Douglas Hodge (2005); ITV's 2007 adaptation of "Mansfield Park", as Sir Thomas Bertram; and the made-for-TV film "Lift", directed by James Hawes, a 2007 Hartswood Films production for BBC Four, as Paul Sykes, "a constantly exasperated, highly-strung middle-aged businessman with commitments.". In 2010, he appeared in the episode "The Restaurant" of the third series of the popular BBC sitcom "Outnumbered" as Brick Bolenger, an American therapist who is married to Auntie Angela (played by Samantha Bond). The character is involved in a story line of the fourth series in 2011, but never appears on screen. In 2012, Hodge had a prominent role
Television comedy a variety program but soon devoted mostly to sketches. In the UK, two of the more successful examples are "Monty Python's Flying Circus" and "Little Britain". Stand-up comedy has been fairly well represented on television. Stand-up comedians have long been a staple of variety and late-night talk shows; indeed, talk-variety shows such as "The Tonight Show" traditionally open with a comedy monologue performed by the program host. Television stand-up reached a peak of popularity on British schedules with the immensely popular ITV programme "The Comedians". Their style of comedy was swept away almost entirely in the Britain of the early