17 Responses to RIP Ronnie Barker

  1. Andrew says:
    October 4, 2005 at 9:38 am

    Here’s my (Don’t) Have Your Say tribute to Ronnie:

    A great loss to British comedy – but what a treasure trove of laughs dear old Ronnie has left for us to laugh our way through. A marvellous man.

    I wonder if the censors will pass it!

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  2. Ian Barnes says:
    October 4, 2005 at 9:58 am

    A Legend, i will miss him. He was a great guy. Humble, but extremely affable.

    “Its good night from me, and its good night from him.”

    God Bless

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  3. Anti Aunty says:
    October 4, 2005 at 10:45 am

    A great comic talent who will be sadly missed.

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  4. Frank P says:
    October 4, 2005 at 10:53 am

    Dear Old Ronnie! Well it means we will get a week or so of good repeats and reminiscences; a chance for the other Ronnie to make a few bob. Just imagine the reunion party in Heaven when Ronnie Barker and Gerald Wiley simultaneously arrived. Luckily most of his best work lives on and will be enjoyed by our descendants for many years, or until Sharia Law becomes universal anyway.

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  5. Mark says:
    October 4, 2005 at 11:51 am

    Particularly enjoyable were the musical numbers at the end of each Two Ronnies show, especially in the eariler years.

    My favourites were:

    With the Aldershot Brass Band

    The Short & Fat Minstrel Show (so unPC !)

    Gilbert & Sullivan Tribute

    The Plumstead Ladies’ Male Voice Choir

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  6. David H says:
    October 4, 2005 at 12:16 pm

    Very sad news indeed, and a remimnder of just how good BBC entertainmant was in its heyday. Ronnie Barker’s portrayal of Fletcher in Porridge was one of the greatest acting performances (not just comedy acting) ever seen on stage or TV.

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  7. Pete_London says:
    October 4, 2005 at 2:40 pm

    David H

    I couldn’t agree more, a sad day. I defy anyone to watch him as Fletcher in Porridge and Arkwright in Open All Hours and say that is clearly the same actor. Easily the greatest British comic actor ever.

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  8. Grimer says:
    October 4, 2005 at 4:05 pm

    “Four Candles”

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  9. Andrew says:
    October 4, 2005 at 4:08 pm

    I liked the one about the toilets being stolen at the local nick – apparently the police have nothing to go on… 🙂

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  10. NW says:
    October 4, 2005 at 5:04 pm

    Agreed. A sad passing.

    Surely the best sketch was the one where Ronnie Barker was a contestant on Mastermind and his specialist subject being answering the question before last. Brilliant.

    Does anybody remember who wrote it? I’m thinking Croft and Perry, but I could be wrong.

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  11. Kulibar Tree says:
    October 4, 2005 at 5:36 pm

    My favourite was the end news item with Barker saying (in more innocent times) that they were hoping to have an interview with Albert, the human bomb, but he’d gone off on holiday.

    RIP

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  12. Tom says:
    October 4, 2005 at 8:45 pm

    The two “village idiots” sketch:
    “Ere, think of a number between one and three.”
    “Oooooh, nooo, oi carn’t do that”.
    “Why not?”
    “Oi’m ‘aving my dinner between one and three”.
    RIP Ronnie.

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  13. Mick McD says:
    October 4, 2005 at 9:03 pm

    NW at 5.09pm
    “Does anybody remember who wrote it? I’m thinking Croft and Perry, but I could be wrong.”

    It could well have been Ronnie himself – he submitted a lot of material anonymously under the pen name “Gerald Wiley”

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  14. Paul says:
    October 5, 2005 at 12:21 am

    I was a spotty young teenager in his pomp and thought him amazingly funny. In fact, to be on topic, the seventies were the last time the TV licence seemed “worth it”. Of course, I didn’t actually have to pay it. Thanks Mum and Dad.

    Was the BBC so awful back then? I don’t think so.

    But I was “brought up” on the BBC and would not have known any difference. Does anybody have any comment on the old days?

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  15. Tom says:
    October 5, 2005 at 1:44 am

    Just reading “four candles” made me laugh. Classic!

    The corner shop has closed, RIP

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  16. James Gaussen says:
    October 5, 2005 at 7:28 am

    And of course, unlike most modern “comedians”, RB was not obviously a Leftist; he kept his political views to himself. And, as other posters have shown, he was very, very funny. RIP, Ronnie.

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  17. Mark says:
    October 5, 2005 at 9:37 am

    Another classic sketch in the “Fork Handles” mould was “Crossed Lines” by David Renwick, where Ronnie B and Ronnie C were calling their wives from two separate phone booths. It went something like that:

    RB: “..I’ll be taking you somewhere romantic tonight.”

    RC: “Sainsbury’s.”

    RB: “What perfume will you be wearing ?”

    RC: “Cheese & onion, salt ‘n’ vinegar …”

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