Mollie Sugden et al

[Bibliogryphon 9,570]

Just now, YoungWillz said:

I stopped picking Smethurst for my Comedy team.

 

Whilst there is no doubt he should obit, it might take a while to frame a suitable one - if at all. Been burnt before. Yeah, the BBC have gone a bundle on PJ O'Rourke (who I have vaguely heard of, so most people won't care) and some Bollywood star (who the fuck?). 40 years ago, breaking news, now? I mean the show is nearly 50 years old and he did theatre work after that, rarely anything else.

 

Smethurst was a huge star back in the day - fingers crossed eh?

 

I have noticed that the BBC website is not as responsive as it was back in the day and it can take a while to be updated while the other outlets steal a march on them

[YoungWillz 21,028]

3 minutes ago, Bibliogryphon said:

 

I have noticed that the BBC website is not as responsive as it was back in the day and it can take a while to be updated while the other outlets steal a march on them

I'd have expected the Sun or the Mirror to be on this fairly swiftly.

 

Maybe their sub-editors were kids when Fraggle Rock was on. 

[msc 18,437]

15 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

I'd have expected the Sun or the Mirror to be on this fairly swiftly.

 

Maybe their sub-editors were kids when Fraggle Rock was on. 

Fraggle Rock ended before I was 1, and most subeditors are probably younger than me now. I know, time, right?

[The Old Crem 3,582]

32 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

I'd have expected the Sun or the Mirror to be on this fairly swiftly.

 

Maybe their sub-editors were kids when Fraggle Rock was on. 

I suspect it’s because normally newspapers report deaths after getting a press statement from their agent but that obviously hasn’t happened here.

[The Old Crem 3,582]

On 19/07/2021 at 00:31, YoungWillz said:

Felicity Kendal and Robert Lindsay starring in a stage production of Anything Goes (pics): https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9710343/Felicity-Kendal-74-displays-impressive-flexibility-rehearsals-London-show.html

 

Now I've done that show, and I am guessing they are not playing the young leads - because if they are, I want the cast list of the other characters who should be nearing their nineties!

 

Amazing how really truly rough they look, compared with the mocked up picture promoting the show. That says nothing about their health, but Flic in particular I personally think looks older than her age.

I actually saw that show in September. Both looked healthy and with plenty of life in them yet.  

[YoungWillz 21,028]

2 minutes ago, The Old Crem said:

I suspect it’s because normally newspapers report deaths after getting a press statement from their agent but that obviously hasn’t happened here.

Y-y-y-ou mean.....they don't read this site as an amazing repository and resource? 

 

Well, I'm just shocked. 

[CastAway 488]

 

While this obviously doesn't function as a proper QO, I do think the acknowledgment means one should come in within the day. 

[Toast 16,130]

1 hour ago, Bibliogryphon said:

With regard to In Sickness & In  Health ..... I am sure both Speight and Mitchell were adamant that the racism on display was there to be laughed at not with. The presence of Tony Booth would also support that. Not a fan myself though.

 

59 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

It's only my opinion, but actually it had the same problem as Love Thy Neighbour. I remember at the time Alf Garnett was an absolute hero to a lot of people. So they fucked that right up right there.

 

I was very young when Till Death Us Do Part started, but certainly everyone I knew laughed AT Alf for being such a bigot.  There was definitely a flavour of "oh dear, should we be laughing at this, though?" which often accompanies satirical comedy.

However in later years I did come across someone who took it very literally and shared many of Alf's opinions.  His background was very different from ours though.

[The Old Crem 3,582]

8 minutes ago, Toast said:

 

 

I was very young when Till Death Us Do Part started, but certainly everyone I knew laughed AT Alf for being such a bigot.  There was definitely a flavour of "oh dear, should we be laughing at this, though?" which often accompanies satirical comedy.

However in later years I did come across someone who took it very literally and shared many of Alf's opinions.  His background was very different from ours though.

I come from a background quite close to Alf’s and I think by how they recall the show a lot of my family old enough to watch it were laughing at times with him. Maybe less so come the 1980’s series but that toned down the controversial aspects anyway. 

[YoungWillz 21,028]

Sylvie Gatrill, actress who appeared as Mrs Cullen in Bread, being reported dead: 

Also played the recurring role of Lesley Donnelly in Brookside.

[Handrejka 1,903]

1 hour ago, YoungWillz said:

Sylvie Gatrill, actress who appeared as Mrs Cullen in Bread, being reported dead: 

Also played the recurring role of Lesley Donnelly in Brookside.

I don't remember her in Brookie. She turned up in The Responder recently as Victor McGuire 's feuding neighbour which I thought was a nice casting gag. Of the two of them,McGuire looked closer to meeting his maker to be honest.

[YoungWillz 21,028]

This seems to be an out the blue post about the death of Anna Karen, Olive from On The Buses.

 

Anyone access to other social media which backs this up? Asking for a friend who picked her for the DDP. 

 

 

[Spade_Cooley 9,515]

Does seem odd that there's only one tweet about Anna Karen and it's that one, from an author who doesn't seem to have any real showbiz connections. Could be true though, can't imagine TMZ will be breaking the news of her death. Was going to suggest that we keep an eye on Facebook's Anna Karen Fans page, but....

 

[YoungWillz 21,028]

1 minute ago, Spade_Cooley said:

Does seem odd that there's only one tweet about Anna Karen and it's that one, from an author who doesn't seem to have any real showbiz connections. Could be true though, can't imagine TMZ will be breaking the news of her death. Was going to suggest that we keep an eye on Facebook's Anna Karen Fans page, but....

 

It's the Dagenham connection that hints at possibly true. 

 

I'd expect someone who was majorly involved acting in Eastenders to obit, might require filtering through. If it is true of course. 

[Spade_Cooley 9,515]

Ah, the tweeter in question directed a production of The Vagina Monologues starring Karen, which makes this a lot more logical. She dead.

[YoungWillz 21,028]

1 minute ago, Spade_Cooley said:

Ah, the tweeter in question directed a production of The Vagina Monologues starring Karen, which makes this a lot more logical. She dead.

Sad news indeed then.

 

While I never saw her in Eastenders (there is only so much death and despair you can take of an evening) Olive Rudge was truly an heroic character in On The Buses, putting up with her brother's lechery and her husband's implied impotence. When she went to work in the canteen of the bus station, her character really came into her own.

 

RIP.

 

Someone contact her agent and get this on the news.

[YoungWillz 21,028]

Anna Karen died in a house fire: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10543127/On-Buses-EastEnders-star-Anna-Karen-dies-house-fire.html

 

Jesus Christ. 

[Leon Brittan 293]

Holy shit what a horrible way for her to go. She was fantastic. I hated EastEnders growing up but I remember a scene in which Sal rips her sister Peggy into peices. Absolutely hilarious. Rest in peace Olive 

[msc 18,437]

13 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Anna Karen died in a house fire: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10543127/On-Buses-EastEnders-star-Anna-Karen-dies-house-fire.html

 

Jesus Christ. 

 

Bloody hell. Sad way for a popular actress (or indeed, anyone) to go.

[Spade_Cooley 9,515]

I was just thinking the other day about how celebrities don't die in house fires anymore and then this shows me up.

[YoungWillz 21,028]

Just now, Spade_Cooley said:

I was just thinking the other day about how celebrities don't die in house fires anymore and then this shows me up.

Described as a horror blaze.

 

Doesn't sound like sensationalism either. Horrific.

[The Old Crem 3,582]

9 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Described as a horror blaze.

 

Doesn't sound like sensationalism either. Horrific.

From what the fire brigade have said it damaged part of the Ground floor of her terraced house. Unfortunately she was disabled so even a relatively small fire that most would be able to escape sadly proved fatal. Terrible news. 

[YoungWillz 21,028]

1 minute ago, The Old Crem said:

From what the fire brigade have said it damaged part of the Ground floor. Unfortunately she was disabled so even a small fire that most would be able to escape sadly proved fatal. Terrible news. 

Shades of Steve Bronski, who also died in a fire late last year.

[Sean 6,313]

59 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Anna Karen died in a house fire: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10543127/On-Buses-EastEnders-star-Anna-Karen-dies-house-fire.html

 

Jesus Christ. 

Sad and shocked by this. A brilliant actress .Horrible way for anyone to go.That`s genuinely upset me to hear that.

[Sean 6,313]

I suppose the best we can hope for is that she was asleep and never woke up from smoke inhalation or was smoking and died instantly mid cigarette.