The Two Ronnies is a British sketch show that aired on
BBC1BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
from 1971 to 1987. It featured the
double actA double act, also known as a comedy duo, is a comic pairing in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin and profession, but drastically different personalities or behavior...
of
Ronnie BarkerRonald William George "Ronnie" Barker, OBE was a British actor, comedian, writer, critic, broadcaster and businessman...
and
Ronnie CorbettRonald Balfour "Ronnie" Corbett, OBE is a Scottish actor and comedian of Scottish and English parentage who had a long association with Ronnie Barker in the British television comedy series The Two Ronnies...
, the "Two Ronnies" of the title.
Origins
Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett met for the first time at the Buckstone Club in
The HaymarketHaymarket is a street in the St. James's district of the City of Westminster, London. It runs from Piccadilly Circus at the north to Pall Mall at the south...
, London, where Ronnie Corbett was serving drinks between acting jobs. They were invited by
David FrostSir David Paradine Frost, OBE is a British journalist, comedian, writer, media personality and daytime TV game show host best known for his two decades as host of Through the Keyhole and serious interviews with various political figures, the most notable being Richard Nixon...
to appear in his new show,
The Frost ReportThe Frost Report was a satirical television show hosted by David Frost. It ran for 29 episodes from 1966 to 1967. It is most notable for introducing John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett to television and also launching the careers of several comedians and performers.The main cast were...
, with
John CleeseJohn 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...
, but the pair's big break came when they filled-in for a few minutes during a technical hitch at an awards ceremony in 1970. In the audience was
Bill CottonSir William Frederick "Bill" Cotton, CBE was a British television producer and executive, and the son of big-band leader Billy Cotton....
, the Head of Light Entertainment for the
BBCThe 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...
, and Sir Paul Fox, the Controller of
BBC OneBBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. Cotton was so impressed by the duo that he turned to Fox and asked "How would you like those two on your network?". As a result, Barker and Corbett were given their own show by the BBC. The programme quickly became one of the most successful and long running light entertainment shows on British television, broadcast at the prime-time slot of 8pm on a Saturday night, and 20 million viewers a show at its peak.
Format
The show was based on the complementary personalities of Barker and Corbett, who never became an exclusive pairing, but continued to work independently in television outside of the editions of the
Two Ronnies. The show was produced annually between 1971 and 1987. It had many notable writers including
Ray AlanRay Alan was an English ventriloquist and television entertainer from the 1950s until the 1980s. He was associated primarily with the puppet Lord Charles and later also with the puppets Tich and Quackers.-Biography:...
,
John CleeseJohn 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...
,
Barry CryerBarry Charles Cryer OBE is a British writer and comedian. Cryer has written for many noted performers, including Dave Allen, Stanley Baxter, Jack Benny, Rory Bremner, George Burns, Jasper Carrott, Tommy Cooper, Les Dawson, Dick Emery, Kenny Everett, Bruce Forsyth, David Frost, Bob Hope, Frankie...
,
Spike MilliganTerence 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...
,
David NobbsDavid Gordon Nobbs is an English comedy writer.Following an education at Marlborough College and Cambridge University, Nobbs wrote for many of Britain's comedy performers over the years, including Kenneth Williams, Frankie Howerd, Les Dawson and The Two Ronnies...
,
David RenwickDavid Peter Renwick is an English television writer, best known for creation of the sitcom One Foot in the Grave and the mystery series Jonathan Creek....
,
John SullivanJohn Richard Thomas Sullivan OBE was an English television scriptwriter responsible for several popular British sitcoms, including Only Fools and Horses, Citizen Smith and Just Good Friends....
,
Michael PalinMichael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
,
Terry JonesTerence Graham Parry Jones is a Welsh comedian, screenwriter, actor, film director, children's author, popular historian, political commentator, and TV documentary host. He is best known as a member of the Monty Python comedy team....
. In addition, Barker used the pseudonym Gerald Wiley when writing sketches.
The show featured comic sketches in which Barker and Corbett appeared both together and separately, with various additions giving the programme the feeling of a
variety showA variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
. The sketches often involved complex word-play, much of it written by Barker, who also liked to parody officialdom and establishment figures, as well as eccentrics. Corbett appeared quieter, more often acting as a foil for Barker, but remained an important part of the "chemistry". Many of the jokes revolved around his lack of height, with him delivering many of them himself: when Barker said that the next part "does suit Ronnie C. right down to the ground", Corbett replied "Mind you, that's not far is it?". Other jokes could be of a sexual nature of the sort found on seaside postcards: for example:
"Tickle your botty with a feather tonight?" (sotto voce)
"I beg your pardon?" (outraged)
"Particularly grotty weather tonight"
One of the most popular sketches was "
Four CandlesThe Four Candles sketch, originally titled The Hardware Shop or Annie Finkhouse is a sketch from the BBC comedy The Two Ronnies. Written by Ronnie Barker under the pseudonym of Gerald Wiley, it was first broadcast on Saturday, 4 September 1976 on BBC1...
", written by Barker, where Barker walks into an old-fashioned general store and asks for "four candles." Corbett gives him the candles but it turns out that Barker wanted "fork handles - 'andles for forks", meaning
garden forkA garden fork, spading fork, digging fork or graip is a gardening implement, with a handle and several short, sturdy tines. It is used for loosening, lifting and turning over soil in gardening and farming...
s. Barker continues to ask for items from a list, very tersely, and Corbett continues to misinterpret them, growing more and more frustrated. Another popular sketch was a parody of the quiz show
MastermindMastermind is a British quiz show, well known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness.Devised by Bill Wright, the basic format of Mastermind has never changed — four and in later contests five contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the...
with Barker as host
Magnus MagnussonMagnus Magnusson KBE was a television presenter, journalist, translator and writer. He was born in Iceland but lived in Scotland for almost all of his life, although he never took British citizenship...
and Corbett as a contestant named Charlie Smithers, whose specialist subject was "answering the question before last".
Both Barker and Corbett had their own solo sections on each show. Barker would have his own heavily wordplay-based sketch, often as the head of a ridiculous-sounding organisation. Likewise, Corbett always had a discoursive solo
monologueIn theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
in each show, when he sat in a chair, facing the camera, attempting to tell a simple joke, but constantly distracting himself into relating other humorous incidents. The joke itself was normally deliberately corny; the humour came from Corbett's wild tangents, as well as the anticlimax when he finally reached the punchline.
An example of Ronnie Corbett's humour is this short excerpt from a monologue:
I was lying in bed with my wife last Sunday morning when she called me by a special pet name she has for me, a loving and endearing term that only she uses. 'Hey Shorty' she said, 'would you like to hear the patter of little feet?'Somewhat taken aback, I replied 'Yes, I would.' She said 'Good. Run down to the kitchen and get me a glass of water.'
It became a tradition of the shows to have a continuing "serial" story which progressed through the eight episodes of a series. These were often fairly bawdy tales with special guest stars. The very first serial was
Hampton Wick (1971) written by Barker, which began as a pastiche of costume dramas about a governess called Henrietta Beckett, played by
Madeline SmithMadeline Smith is an English actress and comedienne. She was a model in the 1960s, and appeared in many comedy films Madeline Smith (born 2 August 1949 in Hartfield, Sussex) is an English actress and comedienne. She was a model in the 1960s, and appeared in many comedy films Madeline Smith (born 2...
, with the Ronnies playing a wide variety of other characters, but had a neat twist ending that turned this notion on its head.
There were four modern-day mystery serials featuring the comic detective characters "Piggy Malone" (Barker) and "Charley Farley" (Corbett).
Done to Death (1972), a mystery about a murdered family, featuring
Sue LloydSue Lloyd was an English model turned actress with numerous film and television credits.-Biography:...
;
Death Can Be Fatal (1975), in which the duo are sent in search of the formula for the Clumsy Drug, alongside
Cyd HaymanCyd Hayman is an English actress.She appeared in the following films: Percy, The Godsend and Rogue Male....
;
Stop! You're Killing Me (1977-8), in which Devon's yokels are murdered and dumped in London, with support from
Kate O'MaraKate O'Mara is an English film, stage and television actress. She is perhaps most widely known for her role as Caress Morell, the scheming sister of Alexis Colby in the 1980s American primetime soap opera Dynasty, though is also known for playing other villains such as The Rani in Doctor Who and...
; and
Band of Slaves (1981-2), where an all-girls orchestra is sold into white slavery by a demented Chinaman.
One of the most famous serials was
The Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London TownThe 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...
(1976), written by
Spike MilliganTerence 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...
and
Ronnie BarkerRonald William George "Ronnie" Barker, OBE was a British actor, comedian, writer, critic, broadcaster and businessman...
but credited as "
Spike MilliganTerence 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...
and a Gentleman". Set in
VictorianThe Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
times, it is a
Jack the Ripper"Jack the Ripper" is the best-known name given to an unidentified serial killer who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originated in a letter, written by someone claiming to be the murderer, that was disseminated in the...
parody in which a mysterious figure goes around blowing
raspberriesBlowing a raspberry or strawberry or making a Bronx cheer is to make a noise signifying derision, real or feigned. It is made by placing the tongue between the lips and blowing, making a sound redolent of flatulence. In the terminology of phonetics, this sound can be described as an unvoiced...
at members of the upper classes. The raspberries were done by Barker's friend
David 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...
. This entire section of sketches was included in Spike's book "I Told You I Was Ill".
Another memorable serial was
The Worm That Turned (1980);
Diana DorsDiana Dors was an English actress, born Diana Mary Fluck in Swindon, Wiltshire. Considered the English equivalent of the blonde bombshells of Hollywood, Dors described herself as: "The only sex symbol Britain has produced since Lady Godiva."-Early life:Diana Mary Fluck was born in Swindon,...
guest-starred in this spoof piece of dystopian fiction in which women rule England. Male and female gender roles are completely reversed, even down to men having women's names and vice-versa. Men are
housekeeperA housekeeper is an individual responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the interior of a residence, including direction of subordinate maids...
s and wear women's clothes, and law and order is managed by female guards in boots and hot pants.
The Two Ronnies also starred in two spin-off silent films labelled
The Two Ronnies Present...,
By the SeaBy the Sea , is a 1982 BBC film starring The Two Ronnies, and written by Ronnie Barker under the pseudonyms "Dave Huggett and Larry Keith".-Introduction:...
and
The PicnicThe Picnic , is a 1976 BBC film starring The Two Ronnies, and written by Ronnie Barker under the pseudonyms "Dave Huggett and Larry Keith".-Introduction:...
, written by Barker, mainly silent comedies featuring a squabbling upper-class family with a 1920s feel about them.
Another regular feature of the shows was an elaborate musical finale in which Barker and Corbett – often in drag – and company would sing a medley of songs in character, in
barbershopBarbershop vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era , is a style of a cappella, or unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture...
,
music hallMusic Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
,
Gilbert and SullivanGilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
or other styles, with the original words altered to suit whatever comic situation they were portraying. There would also be a
cabaretCabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
musician or group appearing as a special guest, including
DanaDana Rosemary Scallon , known in her singing career simply as Dana, is an Irish singer and former Member of the European Parliament ....
,
Elkie BrooksElkie Brooks is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. Elkie has been nominated twice for Brit Awards' top female singer. She is known for her powerful husky voice...
,
Manhattan TransferThe Manhattan Transfer is an American vocal music group. There have been two manifestations of the group, with Tim Hauser being the only person to be part of both...
,
Pan's PeoplePan's People were a British TV dance troupe, who are usually associated with the BBC TV music chart show Top of the Pops.In an era before pop videos, they danced to songs whose original artists were not available to perform them live...
,
Michel LegrandMichel Jean Legrand is a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist...
,
Barbara DicksonBarbara Ruth Dickson, OBE is a Scottish singer whose hits include "I Know Him So Well" and "January February"...
, Tina Charles, The Nolan Sisters,
Elton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
,
New WorldNew World was an Australian pop group that existed from the mid 1960s to the late 1970s. They are best known for their Top 10 hit single, "Tom-Tom Turnaround", which was released in 1971...
,
Elaine PaigeElaine Paige OBE is an English singer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, North London, Paige attended the Aida Foster stage school, making her first professional appearance on stage in 1964, at the age of 16...
and
Phil Collins Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, the last of whom also took part in a few sketches.
The show always opened and closed at the newsdesk, which featured the Ronnies as newsreaders, reading spoof news items. This gave rise to the famous catchphrase at the end of each show:
Corbett: So it's "Goodnight" from me.Barker: And it's "Goodnight" from him.
Both: Goodnight!
Following the departure of
Morecambe and WiseEric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
from the BBC in 1978,
The Two Ronnies became the BBC's flagship light entertainment programme, regularly gaining the top viewing figures in the critical Christmas Day audience battle. A memorable
Radio TimesRadio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
cover for the double Christmas issue in 1973 had both double acts appearing side by side.
The pair made no new shows after Christmas 1987, following Barker's decision to retire from show business. This was unknown to the audience and even the production team – the only person Barker told was Corbett, and they and their wives all went for a meal straight after the recording, keeping it a very low-key affair. Corbett tried to continue on his own, but
The Ronnie Corbett Show lasted only one series in 1987.
Other projects
In 1979 a series was made for the
Nine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
in Australia under the title of The Two Ronnies in Australia. It was followed by another series in 1986.
In 1986, 1987 and 1988 multi-part compilation series titled Twenty Years Of The Two Ronnies were aired, which featured the pair picking some of their classic sketches.
Barker and Corbett also made a number of advertisements that appeared on
ITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, most notably for British Leyland (Austin/Morris) in 1979 where Corbett played a villain on the run and, "needing some wheels", gets salesman Barker to show him round the Austin Morris range. They did a second ad in 1981, for the "BL Double Bonus" campaign, which featured Corbett playing a tax inspector inquiring as to why Barker is running 4 cars. They also did a series of ads for
HertzThe hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
car rentals in the 1980s.
Parodies
The show was parodied twice by the
Not The Nine O'Clock NewsNot the Nine O'Clock News is a television comedy sketch show which was broadcast on BBC 2 from 1979 to 1982.Originally shown as a comedy "alternative" to the BBC Nine O'Clock News on BBC 1, it featured satirical sketches on current news stories and popular culture, as well as parody songs, comedy...
team in 1982. One was as "The Three Ronnies", including footage of
Ronald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, at the time the President of the United States. The other was controversially as "The Two Ninnies", a "cruel pastiche" of their opening routine and a musical routine, using exaggerated innuendo, e.g.
"Oh vagina, oh vagina, over ChinatownA Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
!" Barker in particular was quite offended by this sketch. According to John Lloyd, the writer of the sketch was
Peter BrewisPeter Brewis is a composer and instrumentalist who has been active in several spheres of music from ballet and modern dance to music theatre and rock music...
, who was a disillusioned writer for
The Two Ronnies.
Revivals
The show re-surfaced in 1999 for a
Two Ronnies Night. Ronnie Corbett also presented a
Two Ronnies at the Movies special that same year. In 2000
A Tribute To The Two Ronnies, was hosted by Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett themselves.
In 2004 Barker announced that he and Corbett would return to make new episodes, entitled
The Two Ronnies SketchbookThe 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...
. This involved the two sitting at the newsdesk, introducing their classic sketches. A Christmas special was recorded in July 2005, due to Barker's failing health.
Whilst the
Sketchbook series was transmitted,
The Two Ronnies were also the subject of an episode of the BBC documentary
Comedy ConnectionsComedy Connections was a BBC One documentary series produced by BBC Scotland that aired from 2003 to 2008. The show looked at the stories behind the production of some of Britain's comedy television programmes, showing how they tied in with the production of other comedy shows...
. Ronnie Corbett, producers James Gilbert, Terry Hughes (film director) and Michael Hurl, and writers
Ian DavidsonIan Davidson is a British actor and scriptwriter who worked in British television comedies from the 1960s to the 1980s. He appeared in the same Oxford University revue as Terry Jones and Michael Palin of Monty Python, and is probably best known for his numerous appearances on Monty Python's Flying...
, Peter Vincent,
David RenwickDavid Peter Renwick is an English television writer, best known for creation of the sitcom One Foot in the Grave and the mystery series Jonathan Creek....
and
Barry CryerBarry Charles Cryer OBE is a British writer and comedian. Cryer has written for many noted performers, including Dave Allen, Stanley Baxter, Jack Benny, Rory Bremner, George Burns, Jasper Carrott, Tommy Cooper, Les Dawson, Dick Emery, Kenny Everett, Bruce Forsyth, David Frost, Bob Hope, Frankie...
all spoke about the making of the series. Ronnie Barker did not appear, but excerpts from an interview he gave in 1997 were included.
On Ronnie Barker's death on 3 October 2005, Ronnie Corbett is reported to have said that throughout their many years of association there was never an angry word between them.
In September 2006, they were voted by the general public as number 6 in a poll of TV's Greatest Stars.
As of 2010, full shows of
The Two Ronnies are repeated on
ITV3ITV3 is an entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom that is owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. The channel was launched on 1 November 2004. ITV3 is the second largest UK multi-channel, second only to ITV2.-History:...
and G.O.L.D., and on 24, 25 and 26 December 2006 ITV3 channel devoted the whole three days to the show, interspersed with Ronnie Corbett's reminiscences of the show and Ronnie Barker. 28 May 2007 included many more episodes new to ITV3 as well a showing of
The PicnicThe Picnic , is a 1976 BBC film starring The Two Ronnies, and written by Ronnie Barker under the pseudonyms "Dave Huggett and Larry Keith".-Introduction:...
and
By the SeaBy the Sea , is a 1982 BBC film starring The Two Ronnies, and written by Ronnie Barker under the pseudonyms "Dave Huggett and Larry Keith".-Introduction:...
.
DVD releases
In 2007
2 Entertain2 Entertain is a British video and music publisher, formed by the merger of BBC Video and Video Collection International in 2004....
began releasing The Two Ronnies on DVD. Series One and Two including a definitive collection of their Christmas specials, with segments from
Christmas Night with the StarsChristmas Night with the Stars was a variety television show broadcast each Christmas night by the BBC from 1958 to 1972 and also in 1994. The show featured the top stars of the BBC as they appeared in short versions of their programmes, typically five to ten minutes long. The show was voted 24th...
, the Old-Fashioned Christmas Mystery and three other Christmas shows were released on 30 April, 2 July and 29 October 2007. Series Three and Four were released on 17 March and 19 May 2008. Series Five was released on 15 June 2009, Series Six, Seven and Eight were released on 22 February, 17 May and 6 September 2010.
Series Nine, Ten, Eleven, and the final Twelfth series were released on 28 February, 9 May, 25 July and 26 September 2011. The Complete Collection has been pulled from the shedule.
The Two Ronnies (BBC) were released in Region 4 (Australia) on the following dates - The Best of The Two Ronnies Volume 1, 4 March 2002. The Best of The Two Ronnies Volume 2, 17 March 2003. The Two Ronnies Series 1, 4 July 2007. The Two Ronnies Series 2 (two discs), 8 May 2008. The Two Ronnies Series 3, 5 March 2009. The Two Ronnies Series 4 (two discs), 4 August 2009, The Two Ronnies Series 5, 4 March 2010, And Series 7, 3 March 2011, with Series 8-12 to follow. The Two Ronnies in Australia was released on 28 June 2008 with an all region coding.
| DVD Title | |Year | |DVD release |
Region 2DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
| Region 4DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
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Complete Series 1 |
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1971 This is a list of British television related events from 1971.-Events:*3 January – BBC Open University broadcasts begin.*27 January – Valerie Barlow is electrocuted by a faulty hairdryer, and then perishes in a house fire on Coronation Street....
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30 April 2007 |
4 July 2007 |
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1972 This is a list of British television related events from 1972.-Events:*4 April – After a three-year courtship, Emily Nugent married Ernest Bishop on Coronation Street....
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2 July 2007 |
8 May 2008 |
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2 |
1973 This is a list of British television related events from 1973.-Events:*4 January – The record breaking, long-running comedy series in the UK and the world "Last of the Summer Wine" starts as a 30-minute pilot on BBC1's Comedy Playhouse show....
–1974This is a list of British television related events from 1974.-Events:*5 January – Tiswas starts as a local programme in the Midlands , but the television show wasn't fully automatically networked through ITV until 1979....
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17 March 2008 |
5 March 2009 |
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1975 This is a list of British television related events from 1975.-Events:*2 January – The Sweeney premieres on ITV.*22 January 1975 – 26 February – Drama series The Love School, about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood....
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19 May 2008 |
6 August 2009 |
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1976 This is a list of British television-related events in 1976.-Events:*3 April – The 21st Eurovision Song Contest is won by Brotherhood of Man, representing the United Kingdom, with their song "Save Your Kisses for Me"....
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15 June 2009 |
4 March 2010 |
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1977 This is a list of British television related events from 1977.-Events:*27 March – Jesus of Nazareth, an Anglo-Italian television miniseries dramatizing the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus based on the accounts in the four New Testament Gospels debuts on British television...
–1978This is a list of British television related events from 1978.-Events:*27 January – In an interview for Granada Television's World in Action programme, Leader of the Opposition Margaret Thatcher remarks, "people are really rather afraid that this country might be rather swamped by people with a...
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8 |
22 February 2010 |
5 August 2010 |
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Complete Series 7 |
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1978 This is a list of British television related events from 1978.-Events:*27 January – In an interview for Granada Television's World in Action programme, Leader of the Opposition Margaret Thatcher remarks, "people are really rather afraid that this country might be rather swamped by people with a...
–1979This is a list of British television related events from 1979.-Events:*28 January – Thomas & Sarah, a spin-off of Upstairs, Downstairs premieres on LWT. It runs for only one series....
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8 |
17 May 2010 |
3 March 2011 |
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Complete Series 8 |
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1980 This is a list of British television related events from 1980.-Events:*20 January - The British record TV audience for a film is set when some 23,500,000 viewers tune in for the ITV showing of the James Bond film Live and Let Die, released in 1973 and starring Roger Moore who is now in the process...
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6 September 2010 |
26 June 2011 |
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Complete Series 9 |
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1981 This is a list of British television related events from 1981.-Events:*5 January – The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the television version of Douglas Adams' radio comedy of the same name debuts on BBC2....
–1982This is a list of British television related events from 1982.-Events:* 1 January – Central Independent Television starts broadcasting in the English Midlands, replacing ATV...
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8 |
28 February 2011 |
2012 |
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Complete Series 10 |
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1983 This is a list of British television related events from 1983.-Events:*3 January – Children's ITV premieres on ITV in the UK. *17 January – Breakfast Time, Britain's first breakfast show, launches on BBC1....
–1984This is a list of British television related events from 1984.-Events:*4 January – Patricia Phoenix leaves Coronation Street for the second and final time as Elsie Tanner goes to live with old flame Bill Gregory in Portugal....
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9 May 2011 |
2012 |
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Complete Series 11 |
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1985 This is a list of British television related events from 1985.-Events:*4 January – Channel 4 achieves its highest ever audience as 13.8 million viewers tune in for the final part of the mini-series A Woman of Substance....
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25 July 2011 |
2012 |
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Complete Series 12 |
2 |
1985 This is a list of British television related events from 1985.-Events:*4 January – Channel 4 achieves its highest ever audience as 13.8 million viewers tune in for the final part of the mini-series A Woman of Substance....
–1986This is a list of British television related events from 1986.-Events:*4 January – Televised football returns to British television after the contractual dispute from the previous year is resolved....
|
6 |
26 September 2011 |
2012 |
|
The Christmas Specials |
2 |
1973–1982-1984-1987 |
4 |
29 October 2007 |
7 November 2008 |
|
Two Ronnies In Australia |
2 |
1986 This is a list of British television related events from 1986.-Events:*4 January – Televised football returns to British television after the contractual dispute from the previous year is resolved....
|
6 |
— |
28 June 2008 |
|
The Best of...Volume 1 |
1 |
1971 This is a list of British television related events from 1971.-Events:*3 January – BBC Open University broadcasts begin.*27 January – Valerie Barlow is electrocuted by a faulty hairdryer, and then perishes in a house fire on Coronation Street....
–1984This is a list of British television related events from 1984.-Events:*4 January – Patricia Phoenix leaves Coronation Street for the second and final time as Elsie Tanner goes to live with old flame Bill Gregory in Portugal....
|
1 Compilation |
1 October 2001 |
4 March 2002 |
|
The Best of...Volume 2 |
1 |
1971 This is a list of British television related events from 1971.-Events:*3 January – BBC Open University broadcasts begin.*27 January – Valerie Barlow is electrocuted by a faulty hairdryer, and then perishes in a house fire on Coronation Street....
–1985This is a list of British television related events from 1985.-Events:*4 January – Channel 4 achieves its highest ever audience as 13.8 million viewers tune in for the final part of the mini-series A Woman of Substance....
|
1 Compilation |
29 September 2003 |
17 March 2003 |
A complete box set has been guaranteed a release the same date as Series 12. It is suggested to cost around £75. The item was available as a pre-order from Amazon at this price, but the item has been taken down for an unknown reason. It NOTE: The Christmas Specials DVD does not contain all Christmas episodes, it missing the 1980, 1981, 1983 and 1985 episodes. All of these episodes were part of a series and will be released on the relevant titles accordingly - 1980 on Series 8, 1981 on Series 9, 1983 on Series 10 and 1985 on Series 12.