Ronnie Barker

The 2012 team engages ex-athlete Dave Wellbeck (Darren Boyd) to front their Raising the Bar scheme to inspire young people. Unfortunately, his school assembly presentations in Basingstoke and Warwick soon establish the silver medallist now only bores for Britain. If you're a connoisseur of that tranche of comedy that deals in excruciating embarrassment, you may lap this up. Otherwise, I fear you'll find this week's Olympian effort limp hobbling towards lame. Hugh Bonneville remains peerless as a sort of modern-day Ronnie Barker, and we could do with a bit more screen time for Olivia Colman as Sally, Ian's scuttling, "not a problem" PA.

Ronnie Corbett's 'emotional' return to Christmas TV

Ronnie Corbett has admitted he felt "slightly disloyal" working on a new Christmas show without his late comedy partner Ronnie Barker.

Audio: Ronnie Corbett returns to Christmas TV

Ronnie Corbett is returning to TV this Christmas for a festive special - his first without his late comedy partner Ronnie Barker. Ronnie Corbett talks to Mark Lawson.

Ronnie Barker, ideas thief?

Ronnie Barker had a poor reputation for stealing ideas from fellow comedy writers, a new book claims.

Ronnie Barker statue unveiled in Aylesbury

A bronze statue of the late comedy legend Ronnie Barker has been unveiled in Aylesbury.

The Porridge and Two Ronnies star, who died five years ago, was born in Bedford and began his acting career in Aylesbury more than 60 years ago.

Aylesbury Vale District Council commissioned sculptor Martin Jennings to design the statue as part of its Waterside development project.

It now takes pride of place in the new public space in Exchange Street.

The statue was officially unveiled by Mr Barker's widow, Joy.

Ronnie Barker statue unveiled in Aylesbury by wife

A bronze statue of the late comedy legend Ronnie Barker has been unveiled in Aylesbury.

The Porridge and Two Ronnies star, who died five years ago, was born in Bedford and began his acting career in Aylesbury more than 60 years ago.

Aylesbury Vale District Council commissioned sculptor Martin Jennings to design the statue as part of its Waterside development project.

The statue was officially unveiled by Mr Barker's widow, Joy.

A welcome return for the Bafta-winning sitcom set in a corporation's dingy computer department. This is the start of series four. Many would have wielded the axe after a patchy debut run. The show's stay of execution was largely down to affection for writer/director Graham Linehan - the man behind Father Ted and Black Books, Chris Morris collaborator and recipient of comedy's Ronnie Barker Award last year. His creation is now worthy of those credentials, going from strength to strength. Tonight's opening episode is entitled Jen the Fredo, after the weak Corleone brother in The Godfather, and is crammed with knowing nods to the revered Mafia movie. Desperate to escape IT, Jen (Katherine Parkinson) is made Entertainments Manager by unreconstructed boss Douglas (Matt Berry) - a man given to pronouncements such as, "I like my women how I like my toast. Hot and consumable with butter." Jen's new job means showing braying businessmen a good time - and a theatre trip to The Vagina Monologues isn't quite the ticket. Back in the bunker, geeky Moss (Richard Ayoade) is devising Dungeons & Dragons-style role-play games and heartbroken Roy (Chris O'Dowd) keeps weepily guzzling white wine at his desk. All these plot strands come together ingeniously. Most laughs come from Berry and Ayoade's more cartoonish characters, but Linehan isn't too proud to write in the odd pratfall and it's so well-acted, one scene is genuinely touching, despite its silliness.

Interview: Shaun Williamson in Porridge

Stepping into the shoes of Ronnie Barker is not an easy thing for anyone to do, but over the last few months Shaun Williamson, best known as Barry Evans in EastEnders, has been doing just that in a tour that comes to New Wimbledon Theatre next week.

There's almost no difference between these new compilations and the ubiquitous Twenty Years of The Two Ronnies - plus its various numerological offspring - which lumbered through the schedules during the 1980s. In fact, those earlier offerings went further than this latest effort by not only screening, yes, the sketches in full, but topping and tailing them with new material.

Heroes of Comedy - Ronnie Barker

Like most of John Fisher's programmes, Heroes of Comedy is a first-class series, but last night's edition was a case where a little mild criticism was desperately needed to moderate the relentless stream of praise.