themaninblack

Having seen him on the news, he's looking a lot more chipper, so I take it back!

Clarence was Ronnie Barker's last sitcom, made in 1988. It was set in the 1930s and centred around the titular short-sited removal man, played by the man himself. All I can say is that it was no wonder that he retired. 'Going Straight' has been repeated on UK Gold. It's not bad, just not as good as Porridge.

Barry Letts (b. 1925) Producer of Doctor Who (1969 - 1974) I say this as the death rate amongst producers/writers of the show is impressive: John Wiles producer (d. 1999) Innes Lloyd (producer (d. 1991) Graham Williams producer (d. 1990) John Nathan-Turner producer (d. 2002) Robert Holmes script editor (d. 1986) David Whitaker script editor (d. 1980) Terry Nation creator of the Daleks (d. 1997) Gerry Davis co-creator of the Cybermen/script editor (d. 1992)

You've not seen Clarence then!

And in honour of the late Ronnie Barker: What is the difference between a malopropism and a spoonerism? Knuck Fows!

Here's one I've come across - John Freeman (b. 1915) was the the probing interviewer of Face to Face from 1959 - 1962. Famously interviewed Tony Hancock and reduced Fifties TV star Gilbert Harding to tears. He is also one of the last surviving people who were elected in the Labour 1945 landslide (for Labour). Definitely one to think about putting on the list!

Shouldn't that be ...pass the sic (sic) bag?

What do you call a Jewish baker? Adolf Hitler! (budum tish)

According to top conspiracy therory website 'Prison Planet', Israel are planning to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities, like they did with Iraq's back in 1981 (naughty boys those Israelis). Now as Russia are helping to build these reactors, they would strike at Israel in defence of Iran, USA would then retaliate and Europe would be expected to join with the Americans which would mean we would be brown bread. Still at least there will be a 100% record for the Deathlist eh?

Yes this is sad. A moments silence I think... . . . . . . . . . . Right. Hands up who wants to shag Konnie Huq?

Actually he died on 3rd October, but lets not split hairs.

I think it has been only in the last year or so, that it was clear that Ronnie Barker wasn't well. In the Two Ronnies Sketch Book, he was clearly ailing and there were reports in the newspapers about his declining health, particularly considering the strain of his son's misdemeanors. My favourite Two Ronnies sketch was 'Rook Soup': CORBETT: I hope it's not as bad as it sounds. BARKER: (under his breath) It bloody is.

With the death of Ronnie Barker, you have to consider the Rev. Ian Paisley, who seems to be going through the same process of big man to little man. Only without the laughs.... ...except those at his expense!

Still, I suppose there is a well suppressed thought amongst the superpowers that, strategically speaking, what a relief it would be if both Israel and Iran were taken out of the picture...

He wasn't on the list was he? A costly omission....

A great comic actor. Funnily enough I was watching a film from 1963 - 'Father Came Too', which had Ronnie Barker in it. And I was only thinking 'there's a few in this that are still alive' and I was thinking of Stanley Baxter and Leslie Philips....

Sounds like it was run over. Very smudge then....

You do wonder sometimes that the neo-cons have some sort of deathwish. However one hope of avoiding armageddon is, ironically, the military. Apparently there have whispers of a 'coup', stoked by the dismissal of a four star General for rather dubious reasons.

I'd love to ask ITN or Sky News the question of whether they would cover the apocalypse, what would be the point?

We ought to be careful about seizing every titbit that comes from the news, like some 24-hour news channel, or we wont know what's going on or where we're going! We had this with the Pope. Let me know when he's popped it....

It would be an odd sort of atmosphere if he did die. I remember when Eric Morecame died at a similar age in 1984, and although it had been on the cards,(Morecame had heart by-pass surgery in 1979) there was genuine sadness when he died. When Best goes, there will be the enevitable acknowledgement of his greatness as a footballer, but after that, it would be an uncomfortable air when we reflect on how he subsequently pissed that great talent up the wall.

One of those pupils was Michael Flanders of 'Flanders & Swann' (Mud Glorious Mud) who was a friend of Benns. Don't bother to look if he's still alive, he died in 1975. One of Benn's pals from Oxford was the more normal sounding David Butler (psephologist of election night specials from 1950s - 1970s - still alive)

Of Romany blood isn't he?

Lionel Jefferies (b. 1926) hasn't been seen for a while, is he ill?

Quite so, quite so. I'm not going to make a full defence of Benn, he does have his eccentricities. But he believed in socialism, which as a theory you can't knock, but the praticalities were all the more difficult to achieve. And it was clearly abused. Although Zedong did an awful lot of harm in the pursuit of he genuinely thought was 'socialist'.