Maybe its just me but i do find most modern comedians nowadays funny than the ones i grew up with.
Morecambe and Wise were great family entertainers but when i flick over now to UK Gold and see one of their shows i have to turn over in seconds as i'm so bored.
The two ronnies were very good dont get me wrong but again i personally laugh more at some of the current comedians. I wouldnt watch any Two Ronnies repeats on UK Gold etc.
This news brought a tear to my eye when I found out the other day. Ronnie Barker is probably my favourite comedy actor of all time, and Porridge is my all time favourite sitcom.
I noticed he looked rather ill and drawn compared to recent years on that Two Ronnies show the did a while back. Before he'd looked much fuller and not a great deal different to how he looked when he retired.
Rest in Peace, Mr Barker. :(
"The Royal Society for the Pisspronounciation
of Worms" :)
My favourite thing they did was the Mastermind one, with the specialised subject being "answering the question before the last". Very clever, and hilarious.
Strangely enough, the day after he died, I was sorting some packages at my workplace that had to be posted, and someone there handed one in at the last moment, saying that it contained "four candles". I couldn't resist taking the conversation into that Two Ronnies sketch. Seemed an odd coincidence though.
On 2005-10-07 09:59, psj3809 wrote:
Maybe its just me but i do find most modern comedians nowadays funny than the ones i grew up with.
Morecambe and Wise were great family entertainers but when i flick over now to UK Gold and see one of their shows i have to turn over in seconds as i'm so bored.
The two ronnies were very good dont get me wrong but again i personally laugh more at some of the current comedians. I wouldnt watch any Two Ronnies repeats on UK Gold etc.
Am i the only one ?!
Thats the wonderful thing about comedy. It's a very personal thing. It's not a right or wrong, its what appeals to you.
I LOVE the old comedy, Goon Show, Hancocks Half Hour, Carry On's because they are the one's that my Dad introduced me to, so there is nostalga there.
My PERSONAL fav comedy will always be Spaced and Black Books. I don't think anything will ever top themm... but they are my tastes.
You don't need to worship something to respect it.
Personally I can't stand Only Fools and Horses.... dosnr't mean it's not good. Just means it's not for me :)
Stan Laurel,
Peter Sellers,
Graham Chapman,
Tommy Cooper,
Sid James,
Eric Morcombe,
Ronnie Barker...
Someone up there hates us :o(
If Stan Laurel was still alive today, he'd be 115 years old, so it's no surprise that he isn't. He died in 1965 aged 74 which was a fairly average age to snuff it, so you can't blame God (or whoever is "up there") too much for that one. He got a better deal than Oliver Hardy who kicked the bucket in 1957, aged 65.
However, God was a bit harsher on Peter Sellers, who would have celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday (born 8th Sept. 1925) if he was still alive. But he died 25 years ago (1980) aged only 54. :(
As for the others...
- Graham Chapman would be aged 64 (but died in 1989 aged only 48).
- Tommy Cooper would be aged 84 (but famously died on live TV - just like that - in 1984 aged 63). [*]
- Sid James would be aged 92 (but died - also on stage, but not on TV - in 1976 aged 62). [*]
- Eric Morecambe would be aged 79 (but died in 1984 aged 58).
[*] Pedants note: Tommy and Sid didn't literally die on stage, but they did both collapse on stage and died in the ambulance minutes later before reaching hospital.
Erm, I think that's enough morbid facts from me for today. ;)
[ This Message was edited by: jil on 2005-10-10 00:18 ]
On 2005-10-10 00:16, jil wrote: [*] Pedants note: Tommy and Sid didn't literally die on stage, but they did both collapse on stage and died in the ambulance minutes later before reaching hospital.
[ This Message was edited by: jil on 2005-10-10 00:18 ]
Did anybody here actually see that Tommy Cooper death on ITV? Obviously they didn't show it on the highlights reel, so I've never seen it. What actually happened? Was he on stage himself and suddenly fell over?
Yep, I saw it. It was surreal really, he just sort of slumped backwards through the curtains behind him. Everyone laughed and thought it was part of the act, the cameraman stayed on him for a few seconds as if he didn't know what to do and then Jimmy Tarbuck rushed out and said they'll be back after the break.
If I remember correctly they announced him dead after the show had ended.
Must have been over 20 years ago now.
Did anybody here actually see that Tommy Cooper death on ITV? Obviously they didn't show it on the highlights reel, so I've never seen it. What actually happened? Was he on stage himself and suddenly fell over?
Yes, that's exactly what happened. He was performing on "Live from Her Majesty's" at the time. I can't remember the trick he was doing but he was in full view. He just stopped dead (as it were), tipped straight back and fell backwards. His legs even flew up when he landed, lending an unreal, comedic air to his collapse and giving many the impression that this was in fact part of his act. They dropped the curtains straight away tho and there was a newsflash shortly afterwards.
Did anybody here actually see that Tommy Cooper death on ITV? Obviously they didn't show it on the highlights reel, so I've never seen it. What actually happened? Was he on stage himself and suddenly fell over?
I missed seeing it on TV, but I do remember reading about it the following morning in the Daily Express (I remember it 'cos it was my dad's birthday and we were staying at my grandparents' house in Plymouth at the time). I remember being fascinated by the way he'd "died on stage" and wished I'd been watching the show at the time (yes, even as a 9 year old, I was a morbid little bastard :p).
As for his last trick, this page quotes Jimmy Tarbuck...
"As usual, he was supposed to make a mess of the last trick. He was wearing a long cloak from which he was supposed to start bringing out large objects. Then a ladder would come through his legs followed by a milk churn and a long pole. When Tommy fell backwards I thought he'd put another gag in. I thought he was going to do some levitation trick from under his cloak. We all expected him to get up and we waited for the roar of laughter. It was terrible when he didn't."
Jimmy Tarbuck (Liverpool comedian) who was apparently behind the curtain on stage, ready to hand out a prop to Cooper for a joke magician act. Tarbuck was watching on a monitor behind the curtain as a female assistant wrapped a long cloak around Cooper and fastened it round his neck, when Cooper apparently made a small noise and very slowly collapsed, falling to his knees with the cloak still around him. The audience assumed it was part of the act, but the advert break was quickly brought on and the curtains wrapped around Cooper. I believe he was already dead at that time.
... and I seem to recall reading somewhere that his last words before he collapsed were something like: "There's no trapdoor..." but I could be wrong on that one.
Comments
I never missed an edition of the Two Ronnies as a kid.
RIP Ronnie. :(
No more Goons,
No more Hancock,
No more Steptoe,
No more Benny Hill,
No more Tommy Cooper
and now no more Two Ronnies.
He Will be greatly missed by all.
Don't care what anyone says. Pre 1980's comedy was the best of the best.
Stan Laurel,
Peter Sellers,
Graham Chapman,
Tommy Cooper,
Sid James,
Eric Morcombe,
Ronnie Barker...
Still alive:
Graham Norton,
Phil Jupitus,
Mark Lammar,
Julian Clary,
Keith Harris,
Terry Christian...
Someone up there hates us :o(
Morecambe and Wise were great family entertainers but when i flick over now to UK Gold and see one of their shows i have to turn over in seconds as i'm so bored.
The two ronnies were very good dont get me wrong but again i personally laugh more at some of the current comedians. I wouldnt watch any Two Ronnies repeats on UK Gold etc.
Am i the only one ?!
I noticed he looked rather ill and drawn compared to recent years on that Two Ronnies show the did a while back. Before he'd looked much fuller and not a great deal different to how he looked when he retired.
Rest in Peace, Mr Barker. :(
"The Royal Society for the Pisspronounciation
of Worms" :)
Strangely enough, the day after he died, I was sorting some packages at my workplace that had to be posted, and someone there handed one in at the last moment, saying that it contained "four candles". I couldn't resist taking the conversation into that Two Ronnies sketch. Seemed an odd coincidence though.
https://discordapp.com/invite/cZt59EQ
Thats the wonderful thing about comedy. It's a very personal thing. It's not a right or wrong, its what appeals to you.
I LOVE the old comedy, Goon Show, Hancocks Half Hour, Carry On's because they are the one's that my Dad introduced me to, so there is nostalga there.
My PERSONAL fav comedy will always be Spaced and Black Books. I don't think anything will ever top themm... but they are my tastes.
You don't need to worship something to respect it.
Personally I can't stand Only Fools and Horses.... dosnr't mean it's not good. Just means it's not for me :)
And Tom Baker too!!! Woohoo!
However, God was a bit harsher on Peter Sellers, who would have celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday (born 8th Sept. 1925) if he was still alive. But he died 25 years ago (1980) aged only 54. :(
As for the others...
- Graham Chapman would be aged 64 (but died in 1989 aged only 48).
- Tommy Cooper would be aged 84 (but famously died on live TV - just like that - in 1984 aged 63). [*]
- Sid James would be aged 92 (but died - also on stage, but not on TV - in 1976 aged 62). [*]
- Eric Morecambe would be aged 79 (but died in 1984 aged 58).
[*] Pedants note: Tommy and Sid didn't literally die on stage, but they did both collapse on stage and died in the ambulance minutes later before reaching hospital.
Erm, I think that's enough morbid facts from me for today. ;)
[ This Message was edited by: jil on 2005-10-10 00:18 ]
Did anybody here actually see that Tommy Cooper death on ITV? Obviously they didn't show it on the highlights reel, so I've never seen it. What actually happened? Was he on stage himself and suddenly fell over?
https://discordapp.com/invite/cZt59EQ
If I remember correctly they announced him dead after the show had ended.
Must have been over 20 years ago now.
Yes, that's exactly what happened. He was performing on "Live from Her Majesty's" at the time. I can't remember the trick he was doing but he was in full view. He just stopped dead (as it were), tipped straight back and fell backwards. His legs even flew up when he landed, lending an unreal, comedic air to his collapse and giving many the impression that this was in fact part of his act. They dropped the curtains straight away tho and there was a newsflash shortly afterwards.
Marko
any can make me laugh thesedays,though last
night I saw Marcus Brigstock,he was pretty
good.cheers peter.
Shame about: Ben Elton, Jo Brand, all other female comedians who think women's lib jokes are funny, Graham Norton.
(Shame he hasn't been funny since the early 80's)
;)
A quick Google for "tommy cooper dead" shows I'm not the only sicko around. For example, see this forum thread: "Where is the video of tommy coopers dead" :lol:
As for his last trick, this page quotes Jimmy Tarbuck... ...and this page has a little more detail... ... and I seem to recall reading somewhere that his last words before he collapsed were something like: "There's no trapdoor..." but I could be wrong on that one.
does anyone have this on tape/dvd?