The Two Ronnies

1971

The Two Ronnies

7.8 | NR | en | Comedy

The Two Ronnies is a British sketch show which aired on BBC1 from 1971 to 1987. It featured the double act of Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett, the "Two Ronnies" of the title.

WATCH FREEFOR 30 DAYS

All Prime Video
Cancel anytime

Watch Now

Seasons & Episodes

EP8 The Two Ronnies Night

Jul. 16,1999

The BBC's tribute to The Two Ronnies, with new interviews with the two Rons, plus writers and actors involved in the series. And, of course, clips from their most famous shows.

EP7 The Two Ronnies Christmas Special 1987

Dec. 25,1987

The last ever Two Ronnies show. Christmas entertainment from Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. Sketches include: 'The Pub Chat', 'The Wedding Party', 'Christmas Day at the Klondyke Saloon', 'Lefty and Sixty', and 'Pinocchio II: Killer Doll'. Musical guest Elton John sings 'Candle in the Wind'.

EP6 Episode 6

Feb. 01,1986

Sketches include a fancy dress office party, we have an episode of 'Indian Cookery' hosted by Ringo Chutney, two tramps discuss why they gave up employment, a coal man is protective of his daughter, we go to the Annual Crumpsall & District Chapter Hells Yokels Barndance, we go to a pub that only sells many different varieties water, Ronnie talks about his sex appeal and brings his fan mail, and the final drama is a Viking drama called 'The Secret of the Sorcerers Tomb' where we find out about the retirement of Mudguard the Mighty. The musical performer is Barbara Dickson.

EP5 Episode 5

Jan. 25,1986

Sketches include a party where the theme is the great comedians, there is a message from a spokesman from The Department of Stealth and Total Obscurity with special responsibility for limbs and organs, two tramps discuss family, we travel to the captain's cabin on the Bounty to see the start of the mutiny against Captain Bligh, there is a song by the police who have trouble keeping up with the rhyming slang, a doctor sees a patient who has a hatchet in his head, Ronnie's joke comes with a government health warning, the final drama is an episode of 'Hercule Poirot meets Miss Marple' called The Teddy Bear Who Knew Too Much. The musical performer is Phil Collins.

EP4 Episode 4

Jan. 18,1986

Sketches include a dairy farmer goes for advice about his cows not using the flush toilets, there is a spokesman for people who say everything twice, there is a spokesman for people who say everything twice, two tramps discuss hair, we meet a very annoying man in a cinema, there is a song by two bikies, Ronnie is going to get a new chair and announces his autobiography, Claire Rayner answers your letters, the final mystery drama is called 'The Village of the Smiths'. The musical performer is Barbara Dickson.

EP3 Episode 3

Jan. 11,1986

Sketches include a yokel postman makes a delivery and has an interesting conversation, three tramps discuss crime, there is an edition of 'Speak Oz' where foreigners are taught the Australian Wagga Wagga double talk, a milkman makes a delivery to William Shakespeare and offers some advice, two allied naval officers are on the high seas and upset the Germans war effort, Ronnie dedicates his joke to the show's executive producer and is about two chaps who go to the movies, there's a singalong down the local, the final drama is a science fiction thriller called 'It Came from Outer Hendon'. The musical performer is Phil Collins.

EP2 Episode 2

Jan. 04,1986

Sketches include a party where a man keeps hearing the names of people he knows in the conversation, two tramps discuss medicine, we go to a bar where a man and a robot go for a drink, we have a song by the ringmasters of the Barnum and Bailey circus, two yokels discuss some local and world events giving their unique views, we have a song by Lightweight Louie Danvers, Ronnie tells us a cricketing joke, and the final drama is about a very capable butler and is called 'The Admirable Brighton". The musical performer is Barbara Dickson.

EP1 Episode 1: The Two Ronnies Christmas Special 1985

Dec. 25,1985

Sketches include a visit to the doctor by a short-sighted man with a tortoise, two tramps discuss their lives, a party with some party-goers wearing wigs and hair is big topic of conversation, we go to The Pink Rupee for a bit of rap, we see the documentary Little Big Shot set in America during prohibition and which is about the gangster Rockie Stallone, Ronnie tells his joke with a packing case on stage with him, there's hearing problems in the trenches in WWI, and the final musical is based on Alice in Wonderland. The musical performer is Phil Collins.

7.8 | NR | en | Comedy | More Info

Released: 1971-04-10 | Released Producted By: , Country: United Kingdom Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:

Synopsis

The Two Ronnies is a British sketch show which aired on BBC1 from 1971 to 1987. It featured the double act of Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett, the "Two Ronnies" of the title.

Stream Online

The tv show is currently not available onine

Cast

Ronnie Corbett , Ronnie Barker

Director

Terry Hughes

Producted By

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime.

Watch Now

Trailers

Cast

Ronnie Corbett

Burke & Hare Ant & Dec's Push the Button The One Ronnie The Two Ronnies Sketchbook Fierce Creatures By the Sea Frost on Sunday Alice Through the Looking Box

Ronnie Barker

The Two Ronnies Sketchbook My House in Umbria The Gathering Storm By the Sea Porridge Going Straight Robin and Marian Porridge Hark at Barker

Reviews

filmtechnz I have just spent an evening watching a selection of this marvellous television series and I can honestly say I haven't laughed so much in years. Right from "And Here is the news" to "and it's goodnight from him" I don't think I stopped laughing in every episode I watched. And what is more is that both Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett actually looked as though they were enjoying themselves (as I am sure they were), as they presented their show. When you compare the brilliance of this pair to the modern day comedians (if I may call them comedians), there is just no comparison. Theirs is a magic we may never see again.

RaspberryLucozade It may come as a surprise to some to learn this but I am not really an avid fan of 'The Two Ronnies'. Already I can vision your jaws opening 'Tex Avery' style in amazement. Don't get me wrong, some of the sketches I find genuinely well written and performed, others I feel are overlong and unfunny.Each episode commenced with Barker and Corbett sitting before a studio audience, cracking off gags ( which Barker prefaced with ''And in a packed programme tonight!'' ) before moving on to sketches and musical items. Some of the best sketches included Corbett walking into an ice cream parlour and asking for such ludicrous flavours as salt and vinegar or cheese and onion, much to the bewilderment of the proprietor. A very funny 'Mastermind' spoof had Barker as Magnus Mackisson and Corbett as a contestant whose chosen subject is 'Answering Each Question Before Last'. There was also a hilarious 'Top Of The Pops' spoof entitled 'Plop Of The Flops' which featured a blacked-up Barker in drag as Big Momma belting out 'I'm Your Big Fat Momma And I'm Blacker Than A Black-eyed Pea!'. The best of all of course was 'Four Candles' in which a none too bright customer asks a shopkeeper for fork handles but the shopkeeper mishears him and thinks he is asking for four candles. The comic misunderstanding escalates from then on. 'The Two Ronnies' was also home to the famous 'Phantom Rasperry Blower Of London Town'.Less amusing were many of the musical items, as well as Corbett's dire armchair monologues. Appearing as guests were Robin Bailey, Stratford Johns, Claire Nielsen, Josephine Tewson, John Clesse, Julia McKenzie and Patricia Routledge to name but a few. Musical acts included The Nolan Sisters, Elton John, Barbara Dickson, Chas & Dave and Lyndsey De Paul. Ronnie Barker wrote many of the sketches himself under the pen name Gerald Wiley.There was no denying that 'The Two Ronnies' was hugely popular but personally I could only take it in small doses. Even so, it is miles funnier than some of the more recent guff that taints our screens today, namely 'Little Britain'.

winstonfg As for many Brits of my age, they were the standard Saturday night fare of my teens, and the show produced some of the classic sketches listed by others - although I noticed that nobody mentioned the recurring "Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town", including the delectably-endowed Maddy Smith and written by Spike Milligan.The format was slick, predictable, and gave both performers the chance to exercise their differing talents (I recently watched a couple of episodes and was surprised to find that Corbett's "sit-down chat" seems to have dated the least). As with all sketch shows though, the quality varied, and some of the later editions strained for laughs a bit. Luckily for you young 'uns, you don't have to plough through the dross to get to the gems, because they *are* memorable. All you have to do is say "Four candles" to someone of my generation, and they know what you're talking about.I'd put it in the second rank of British comedy - in the mix with Dave Allen and Benny Hill and just a smidge behind Morecambe and Wise. Not quite up there with Python or Blackadder, but good wholesome fare done by a couple of real old pros.

BJJManchester Between 1971 and 1987,the brilliant Ronnie Barker,and his diminutive but equally talented partner Ronnie Corbett,produced and performed arguably the perfect peak-time family sketch show in the UK.THE TWO RONNIES lacked the long lasting influence and greater World-wide success of MONTY PYTHON,and the more savage,cutting-edge style of NOT THE NINE O'CLOCK NEWS,but their most memorable sketches can still compete with the best of them,and as far as sketch humour for the whole family is concerned(albeit often laced with smut and innuendo),no programme has ever properly replaced it since it's departure.To the unfamiliar,virtually every TWO RONNIES show consisted of the following format:Messurs Barker and Corbett would start the programme,sat behind a desk together,starting with usually corny but undeniably funny fake news items,leading on to a solo turn by Barker,with assorted duologue's (often in pubs or drawing room parties) and sketches,Corbett performing a monologue from a comfortable armchair(usually rather bigger than him),an elaborate filmed sketch,usually musical,or sometimes a serial,then ending with more fake news before ending with "It's a good night from me.." (Corbett),"...and a good night from him" (Barker).Over it's long run,the show kept a remarkable comic consistency,only very occasionally being over-stretched,weak,repetitive or misjudged.The main reason for this was perhaps the large number of writers involved,the most notable being perhaps Barker himself,who sent in sketches under various moniker's (Gerald Wiley the best known) before being found out.With the show's peak years being the 1970's,there was of course much non-PC material which would be difficult to repeat three decades later,and in the compilation programme THE TWO RONNIES SKETCHBOOK (2005),it was obvious that certain modifications had to be made for more modern TV audiences.Despite this,the high comedic quality of the material was still readily apparent,as was the enormous affection for the Ronnies themselves.It was a great joy to see Ronnie Barker on British TV screens again,but it was a greater sadness when Barker sadly died later in the year.The British public were deeply moved by his passing,maybe because in one sense it truly meant the end of an era.An era when TV bosses let such great talents as the Two Ronnies,Morecambe and Wise,Frankie Howerd,Tommy Cooper,Les Dawson,et al entertain and amuse us on peak-time British TV in the 70's,whereas now execs seem to think that infesting our screens with tedious,banal,dreary and mostly pathetic 'reality' shows with such non-talents as Jordan,Sophie Anderton,Kerry Katona and Paul Burrell are what the public wants, when the fact is they actually don't.There are still talented actors,writers,singers and comedians out there.All the execs have to do is use them like before several decades ago.RATING- 9 out of 10.