Image, Eddie Izzard, Jo Brand, Jeremy Hardy and Ben Elton.

Enjoy the outrageous and flamboyant First Lady of British Comedy, Lily Savage, as she performs her incredibly hysterical live show before a star-studded audience.

A specially created compilation of unused material from her incredibly successful 1998 BBC series
