The Armstrong & Miller Show
Armstrong and Miller
Ben Miller and Alexander Armstrong first appeared together in their eponymous Channel 4 series, jointly produced with the Paramount Comedy Channel, which aired from January 1998.
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In the first series they presented a spoof costume drama Brunswicke Park; Hollywood octogenarians Kip and Tam; lame detectives Parsons and Lampkin – and Lampkin's friend Steve; Flavia and Venetia, the frightening owners of the Tiny Vegetarian Restaurant; the dodgy Fairground Assistants; and old favourites Strijka.
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The second series added new faces and sketches, including a reprise of Nude Practice; Force on the Case, featuring Jack Force, an alcoholic version of Inspector Morse who had an imaginary sidekick called Mr Chuffy; and hip presenters Craig Children ("of The Independent On Sunday") and Martin Bain-Jones ("of The Daily Telegraph").
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Series three featured more of the same with ever more risqué editions of Nude Practice and further visits with "the caring teacher", a man who is marvelous with his pupils until the school bell rings, upon which he become surly and disinterested. There were also regular visits to Big Hose House, a strange spoof on Big Brother, where the two contestants were constantly soaked.
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A delightful surrealistic edge ran through the shows, particularly evident in such sketches as the recurring Japanese kids segment, where the cast spoke in cod-Japanese with subtitles.
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The duo also had their own radio station on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4 in March 1998 which featured many of the sketches and characters from their TV series. A second show, Children's Hour With Armstrong & Miller, was on Radio 4 in December 1998 and featured their Craig Children and Martin Bain-Jones characters as hosts of a spoof cultural review.
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Alexander Armstrong
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Alexander Armstrong studied at Trinity College, Cambridge and was a member of the college choir. In 1992 he met Ben Miller, who was also in the Cambridge Footlights, and they formed the comedy duo Armstrong & Miller. Xander decided not to pursue his career as a professional bass singer, and turned to acting instead.
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Television credits include: Mutual Friends (Hat Trick/³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One); Have I Got News For You; Don't Call Me Stupid; The Trial Of Tony Blair (ITV); Best Of The Worst; Hotel Babylon (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ); Open Wide (Talkback); Miss Marple – A Murder Is Announced (ITV); Three Series Of Life Begins (ITV); TLC (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ); Dr Terrible (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ); I Saw You (Granada); Murder Rooms (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ); The Sight (Sky); Two Series Of Beast (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ); Four Series Of Armstrong & Miller (Channel 4); Saturday Live (TWT); Barrier Island (Paramount); Troma (Bravo); Jane Horrocks Special (Hat Trick); Sharpe's Regiment; Thin Blue Line (Tiger Aspect); Bravo; Sardines (Talkback); Harry Enfield And Chums (Hat Trick); A Breed Of Heroes (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ) and the Comedy Club.
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Films appearances include: Match Point (directed by Woody Allen); Churchill – The Hollywood Years; Birthday Girl and Plunkett And Macleane.
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Theatre Includes: 24 Hour Plays (Old Vic); ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ And Beauty (Lyric Theatre); The Quality Shag (London Comedy Festival); Perrier Award Nominee (Brighton Pleasance, Edinburgh) and Bare Naked Fighting (Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh Festival).
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Radio includes: Best Of The Worst (Channel 4); The World Of Milton Jones (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4) and Audio Diaries (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4). Xander will also be very familiar to television audiences from his starring role in numerous adverts for Pimms.
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Ben Miller
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Ben Miller studied for a PHD in Physics (specifically "novel quantum effects in quasi zero-dimensional mesoscopic electrical systems") at Cambridge University.
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Television appearances include: Moving Wallpaper (ITV/Kudos); Primeval (Impossible Pictures); Worst Christmas Of My Life (Hat Trick/³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One); two series of The Worst Week Of My Life (Hat Trick/³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One); Malice Aforethought (ITV); Miss Marple – The Body In The Library (ITV); Doc Martin (ITV); Jeffrey Archer: The Truth (ITV); The Book Group (Channel 4); Blind Date (LWT); Coming Soon (Channel 4); Passion Killers (Granada); four series of Armstrong & Miller (Channel 4/Paramount); Saturday Live (LWT); Paul Merton Series 1993 (Hat Trick); Young Indy (Lucas Films); Don And George (Absolutely); French And Saunders (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ); Jerry Sadowitz (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ); Murder Most Horrid (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ) and Smith And Jones (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ).
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Films include: Razzle Dazzle; The Prince And Me; Johnny English; The Actors, Parole Officer; Birthday Girl and Plunkett And Macleane.
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Theatre includes: The Quality Shag (Edinburgh Festival '96); Bare Naked Fighting (Edinburgh Festival '94); Huge (Edinburgh Festival '93); The Heartbreak Kid (Assembly Rooms); Hamlet; Gone With Noakes (Pleasance – Perrier Pick Of The Fringe Award); The Trench Kiss (Edinburgh); and Killers (Assembly Rooms).
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Radio includes: Artists; The Young Postmen and Armstrong & Miller (all ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4).
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