So farewell then...

[OwlsFan]

Barbara Bel Geddes aka Miss Ellie in Dallas. Her second husband in the Soap Howard Keel died only a short time ago while her first husband, Jim Davis died many years ago.

I was a big Dallas fan I have to confess but I don't remember any strong story lines for Ms Ellie except when she was sick. I was hooked on the programme though for a few years.

[Kingdom]

Hello sailor. Cannot believe someone hasn't taken the p!ss over this yet, obviously not about the old girl dying, but the fact that we a Sheffield Wednesday Dallas fan. I'd start sourcing some cyanide tabs if I was you.

:)

[OwlsFan]

Me and thousands of others. Only soap I ever watched, until I got married that is. Now I have to look at Coronation Street.

[OwlsFan]

So farewell then...James Booth. James who ?? Actor who played Hookie Hook in one of the best films of all time, ZULU. He also appeared as the ex-convict Ernie Niles in TWIN PEAKS and had roles in MINDER and AUF WIEDERSEHEN PET.

Loved Zulu as a film. Favourite part is where the warriors start singing and then the British soldiers sing "Men of Harlech" in response:

Men of Harlech stop your dreaming
Can't you see their spear points gleaming
See their warrior pennants streaming
To this battle field....

CLassic stuff.

[Kingdom]

The Crazy train you currently travelling on is now arriving at its last stop, Camp-Ville. That's Camp-Ville, final stop for OwlsFan

;)

[OwlsFan]

You never read Private Eye ? They always had a "Farewell then..." column when someone snuffed it. E.J. Tribb, 7 and a half was the author! Amusing reading.

[OwlsFan]

So farewell then...former Northern Ireland Secretary, Mo Mowlam.

Mowlam oversaw the talks which led to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and I think it would be fair to say she had a pro Nationalist bent. The only time I think she went against the Nationalist community was when she allowed the Orange Order march in Drumcree. Aparently Blair was jealous when she got a longer standing ovation than him at a Labour Party Conference but how would anyone know that.

[OwlsFan]

Was surprised to see nothing about Gerry Fitt R.I.P.

Gerry was at the forefront of the civil rights campaign for many years during the really dark days but he then took a seat in the House of Lords and "seemed" to betray his roots. Perhaps many of the subscribers to this site are too young to remember Gerry who was the face of Northern nationalism for many years.

[OwlsFan]

..and so farewell then James Gogarty. His whistle blowing on the bribes scandal had cost us all a fortune in legal fees but it was great to see pompous bufoons like Ray Burke being brought to book and he did us all a valuable service in the end

[Green Tribe]

Was surprised to see nothing about Gerry Fitt R.I.P.

Gerry was at the forefront of the civil rights campaign for many years during the really dark days but he then took a seat in the House of Lords and "seemed" to betray his roots. Perhaps many of the subscribers to this site are too young to remember Gerry who was the face of Northern nationalism for many years.

I do remember him, not much coverage of his death on the news at all, just remembered reading it on net

[OwlsFan]

So farewell then Simon Wiesenthal, Nazi war criminal hunter, who died at the age of 96. Obviously outlived many of his fellow victims of the Nazis but always regretted not bringing Joseph Mengele (who died in South America in 1976) to justice.

[OwlsFan]

So farewell then Don Adams who played Maxwell Smart in one of my favourite TV programmes of my childhood, Get Smart. Who remembers "The Cone of Silence" ? Very few I suspect :(

[paul_oshea]

was get smart the guy that just kept walking through doors and wore a suit?

[carrickharp]

Remeber it alright, it used to be on Saturday mornings, he used to go into a phone box, inside was a lift down to HQ as far as I can remeber.

[paul_oshea]

no that was get smart was it not?

[Schumi]

Vaguely remember Get Smart. It was good as I remember.

[tetsujin1979]

Yep Get Smart, he also voiced Inspecter Gadget in the original cartoon series

[OwlsFan]

So farewell then..........Ronnie Barker.

British TV comedy actor Ronnie Barker, who starred in Porridge and The Two Ronnies, has died aged 76.
One of the most loved and respected comedy performers of his generation, he was best known as one half of a double act with Ronnie Corbett.

But he also proved himself as an outstanding sitcom actor and script writer, winning four Bafta TV awards.

Chat show host Michael Parkinson told BBC News 24 he was "one of our very greatest comedy actors".

BBC reporter Charlotte Hume said: "His wife wanted everyone to know that he died at home peacefully."

The actor had a long history of heart trouble.

Last year he was awarded a lifetime achievement Bafta for his TV work.

Laughs, big laughs, and laughs that you will always remember

Michael Hurll, The Two Ronnies producer

That led to a return for the Two Ronnies on BBC One, 34 years after the show first appeared on TV screens and 17 years after he had first retired from showbusiness.

Barker also delivered a number of dramatic performances, most recently as Winston Churchill's manservant in the award-winning TV film The Gathering Storm and in HBO film My House in Umbria.

At the peak of his career Barker, along with Corbett, entertained 17 million people every Saturday night.

"He was not just a comic. He had a writer's ear for a good script and was a very good writer himself," added Parkinson on Tuesday.

"He was also a generous performer. He was uneasy with the fame that came with the job.

"He was an object lesson to a lot of people who seek the limelight with half his talent."

Paying tribute Michael Hurll, producer of The Two Ronnies, said: "We will never see his like again.

"You felt safe with him. The whole family could watch him."

He said the comedian delivered "laughs, big laughs, and laughs that you will always remember".

[tetsujin1979]

"So it's goodbye from me", "and it's goodbye from him"
Classic stuff, used to love The Two Ronnies. RIP.

[BobbySands]

So it'll be just the one Ronnie from now on then ?

[PaulB]

Absolute Genius, The 4 candles sketch in the 2 ronnies is a classis, sadly missed..

[OwlsFan]

He was great in Porridge and Open All Hours. I preferred those to The Two Ronnies as I had to endure Ronnie Corbett sitting on a chair rambling on about things that weren't funny.

And it's good night from him.....:(

[Dublin12]

Norman Stanley Fletcher rip:(

[dahamsta]

BBC tribute page for Ronnie.

http://pheeds.org/mwaghk

[sligoman]

Comedian Ronnie Barker, the big half of famous duo The Two Ronnies and the indomitable Fletch in prison sitcom Porridge, has died aged 76.

A BBC spokeswoman said on Tuesday that the portly, bespectacled star died peacefully on Monday in the presence of his wife. He had been suffering heart trouble.

Tributes poured in for one of Britain's best-loved comics.

"Ronnie was pure gold in triplicate: as a performer, a writer and a friend," said the "other" Ronnie, Ronnie Corbett.

"We worked together since 1965 and we never had a cross word. It was 40 years of harmonious joy, nothing but an absolute pleasure. I will miss him terribly."

Michael Hurll, a producer on the Two Ronnies, said Barker's partnership with the diminutive Corbett ranked alongside that of Morecambe and Wise in importance.

"I don't think we will see their like again," he said. "Ronnie Barker meant to comedy in this country laughs, big laughs and laughs that you will always remember."

The BBC will air a special half-hour programme celebrating Barker's life on Tuesday evening.

Ronald William George Barker was born in Bedford in 1929. At one stage he considered becoming a bank manager, the kind of middle class, respectable profession he would later parody mercilessly in his sketches.

But he chose the theatre instead, appearing in plays and on the radio before breaking into television.

"IT'S GOODNIGHT FROM HIM"

In 1971, he teamed up with Corbett for the first Two Ronnies series, a show based on deft wordplay and comic timing that attracted up to 17 million viewers at its peak.

It ended with a gag that has become a national institution.

In a spoof of news readers, Corbett would bid the audience "goodnight from me", to which Barker, who towered above him, would add "and it's goodnight from him".

Barker's death dominated Tuesday's news bulletins in Britain, and broadcasters sifted through his gags to find the most memorable lines.

Among the contenders was the joke: "The toilets at a local police station have been stolen. Police say they have nothing to go on."

Barker received an OBE, awarded by the state for distinguished work, and won many accolades including most recently a special tribute from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2004.

He once said in an interview: "I would like to be remembered as one of the funniest men that people have seen on television. 'He made us laugh, he did make us laugh, God bless him'."

Despite his success in Porridge and Open All Hours, in which he played the stuttering, lascivious shopkeeper Arkwright, Barker was never comfortable in the limelight and spent his retirement since 1988 running an antique shop in rural England.

"He was very shy, a man uneasy with the fame that came with the job," said chat show host Michael Parkinson.

He returned to television screens earlier this year, however, with Corbett to present "The Two Ronnies Sketchbook", a compilation of clips from their old shows.

Barker was survived by his wife, Joy Tubb, a daughter and two sons.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
R.I.P. Ronnie:(

[dahamsta]

Show on BBC was excellent. Seems like he was a genuinely nice, and content man; unusual for such an incredibly clever and talented comedian.

adam

[TheOwl]

Show on BBC was excellent. Seems like he was a genuinely nice, and content man; unusual for such an incredibly clever and talented comedian.

adam

I'm always amazed that they can churn out these tribute shows so quickly. I wonder do they have them in a vault ready to use whenever somebody on their last legs is about to croke it.

If that's the case, what odds on a Georgie Best tribute show having already been made?

[dahamsta]

Newspaper obintuaries are certainly prepared in advance anyway, but I'd say documentaries would be more difficult because you need to involve people more, and it would be a bit tacky. They probably have plans for them though.

[Macy]

Certainly the news programmes would also have their obits ready in advance. Not sure on the programme last night, people seemed to be talking in the past sense, but it could've been put together from other footage. BBC have been doing Comedy Family Tree's recently so it could be from that?

Porridge my favourite Ronnie Barker show.

As has been said, seemed a genuine, nice guy.

[CollegeTillIDie]

So farewell then Don Adams who played Maxwell Smart in one of my favourite TV programmes of my childhood, Get Smart. Who remembers "The Cone of Silence" ? Very few I suspect :(

He was also the voice of Inspector Gadget .R.i.p.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Certainly the news programmes would also have their obits ready in advance. Not sure on the programme last night, people seemed to be talking in the past sense, but it could've been put together from other footage. BBC have been doing Comedy Family Tree's recently so it could be from that?

Porridge my favourite Ronnie Barker show.

As has been said, seemed a genuine, nice guy.

poor Old Ronnie R.I.P.

[OwlsFan]

SO farewell then Lord Lichfield - cousin of the Queen. Spent his lifetime photographing naked women for calendars. I can do that.....

[hamish]

Newspaper obintuaries are certainly prepared in advance anyway, but I'd say documentaries would be more difficult because you need to involve people more, and it would be a bit tacky. They probably have plans for them though.

Dahamsta, wonder what we'd like said at our obituaries????:D

Yeah, Owl, big Private Eye fan myself.

E.J. Hamish (121/2)

So farewell then..until m'next post.

[OwlsFan]

So farewell then..... the Red London Routemaster buses. Last day on the streets for them today. We had them in green (of course) and possibly cream. They were great for hopping on and off with the open area at the back where the bus conductor (remember them ?) used to stand but I think they've been gone from Dublin for many years now.

[OwlsFan]

So farewell then Kerry Packer:

Kerry Packer never played cricket seriously but few people have made a bigger impact on the game. Earlier this year, the entrepreneur and Sir Don Bradman were named as Australian cricket's most influential men of the past 100 years. He helped transform cricket and the fortunes of its players by launching his own World Series competition.

HOW DID IT ALL START?

In 1977 Packer offered what he thought was a lucrative AUS $1.5m to the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) for rights to cover Test matches and domestic cricket on his Channel Nine network.

The board turned him down and agreed a deal with rival broadcaster ABC for significantly less money.

Packer - who was not given the opportunity to negotiate - was left fuming and announced that he would set up his own competition which would be TV-led.

WHY DID THEY DO IT?
Cricketers earned nowhere near what today's players pick up - salaries were paltry and off-field endorsements were rare.

Unlike now, cricket boards around the world did not offer long-term central contracts, so financial security was lacking.

A number of leading internationals had become disillusioned and Packer's money provided a tempting antidote.

For the South Africans, who had been in international isolation because of apartheid, it was a welcome opportunity to pit themselves against high-quality opposition on a regular basis.

However, plenty chose not to take up the big sums being offered because they feared the repercussions: counties said they would only employ Packer players if they were available to play for England all year.


WHAT WAS THE REACTION?
Much of the media in England and Australia was hostile and words like "traitors" and "circus" were frequently used to describe the players and Packer's revolution.


The ECB's forerunner, the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB), was unaware of what Packer had been plotting and was taken by surprise.

It reacted angrily: Greig lost the England captaincy and, along with the game's world governing body, then called the International Cricket Conference, warned players they would be banned if they took part.

That ruling was overturned in the courts but the TCCB averted an exodus of players by offering longer-term contracts with only slight increases in pay.


HOW DID IT ALL END?
The World Series Cricket rebellion lasted only 17 months, ending with a compromise between Packer and the authorities.


The SCG had a big crowd for the Australia-World XI Test finale

Packer had his TV rights, cricket was transformed into a professional game and the way was paved for players and administrators to pick up the riches they do today.

Some participants paid the ultimate price in terms of international careers, and were never forgiven by their countries.

But their sacrifice and Packer's gambling instinct have made an indelible impact on the sport and left a lasting legacy.

[the 12 th man]

[QUOTE=OwlsFan]So farewell then..... the Red London Routemaster buses. Last day on the streets for them today.OTE]

I heard that some Company has set up a business renovating these into places to live for flexible/temporary staff etc in the U.K.Great babe magnet........:cool:

[Snoop Drog]

Newspaper obintuaries are certainly prepared in advance anyway, but I'd say documentaries would be more difficult because you need to involve people more, and it would be a bit tacky. They probably have plans for them though.

Heard a story once, before Ol' Blue Eyes Frankie snuffed it, where a guy (RTE employee) is in a recording studio and there is a tape still in the recording reel. He plays it and it is a voice over for a radio ad:

"Frank Sinatra, he was a living legend"

Making the tribute album before the singer carks it VERY tacky...:D

[OwlsFan]

So farewell then Shelly Winters.....actress but never quite a sex Godess. What you would called "a character actress" (i.e. an actress of average looks). Strangely enough I would have thought the good looking actresses also play characters but they're not called a character actress.

[the 12 th man]

Actor Chris Penn found dead in his apartment age 42.Career wise never reached the heights of his Brother but was a popular b/c list Actor all the same.

[OwlsFan]

So farwell then...Henry McGee - stooge for Benny Hill in his racy TV shows.

http://www.bemuddlement.com/McGee/

I used to enjoy the titilation (am I allowed used that word ?) of those shows back in the 1970s/80s. On a par with the Carry On films.

[Ricky]

Maurice died in the last few days
And I just want to have a thread in his name.

[sligoman]

Maurice died in the last few days
And I just want to have a thread in his name.
Who?:confused:

[Block G Raptor]

So farewell then ............Peter Benchley Novelist and creator of JAWS
Died yesterday http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4707576.stm

[OwlsFan]

One of my favourite films of all time, JAWS. Must have watched it 20+ times at least.

Spielberg made the movie and I suspect the book wasn't a patch on it. Bit disappointed with his latest offering, Munich. Didn't think it was up to his usual standard.

[Block G Raptor]

One of my favourite films of all time, JAWS. Must have watched it 20+ times at least.

Spielberg made the movie and I suspect the book wasn't a patch on it. Bit disappointed with his latest offering, Munich. Didn't think it was up to his usual standard.

Quite the contrary actually the book was excellent Dark Sinister scary as hell with generous dollops of kinky sex thrown in. its the only book I've ever read at one sitting !

[CollegeTillIDie]

Quite the contrary actually the book was excellent Dark Sinister scary as hell with generous dollops of kinky sex thrown in. its the only book I've ever read at one sitting !

Peter Benchley was a good writer. His father Robert Benchley was even better. Had to do a piece of prose by him for one of the State Exams.
"Down With Pigeons" it was very funny!

[strangeirish]

Dennis Weaver has passed (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060227/ap_on_en_mo/obit_weaver) on. Any of you oldies may remember him as 'McCloud'. Used to watch that as a young lad.


R.I.P.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Rest in peace McCloud... sadly missed... even his recent infomercials

[hamish]

Yeah and Darren Mcgavin today too.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Yeah and Darren Mcgavin today too.

Hamish

All the TV stars of our childhood are dropping like flies!:(