Ronnie Barker
Born
25 September 1929(1929-09-25) Bedford, Bedfordshire, England
Died
3 October 2005 (aged 76) Dean (near Chipping Norton), Oxfordshire, England
Occupation
Actor, writer, comedian
Career milestones
The Frost Report (1966) The Two Ronnies (1971-1987, 2004) Porridge (1974-1977) Open All Hours (1976-1985)
Website
BBC comedy profile

Ronald William George Barker, OBE (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005), popularly known as Ronnie Barker was an English comic actor and writer. His best-known appearances were alongside his long-time comedy partner, Ronnie Corbett, in the very popular TV variety show The Two Ronnies; as Norman Stanley "Fletch" Fletcher in the sitcom Porridge and its BAFTA award winning sequel Going Straight; and as Arkwright, in Open All Hours, which also starred David Jason. His skills as a character actor, his love for and facility with the English language, and his gift for comedy made him a much-respected performer. [1] {fair use} File links The following pages link to this file: Ronnie Barker ... is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... This article is about the English county town. ... Bedfordshire (abbreviated Beds) is a county in England that forms part of the East of England region. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , Chipping Norton is a town in Oxfordshire, England, located north west of Oxford. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from the Latinised form Oxonia) is a county in the South East of England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. ... For other uses, see Actor (disambiguation). ... A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... A comedian, or comic, is an entertainer who amuses an audience by making them laugh. ... The Frost Report was a satirical television show hosted by Sir David Frost. ... The Two Ronnies was a British sketch show that aired on BBC One from 1971 to 1987. ... Porridge was a British BBC television sitcom (1974–1977), written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais and starring Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale. ... Open All Hours was a BBC sitcom written by Roy Clarke which ran for four series (26 episodes in all) between 1976 and 1985, with a pilot episode from the Seven of One series in 1973. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The word comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humor with an intent to provoke laughter in general). ... For other uses, see Actor (disambiguation). ... A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... Ronnie Corbett in Extras Ronald Balfour Corbett, OBE (born 4 December 1930 in Edinburgh, commonly credited as Ronnie Corbett) is a British comedian and actor, best known as one of The Two Ronnies. ... The Two Ronnies was a British sketch show that aired on BBC One from 1971 to 1987. ... Porridge is a British BBC television sitcom (1974–1977), written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais and starring Ronnie Barker. ... The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organization that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ... Going Straight was a BBC sitcom which emerged as a direct spin-off from Porridge, starring Ronnie Barker as prisoner Norman Stanley Fletcher, newly released from the fictional Slade prison where Porridge had been set. ... Open All Hours was a BBC sitcom written by Roy Clarke which ran for four series (26 episodes in all) between 1976 and 1985, with a pilot episode from the Seven of One series in 1973. ... Sir David John White, OBE known by his stage name David Jason (born 2 February 1940) is a highly regarded English actor, admired equally for his dramatic work as for his comedy roles. ... A character actor is an actor, especially in motion pictures, who predominantly performs in similar roles throughout the course of a career. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Beginnings

Barker was born in Bedford in Bedfordshire. He had two sisters; Vera (his older sister) and Eileen (his younger sister). The family moved to Oxford when his father, a clerk for Shell Oil, was relocated, when Barker was two years old. He took to writing plays for his family and neighbours, and often sat in the audience of The Oxford Playhouse, his local repertory company, dreaming of fame. Barker attended the City of Oxford High School for Boys, in Oxford, and at sixteen he left and took a job as a bank clerk - but the theatre called. He wrote to the Aylesbury Repertory Company in 1948 and his show business career began. Barker then went on to join the Playhouse Theatre, Oxford, at the time under the actor-management of Frank Shelley, as an actor and stagehand, at £2 10s (£2.50) per week. The two appeared together there, in Ben Travers's A Cuckoo in the Nest and, subsequently, in a number of other venues and roles. In 1993, Barker dedicated his autobiography to Shelley, whom he called one of the "three wise men who directed my career; without men like these, there would be no theatre." This article is about the English county town. ... Bedfordshire (abbreviated Beds) is a county in England that forms part of the East of England region. ... A Shell petrol station sign in the UK The Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies (called Shell Oil in North America), has its headquarters split between the Shell Centre in London, United Kingdom and The Hague, Netherlands. ... The Oxford Playhouse (often just known as The Playhouse by locals) is an independent theatre in Beaumont Street, Oxford, opposite the Ashmolean Museum, which was founded in the 1920s. ... The City of Oxford High School for Boys was founded in 1881 in a Victorian stone building designed by Sir Thomas Jackson. ... This article is about the city of Oxford in England. ... Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire in south east England. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Ben Travers (12 November 1886 - 12 December 1980) CBE, was a British playwright most famous for his farces. ...

Success

Early career

He then worked as an actor and assistant stage manager with the Manchester Repertory Company, but was soon spotted by Sir Peter Hall who gave him a West End role. His first radio appearance was in 1956; he went on to play a variety of minor characters in The Navy Lark, a navy based sit-com on the BBC Light Programme (still available on tape and frequently rerun on BBC 7). He later returned to radio in the BBC Radio 4 sketch show Lines From My Grandfather's Forehead. He acted in the films Father Came Too! and The Bargee. On television, he wrote and performed many satirical skits in The Frost Report, notably a series of trios which he performed with Ronnie Corbett and John Cleese. From 1961 to 1963, he starred in the three series of Faces of Jim. He starred with David Jason as a bumbling aristocrat in the sit-com Hark at Barker. Both he and Jason are widely recognised as having excellent comic timing and delivery, which accounts for their enduring popularity. Jason appeared in several episodes of Porridge, and co-starred as Granville, the errand boy and nephew of Barker's stuttering shopkeeper Arkwright in the sitcom Open All Hours, written by Roy Clarke (who also wrote Last of the Summer Wine and Keeping Up Appearances). Both Porridge and Open All Hours originated as part of the Seven of One series. This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... Sir Peter Reginald Frederick Hall CBE (born 22 November 1930) is an English theatre and film director. ... West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre in London, England, or sometimes more specifically for shows staged in the large theatres of Londons Theatreland. Along with New Yorks Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Navy Lark is a satirical radio sit-com based on board a British warship named HMS Troutbridge, transmitted on the BBC Light Programme and subsequently BBC Radio 2. ... This article is about a genre of comedy. ... BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBCs national radio stations and is the most popular station in the UK. It broadcasts throughout the UK on FM radio between 88 and 91 MHz from its studios in Western House, adjacent to Broadcasting House in central London. ... Rerun van Pelt is the name of Linus and Lucys younger brother in the comic strip Peanuts. ... BBC Radio 7 is a digital radio station broadcasting comedy, drama, and childrens programming 24 hours a day. ... old Radio 4 logo BBC Radio 4 is a UK domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ... Lines From My Grandfathers Forehead, a sketch comedy show for radio, was first broadcast by the BBC Radio 4 in 1971. ... Father Came Too! is a British comedy film first released in 1963. ... The Frost Report was a satirical television show hosted by Sir David Frost. ... Ronnie Corbett in Extras Ronald Balfour Corbett, OBE (born 4 December 1930 in Edinburgh, commonly credited as Ronnie Corbett) is a British comedian and actor, best known as one of The Two Ronnies. ... “Cleese” redirects here. ... Faces of Jim was a black-and-white British comedy television series starring Jimmy Edwards, June Whitfield and Ronnie Barker, with each episode being an individual half-hour sitcom. ... Sir David John White, OBE known by his stage name David Jason (born 2 February 1940) is a highly regarded English actor, admired equally for his dramatic work as for his comedy roles. ... Open All Hours was a BBC sitcom written by Roy Clarke which ran for four series (26 episodes in all) between 1976 and 1985, with a pilot episode from the Seven of One series in 1973. ... Roy Clarke (born January 28, 1930 in Goole, Yorkshire) is a British comedy writer, best known for creating Last of the Summer Wine starring Bill Owen, Peter Sallis, Brian Wilde, Kathy Staff and Dame Thora Hird amongst others (he also wrote the prequel First of the Summer Wine); and Keeping... Last of the Summer Wine, written by Roy Clarke, is a British television sitcom. ... Keeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom starring Patricia Routledge as social snob Hyacinth Bucket. ... Seven of One was a 1973 television comedy series featuring Ronnie Barker. ...

Seven of One: Porridge and Open All Hours

Ronnie Barker starring in Porridge as Fletcher

Porridge ran for three series, two Christmas specials and a film, produced in 1979. Barker privately regarded the series as the finest work of his career. It was followed by the spin-off sitcom Going Straight which, while not as popular as Porridge, did win BAFTA awards. The first came at a time when Barker was grieving the early death of his co-star Richard Beckinsale, and Barker tearfully paid tribute to Beckinsale in his brief acceptance speech. The Open All Hours pilot episode was broadcast in March 1973, and ran for four series between February 1976 and October 1985. Image File history File links Normanstanleyfletcher. ... Image File history File links Normanstanleyfletcher. ... Richard Beckinsale (6 July 1947 – 19 March 1979) was an English actor who is most famous for his role as Lennie Godber in the popular BBC sitcom Porridge. ... Open All Hours was a BBC sitcom written by Roy Clarke which ran for four series (26 episodes in all) between 1976 and 1985, with a pilot episode from the Seven of One series in 1973. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...

Gerald Wiley

Barker was also an accomplished comedy writer. He provided a good deal of the sketches and songs for The Two Ronnies, and contributed material to many other radio and TV shows—often under a variety of assumed names. A typical example is the sketch Nothing's Too Much Trouble. Most famously, many contributions for The Two Ronnies were submitted by a mystery writer called Gerald Wiley. Wiley had first gained credit for his work on the Frost on Sunday show, but no one had ever met him. His status as a recluse became well known among the comedy writing fraternity, to the extent that it became almost a challenge to discover his identity. Frank Muir and Tom Stoppard were both accused by members of the writing team, including Barry Cryer, before one day, Wiley said that he would reveal himself at a Chinese restaurant. No one believed Barker at first, when he stood up and announced it was him, particularly as he himself had turned away scripts credited to Wiley. Barker admitted that he carried out this deception because he was afraid that his ideas and scripts would not be judged on merit otherwise. His other credits include the (almost) silent films A Home of Your Own (1964), Futtock's End (1970), The Picnic (1975) and By the Sea (1982), the sit-coms His Lordship Entertains, The Magnificent Evans and Clarence, the plays Rub A Dub Dub and Mum, and the LP A Pint of Old and Filthy. Straight roles were few and far between, though he did put in a dramatic-comic turn as Cheshire in The Hidden Tiger episode of the 1960s classic series The Avengers and as Friar Tuck in Robin and Marian. Nothings Too Much Trouble is a sketch featuring The Two Ronnies, i. ... Frank Muir (5 February 1920 - 2 January 1998) was an English comedy writer, radio and television personality, and raconteur. ... Sir Tom Stoppard, OM, CBE (born as Tomáš Straussler on July 3, 1937)[1] is an Academy Award winning British playwright of more than 24 plays. ... Barry Cryer (born March 23, 1935 in Leeds, Yorkshire, UK) is a writer and comedian. ... A Home of Your Own is a British comedy film made in (1964), directed by Jay Lewis. ... Futtocks End is a British comedy film made in (1969) and released in 1970, directed by Bob Kellett. ... The Picnic (full title The Two Ronnies Present - The Picnic), was a 1976 BBC film starring The Two Ronnies, and written by Ronnie Barker under the pseudonyms Dave Huggett and Larry Keith. The film followed the extended family of The General, played by Barker, as they went on an eventful... For the Charlie Chaplin film of the same name, see By the Sea (1915) By the Sea (full title The Two Ronnies Present - By the Sea), was a 1982 BBC film starring The Two Ronnies, and written by Ronnie Barker under the pseudonyms Dave Huggett and Larry Keith. Introduction The... The Magnificent Evans was a 1984 BBC situation comedy written by Roy Clarke and starring Ronnie Barker, Sharon Morgan and Myfanwy Talog. ... Clarence was 1988 BBC situation comedy starring Ronnie Barker and Josephine Tewson, written by Ronnie Barker under the pseudonym Bob Ferris. It was Barkers final sitcom appearance before his retirement. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969. ... The Avengers is a British 1960s television series featuring secret agents in a fantasy 1960s Britain. ... The friar took Robin on his back Illustration by Louis Rhead to Bold Robin Hood and His Outlaw Band: Their Famous Exploits in Sherwood Forest Friar Tuck is a companion to Robin Hood in the legends about that character. ... Robin and Marian is a 1976 film starring Sean Connery as Robin Hood, Audrey Hepburn as Maid Marian, Nicol Williamson as Little John, Robert Shaw as the Sheriff of Nottingham and Richard Harris as King Richard. ...

Retirement and return

In January 1988, following the 1987 Christmas Special of The Two Ronnies and the broadcast of Clarence, Barker made an appearance on the chat show Wogan, where he announced his intention to retire from showbusiness, stating that he had "no further ambition" and that he should "quit while he was ahead". Following this, he announced that he would open and run an antiques shop at his home in Oxfordshire. He resisted all calls to come out of retirement virtually from that point onwards. Barker sold up his antique shop in the late 1990s, which then saw him return to performing. In 1999, he reunited with Ronnie Corbett for a Two Ronnies night on BBC1, where they introduced a selection of their best and most-loved sketches. In 2002, he appeared as Winston Churchill's butler—a "straight" role, but with opportunities for comic asides—in the BBC drama The Gathering Storm. This was followed up by a role in the film My House in Umbria in 2003. In the same year, he briefly reprised perhaps his most famous role of Fletcher in the spoof documentary Life Beyond the Box. In 2004 he was given a special BAFTA award and announced his return to television; he reunited with Ronnie Corbett to record The Two Ronnies Sketchbook, a clip show of their sketches along with newly recorded introductions. These were shown in early 2005. On Wednesday 6th July 2005, another, final special - The Two Ronnies Christmas Sketchbook, was recorded with new introductions featuring clips from their previous Christmas special shows. This was to be his last television appearance, and sadly, he knew this, as he mentioned to Corbett. This led to an early recording of the special. It was shown at Christmas 2005, two months after his death. After a BBC One ident aired, Corbett appeared before the start of the show paying tribute to "Ron", and that Barker informed him of his illness, leading to an early recording of the show. The studio audience weren't informed about Barker's decision, and were therefore confused into why a Christmas episode was being recorded in July. Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... The Two Ronnies was a British sketch show that aired on BBC One from 1971 to 1987. ... Clarence was 1988 BBC situation comedy starring Ronnie Barker and Josephine Tewson, written by Ronnie Barker under the pseudonym Bob Ferris. It was Barkers final sitcom appearance before his retirement. ... Wogan was a chat show on British television, hosted by Terry Wogan. ... This article is about the year. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Churchill redirects here. ... The Gathering Storm is a Bafta and Emmy award winning BBC television biographical movie about Winston Churchills life in the years just prior to World War II. It was produced by Ridley Scott, and starred Albert Finney as Churchill, and Vanessa Redgrave as his wife Clementine Churchill (Clemmie); Finney... My House in Umbria is a 2003 made for TV movie. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Norman Stanley Fletcher, played by Ronnie Barker Norman Stanley Fletch Fletcher (born February 2, 1932) is the main character in the popular BBC sitcom Porridge. ... Porridge was a British BBC television sitcom (1974–1977), written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais and starring Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organization that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ... The Two Ronnies Sketchbook was a collection of classic sketches from the BBC comedy series The Two Ronnies, with newly filmed introductions by the stars, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the BBC radio station, see BBC Radio 1. ...

He was voted amongst the top 20 greatest comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders in a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

News of his death in November 2005 made headlines all over the United Kingdom and in countries where people of all races appreciate English humour. Ronnie Corbett said that throughout their many years working together there was never a cross word between them. He also commented that Barker was "pure gold in triplicate - as a comedian, writer and friend". His family kindly gave permission for his stage play, "Mum", written for his daughter Charlotte, to be adapted for radio. Broadcast in 2006 on BBC Radio 4 as an Afternoon Play, adapted and directed by Neil Cargill, it starred Maxine Peake in the main role alongside Ronnie's old Porridge collaborator, Sam Kelly, and received very favourable reviews as a "poignant" and "moving" work - a real eye-opener to those who knew only his pure comedy. For other uses, see November (disambiguation). ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ronnie Corbett in Extras Ronald Balfour Corbett, OBE (born 4 December 1930 in Edinburgh, commonly credited as Ronnie Corbett) is a British comedian and actor, best known as one of The Two Ronnies. ...

Personal life

Barker married Joy Tubb in 1957 and they had three children: two sons, the actors Adam (b. 1967) and Larry (b. 1960) and one daughter, the actress Charlotte Barker (b. 1963). He retired to Dean, a hamlet near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire to run an antiques shop in 1987. He died in a local hospice from heart failure on Monday 3 October 2005, aged 76, with his wife by his side. His catchphrase ending from The Two Ronnies provided the perfect epitaph: "Goodnight From Him". Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Actor (disambiguation). ... Charlotte Barker (born 1962 in the UK) is a British actress. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , Chipping Norton is a town in Oxfordshire, England, located north west of Oxford. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from the Latinised form Oxonia) is a county in the South East of England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. ... Interior of an antique shop. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... Palliative care is any form of medical care or treatment that concentrates on reducing the severity of the symptoms of a disease or slows its progress rather than providing a cure. ... is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Two Ronnies was a British sketch show that aired on BBC One from 1971 to 1987. ...

He had a private humanist funeral in Banbury, followed by a public memorial service on 3rd March 2006 at Westminster Abbey, at which Richard Briers, David Jason and Ronnie Corbett read, a recording of Barker's rhyming slang sermon was played, and the choir processed in behind four candles, a reference to the Two Ronnies' most famous sketch. (BBC report) This article discusses Humanism as a non-theistic life stance. ... , The modern Castle Quay Shopping Centre in Banbury alongside the Oxford Canal, with Banbury Museum in the background. ... March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ... Richard Briers, CBE (born on January 14, 1934) is a popular English actor whose career encompasses the theatre, television, film and radio. ... Sir David John White, OBE known by his stage name David Jason (born 2 February 1940) is a highly regarded English actor, admired equally for his dramatic work as for his comedy roles. ... Ronnie Corbett in Extras Ronald Balfour Corbett, OBE (born 4 December 1930 in Edinburgh, commonly credited as Ronnie Corbett) is a British comedian and actor, best known as one of The Two Ronnies. ... Cockney rhyming slang is a form of English slang which originated in the East End of London. ... The Four Candles sketch, originally titled The Hardware Shop is a sketch from the BBC comedy Two Ronnies. ...

His life and work was honoured at the British Academy Television Awards in 2006. The British Academy Television Awards, also known as the BAFTAs — or, to differentiate them from the BAFTA Film Awards, the BAFTA Television Awards — are the most prestigious awards given in the British television industry, analogous to the Emmy Awards in the United States. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Selected Filmography

Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... His Lordship Entertains was Ronnie Barkers second sitcom vehicle for his Lord Rustless character, first seen three years earlier in Hark at Barker on ITV. This time though, Rustless had switched channels and was now appearing on BBC2. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Seven of One was a 1973 television comedy series featuring Ronnie Barker. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Porridge is a British BBC television sitcom (1974–1977), written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais and starring Ronnie Barker. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Open All Hours was a BBC sitcom written by Roy Clarke which ran for four series (26 episodes in all) between 1976 and 1985, with a pilot episode from the Seven of One series in 1973. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Going Straight was a BBC sitcom which emerged as a direct spin-off from Porridge, starring Ronnie Barker as prisoner Norman Stanley Fletcher, newly released from the fictional Slade prison where Porridge had been set. ... This article is about the year. ... The Magnificent Evans was a 1984 BBC situation comedy written by Roy Clarke and starring Ronnie Barker, Sharon Morgan and Myfanwy Talog. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Clarence was 1988 BBC situation comedy starring Ronnie Barker and Josephine Tewson, written by Ronnie Barker under the pseudonym Bob Ferris. It was Barkers final sitcom appearance before his retirement. ...

References

Further reading

• Barker, R. (2001). All I Ever Wrote: The Complete Works of Ronnie Barker. Sidgwick & Jackson. ISBN 0-283-07334-9. 
• Barker, R. (1994). Dancing in the Moonlight: My Early Years. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-59104-8. 
• McCabe, B. (1998). Ronnie Barker: The Authorised Biography. Andre Deutsch. ISBN 0-233-99382-7. 
• Corbett, R. w/ Nobbs, D. (2006). And It's Goodnight From Him . . .. Michael Joseph, Penguin. ISBN 0-718-14964-5. 

External links

• Ronnie Barker at the Internet Movie Database
• Profile from the BBC
• Ronnie Barker at the British Film Institute's Screenonline
• BBC Obituary
• Remembering Ronnie Barker
• Laughterlog.com Complete list of radio shows, television shows, films, books and records featuring Ronnie Barker.