R.I.P.REG.

Post by **g88ner** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 1:28 pm

Quartz started a thread on this in the 'Basement Section', and here is what he wrote.....

QuartzGooner wrote:Just heard this sad news.

"On The Buses" was a classic...in it's day was as zeitgeist as "The Office".

Legend.

British TV commedy star Reg Varney dies at 92

2 hours ago (Associated Press)

LONDON â€” Reg Varney, a comic actor who played a cheery Cockney bus driver in British sitcom "On the Buses," died Sunday, his daughter said. He was 92.

Daughter Jeanne Marley said Varney died at a nursing home in Budleigh Salterton, southwest England, after a short illness.

Born in east London in 1916, Varney began his career as a singer, piano player and comic in the rough-and-tumble world of pubs, music halls and working men's clubs. He joined the Royal Electrical Engineers during World War II but continued to perform as part of a touring show entertaining the troops.

After the war he kept touring the music hall circuit and played a variety of television roles before becoming a household name in Britain with "On the Buses." Varney played Stan Butler, a happy-go-lucky driver tormented by the ire of his irascible boss, Inspector Blake.

With its cheeky humor and large doses of slapstick, the show was a huge hit, running for seven series between 1969 and 1973. It was exported around the world, spawned three feature films and a stage show, and remains enduringly popular.

Varney also secured his place in history by making the world's first withdrawal from an electronic automated teller machine, at a branch of Barclays Bank in Enfield, north London in 1967.

Varney's wife Lilian died in 2002. He is survived by his daughter, two grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

mrgnu1958 · Post by **mrgnu1958** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 1:31 pm

Sorry....and thanks for the cut and paste

Reg Niseth · Post by **Reg Niseth** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 2:17 pm

Thank fuck, I thought it was me and no one had told me.

"Make us a cup of tea Olive luv"

Post by **g88ner** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 2:37 pm

Reg Niseth wrote:Thank fuck, I thought it was me and no one had told me.

have to say Reg, that was my first thought too..

Glad you're ok, mate

Post by **QuartzGooner** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 5:34 pm

What a legend.

Also was the first man to use an ATM, according to his obituaries.

nuttygoonerpaul · Post by **nuttygoonerpaul** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 6:54 pm

rip reg , love on the bus,s,

Rosie_titters · Post by **Rosie_titters** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 3:11 pm

such a shame - although 92 isn't fucking bad - use to love OTB - Still nice to see Stephen Lewis doing the blakey act on LOTSW -

although probably this show wouldnt be allowed today with some 50 year old bloke, living at home with his mum and sister and chasing 20 year dolly birds

Post by **DB10GOONER** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 3:45 pm

I grew up in Australia in the 1970's and the majority of Aussie TV was Yank shows like CHiPS and Starsky & Hutch or Brit sitcoms like OTB, some mothers, love thy neighbour, til death us do part, Fawlty Towers, are you being served and Steptoe & son.

I loved those shows and strangely still do... even the mad as fuck and xenophobic (borderline racist) "Til death us do part". You just could not get away with some of that dialogue nowdays...

Post by **SPUDMASHER** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 3:48 pm

DB10GOONER wrote:I grew up in Australia in the 1970's and the majority of Aussie TV was Yank shows like CHiPS and Starsky & Hutch or Brit sitcoms like OTB, some mothers, love thy neighbour, til death us do part, Fawlty Towers, are you being served and Steptoe & son.

I loved those shows and strangely still do... even the mad as fuck and xenophobic (borderline racist) "Til death us do part". You just could not get away with some of that dialogue nowdays...

Could you imagine how many complaints the average episode of 'Love thy Neighbour' would generate these days.
Russel Brand and J Ross would pale into insignificance.

Sambo

did he really say that

Rosie_titters · Post by **Rosie_titters** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 3:49 pm

there was some PC crap on recently when they were questioning why every black characted in the 70s was called Chalkie - because it was the 70s and you could say what you fucking like

some dick said "why did they call him Chalkie, why not give him another name like Winston or John??? how thick is that *word censored*

ds · Post by ds » Tue Nov 18, 2008 3:55 pm

Til death us do part with Alf Garnett ..... one of the funniest sitcoms ever.

RIP Reg

Post by **DB10GOONER** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 3:55 pm

SPUDMASHER wrote:
DB10GOONER wrote:I grew up in Australia in the 1970's and the majority of Aussie TV was Yank shows like CHiPS and Starsky & Hutch or Brit sitcoms like OTB, some mothers, love thy neighbour, til death us do part, Fawlty Towers, are you being served and Steptoe & son.

I loved those shows and strangely still do... even the mad as fuck and xenophobic (borderline racist) "Til death us do part". You just could not get away with some of that dialogue nowdays...
Could you imagine how many complaints the average episode of 'Love thy Neighbour' would generate these days.
Russel Brand and J Ross would pale into insignificance.

Sambo did he really say that

Regularly.

It's strange - I deplore racism but I can laugh at shows like that and genuinely not feel racist. It may be a peculiarly Irish thing - like the way we can laugh at Paddy jokes when so many PC people in England are offended by them... We have a very broad sense of humour in general, I suppose...

Post by **QuartzGooner** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 6:18 pm

They still show Love Thy Neighbour, well they showed an episode recently on cable.

It was racist, still is, but it shows up the racism of the white guy rather than encouraging it.

I always remember him being a bloke with very limited horizons, his idea of a good time was to sit in an armchair with a can of long life lager.

Just one can.