Six Dates With Barker
Encyclopedia
Six Dates with Barker is a series of six one-off, half hour situation comedies showcasing the talents of Ronnie Barker
. All were broadcast by London Weekend Television
early in 1971.
Writers on the series included John Cleese
and Spike Milligan
. The producer was Humphrey Barclay
.
as The Ronnie Barker Collection.
.
Ronnie Barker
Ronald William George "Ronnie" Barker, OBE was a British actor, comedian, writer, critic, broadcaster and businessman...
. All were broadcast by London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
early in 1971.
Writers on the series included John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
and Spike Milligan
Spike Milligan
Terence Alan Patrick Seán "Spike" Milligan Hon. KBE was a comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright, soldier and actor. His early life was spent in India, where he was born, but the majority of his working life was spent in the United Kingdom. He became an Irish citizen in 1962 after the...
. The producer was Humphrey Barclay
Humphrey Barclay
Humphrey Barclay is a comedy executive and producer.-Career:His first foray into show business was via Cambridge Footlights revues where he appeared alongside Tim Brooke-Taylor, Bill Oddie, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, David Hatch, Jonathan Lynn, Jo Kendall and Miriam Margolyes...
.
Episode list
- Show 1 - 1937: The Removals Person
- Transmitted 8 January 1971
- Barker plays Fred, a short sighted removals man who works whilst the owner of the house watches The Coronation. Also starring Joan Behham, Gillian Fairchild, Nan Braunton and Christopher TimothyChristopher TimothyChristopher Timothy is a Welsh actor, television director and writer. Timothy is possibly best known today for his role as James Herriot in All Creatures Great and Small; more recently he has starred as Dr. Brendan 'Mac' McGuire in the British television drama Doctors...
. Written by Hugh LeonardHugh LeonardHugh Leonard was an Irish dramatist, television writer and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote more than 18 plays, two volumes of essays and two autobiographies, one novel and numerous screenplays and teleplays, as well as writing a regular newspaper column.-Life and...
.
- Show 2 - 1899: The Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town
- Transmitted 15 January 1971
- A mysterious figure who blows raspberries at people terrifies Victorian London. Also starring Alan Curtis, Moira Foot, Larry Noble, Christine Ozanne and John Sharp. Written by Spike Milligan.
- Show 3 - 1970: The Odd Job
- Transmitted 22 January 1971
- When his wife leaves him, Barker hires a passing odd job man to kill him when he least expects it. When his wife returns he finds his previous request impossible to cancel. Also starring David Jason and Joan Sims. Written by Bernard McKenna.
- Show 4 - 1915: Lola
- Transmitted 29 January 1971
- A top female agent goes missing after the German Head of Espionage fails to monitor her properly. Also starring Graham Armitage, Valentine DyallValentine DyallValentine Dyall was an English character actor, the son of veteran actor Franklin Dyall. Dyall was especially popular as a voice actor, due to his very distinctive sepulchral voice, he was known for many years as "The Man in Black", narrator of the BBC Radio horror series Appointment With Fear.In...
, Freddie Earle, Freddie JonesFreddie JonesFrederick Charles "Freddie" Jones is an English character actor.Jones was born in the town of Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, the son of Ida Elizabeth and Charles Edward Jones. He became an actor after ten years of working as a laboratory assistant with a firm making ceramic products,...
and Dennis Ramsden. Written by Ken Hoare and Mike Sharland.
- Show 5 - 1971: Come in and Lie Down
- Transmitted 5 February 1971
- Barker plays Dr Swanton, a psychiatrist who is visited by a patient (Michael BatesMichael Bates (actor)Michael Bates was a British actor born in Jhansi, United Provinces, India.-Biography:Bates served as a Major serving with the Brigade of Gurkhas in Burma before his discharge at the end of World War II...
), who is so terrified of being diagnosed with mental problems, he pretends to be a gasman. Written by John Cleese.
- Show 6 - 2774 AD: All the World's a Stooge
- Transmitted 12 February 1971
- In the far future, comedy has become the religion of the world and there are dire consequences for those who do not join in. Also starring Lesley-Anne Down, Joyce Grant, Michael Hordern and Victor Maddern.
Spin-offs
There were several spin-offs to come from this series.- The Phantom Raspberry BlowerThe Phantom Raspberry BlowerThe Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town was a serial written by Spike Milligan and Ronnie Barker that ran every week on The Two Ronnies sketch show in 1976 on BBC One...
of Old London Town was turned into a serial for the 1976 series of The Two RonniesThe Two RonniesThe Two Ronnies is a British sketch show that aired on BBC1 from 1971 to 1987. It featured the double act of Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett, the "Two Ronnies" of the title.-Origins:...
, David JasonDavid JasonSir David John White, OBE , better known by his stage name David Jason, is an English BAFTA award-winning actor. He is best known as the main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter on the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses from 1981, the voice of Mr Toad in The Wind In The Willows and as detective Jack...
performed the required 'Raspberrys' blown by the Phantom ,(but did not appear on screen) actor David Rowlands appeared as The Phantom in the penultimate instalment. - The Odd Job Man became a 1978 film, retitled The Odd JobThe Odd JobThe Odd Job is a 1978 British comedy film starring Graham Chapman . It tells the story of a man named Arthur Harris who is recently abandoned by his wife. He becomes so depressed that he hires an "odd job man" to kill him...
. Extended from the original TV version to feature length. Though this time, original co-writer Graham ChapmanGraham ChapmanGraham Arthur Chapman was a British comedian, physician, writer, actor, and one of the six members of the Monty Python comedy troupe.-Early life and education:...
took Barker's part, Diana QuickDiana Quick-Life:Quick was born in London, England. She grew up in Dartford, Kent, the third of a dentist's four children. She was educated at Dartford Grammar School for Girls, Kent. She was greatly aided by her English teacher, Miss Davis, who encouraged her to pursue acting...
took the part of his wife, originally played by Joan SimsJoan SimsJoan Sims was an English actress best remembered for her roles in the Carry On films, and latterly for playing Madge Hardcastle in As Time Goes By.-Early life:...
. David JasonDavid JasonSir David John White, OBE , better known by his stage name David Jason, is an English BAFTA award-winning actor. He is best known as the main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter on the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses from 1981, the voice of Mr Toad in The Wind In The Willows and as detective Jack...
as the hitman was the sole original cast member in this movie (though even his part was at first going to be played by Keith MoonKeith MoonKeith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
). - The Removals Persons was turned into Ronnie Barker's final TV series ClarenceClarence (TV series)Clarence is a 1988 BBC situation comedy starring Ronnie Barker and Josephine Tewson, written by Ronnie Barker under the pseudonym "Bob Ferris". It was Barker's final sitcom appearance before his retirement....
, seventeen years after the original was made. This time the series was written by Barker using the pseudonymPseudonymA pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Bob Ferris. Coincidentally this was the name of Rodney BewesRodney BewesRodney Bewes is an English television actor and writer who is best known for playing Bob Ferris in the BBC television sitcom The Likely Lads and its colour sequel Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? , and in the various radio series based on them , and in the big screen film The Likely Lads...
character in BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
situation-comedy The Likely LadsThe Likely LadsThe Likely Lads was a black-and-white British sitcom created and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and produced by Dick Clement. Twenty episodes were broadcast by the BBC, in three series, between 16 December 1964 and 23 July 1966...
.
Archive status and DVD release
Unlike many television programmes of the time, all six shows exist in the archives. They have been released by Network DVD, both as a single-disc individual release and together with Hark at BarkerHark at Barker
Hark at Barker was a 1969 British comedy series combining elements of sitcom and sketch show, which starred Ronnie Barker. It was made for the ITV network by LWT.Each show began with a spoof news item read by Barker as a continuity announcer...
as The Ronnie Barker Collection.
Trivia
All episodes were produced in colour except The Odd Job, which was videotaped in black and white due to the 1971 ITV Colour StrikeColour Strike
The Colour Strike was an industrial action by technicians at all ITV companies from 13 November 1970 to 8 February 1971 who, due to a pay dispute with their management, refused to work with colour television equipment.At that time ITV had recently switched to...
.
External links
- Six Dates With Barker at the bbc.co.ukBbc.co.ukBBC Online is the brand name and home for the BBC's UK online service. It is a large network of websites including such high profile sites as BBC News and Sport, the on-demand video and radio services co-branded BBC iPlayer, the pre-school site Cbeebies, and learning services such as Bitesize...
Guide to Comedy - Paul Lewis, 2008: Review of the Network DVD release of Six Dates With Barker. DVDCompare
- Six Dates With Barker at the British Film InstituteBritish Film InstituteThe British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...