John Bird was an English comedian and satirist who was best known for co-creating and starring in the BBC television comedy sketch show The Two Ronnies with Ronnie Barker. The duo first worked together in 1971 on The Ronnie Barker Playhouse and their comedy partnership lasted over two decades until Barker’s retirement in 1987.
The Beginning of Their Partnership
John Bird and Ronnie Barker first crossed paths in the 1960s while working on the satirical television show The Frost Report. They did not work directly together at the time, but both became aware of the other’s comedic talents. In 1971, Ronnie Barker was given his own show, The Ronnie Barker Playhouse, which gave him the opportunity to invite John Bird to work together for the sketch “By the Sea.” Their instant on-screen chemistry and comedic timing was evident from this first collaboration.
The successful pairing on The Ronnie Barker Playhouse led to discussions at the BBC about creating a new sketch comedy show to showcase the duo. This would become The Two Ronnies, with writers Dick Vosburgh and Gerald Wiley brought on board to craft material especially designed to feature the contrasting talents of the tall, erudite Bird and the short, puckish Barker. The show’s premiere in April 1971 was an immediate hit with critics and audiences.
The Two Ronnies Show
The Two Ronnies sketch show aired on BBC1 from 1971 to 1987 for twelve series, plus four Christmas specials. The original format was to simply have Bird and Barker perform a selection of comedy sketches and monologues each episode without a recurring framework. However, the show soon developed its familiar opening where the pair would deliver short jokes back and forth to each other from cozy armchairs. Their closing song and dance number also became a much loved tradition.
With his background in satire, Bird tended to play pompous authority figures and upper class twits. Barker excelled at eccentric, workaday characters. The contrasts in their style and appearance allowed for many humorous situations to unfold. Yet their skills harmonized perfectly in recurring segments like “The Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town.” The Two Ronnies did not rest on just Bird and Barker’s shoulders, though. They featured guest performers in sketches each week and had a chorus line of attractive women for dance numbers.
Notable Sketches and Musical Performances
One of The Two Ronnies’ most famous sketches is the 1971 “Four Candles/Fork Handles” exchange between Barker as a hardware store customer and Bird as the perplexed shopkeeper. Other beloved recurring segments included “The Worm That Turned” and “Serial.” In musical interludes, Bird would accompany himself on piano while Barker played the trumpet.
In addition to original songs and musical parodies written for the show, The Two Ronnies featured performances from top artists of the 1970s like Paul McCartney and Wings, Diana Ross, and Elton John. These segments provided a change of pace from the comedic material and let the duo show off their singing skills.
Critical and Popular Success
From its premiere, critics praised The Two Ronnies for its clever writing and the stellar chemistry between Bird and Barker. They won numerous awards including BAFTAs and the Society of Film and Television Arts humour prize. By the mid-1970s, the program was one of the BBC’s most popular shows with over 15 million viewers tuning in weekly.
The pair made a successful transition to the big screen as well with the films The Picnic (1975) and The Prisoner of Zenda (1979). Their comedy albums were also brisk sellers. Through repeat broadcasts and home video releases, The Two Ronnies has continued to find new generations of fans.
End of the Partnership
By 1987, after twelve series and over 100 episodes of The Two Ronnies, Ronnie Barker decided to retire from show business at the age of 58. This brought their long television partnership to an end. However, John Bird and Ronnie Barker remained close friends and colleagues. They reunited multiple times for charity specials and spoke fondly of one another in interviews.
While they did not officially work together again after Barker’s retirement, it is clear these two comedic masters shared a deep mutual respect and affection. The joy they brought each other and audiences during their 16 years of creating The Two Ronnies is an unforgettable legacy.
John Bird’s Later Career
Although The Two Ronnies represented the peak of his fame, John Bird continued to work steadily as an actor and satirist after Ronnie Barker’s retirement. Some highlights include:
- Starring on the TV sitcom Home to Roost from 1990 to 1992.
- Voicing the Minister in the animated political sitcom The Thick of It from 2005 to 2012.
- Appearing on the BBC comedy shows Absolute Power and That Mitchell and Webb Look.
- Co-creating and starring in the Channel 4 political satire The Long Johns from 2011 to 2012.
In addition to television, Bird has written books and columns offering comedic takes on politics, current events, and slices of everyday life. Now in his 80s, he continues to make occasional acting appearances.
Ronnie Barker’s Post-Partnership Career
Although Ronnie Barker retired from regular performing in 1987, he did make occasional returns over the next two decades before his death in 2005, including:
- Starring in the 1988 BBC ghost story play Ghost in the Water.
- Reviving his character of Norman Stanley Fletcher from Porridge for a Comedy Playhouse special in 1993.
- Acting in the 2004 remake of The Two Ronnies’ classic “Four Candles” sketch with Sanjeev Bhaskar.
Barker chose to mostly step back from the spotlight to enjoy country life and his family. However, he did receive an OBE in 1978 and a BAFTA Fellowship in 2004 recognizing his immense contributions to British comedy.
Conclusion
Though their heyday on The Two Ronnies ended over 30 years ago, the comedic mastery of John Bird and Ronnie Barker lives on. Their uncanny abilities to play off one another created sketches and songs that have stood the test of time. Off-screen they forged a close bond that weathered Barker’s early retirement. While the final curtain fell on their partnership in 1987, the laughter they created together remains timeless.