Two Ronnies 1977 Series

[Steve]

Hi

I wonder if someone can help me with a niggling query that is driving me mad!

I am doing some work on The Two Ronnies, most of the research i have done is complete but the 1977 season is giving me some trouble.

All the seasons of the Two Ronnies from 1971 to 1976 consisted of 8 Shows, the 1977 season is listed everywhere as 9 shows, but looking back over the UK Gold repeats of some years ago there are only 8.

My kaleidoscope guide from 1997 lists 9 with the 19.11.77 one listed as destroyed, I have gone back through the Radio Times and there are indeed 9 shows listed.

The serial running through this season was "Stop, You're Killing Me!" of which their are only 8 parts, all of which I have traced, my question is was one of these shows postponed, till a later week and therefore everyone thinks 9 shows and not 8???, it seems highly unusual that there would be a show without the regular serial dropped right into the middle of the season.

The 9 dates are ;

(1)12.11.77
(2)19.11.77
(3)26.11.77
(4)03.12.77
(5)10.12.77
(6)17.12.77
(7)26.12.77
(8)02.01.78
(9)07.01.78

I hope someone might be able to shed a little light on this as it is driving me round the flippin twist!!! GRRRR!!

[Laurence Piper]

Think I remember someone saying here that the so-called missing ep was in fact not missing, that there were only 8. Can anybody confirm?

[andrew martin]

There is no missing episode - the episode scheduled for 19/11/77 was postponed to 26/11/77. There was a strike which blacked out BBC1 from 7.15pm that evening, so the end of "The Generation Game", "The Duchess of Duke Street" and "The Two Ronnies" didn't go out - records were played for about 35 minutes, then the film "Casanova's Big Night" was shown...

[Steve]

Thanx guys!!! I was beginning to despair, I can now stop chewing the carpet!

Thank you VERY much for the info!.

[andrew martin]

In case anyone was wondering, BBC2 was also affected, with "Sight and Sound in Concert" faded out. News was transmitted as scheduled after about 15 minutes, followed by "The Gun" on film; "The Lively Arts in Concert" was not shown, but a feature film scheduled after that was - it looks like this strike affected VT programmes but not live and film transmissions.

[Lester]

Guys....sorry to but in, but whilst on the subject of the 2 R`s...does the "Phantom Rhaspberry Blower still survive?....would love to see it again, or on video....Thanks!

[andrew martin]

Yes it does (all the actual "Two Ronnies" shows still exist - the only thing missing is one of two specials made before the first series, one starring each Ronnie - the Barker one is missing).

[Lester]

Great!!, how would i go about getting a copy?...