Richard Briars - And A British (Non) Sense Of Proportion.

[andy-hughes]

I am sad to hear of Richard Briars' death.

But please for the love of heaven, don't let the BBC use it as an excuse to re-run any episodes of the exerable Good Life 'comedy' series.

The British have a dreadful habbit of adopting someone as a 'national treasure' for a commedy they appeared in forty years ago, as though it was Shakespere reincarnated.

Mr Briars had a long and varied career, how sad if all his obits focus on this self-satisfied smug chattering-classes comedy in which he played - as he himself said - an unpleasant egotistical fool.

Just because something on television is popular is not always a measure if its long-term worth as a piece of culture - The Good Life was an average comedy of its day, nothing special, and eclipsed by many others before and after.

So let's just remember him as a good actor, not some sort of comedic diety for playing one role - it demeans his other performances and renders him one-dimensional.

I am dreading the day when Jean Boht dies and even the faintest prospect of a re-run of the apallingly humourless Bread rears is dreaded head.

[emmie]

sorry you feel that way, nothing wrong with showing The Good Life, it is still funny and in many ways more pertinent than it was back when it was first shown, lovely actor, great series, beats most of the so called modern family comedies hands down.

[sandyRoe]

All the tapes of Bread should have been thrown into the Mersey years ago. And The Liver Birds tapes should have followed.

[tonyav]

I liked Joey's Jag though andy.
But yes I do agree with what you have said.

[emmie]

his name is Briers, not with an a...

[B00]

Agree with em, I love The Good Life, its right up there with Only Fools and Horses as one of the few comedies i'll watch when i'm telly flicking despite having already seen it Gawd knows how many times.

[naomi24]

I'd love to watch The Good Life again - and Bread. You might not relish the idea, but don't deny others. You're under no obligation to switch the television on.

[aelmpvw]

Briers, it's Briers

[sandyRoe]

Would the years have been kind to Lilo Lil, I wonder.

[emmie]

i love Penelope Keith as Margot, you have to have a heart of stone not to laugh when she donned the oilskins to go out into the garden to get the crops in, for me it's as good as del boy falling through the bar, hilarious.

[mccfluff]

lol i was just saying that we're going to be subjected to never ending re runs of the good life - not that i didn't like it. but he was a great actor an in some excellent programmes not just the good life

[bibblebub]

You clearly do not view the Gold tv channel on which you can watch all such shows.

Incidentally I don't mind The Good Life (which has just finished its run of all the episodes) but prefer Ever Decreasing Circles, and there was a scheduled episode of that on earlier this afternoon.

[emmie]

just for you,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y-mZaphP5U

[DJHawkes]

I never watched the Good Life at all apart from on snippet type programmes, loved bread, enjoyed Monarch Of The Glen an awful lot, loved archie in that. Richard Briers was at the BBC though and they need all the feel good nostalgia shots they can get

[emmie]

he was a very good actor, but i still think he will be remembered primarily for the good life,

[Zeuhl]

andy

if you're going to *** off the guy's work you could at least have spelled his name correctly LOL

[emmie]

as some of us have pointed out, to no avail.. oh well

[Zeuhl]

I agree with andy

Richard Briars was a load of rubbish - good riddance!

Now Richard Briers is a different matter ....

[Bazile]

It just shows what a subjective thing ' comedy ' is - what might make someone fall off their chair laughing - fails to raise a smile , with another person

[wiltsman]

I agree with bibblebub, I thought Ever Decreasing Circles was his best TV series.

I didn't realise it was being shown again on Gold, will have to look out for it next week.

Fantastic programme! Well scripted and acted by all the cast.

[Bazile]

Incidentall , i fall in the latter category , mentioned in my post