As Time Goes Bye

[Gangster Octopus]

Geoffrey Palmer has died.

[Jah Womble]

RIP, Uncle Jimmy.

He and Leonard Rossiter were responsible for - if you can forgive its dated vernacular - one of the greatest moments in seventies comedy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ-9R6NCZ0A

[Gangster Octopus]

I'm pretty sure what you've linked to, and you're absolutely spot on.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

RIP. Reggie Perrin is what I most remember him from (to the extent that when I recognise him I always think "that's Reggie's brother in law") but he had plenty of other great stuff on his CV including some things I recall him in. I see he had a few small parts in various episodes of The Avengers, including "A Surfeit of H2O".

Edit: never saw (and know nothing about) As Time Goes By

[Ray de Galles]

The balloon has gone up.

I loved Palmer, my old long term screen name Harry Truscott was a tribute to his renamed character from 'Perrin' in 'Fairly Secret Army' which is a largely-forgotten gem.

The consummate actor if you wanted someone dry and lugubrious in a certain style of sitcom or drama.

[Ray de Galles]

RIP. Reggie Perrin is what I most remember him from (to the extent that when I recognise him I always think "that's Reggie's brother in law") but he had plenty of other great stuff on his CV including some things I recall him in. I see he had a few small parts in various episodes of The Avengers, including "A Surfeit of H2O".

Edit: never saw (and know nothing about) As Time Goes By

I'm similarly ignorant of it (well, I know it existed but can't recall ever seeing the show) and am stunned to see it ran for thirteen years.

I assumed he'll be most remembered for 'Butterflies' but maybe it will be 'ATGB'.

[DCI Harry Batt]

I liked As Time Goes By. Just gentle and nice. Nothing outstanding.

But yeah, he'll always be Jimmy to me. Although Butterflies was also a favourite.

[Jah Womble]

Looking back on Butterflies, Palmer was probably the best thing about it - his long-suffering, lived-in face at the breakfast table was always bang on the money.

But, yes, it has to be Perrin really. Full credit of course to the late David Nobbs for a torrent of timeless characters and catchphrases, but GP completely made that role his own.

[Ray de Galles]

Oh, he was certainly the best thing in 'Butterflies' much as it was pivotal in Nicholas Lyndhurst's career and also what I always remember Wendy Craig for (even though she was in successful shows for years before and after).

I used to think he should have been Jerry in 'The Good Life' but have realised that is very unfair to Paul Eddington.

[elguapo4]

For me , apart from the characters mentioned, he'll be General Haig in the last episode of Blackadder .

[Paul S]

Nobody could do dead pan quite like Geofrrey Palmer. A one off and I will remember him most for ATGB.

[Jah Womble]

Oh, he was certainly the best thing in 'Butterflies' much as it was pivotal in Nicholas Lyndhurst's career and also what I always remember Wendy Craig for (even though she was in successful shows for years before and after).

I used to think he should have been Jerry in 'The Good Life' but have realised that is very unfair to Paul Eddington.

Ha - I used to associate the two of them for some reason as well. Both played supremely middle-class professionals - but Eddington tended to do 'affable' more than Palmer.

Wendy Craig was good, too - as a wee sprog I remember her first from Not in Front of the Children (c 1970), which seemed like good family fodder for its time. Hard to believe that she's 86 now.

[johnr]

The balloon has gone up.

I loved Palmer, my old long term screen name Harry Truscott was a tribute to his renamed character from 'Perrin' in 'Fairly Secret Army' which is a largely-forgotten gem.

A while back I tried to find the opening episode of that - without success - as I chiefly remember it for a sublime section; 'Clive', Truscott's old army mate, arrives by train in a rural station, to prepare for the balloon going up. Truscott greets him, and lugubriously tells Clive that things aren't going to plan, and that things aren't ready, all the while walking down the platform, across the bridge and - as T finishes his peroration - back on to the arriving train on the opposite platform, from which Clive departs. I laughed so much at that.

[Nocturnal Submission]

The voice behind vorsprung durch technik and many other voiceovers.

RIP.

[Third rate Leszno]

Continuing the Eddington theme, I always thought Palmer would've been perfect for a role in Yes, Minister. I never watched ATGB but loved him in so many other things that I now wish that I had.

[My Name Is Ian]

My heart is a little bit broken by this. Absolutely my favourite actor by a distance so far that I can't calculate it, and if it's possible to be shocked by someone dying at 93, then I am.

A couple of months ago, we looked at the possibility of recording a podcast series reviewing his entire television and film career - one of the absolute vastest - and may yet do this, next year.

Agree with what was said above about the 'forces of anarchy' scene from Reggie Perrin. Two absolute masters of comedy acting at the absolute peak of their game.

I also read somewhere that As Time Goes By was extremely popular on PBS in America, one of their most successful imports of this century, apparently.

But yeah, fare thee well. What a career.

[Snake Plissken]

Always liked to see him on screen, because he'll be great no matter what. He was in a well remembered (by me) C4 press comedy called Hot Metal.

[My Name Is Ian]

I keep meaning to go back to Hot Metal, since I've not seen it in years and years. At least some of it is on YouTube, so I'll take a look later.

[Cal Alamein]

I also read somewhere that As Time Goes By was extremely popular on PBS in America, one of their most successful imports of this century, apparently.

Yep. We saw it first on a PBS station in Alaska almost 30 years ago, and seems to be running non-stop (along w/ Keeping Up Appearances) on our New Mexico PBS station.

I'll echo what other have said re: Forces of Anarchy scene - a hilarious, brilliant 1:58 by both actors.

[Ray de Galles]

My heart is a little bit broken by this. Absolutely my favourite actor by a distance so far that I can't calculate it, and if it's possible to be shocked by someone dying at 93, then I am.

A couple of months ago, we looked at the possibility of recording a podcast series reviewing his entire television and film career - one of the absolute vastest - and may yet do this, next year.

Agree with what was said above about the 'forces of anarchy' scene from Reggie Perrin. Two absolute masters of comedy acting at the absolute peak of their game.

I also read somewhere that As Time Goes By was extremely popular on PBS in America, one of their most successful imports of this century, apparently.

But yeah, fare thee well. What a career.

Please do the podcast, I'd love to hear it.

[Sits]

But if a cock-up on the dying front.

Lovely thread all, RIP.

[Gangster Octopus]

Ha, I said cock up in the catering front elsewhere, and was disappointed that someone didn't recognise it.

[Benjm]

The voice behind vorsprung durch technik and many other voiceovers.

RIP.

I had forgotten that was him.

He popped up in a small role in old episode of Van der Valk that I watched recently, which would have been pre-Butterflies in terms of his career. It was great to see him even fleetingly. That episode was stuffed with actors who went on to greater things; Don Henderson, Jeff Rawle, Karl Howman and Christopher Timothy all featured too.

[Viktor Boskovic]

I also was a fan of Fairly Secret Army, which of course was another outing for a similar rant to the one linked above. Just been watching some episodes again on You Tube and enjoying them!

[Nocturnal Submission]

I was looking at GP's TV credits (he was in Cathy Come Home, for goodness sake! ) and noticed that he'd been in Colditz, which reminded me of an episode in which a British officer attempted to feign insanity to secure his release but eventually really did lose his mind. It quite traumatised me watching it as a child. Here it is, if anyone's interested, with added GP:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...JhHlFBsyKNqLE9