Fun fact - the Judge is Patrick Broughton - the second Dr Who . They ran through a lot of our game shows at the time . Ronnie Barker was an extraordinary wordsmith and a talented comic actor . Ronnie Corbett was more a comedian and they made a great team . They were mid evening prime time for decade although each had their own work , Barkers sitcoms became classic series .Other sketches you might appreciate are Mastermind , or Crossed Lines . Incidentally Rob iBrydon is very proud of his Ronnie Corbett impression .
The Two Ronnies was a sketch and variety show that ran from May, 1971 to Feb 1986 and was one of the BBC,s highest rated shows for the whole of that time they were renowned for there complex word play and it wisent until the show ended in 1986 that it became known that RONNIE BARKER wrote many of the sketches under the sudoname Gerald Wiley (PS.RONNIE BARKER was a giant of British comedy with many hit shows including PORRIDGE largely regarded as the greatest UK sitcom ever made)
Great reaction! There are many hilarious The Two Ronnies clips. Here are two of my favorites: The Two Ronnies *Sweet Shop Sketch* and The Two Ronnies *Racing Duck*
The first 'show' was not '20 questions', but a show that aired way back in the 1950s, I guess a little before your time, called 'What's my Line'. The show started off in America and there are loads of episodes on You Tube, well worth looking out for them. It eventually made its way to the UK where I can remember watching them as a young child.
right, so here's where i get to flex my knowledge of game shows (long story but neurodivergence is a factor): They start off doing a take off on "What's My Line?" (in trying to figure out what his occupation was-- when the judge flipped a card), which started off over here in the US but ran just as long on British TV as it did here. They then go into a spoof of Mastermind with the lights dimming-- The only game show ever to have a its start when a P.O.W. during WWII interrupted the gestapo interrogating them to say, "this is gonna sound really weird, but there's a game show here." Only he changed the questions from name, rank, and serial number to name, occupation, and their specialist subject. I would about say that Mastermind in the UK is held in the same esteem that we have for Jeopardy. They've tried to import it here, but the closest we ever got was ESPN's "Two Minute Drill" in 2001 but just with sports trivia. The Two Ronnies do a brilliant sketch using Mastermind as the means of going through an old vaudeville routine; I'd recommend it even if I wasn't as stupid goofy about game shows as I already am. Right after that, they then play "Call My Bluff," another show that old man Goodson started here in the US --it flopped but lasted a lot longer overseas. Two members of a three-man team have to improvise the definition of an antiquated/obscure word in the English language so the other team doesn't spot the actual definition (with the reveal done by the chosen panelist showing off whether they had the real definition or a prompt to make one up, as Mr Gerbils demonstrated). They were a little too on-the-nose with "Blankety Blanks." That was the name of the British version of Match Game '76, right down to the circles and triangles used to keep score. The Les Dawson and Lilly Savage runs are great just for how much they mock the prize budget ("it's the only show on tv with a fire sale") but there isn't as much interplay between the panelists as there is on the domestic version. After that, they go into "Give Us a Clue' -- charades have been a staple of game shows, but Give Us a Clue was a typical British panel show production-- celeb captains lead teams of visiting guests through charades. Another panel show, "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue" (started as a way to get around BBC censors-- network heads reasoned that you can't censor anything off the cuff) would always crack jokes at the expense of team captain Lionel Blair ("he was besides himself at the prospect of finishing off Two Men of Verona without using his mouth"). The barrister playing his joker was a reference to "It's a Knockout," where a team could elect to use a joker before an event to double whatever points they score in it. It started there first, came over here as "Almost Anything Goes" in the 70s for a couple of seasons on ABC (Regis Philbin was a sideline reporter!), and I think USA tried to do a pilot they called "USA Gonzo Games." Here lately, the most recent news for the show was when the original commentator for IaK got nicked during Operation Yewtree (after Jimmy Saville died, a *shitload* of skeletons came falling out of the closet. Lots of scummy, scummy people rightfully catching hell for their actions after forty years or so). The Price is Right didn't run nearly as long in the UK as it has here, but the original run with Leslie Crowther or Bruce's Price is Right with Bruce Forsyth have some decent moments. But yeah. There's some decent game shows in the UK (Knightmare was the Nickelodeon game show we shoulda had), there's even been a few shows that don't do as well here but found a more-receptive audience there (e.g. Blockbusters, Catch Phrase, College Bowl).
I live in the UK and my wife and I's favourite game shows at the moment are... "Pointless" (Teams answer questions for points and the team with the highest number of points each time gets eliminated until only one team is left for the final round. If a team gets a pointless answer, £250 is added to the jackpot), "Impossible" (Starts off with 21 people and in each round there are 5 questions. For each question there are 3 answers and you have to choose one. One is correct and you get a point, one is wrong and nothing happens and one is impossible and you are frozen out of the game until the next day. The one with the most points at the end of the round faces a question board and a couple of other rounds before the final board where they play for £10,000). and "Richard Osman's House Of Games" (He has four celebrity guests on for 5 days. Each day there are 5 rounds of questions and tthey play many different varieties of games. The winner gets a daily prize and the overall winner of the week gets a trophy). Oh and "Taskmaster" (each series has 5 celebrities on for 10 weeks. Each show has several tasks and they test their ingenuity. Again daily prizes (supplied by the contestants) and a prize for the winner of the series. Greg Davis is the Taskmaster).
Mastermind and Blankety Blank are still current . Impressive knowledge - my favourite was Call my bluff , originally in the 70s the team captains Frank Muir and Patrick Campbell both had minor speech impediments and the guests wore evening dress . it was rather like an after dinner parlour game .
There was copies of various british gameshows you might not be aware of. Mastermind was the serious bit where the lights dimmed and the spotlights were on them. Also match game was called "blankety blank" in the UK, hence talking blanks also.
TWO RONNIES had a prime time slot on BBC TV back when we had 3 channels. BBC1,BBC2 and ITV. During their reign of Friday night TV for 10 years and more from 1970s to mid 1980s. Very well known and I think those of us over 50 or into 40s will remember 1st airs. They have been repeated over as they are good TV. Not had any repeats on TR for at least 20 years. But whilst alive they did do a sit down show where they presented their old show in clip foemat and explained the sketch, often had some new material of jokes they would say during the show but not a sketch length. TR are without doubt one of the best comedy duos of the last 50 years, I will include Morecame and Wise as equals to the TR and just as funny.
That and the fact this is a sketch show from a time when this kind of humour was considered fresh and progressive. It's mainly hilarious for my grandad and people who grew up watching it
Please react to the Two Ronnies in the Confusing Library - but make sure you find the version that includes subtitles/captions as there is another version that misses the end of the sketch.
The Two Ronnie's were a primetime family show (1971-1987 not country repeats)... Have you seen the ongoing skit they did called "The Worm that Turned"?
It's interesting how you can go back and almost see the evolution of transatlantic influence on comedy over time. This kind of performance from the 1980s is very culturally specific, which is why a lot of Americans might not get it. The frame of reference isn't there for a lot of this humour. It's probably really only been in the last 10-15 years that the internet has facilitated this comedic cross-over.
One rather annoying thing that Brits do, and I'm a Brit, so I know, is we tend to tell other people they don't get it. It's annoying cause it's quite often just not true. We're so lazy in expecting everyone else to be like us. I think we, the Brits, need to try harder to assimilate. Just a little harder. I know we traditionally invaded and graped and conquered, but those days are looong gone.
breaking news today. MLC will become biggest cricket league in the world from 2026. ... MLC have 6 teams now. 2025 MLC have 8 teams. 2026 MLC will have 10 teams. Big money come this year. for 10 Teams for this year MLC but no cricket grounds they will build more cricket grounds .. 2026 MLC have over 100 matches. IPL have 72 matches. Why no cricket reaction anymore ?? Going to see world cup ?
Got to feel sorry for you two, most of the UK were/are fans of the Two Ronnies but this one wasn't that great. The two Ronnies sketches are probably "get able" but a lot of the humour is in context with stuff that is/was particular to the UK. Some of it will fall flat because it was around UK topics of the time. It's not easily transferable or relateable. Worth continuing with their reviews as there are some real gems. Suggest looking at the most popular sketches.
the two Ronnie's along with Morecambe and Wise are completely overrated due to nostalgia. half of their sketches fell flat back in the day and as time and comedy has moved on nearly all their sketches haven't aged well
Fun fact - the Judge is Patrick Broughton - the second Dr Who . They ran through a lot of our game shows at the time . Ronnie Barker was an extraordinary wordsmith and a talented comic actor .
Ronnie Corbett was more a comedian and they made a great team . They were mid evening prime time for decade although each had their own work , Barkers sitcoms became classic series .Other sketches you might appreciate are Mastermind , or Crossed Lines . Incidentally Rob iBrydon is very proud of his Ronnie Corbett impression .
Sorry It's Patrick Troughton
The Two Ronnies was a sketch and variety show that ran
from May, 1971 to Feb 1986 and was one of the
BBC,s highest rated shows for the whole of that time
they were renowned for there complex word play
and it wisent until the show ended in 1986 that it
became known that RONNIE BARKER wrote many
of the sketches under the sudoname Gerald Wiley
(PS.RONNIE BARKER was a giant of British comedy
with many hit shows including PORRIDGE largely
regarded as the greatest UK sitcom ever made)
It finished in December 1987.
I'm researching Open All Hours, innocent times.
Would love to see you react to "only fools & horses" it's a classic British sitcom.
Yes definitely
Great reaction! There are many hilarious The Two Ronnies clips. Here are two of my favorites: The Two Ronnies *Sweet Shop Sketch* and The Two Ronnies *Racing Duck*
The first 'show' was not '20 questions', but a show that aired way back in the 1950s, I guess a little before your time, called 'What's my Line'. The show started off in America and there are loads of episodes on You Tube, well worth looking out for them. It eventually made its way to the UK where I can remember watching them as a young child.
Next time one of your kids isn't doing their chores... play your joker and double their chores! :D
Great reaction, thanking yous!
right, so here's where i get to flex my knowledge of game shows (long story but neurodivergence is a factor):
They start off doing a take off on "What's My Line?" (in trying to figure out what his occupation was-- when the judge flipped a card), which started off over here in the US but ran just as long on British TV as it did here.
They then go into a spoof of Mastermind with the lights dimming-- The only game show ever to have a its start when a P.O.W. during WWII interrupted the gestapo interrogating them to say, "this is gonna sound really weird, but there's a game show here." Only he changed the questions from name, rank, and serial number to name, occupation, and their specialist subject. I would about say that Mastermind in the UK is held in the same esteem that we have for Jeopardy. They've tried to import it here, but the closest we ever got was ESPN's "Two Minute Drill" in 2001 but just with sports trivia. The Two Ronnies do a brilliant sketch using Mastermind as the means of going through an old vaudeville routine; I'd recommend it even if I wasn't as stupid goofy about game shows as I already am.
Right after that, they then play "Call My Bluff," another show that old man Goodson started here in the US --it flopped but lasted a lot longer overseas. Two members of a three-man team have to improvise the definition of an antiquated/obscure word in the English language so the other team doesn't spot the actual definition (with the reveal done by the chosen panelist showing off whether they had the real definition or a prompt to make one up, as Mr Gerbils demonstrated).
They were a little too on-the-nose with "Blankety Blanks." That was the name of the British version of Match Game '76, right down to the circles and triangles used to keep score. The Les Dawson and Lilly Savage runs are great just for how much they mock the prize budget ("it's the only show on tv with a fire sale") but there isn't as much interplay between the panelists as there is on the domestic version.
After that, they go into "Give Us a Clue' -- charades have been a staple of game shows, but Give Us a Clue was a typical British panel show production-- celeb captains lead teams of visiting guests through charades. Another panel show, "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue" (started as a way to get around BBC censors-- network heads reasoned that you can't censor anything off the cuff) would always crack jokes at the expense of team captain Lionel Blair ("he was besides himself at the prospect of finishing off Two Men of Verona without using his mouth").
The barrister playing his joker was a reference to "It's a Knockout," where a team could elect to use a joker before an event to double whatever points they score in it. It started there first, came over here as "Almost Anything Goes" in the 70s for a couple of seasons on ABC (Regis Philbin was a sideline reporter!), and I think USA tried to do a pilot they called "USA Gonzo Games." Here lately, the most recent news for the show was when the original commentator for IaK got nicked during Operation Yewtree (after Jimmy Saville died, a *shitload* of skeletons came falling out of the closet. Lots of scummy, scummy people rightfully catching hell for their actions after forty years or so).
The Price is Right didn't run nearly as long in the UK as it has here, but the original run with Leslie Crowther or Bruce's Price is Right with Bruce Forsyth have some decent moments.
But yeah. There's some decent game shows in the UK (Knightmare was the Nickelodeon game show we shoulda had), there's even been a few shows that don't do as well here but found a more-receptive audience there (e.g. Blockbusters, Catch Phrase, College Bowl).
I live in the UK and my wife and I's favourite game shows at the moment are...
"Pointless" (Teams answer questions for points and the team with the highest number of points each time gets eliminated until only one team is left for the final round. If a team gets a pointless answer, £250 is added to the jackpot),
"Impossible" (Starts off with 21 people and in each round there are 5 questions. For each question there are 3 answers and you have to choose one. One is correct and you get a point, one is wrong and nothing happens and one is impossible and you are frozen out of the game until the next day. The one with the most points at the end of the round faces a question board and a couple of other rounds before the final board where they play for £10,000).
and "Richard Osman's House Of Games" (He has four celebrity guests on for 5 days. Each day there are 5 rounds of questions and tthey play many different varieties of games. The winner gets a daily prize and the overall winner of the week gets a trophy).
Oh and "Taskmaster" (each series has 5 celebrities on for 10 weeks. Each show has several tasks and they test their ingenuity. Again daily prizes (supplied by the contestants) and a prize for the winner of the series. Greg Davis is the Taskmaster).
Mastermind and Blankety Blank are still current . Impressive knowledge - my favourite was Call my bluff , originally in the 70s the team captains Frank Muir and Patrick Campbell both had minor speech impediments and the guests wore evening dress . it was rather like an after dinner parlour game .
I loved Knight Mare as a kid. Think there some episodes available on RUclips. Should still be entertaining even as an adult.
Brilliant info. Mnay thanks for taking the time to post! ❤
It's all fun. It makes court appearances more interesting.
The Two Ronnies 'Optician' sketch is hilarious. So hilarious I had forgotten it! - Well, we are talking decades and other stuff happens!
The judge is played by Patrick Thoughton the 2nd Dr Who .
That should be 'Troughton'. He also played the priest in 'The Omen'.
Just about to say that@@hadz8671
Fun fact, the judge is played by Patrick Troughton who was the second person to play Dr Who, the very first Regeneration
There was copies of various british gameshows you might not be aware of. Mastermind was the serious bit where the lights dimmed and the spotlights were on them. Also match game was called "blankety blank" in the UK, hence talking blanks also.
Two Rooney's? Nooo! One of the potato headed footballers was enough.
The Two Ronnies was a comedy sketch show for all the family it ran from 1971 to 1987.
That was fun to watch thanks, I think Jodie is a little bit young to appreciate shows like the two Ronnies, get well soon Nick.
They were GREAT
TWO RONNIES had a prime time slot on BBC TV back when we had 3 channels. BBC1,BBC2 and ITV. During their reign of Friday night TV for 10 years and more from 1970s to mid 1980s. Very well known and I think those of us over 50 or into 40s will remember 1st airs. They have been repeated over as they are good TV. Not had any repeats on TR for at least 20 years. But whilst alive they did do a sit down show where they presented their old show in clip foemat and explained the sketch, often had some new material of jokes they would say during the show but not a sketch length. TR are without doubt one of the best comedy duos of the last 50 years, I will include Morecame and Wise as equals to the TR and just as funny.
Unless you're aware of British game shows....this sketch is a play on many of them.....hard to follow and find funny unless you know...😊
Many of the shows referenced here started in the US (Match Game, What's My Line?, The Price is Right, Call my Bluff)
That and the fact this is a sketch show from a time when this kind of humour was considered fresh and progressive. It's mainly hilarious for my grandad and people who grew up watching it
The gameshows emulated in order were... What's My Line, Mastermind, Call My Bluff, Blankety Blank, Give Us a Clue, The Price is Right
You are very kind sharing things with your Hubby.🧸🧸
The judge was played by Patrick Troughton the second actor to play Doctor Who
The Judge was the 2nd Dr Who.
Please react to the Two Ronnies in the Confusing Library - but make sure you find the version that includes subtitles/captions as there is another version that misses the end of the sketch.
2:00 was that perchance a subtle mockery of our accent?
Mad as box of frogs. hahahaha
We need to ask Gabe how similar this is to an American court experience.
The second Dr Who I'm showing my age now .
The Two Ronnie's were a primetime family show (1971-1987 not country repeats)...
Have you seen the ongoing skit they did called "The Worm that Turned"?
They used to do musical skits, which were excellent, normally on the Christmas specials worth watching
It's interesting how you can go back and almost see the evolution of transatlantic influence on comedy over time. This kind of performance from the 1980s is very culturally specific, which is why a lot of Americans might not get it. The frame of reference isn't there for a lot of this humour. It's probably really only been in the last 10-15 years that the internet has facilitated this comedic cross-over.
Love The Two Ronnies also check out Morecambe and Wise another British comedy duo 😊
Round of Drinks sketch is a good one and very relatable. Sorry Nick's got the bug
You should watch the drinks order, by the 2 ronnies
these are nowhere near Peak Two Ronnies, 'Slim Pickman and Polly Parton' Muscial will have u on the floor!
Get Well Soon.
By no means the best example to pick. There are tons out there that are way funnier than this one! Try Racing Duck or a Round of drinks or Sweet shop!
Jodie's always seems to be happy when she ill.🤔🤔🤕🥱
compilation show
I think Judge Judy is more in your line. Much funnier.
One rather annoying thing that Brits do, and I'm a Brit, so I know, is we tend to tell other people they don't get it. It's annoying cause it's quite often just not true. We're so lazy in expecting everyone else to be like us. I think we, the Brits, need to try harder to assimilate. Just a little harder. I know we traditionally invaded and graped and conquered, but those days are looong gone.
This humour hasn't aged well . Same as me really .
breaking news today.
MLC will become biggest cricket league in the world from 2026. ... MLC have 6 teams now. 2025 MLC have 8 teams. 2026 MLC will have 10 teams. Big money come this year. for 10 Teams for this year MLC but no cricket grounds they will build more cricket grounds .. 2026 MLC have over 100 matches. IPL have 72 matches.
Why no cricket reaction anymore ??
Going to see world cup ?
Got to feel sorry for you two, most of the UK were/are fans of the Two Ronnies but this one wasn't that great. The two Ronnies sketches are probably "get able" but a lot of the humour is in context with stuff that is/was particular to the UK. Some of it will fall flat because it was around UK topics of the time. It's not easily transferable or relateable. Worth continuing with their reviews as there are some real gems. Suggest looking at the most popular sketches.
if you wodering what is going on with the trump courtcase at the moment by watching this heres the answer.
the two Ronnie's along with Morecambe and Wise are completely overrated due to nostalgia. half of their sketches fell flat back in the day and as time and comedy has moved on nearly all their sketches haven't aged well
@@g.d2450 Absolute rubbish. It's still better than nearly any so-called comedy today.
@@stevemccullagh36 i wouldn't go as far to call them absolute rubbish they've just aged like milk
They weren’t funny in the 1970’s and they’re still not funny.
Morcambe and Wise were much better.
Kind of like the Trump trials going on now, except this courtroom is heaps more believable😂😂😂