| Books:
"But First - The News" Peter Vincent, 1977
"Nice to be With You Again", Peter Vincent, 1977
"In a Packed Programme Tonight", Peter Vincent, 1978
"And It's Hello From Him", Ian Davidson, 1980
"Time For a Few Extra Items", Ian Davidson, 1981
"It's Goodnight From Him", Ian Davidson, 1982
On the plus side, these books are full, and I mean full, of all those
wonderful news items that opened and closed the Ronnie's shows. On the
minus side, there are no pictures of the Ronnies and the illustrations
are silly, kiddie joke book quality and take up space that could have been
filled with more news. Also, a lot of the jokes are distinctly British
specific, and many of them are dated.

"It's Goonight
From Him", Ronnie Barker, 1976
A little gem. Ronnie Barker's own material, oddly, but colorfully illustrated.
Includes several sketches, monologues and the text of two musicals, "The
Plumstead Ladies Male Voice Choir" and "The Short and Fat Minstrels"
"The Two Ronnies Sketchbook", Peter Vincent, 1978
Another gem. Contains many sketches in script format and several monologues,
including one sketch never broadcast. A big plus is the inclusion of many
photos of the Ronnies taken from the shows.
"The Two Ronnies
Annual", Brown Watson pub., 1979
A mixed bag. On one hand, there are news items and monologues and a
couple sketches, which have, oddly, been adapted into comic strip format.
Big plus, more great photos! Big minus, it's in annual format, so there
are additional items, calculator games, a crossword puzzle and dry educational
segments that explain, in simple terms, how television works.
"All I Ever
Wrote", Ronnie Barker, 1999
The holy grail. No frills, just 734 pages of sketches, monologues,
songs, serials, series and stage plays from Ronnie Barker's entire career.
Early sketches from "Frost on Sunday", the scripts for Barker's series
"His Lordship Entertains" and "Clarence", the complete text of two Piggy
Malone/Charlie Farley serials, songs, musical extravaganzas. Many plusses.
One minor minus, Barker himself admits, despite the title, it's not complete.
But it hardly matters, because there's still so much here.
(note: the punchline to the "Fork Handles" sketch differs here from
the one presented on the series. It was probably changed by Barker because
the televised ending is purely visual and is probably too esoteric. Besides,
he opted for a slightly saucier ending, so all's well)
Video:
"The Best of
the Two Ronnies" (video OOP, available in Britain on DVD)
Basically, a protracted episode of the series, putting together the
best material from several shows into one package. News, sketches, monologues,
big chair stories and the musical "Hello Sailor". Great fun.
"The Two Ronnies Collection Set"
Two tapes. The first, "The Two Ronnies: Packed Programme", is
a protracted episode of sketches from later in the series. Including the
filmed adventure "Tinker, Tailor, Smiley, Doyle" and the musical "The Dancing
Marionettes"..The second tape contains two short films, "The Picnic"
and "By the Sea", two of the Ronnies silent comedies. Also fun.
"Comedy Greats:
The Two Ronnies" (PAL format)
More sketches and stuff, including "Mastermind" and the phone booth
sketch. The musical is "Brave Sir John". A brilliant compilation.
"Comedy Greats: Ronnie Barker" (PAL format)
An entertaining overview of Ronnie Barker's career. Includes clips
from "Open All Hours", "Porridge", "The Magnificent Evans" and "Clarence",
along with Ronnies sketches and songs, including "Fork Handles", "McCleary's
Gold" and the song "Girls I've Met". Wonderful.
LP's:
"The Two Ronnies"
Side 1
1. Opening News
2. The Strange Case of Mrs. Mace
3. Plain Speaking
4. Grublian
5. Dr. Spooner Revisited
6. A Doctor's Life (i)
7. About a Bout
8. Closing News |
Side 2
1. Opening News
2. Doctors Anonymous
3. Jolly Rhymes
4. The Complete Rook
5. Ronnie Corbett's Chat Spot
6. A Doctor's Life (ii)
7. Closing News |
 |
"The Two Ronnies Vol 2: Me and Him"
Side 1
1. Opening News
2. Train of Events
3. Mispronunciation
4(a). Put Me Down for Two
4(b). Late News
5. Night, Night
6. Cheers
7. Cricket Commentators
8. Closing News |
Side 2
1. Opening News
2. All in a Day's Wonk
3. Sex Equality
4(a). Late News
4(b). Pam Ayres
5. The Castaway
6. You're Welcome, Milord
7. Closing News |
 |
"The Two Ronnies Vol 3"
Side 1
1. Opening News
2. How's Your Father
3. Ice Cream Parlor
4. Dr. Spooner in the Bookshop
5. Teach Yourself P,C,
6. The Ronnie Corbett Solo
7. Limerick Writers
8. The Late News |
Side 2
1. A. The News
B. Mark My Words
2. The Restaurant
3. A. Trouble and Strife
B. More Worms
4. Put Your Back Into It
5. The Closing News |
 |
"The Two Ronnies Vol 4"
Side 1
1. Opening News
2. Chacun a Son Gout
3. Ronnie Barker's Solo "British Rail"
4. Sid and Lil, George and Edie "Ouija Board"
5. Conversation Piece
6. Council House
7. Closing News |
Side 2
1. Opening News
2. You Are What You Eat
3. Rupert Baird
4. Languager Barrier
5. Ronnie Corbett Chat Spot "Allied Tiches"
6. Yes Man
7. Closing News |
 |
"The Best of the Two Ronnies"
Eight, count them, eight musical extravaganza all on one LP! A great
find.
Side 2
1. Moira McKeller and Kenneth Anderson
2. The Brass Band
3. The Plumpstead Ladies Male Voice Choir
4. Gilbert and Sullivan |
Side 2
1. The Scouts Jamboree Show
2. The Russian Choir
3. The Boys in the Ballet
4. The Short & Fat Minstrels |
 |
"Jehosaphat and Jones"
The Two Ronnies as folk singers. Fun, odd songs full of wordplay and
innuendo.
Side 1
1. Up Cat Pole Cat
2. Stuttering Bum
3. The Gal Who's Gonna Marry Me
4. Railroad Man
5. Dimples
6. Our Mary Ann
7. We Knew What She Meant |
Side 2
1. Nell of the Yukon
2. It Blows My Mind
3. In the Summertime
4. Gal From Arkensaw
5. Barn Dance |
 |
"Ronnie Barker's Unbroken British Record"
An odd one. A recording of Two Ronnies material performed, in studio,
solo by Barker. The monologues do not suffer much, but the songs, particularly
those originally preformed as a duet, are clearly missing an audience
and, most of all, Ronnie Corbett.
Side 1
1. The Irish Medley
I'll Have a Drink With You
Thump Thump
It Pays to Listen
2. Plain Speaking
3. The Redskins Annual Dinner
4. The Vicar of St. Cain and Abel
5. The Chelsea Pensioners Medley
Madeleine
Daisy
Katie
Ivy
Mary
Phillis Hooter's Ball
Dolly Gray |
Side 2
1. The Scottish Medley
Amazing Grace
The Ball of Kirriemuir
McTourism
The Yiddish Soldier
2. They Tell Me There's a Lot of it About
3. Not Round Here
4. Pismonunciation
5. The Welsh Medley
All Through the Night
A Girl Called Megan
The Gogogoff Eisteddofod |
 |
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