Ronnie Barker OBE (born
September 25,
1929) is a British
comic actor, now retired. His best-known appearances were as
Ronnie Corbett[?]'s partner in the long-running TV variety show
The Two Ronnies and as Fletch in the sitcom
Porridge. He began his broadcasting career with a variety of minor characters in The Navy Lark a navy based radio
sit-com on the BBC
Light Programme[?], now audible on-line through
BBC 7 on Thursdays at 18:30hrs GMT. He performed many satirical skits in
The Frost Report[?] and starred with
David Jason as a bumbling aristocrat in the TV sit-com "Hark at Barker". Both he and Jason are widely recognised as having an excellent sense of comic timing and delivery, which accounts for their enduring popularity.
Barker briefly came out of retirement to play Winston Churchill's butler - a "straight" role, but with opportunities for comic asides - in the BBC drama The Gathering Storm (?2001) confirm year?