Ronnie Barker 1929-2005

Ronnie Barker has died. I grew up watching The Two Ronnies and what I consider his best part, Fletcher in Porridge. Barker was one of the finest comedy actors ever, who could portray a range of characters from the ducking and diving prisoner Fletch to Open All Hours’ stuttering, bumbling Arkwright.

The Two Ronnies was a rare thing, a show that was really aimed at our parents but that we used to talk about in the playground at school the next day. The Fork Handles sketch is generally accepted as one of the best sketches ever on British television.

It was Porridge for me though that Ronnie Barker displayed his comedic talents to the full. Fletch was always trying to keep his head down in prison and do his time quietly, but he’d always be dragged into some scheme that he would usually try to foil in order to keep the peace. Barker was perfect whether playing the wise sage to Richard Beckinsale’s wet behind the ears Godber or whether Fletch was kowtowing to Peter Vaughan’s prison kingpin Grouty.

He recently made a brief return from retirement to do a brief run of new Two Ronnies episodes, British television will be all the poorer without him.

I'll update with tributes etc throughout the day.

Here's a link to some of his best gags.

Here's some tributes to him from some of those who worked with him or who have simply enjoyed his comedy, including Michael Palin, Dave Spikey and Bernard Manning.

Here is a link to a monologue 'Pismronunciation'.

Here is Michael Parkinson talking about him today.

Fellow sitcom veteran Richard Briers talking about him.

Here’s some contemporary comedians such as Peter Kay, Stephen Fry and Rik Mayall talking about Ronnie Barker.

A comprehensive obituary from The Guardian.

Ronnie Corbett's tribute.