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    What became of those people we used to be?

    Rodney Bewes has died at the age of 79.

    #2
    Sorry to hear that R.I.P, he never seemed to get much work after the likely lads unlike James Bolam

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      #3
      Yes RIP part of (many of our) childhoods.

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        #4
        The real shame is that he and James Bolam never reconciled after an seemingly innocuous bust-up.

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          #5
          A real shame about their split although I've never been clear about the exact reason why.

          Bewes always seemed to talk about the Likely Lads affectionately when interviewed. Bolam apparently will have nothing to do with it.

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            #6
            He was in a Daleks story of Dr Who back in the Peter Davison era. He played a guy who got cloned by the Daleks and then had to break his clone programming or mind control or something. It's one of the first Dr Who stories I remember from when I was a kid. I watched it again on video about 15 years ago. It wasn't very good.

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              #7
              Went with my son to his one man show in Edinburgh a couple of years ago - I was the second youngest there by some margin, but it was enjoyable and charming. He was signing photos afterwards so I got one signed for my American nephew, who was brought up on Likely Lads and other British comedy by my brother, and he framed it alongside his Noel Gallagher signed photo and pick. We are all having something of a virtual group hug on Facebook.

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                #8
                I wish you people wouldn't give away the result.

                Anyway. RIP Rodney.

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                  #9
                  IIRC the Footy score episode was called "No Place To Hide". Up there with Porridge/A Quiet Night In, Steptoe/The Desperate Hours ans Dad's Army/Mums Army as the best of sitcom.

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                    #10
                    Originally posted by Arturo View Post
                    A real shame about their split although I've never been clear about the exact reason why
                    Bewes was told in confidence that Bolam's wife was pregnant but let it slip to the press.

                    There are advantages in being a jobbing actor out of the TV limelight. You don't end up as an octogenarian copper...

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                      #11
                      Apparently the series was never repeated as it needed both their consents, and even though Bewes needed the money, Bolam wouldn't agree. I have this only because someone told me, mind.

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by Sits View Post
                        Apparently the series was never repeated as it needed both their consents, and even though Bewes needed the money, Bolam wouldn't agree. I have this only because someone told me, mind.
                        I've heard that said but I think it's mixed up with Bolam refusing any proposals for further series or later revivals.

                        Wiki says:

                        In 1995 and 1996 the series was repeated in its entirety on BBC2. It went on to become a short-term staple of cable channels, and was again shown on satellite and cable TV in 2008–9. In April 2013, the first series began a repeat run on BBC Four, its first showing on terrestrial television since 1996. It has also been released on DVD. The movie spin-off usually appears at least once a year on TV, around Christmas.

                        Though maybe there is something in it after all, given the long gaps between showings.

                        The Christmas special (in which Carlisle get a mention) turns up most years too.

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                          #13
                          I wonder if Clement and La Frenais came to tailor their writing on what they knew of the actors, having worked with them on the original 60s series. There seems to be a lot of Terry Collier's cussedness in Bolam whereas Bewes always seemed a nice bloke.

                          As well as The Likely Lads I have fond memories of "Dear Mother, Love Albert" a sitcom he did circa 1970 about a naïve northern lad making his way in London. That also had a great Mike Hugg theme song.

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                            #14
                            You're forgetting his sterling work with …

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                              #15
                              RIP, indeed. Whatever Happened..? was the finest sitcom of its era, IMO - and with some serious competition.

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                                #16
                                Originally posted by Stumpy Pepys View Post
                                You're forgetting his sterling work with …

                                His Birds Eye Crispy Fish adverts weren't bad, either.

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                                  #17

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                                    #18
                                    The big difference between James Bolam and Rodney Bewes is that while the former played Terry magnificently, with Bewes it was almost possible to believe that he was Bob. The actor playing Terry was always going to move onwards and upwards with performances like that. Poor Bob was always going to struggle.

                                    If you were going be remembered for one thing, you'd be happy with being remembered for one of the best things of its kind ever mind.

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                                      #19
                                      James Bolam starred in my fourth-favourite film ever: Stella Does Tricks. Rodney Bewes didn't.

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                                        #20
                                        Originally posted by Sits View Post
                                        Apparently the series was never repeated as it needed both their consents, and even though Bewes needed the money, Bolam wouldn't agree. I have this only because someone told me, mind.
                                        Alas, this is apparently true, as mentioned in this Independent article from 2010:
                                        They were the best of friends – on screen at least. But now a feud that has simmered between the estranged stars of the BBC sitcom The Likely Lads for almost 35 years has erupted. Rodney Bewes, who played Bob Ferris in the series, has accused his former co-star James Bolam of condemning fellow cast members to poverty through his refusal to grant permission for the series to be repeated on network television.
                                        "Jimmy Bolam's killed it, which is such a pity," he said: "I'm very poor so I have to tour one-man shows because Jimmy has buried The Likely Lads. You have to sign a waiver for them to repeat it and he stopped it while he did New Tricks. Well, New Tricks has been on so long, and is so repeated, that he must be very wealthy; me, I've just got an overdraft and a mortgage."

                                        Bewes added: "He should let it be repeated on BBC2 or BBC1; to stop other people earning money is cruel."

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                                          #21
                                          Rodney Bewes did his national service with my Dad. I 'dined out' on that fact at school when the sitcom was at its height (not literally, obviously).
                                          Despite the 'Northern working class' typecasting my auld fella's memories were of him lying on his bunk reading poetry.

                                          My favourite film ever (alongside Planet of the Apes) is Billy Liar, in which RB did another 'straight man' turn, opposite Tom Courtenay. I'm doing a class on it on Thursday, so will pick a sequence in which he features strongly.

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                                            #22
                                            [QUOTE=Felicity, I guess so;1370639]
                                            Despite the 'Northern working class' typecasting my auld fella's memories were of him lying on his bunk reading poetry.

                                            Is it "Northern" people or "Working Class " people who aren't supposed to read poetry in your world?

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                                              #23
                                              Originally posted by Various Artist View Post
                                              Alas, this is apparently true, as mentioned in this Independent article from 2010:
                                              Sounds similar to Martin Shaw refusing to allow The Professionals to be repeated or released on video/DVD - only relented when it was pointed out to him that Gordon Jackson's widow needed the money to stave off poverty.

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                                                #24
                                                Why 'do' the likes of Shaw and Bolam do this? Are they under some kind of illusion that increased availability of their popular early work is going to be somehow undermining to their latter profiles?

                                                Originally posted by wittoner View Post
                                                Originally posted by Felicity, I guess so View Post
                                                Despite the 'Northern working class' typecasting my auld fella's memories were of him lying on his bunk reading poetry.
                                                Is it "Northern" people or "Working Class " people who aren't supposed to read poetry in your world?
                                                The expression 'typecasting' suggests to me that FIGS is referring to a pre-existing stereotype. Which might still be bullsh*t, but it isn't of the poster's own creation.

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                                                  #25
                                                  Originally posted by Various Artist View Post
                                                  Alas, this is apparently true, as mentioned in this Independent article from 2010:
                                                  It wasn't 'never repeated' though - as said above it had already been on BBC2 in the 90s and then regularly on UK Gold, and I'd guess for most of us, our familiarity with the show comes from these runs. The article seems to relate to a specific beef, which must have been sorted or a compromise reached when it went onto BBC Four a few years later.

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