Ronnie Barker

Ronald William George Barker OBE (September 25, 1929 – October 3, 2005), popularly known as Ronnie Barker and (as a writer) Gerald Wiley {{ref|Wiley}}, 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 working with David Jason in Open All Hours. His skills as a character actor, his love for and facility with the English language, and his gift for comedy made him a well-loved performer.

Success

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). 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. 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 an excellent sense of comic timing and delivery, which accounts for their enduring popularity. Jason appeared in several episodes of Porridge, and co-starred as the assistant to Barker's stuttering shopkeeper in the sitcom Open All Hours, written by Roy Clarke (who also wrote Last of the Summer Wine). Both Porridge and Open All Hours originated as part of the Seven of One series. 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 sitcom Going Straight which, while not as popular as Porridge, did win BAFTA awards. Open All Hours ended up running for four series and starred the characters nurse Gladys Emmanuel, tight-fisted Arkwright and "young" errand-boy Granville.

Related Topics:
Manchester - Peter Hall - West End - Radio - 1956 - The Navy Lark - Sit-com - BBC Light Programme - Rerun - BBC 7 - The Frost Report - Ronnie Corbett - John Cleese - David Jason - Open All Hours - Roy Clarke - Last of the Summer Wine - Seven of One

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He 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 (most famously "Gerald Wiley"), so that his work would be considered on merit. His other credits include the (almost) silent films Futtock's End, The Picnic and By The Sea, the sit-coms His Lordship Entertains and Clarence, the plays Rub A Dub Dub and Mum, and the LP A Pint of Old and Filthy.

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Barker made occasional TV appearances since his 1988 retirement, most notably to play Winston Churchill's butler—a "straight" role, but with opportunities for comic asides—in the BBC drama The Gathering Storm in 2002. This was followed up by a role in the film My House in Umbria in 2003. In 2004, he was given a special BAFTA award and announced his return to television—in early 2005, six months before his death, he reunited with Ronnie Corbett to present The Two Ronnies Sketchbook, a clip show of their sketches along with newly recorded introductions.

Related Topics:
1988 - Winston Churchill - The Gathering Storm - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - BAFTA - 2005

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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.

Related Topics:
2005 - The Comedian's Comedian

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News of his death made headlines all over the United Kingdom and in countries with significant populations of migrants from the UK such as Australia and New Zealand. 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".

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - Australia - New Zealand - Ronnie Corbett

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