David Challinor

…thinking about the excellent Radio Times Guide to Comedy by Mark Lewisohn I remember being struck by his section on LEONARD ROSSITER, who in the mid-70’s was simultaneously playing two well-loved comedy characters on TV. Rigsby (Rising Damp) and Reggie Perrin … I believe Lewisohn said this is unique, and I can’t think of anything or anyone managing to do something similar. It just goes to show how talented Rossiter was. Anyone have any views/think of another comic actor who achieved top ratings, at the same time, playing two characters as he did?

Steve Crook

What about Ronnie Barker?
"Porridge" and "Open All Hours" overlapped and he was still doing "The Two Ronnies" at the same time.

Steve

Steve Crook

PaPAS

Tony Pendrey

And of course his long time partner Ronnie Corbett, who starred in the BBC sitcom "Sorry" which did overlap his tenure in the "The Two Ronnies". How you compare this with Messrs Rossiter and Barker is a matter of taste, although personally I did like "Sorry" a lot.

Ah Yes, the Soviet Union. All them wheatfields and ballet in the evenings

Hackett

And overlapping Ronnie Barker and Leonard Rossiter, Richard Beckinsale. He played Alan Moore in "RISING DAMP" 1974-78 with Rossiter and Lennie Godber in "PORRIDGE" 1973-77 with Barker.
Nicholas Lyndhurst played Raymond Fletcher in "GOING STRAIGHT" 1978 with Ronnie Barker and Wendy Craig's son Adam in "BUTTERFLIES" 1978-83. 1981 he started playing Rodney Trotter in "ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES" by the last episode of that in 2003 he had also slipped in (no pun intended) "MICHEAL BARRYMORE" 83, "THE TWO OF US" 1986-90, "THE PIGLET FILES" 1990-92 and "GOODNIGHT SWEETHEART" 1993-99.

Steve Crook

So I think the consensus is that the Radio Times guide was a bit misleading (i.e. they got it totally wrong).

Of course that's not to take anything away from Leonard Rossiter's performances. They were two great series.

Steve

JamesM

There is one distinction, only Leaonard Rossiter, all the others were in BBC shows whilst Mr Rossiter held is own on two rival channels, ITV and BBC.

JamesM

There is one distinction, only Leaonard Rossiter, all the others were in BBC shows whilst Mr Rossiter held is own on two rival channels, ITV and BBC.

Apart from Recihard Beckinsale (correction)

JamesM

that's Richard Beckinsale

Hackett

Thats easy for you to say.

Steve Crook

Take more water with it next time James

Steve Crook

PaPAS

The_Late_Peter_Cook

Howabout David Jason?

I could be wrong, but I seem to remember that the later seasons of OPEN ALL HOURS crossed over with the early seasons of ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES. Also didn't ONLY FOOLS & HORSES/THE DARLING BUDS OF MAY also cross-over? I vaguely remember the first series of BUDS debuting a few weeks after one season of FOOLS ended (the series which concluded with the birth of Del's son).

Come to think of it, didn't Michael Bates star in the early seasons of both THE LAST OF THE SUMMER WINE and IT AIN'T HALF HOT, MUM at the same time?

JamesM

Darling Budds wasn't a sitcom was it?

The_Late_Peter_Cook

Depends on how you define sitcom I suppose. If you mean a half hour show, then it wasn't, but I kind of judged DARLING BUDDS to be in the same style as the filmed JEEVES & WOOSTER series or the fifty-minute ONLY FOOLS & HORSES episodes.

deckard

Does anyone remember Leonard Rositer's portrayal of Joseph Pujol( Le Petomane) the great French "fartiste" - perfect casting! With my deplorable schoolboy humour, I found the subject matter hilarious! A bit of trivia regarding Le Petomane,(courtesy of the IMdb) Peter Sellars and David Niven were interested in playing him but were advised not to by their agents - shame. I can certainly picture Peter Sellars doing it, after the famous out-take lift scene! Regards, Decks.

"and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock"

Hell_driver

I remember this film with some mirth myself, and still remember the bit when the 21 gun salute finale had to be dropped from the proceedings. moon hysteric