Comments on: Ronnie Barker is dead

By: Shane Dunphy

Shane Dunphy — Thu, 06 Oct 2005 15:30:56 +0000

Have been meaning to post something about Ronnie Barker and his sad death. I grew up watching The Two Ronnies, and have always had a soft spot for Porridge. Watching a retrospective the night before last, I was struck by how much of his work I remembered, and just how incredibly funny it still is. He was an incredibly talented writer and a brilliant comedian, but also a tremendously gifted actor. I for one will sorely miss him.

By: nick s

nick s — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 00:29:38 +0000

Barker was one of many comedians and writers to get his big break in the post-war BBC radio comedies, as opposed to the music-hall. That’s the big difference between the Two Ronnies and, say, Morecambe and Wise or Les Dawson: there was much more verbal than physical comedy. The top-and-tail ‘newsreader’ bits could have worked equally well on the radio.

Anyway, we should light four candles for him.

By: Scott Simmons

Scott Simmons — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 20:40:48 +0000

“The Grauniad has the ‘pismonouciation’ sketch here:”

Gosh, that would be really helpful to have, if I hadn’t already memorized it. It’s not the same without his delivery, anyway …

(Sniff.) Bye, Ronnie.

By: Urinated State of America

Urinated State of America — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 17:57:48 +0000

The Phantom Raspberry Blower has blown his last.

By: johnhayter

johnhayter — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 14:50:21 +0000

Indeed—the E.J. Thribb (aged 17 1/2) basically writes itself next week.

As, I’m afraid, do the headlines in tomorrow’s tabs.

By: P ONeill

P ONeill — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 14:28:19 +0000

[unable to help self]

Indeed—the E.J. Thribb (aged 17 1/2) basically writes itself next week.

By: Syd Webb

Syd Webb — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 14:19:34 +0000

I was surprised to see how young he was – born as recently as 1929.

When watching him on the telly in the 1970s – he could only have been in in 40s – he looked fairly old.

The last few months have not been good for TV comics.

By: harry b

harry b — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 14:11:25 +0000

He wrote under the name Gerald Wiley—first because he wanted no favouritism in selction of sketches (on TW3 I think) and then just because it stuck. Several books particularly commend GW’s contributions to the Two Ronnies, without any apparent awareness of GW’s identity, so RB must have been pleased by that.

I loved the word play. And the fantastic radio performances in The Navy Lark (him and Jon Pertwee together are hilarious, even when you know exactly what they are going to say).

By: Chris Williams

Chris Williams — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 14:08:59 +0000

The Grauniad has the ‘pismonouciation’ sketch here:

http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1584727,00.html

Pure genius.

By: Kieran Healy

Kieran Healy — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 13:58:44 +0000

I’ve always thought their Mastermind sketch—the one where the contestant’s specialty subject is “Answering the question before last”—is a terrific piece of writing. Don’t know if Barker wrote it, though.

By: Randy Paul

Randy Paul — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 13:28:34 +0000

So I guess it’s down to one Ronnie.

By: Kieran Healy

Kieran Healy — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 13:11:57 +0000

[unable to help self]

So it’s goodnight from him, then.