'The Incredible Mister Tanner' was an episode of 'The Ronnie Barker Playhouse', written by Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke, and broadcast on 24/4/1968. Barker played 'Cyril Tanner', a useless escapologist whose main audience are people in cinema and theatre queues and who has unrealistic aspirations to be the new Harry Houdini. Also in the cast were Richard O'Sullivan ( as Cyril's younger brother Arthur ) and Doris Hare.
It eventually became a series, or rather two, but Ronnie was involved in neither. The first attempt was called 'Kindly Leave The Kerb', and went out in 1971. Peter Butterworth took over the role of 'Cyril' ( now renamed 'Ernest' ) with the equally sublime Peter Jones as his sidekick 'Sidney Rochester'. Welsh actor Meredith Edwards was seedy café owner 'Archie'.
The show was about losers, people who wanted fame and fortune but lacked any real talent. This being the pre-reality television era, they had no hope of being even remotely successful. Their only home was a basement flat, and they barely made enough money from the act to stay alive.
'Kerb' was perhaps a bit too depressing to be a hit. It did not have a laugh track - essential for a sitcom in those days - and was swiftly forgotten. However, it returned a decade later as 'The Incredible Mister Tanner' ( which was the title of the original 'Ronnie Barker Playhouse' presentation, and not - as I.M.D.B. user Theo Robertson seems to believe - a steal from the hit U.S. series 'The Incredible Hulk' ).
The circumstances under which the new show came to be made was rather sad. Yootha Joyce, Brian Murphy's co-star in 'George & Mildred', had sadly passed away the year before, just prior to the recording of a sixth and final series of the hit show.
Thames decided to team Murphy with his occasional 'Man About The House/George & Mildred' co-star ( he played the incompetent workman 'Jerry' ) Roy Kinnear. Rather than just call the new show 'George & Jerry' ( as I am sure it must have been tempting to do ), Mortimer and Cooke instead chose to revive the characters of 'Ernest Tanner' and 'Sidney Rochester' ( now renamed 'Pratt' ). The scripts were updated ( there was a reference to the notoriously steamy I.T.V. drama 'Bouquet Of Barbed Wire', and we saw Ernest watching the latest version of 'Dr.Who' on television instead of 'Pinky & Perky' ). The late Tony Melody was cast as 'Archie' and the gorgeous Rosie Collins played his innocent daughter 'Prudence'. Unlike the previous show, this one was made to look upbeat, with a catchy theme tune and better-dressed sets.
However, a major flaw remained - just how do you make an escapologist funny? Well, if he is pretty hapless, then every time he puts on the old chains and handcuffs and gets in a sack etc., then he will have difficulty in escaping, won't he? And Ernest did. But you can only make that idea funny so many times.
Another problem for the show was that it went out not long after a lengthy season of 'George & Mildred' repeats, shown by way of a tribute to Yootha Joyce. Public affection for the Ropers was so strong that viewers were not ready to accept Murphy in another role, not at that time anyway. The unconvincing posh voice he affected did not help matters either.
I do not recall 'Tanner' being particularly bad, but have no fond memories of it either. Even an escapologist like Tanner could not have foreseen just how impossible it would be for Murphy to escape from the role of 'George Roper'.
It eventually became a series, or rather two, but Ronnie was involved in neither. The first attempt was called 'Kindly Leave The Kerb', and went out in 1971. Peter Butterworth took over the role of 'Cyril' ( now renamed 'Ernest' ) with the equally sublime Peter Jones as his sidekick 'Sidney Rochester'. Welsh actor Meredith Edwards was seedy café owner 'Archie'.
The show was about losers, people who wanted fame and fortune but lacked any real talent. This being the pre-reality television era, they had no hope of being even remotely successful. Their only home was a basement flat, and they barely made enough money from the act to stay alive.
'Kerb' was perhaps a bit too depressing to be a hit. It did not have a laugh track - essential for a sitcom in those days - and was swiftly forgotten. However, it returned a decade later as 'The Incredible Mister Tanner' ( which was the title of the original 'Ronnie Barker Playhouse' presentation, and not - as I.M.D.B. user Theo Robertson seems to believe - a steal from the hit U.S. series 'The Incredible Hulk' ).
The circumstances under which the new show came to be made was rather sad. Yootha Joyce, Brian Murphy's co-star in 'George & Mildred', had sadly passed away the year before, just prior to the recording of a sixth and final series of the hit show.
Thames decided to team Murphy with his occasional 'Man About The House/George & Mildred' co-star ( he played the incompetent workman 'Jerry' ) Roy Kinnear. Rather than just call the new show 'George & Jerry' ( as I am sure it must have been tempting to do ), Mortimer and Cooke instead chose to revive the characters of 'Ernest Tanner' and 'Sidney Rochester' ( now renamed 'Pratt' ). The scripts were updated ( there was a reference to the notoriously steamy I.T.V. drama 'Bouquet Of Barbed Wire', and we saw Ernest watching the latest version of 'Dr.Who' on television instead of 'Pinky & Perky' ). The late Tony Melody was cast as 'Archie' and the gorgeous Rosie Collins played his innocent daughter 'Prudence'. Unlike the previous show, this one was made to look upbeat, with a catchy theme tune and better-dressed sets.
However, a major flaw remained - just how do you make an escapologist funny? Well, if he is pretty hapless, then every time he puts on the old chains and handcuffs and gets in a sack etc., then he will have difficulty in escaping, won't he? And Ernest did. But you can only make that idea funny so many times.
Another problem for the show was that it went out not long after a lengthy season of 'George & Mildred' repeats, shown by way of a tribute to Yootha Joyce. Public affection for the Ropers was so strong that viewers were not ready to accept Murphy in another role, not at that time anyway. The unconvincing posh voice he affected did not help matters either.
I do not recall 'Tanner' being particularly bad, but have no fond memories of it either. Even an escapologist like Tanner could not have foreseen just how impossible it would be for Murphy to escape from the role of 'George Roper'.
