Rodney Bewes (1937-2017)

[cloughie]

Sad to hear of Rodney Bewes death. 'The Likely Lads' was one of the best comedies ever although rumour has it that he and James Bolam did not ge on and that is why there were no more series.
RIP 'Bob'

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

[Conchis]

The fact that they weren't close in real life is a tribute to the perfect on-screen chemistry they had.

WHTTLL is about the only sitcom I like. Brigit Forsythe's performance as the awful (but sympathetic!) Thelma helped immeasurably, of course.

[EdgeleyRob]

I met Rodney Bewes while on a ramble near Lizard point in Cornwall
Would have been 1979 I think,had a pint with him in a a pub somewhere near the most southerly house.

Nice guy

RIP

[johncorrigan]

I met Rodney Bewes while on a ramble near Lizard point in Cornwall
Would have been 1979 I think,had a pint with him in a a pub somewhere near the most southerly house.

Nice guy

RIP

Good to hear that, Rob. I always liked him when I was growing up and still love it when I chance on an episode of Likely Lads. He and Bolam were comedy delight. RIP Bob.

[Nick Armstrong]

Sad news! "Whatever Happened..." was one of the mainstays of teenage viewing for me. The episode* when they try and get through the day without hearing the football result is legendary, a scenario which has been reproduced in my life numerous times, never without a reference to Bob & Terry...

Strangely, this six-part series starring Rodney Bewes starts today on Radio 4extra: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09g6hw1 (three transmissions during the day, starting with the 8.30am.). Never heard of it, no idea what it's like - but no doubt worth catching for a spot of Bewes...




* the football result episode ("No Hiding Place" ) starts at 1:26:38 in this compendium of 6 episodes of the series!

[Lat-Literal]

Sad news. He was ideal for "The Likely Lads" and as an actor promised more. The industry, though, being fickle, was not exactly forthcoming with offers to him subsequently. And to some extent he was typecast. It is worth pointing out the timing of that series. We tend to think of "On The Buses" as one of the early British sitcoms but "The Likely Lads" was as early as 1964-1966. That was very, very early for British sitcom in historical terms. Arguably, it enabled "The Liver Birds" to be aired towards the late 1960s, a comedy series which was also "kitchen sink drama" from the north but with a feminist twist. It launched the writing career of Carla Lane. And in turn it may have facilitated the superior "Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads?" in the 1970s. One glorious aspect of all such sitcom from these eras is their social documentation which manages to provide a more realistic air than many documentaries.

Several episodes of "The Likely Lads" are lost. I don't know if Clement and La Frenais have the scripts as Galton and Simpson had for the lost Hancock radio shows. The latter have been made with new actors in the past few years with some success. Perhaps the writers have preferred to produce an updated "Porridge" for television than to override the legacy of Bewes and Bolam who got on quite well during the filming. Sadly, while Bolam was awarded an MBE there was no such accolade for Bewes. That could have been rectified during the past year.

RIP Rodney Bewes

[antongould]

Wonderful as one of the great pairings of all UK comedy. Then as now I accumulated much wisdom from Cloughie .....

[cloughie]

Wonderful as one of the great pairings of all UK comedy. Then as now I accumulated much wisdom from Cloughie .....

[Once Was 4]

Sad to hear of Rodney Bewes death. 'The Likely Lads' was one of the best comedies ever although rumour has it that he and James Bolam did not ge on and that is why there were no more series.
RIP 'Bob'

It does raise the whole issue of what the 'chemistry' is that binds artists together in the face of personal differences - even animosity. As a Yorkshire-man I was and am a great fan of 'The Last of the Summer Wine' - strangely, not the earlier episodes which connoisseurs (I am never one of those in any situation) feel to be the best but the middle and even late period (which was when it was widely regarded as gone past its sell-by date). Famously, that trio of Saliss, Wilde and Owen seriously disliked each other as people and I am told that other members of the cast would never share a table in a restaurant with Thora Hird because, despite her image, she was so foul-mouthed.

I have worked with orchestral players who could go on and make beautiful music together and who, in private, would never have a good word to say about each other. Orchestras as a body will play wonderfully well for conductors that they hate and to a basic standard only for people that they can rub on OK with backstage.

It's a funny-old life!

[Stanfordian]

It does raise the whole issue of what the 'chemistry' is that binds artists together in the face of personal differences - even animosity. As a Yorkshire-man I was and am a great fan of 'The Last of the Summer Wine' - strangely, not the earlier episodes which connoisseurs (I am never one of those in any situation) feel to be the best but the middle and even late period (which was when it was widely regarded as gone past its sell-by date). Famously, that trio of Saliss, Wilde and Owen seriously disliked each other as people and I am told that other members of the cast would never share a table in a restaurant with Thora Heard because, despite her image, she was so foul-mouthed.

I have worked with orchestral players who could go on and make beautiful music together and who, in private, would never have a good word to say about each other. Orchestras as a body will play wonderfully well for conductors that they hate and to a basic standard only for people that they can rub on OK with backstage.

It's a funny-old life!

No different to any other workplace setting or even family dynamics! In fact discord may even help in some circumstances. I'll show you, you b***ard!

[Once Was 4]

No different to any other workplace setting or even family dynamics! In fact discord may even help in some circumstances. I'll show you, you b***ard!

One VERY famous horn player was reputed to play at his best if he had had a row with a colleague shortly before going on!

[jean]

It does raise the whole issue of what the 'chemistry' is that binds artists together in the face of personal differences - even animosity...

But they seem to have been good friends throughout the filming of both series -the estrangement only came about because Bewes inadvertently let slip in an interview that Bolam's wife was pregnant [sic].

Bewes said that he was particularly upset when Bolam made no contact when Bewes' wife died suddenly, as they had all known each other well.

[edit] Bolam now denies it all. Well actually he doesn't; he says there was no rift, but he adds that you can't keep in touch with everyone you've ever worked with. Which is worse, really.

.