His Lordship Entertains
Encyclopedia
His Lordship Entertains was Ronnie Barker
's second sitcom vehicle for his Lord Rustless character, first seen three years earlier in Hark at Barker
on ITV
. This time though, Rustless had switched channels and was now appearing on BBC2. Hark at Barker had also included sketch
inserts, whereas His Lordship Entertains was a regular sitcom.
Set again in the aristocratic Chrome Hall, which had now become a hotel. It again also starred David Jason
as the 100 year old Dithers and Josephine Tewson
as Mildred Bates. Two actors who would go on to have a long working relationship with Barker. In fact all of the regular cast reprised their roles from Hark at Barker.
Barker wrote all the scripts under the pseudonym Jonathan Cobbald. http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/h/hislordshipenter_66600370.shtml. He liked to refer to the show as "Fawlty Towers
mark one" as it appeared on television three years before that other hotel bound sitcom.
Four episodes of the sitcom were recently performed on stage by Nottingham University's New Theatre.
by the BBC. However, the first episode of His Lordship Entertains, 'The Food Inspector', was recovered in 2009. In addition the scripts were published in Ronnie Barker's anthology All I Ever Wrote.
Ronnie Barker
Ronald William George "Ronnie" Barker, OBE was a British actor, comedian, writer, critic, broadcaster and businessman...
's second sitcom vehicle for his Lord Rustless character, first seen three years earlier in Hark at Barker
Hark at Barker
Hark at Barker was a 1969 British comedy series combining elements of sitcom and sketch show, which starred Ronnie Barker. It was made for the ITV network by LWT.Each show began with a spoof news item read by Barker as a continuity announcer...
on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
. This time though, Rustless had switched channels and was now appearing on BBC2. Hark at Barker had also included sketch
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
inserts, whereas His Lordship Entertains was a regular sitcom.
Set again in the aristocratic Chrome Hall, which had now become a hotel. It again also starred David Jason
David Jason
Sir David John White, OBE , better known by his stage name David Jason, is an English BAFTA award-winning actor. He is best known as the main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter on the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses from 1981, the voice of Mr Toad in The Wind In The Willows and as detective Jack...
as the 100 year old Dithers and Josephine Tewson
Josephine Tewson
Josephine Tewson is an English actress. Tewson is perhaps best known for her roles as Elizabeth in the British television series Keeping Up Appearances and as Miss Davenport in the British television series Last of the Summer Wine.-Early life:Tewson was born in Hampstead, London. Her father was a...
as Mildred Bates. Two actors who would go on to have a long working relationship with Barker. In fact all of the regular cast reprised their roles from Hark at Barker.
Barker wrote all the scripts under the pseudonym Jonathan Cobbald. http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/h/hislordshipenter_66600370.shtml. He liked to refer to the show as "Fawlty Towers
Fawlty Towers
Fawlty Towers is a British sitcom produced by BBC Television and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975. Twelve television program episodes were produced . The show was written by John Cleese and his then wife Connie Booth, both of whom played major characters...
mark one" as it appeared on television three years before that other hotel bound sitcom.
Four episodes of the sitcom were recently performed on stage by Nottingham University's New Theatre.
Archive status
For many years it was thought that the series had been entirely lost after the tapes were wipedWiping
Wiping or junking is a colloquial term for action taken by radio and television production and broadcasting companies, in which old audiotapes, videotapes, and telerecordings , are erased, reused, or destroyed after several uses...
by the BBC. However, the first episode of His Lordship Entertains, 'The Food Inspector', was recovered in 2009. In addition the scripts were published in Ronnie Barker's anthology All I Ever Wrote.
External links
- His Lordship Entertains at the bbc.co.ukBbc.co.ukBBC Online is the brand name and home for the BBC's UK online service. It is a large network of websites including such high profile sites as BBC News and Sport, the on-demand video and radio services co-branded BBC iPlayer, the pre-school site Cbeebies, and learning services such as Bitesize...
Guide to Comedy - His Lordship Entertains at Lost Shows