memorable tv           

TELEVISION

MUSIC

MORE STUFF

RONNIE BARKER - HARK AT BARKER AND SIX DATES WITH BARKER

Ronnie Barker is one of those comic actors beloved by all, in much the same way that his protege David Jason is today too. Pretty much everything Barker was involved with had the touch of gold about it and although best known for his 1970's turns in The Two Ronnies, Porridge and Open All Hours, Barker was in fact displaying his flights of comic invention and acting skills long before. In fact two of his, shall we say, rarer series, are released this month by Network - Hark at Barker and Six Dates With Barker.

Hark At Barker ran from 1969 to 1970 and was made for the ITV franchise London Weekend Television and is a mixture of standard sitcom and sketch material, Barker plays the elderly, decrepit even Lord Rustless, the head of Chrome Hall and his main co-star is a young David Jason (Barker helped Jason with key roles in nearly everything he made throughout the 1960's and 70's). Each show, 15 were made altogether, is themed around a different subject and both Barker and Jason play numerous roles in each episode. Writers on the series include such legends as two thirds of the Goodies (Garden and Oddie), Eric Idle and Ronnie Barker himself (writing as Gerard Wiley).

Six Dates With Barker is an anthology series from 1971 and one with equally high calibre writers attached to it in the shape of Spike Milligan, John Cleese and once more Gerard Wiley. Barker was fond of the anthology format and returned to it again with 1973's Seven of One. One of the plots here the Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town (co-written by Milligan and Barker) would later turn up as the serial in the 1976 series of The Two Ronnies.

Definite must haves for all fans of classic TV, the dvds are released by Network on the 13 October and are available to buy seperately or in a combined Ronnie Barker Collection set.

back to articles | home

RSS FEEDS AND EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Subscribe to memorable tv for updates,comp news and more or Via Email