For Some Older, And Some Younger Ab'ers -

[andy-hughes]

Looking back, and allowing for the fact that what was served, and enjoyed, as entertainment, was very different years ago, how many of you really thought the following were actually any good at all -

Mike And Bernie Winters
The Goodies
Mike Yarwood
On The Buses
Stanley Baxter

I can honestly say that collectively and individually, I have never so much as raised a smile at any of them, ever.

Any thoughts?

[andy-hughes]

jennyjoan - // for andyhughes
///// just acting out the claustrophobia. ////

yep cos they couldn't get away quick enough from each other as they did not like each other at all. //

From what I have read, that was absolutely true in the later years, less so in the early times together.

I understand that each respected the other as an actor, but they had absolutely nothing in common, so their working relationship was simply professional, and they did not socialise.

The relationship deteriorated and completely broke down when the toured Australia together.

By that time, Corbett had become bitter and disillusioned, his cherished dream of becoming a respected straight actor had been stymied by the devil of typecasting, and Brambell had become an alcoholic, and a seriously nasty and bitter old man, and as you say, they couldn't stand the sight of each other.

That said, I remember seeing Wilfred Brambell interviewed after Corbett's death and he was genuinely heartbroken - maybe regretting the last few years and how he had behaved.

[andy-hughes]

jennyjoan - Further to my last post - you may find this interesting -

https://www.comedy.co.uk/features/comedy_chronicles/strained-relationships-wilfrid-brambell-and-harry-h-corbett/

I hadn't read it before I posted, but it does seem broadly to bear out what I said - albeit with far more interesting, and sad, detail.

[andy-hughes]

Jacdaw - // I do. Charlie Drake in 'The Worker' with Henry McGee as Mr Pugh, which Charlie would always pronounce as Mr Poo. //

Viewers again of a certain age remember his accident on live television - poor quality sound, but it shows what can go wrong -

[andy-hughes]

Re. references to Mike Yarwood - I always cringed, even at my tender age at the time when, at the end, he sang a song really badly, but prefaced it with the observation "And this is me ..." as though the scales fell from our eyes and we suddenly realised that all those figures were not themselves at all, they were Mike Yarwood impersonating them!

Wow, revelation city!!!!

[burlyshirley]

Mike and Bernie Winters were not funny, but I used to like Mike Yarwood. I also like repeats now of On the Buses, doesn't make me laugh, just fascinates me ! That sketch with Paul Whitehouse was absolutely hilarious.

[andy-hughes]

burlyshirley - // That sketch with Paul Whitehouse was absolutely hilarious. //

Johnny Depp, who knows a bit about being a character actor, says that in his opinion, Paul Whitehouse is one of the finest character actors of his generation.

And given his body of work - in The Fast Show and especially in the Harry And Paul series, it's hard to argue otherwise.

[burlyshirley]

I would totally agree with that. He had that On the Buses character to an absolute T !

[dannyk13]

For me the must watch duo were Morcambe & Wise.Pure genius.

[burlyshirley]

My Dad used to adore Morecambe and Wise, watching their old shows now always brings back happy memories for me.