Comments on: John Ryan is Dead

By: Salient

Salient — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:32:52 +0000

This is just adorable:

Tom: “Tell them a joke or something!”

Captain: “Oh yes… mm hmm… Master Mate, what’s the difference between a cannonball and a cauliflower?”

MM: “Ddddddon’t know… I’m sure, Captain.”

Captain (laughing): “That’s the last time I send you out shopping!”

By: vivian

vivian — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:13:47 +0000

Then I apologize for repeating it and ask you to delete the comment.

By: Harry

Harry — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:03:56 +0000

The Mitchell and Webb thread says that Richard Digance invented and spread that particular urban legend. Ryan was deeply, deeply, hurt by it, as someone whose own inventions manifested a wonderful childlike innocence, without any of the dodgy aspects of, say, Alice in Wonderland. If Digance did, indeed, invent it, clever as it is, he should be sorry about it.

The “new” Pugwash is readily available on DVD, but its very hard, if not impossible, to get hold of the old Pugwashes. Maybe they’ll come out now.

By: vivian

vivian — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 02:01:23 +0000

You always spark the most… peculiar conversations with the (brit) spouse.

“Who’s John Ryan?”
“No idea, why?”
“Well, there’s this crookedtimber thread—”
“Oh, yes! He had a show called Captain Pugwash, featuring Master Bates, Screw the Cabin Boy and…”
“What, on BBC radio?”
“No, television.”
“…?”

Then follows an hour or so of happy youtubing adventures.

By: Harry

Harry — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:28:02 +0000

That’s great. There’s a fine one from Alexie Sayle’s Stuff too, but I couldn’t find it anywhere.

By: Anonymous37

Anonymous37 — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:31:23 +0000

Which brings to mind the Mitchell and Webb sketch on British children's TV.

By: harry b

harry b — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:54:00 +0000

Aha, amazon uk has it here, and dead cheap unsurprisingly! Pity no-one has a videoplayer any more.

By: kid bitzer

kid bitzer — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:43:12 +0000

jackanory, right.

By: harry b

harry b — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:24:42 +0000

Yes, I remember. It was done on VHS in the US, and amazon has a page for it here but none are currently available. It was Jackanory.

By: kid bitzer

kid bitzer — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:14:49 +0000

speaking of british childrens’ tv:

does anyone else remember willie rushton’s reading of winnie the pooh?

he wanders through a wooded park somewhere, reciting it, and he’s brilliant.

doesn’t seem to be on youtube, alas.

By: Chris Williams

Chris Williams — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 19:10:11 +0000

Chad Varah, Ryan – I think that we’ve now seen the last of the ‘Eagle’ generation, more’s the pity.