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The show The Two Ronnies started in the '70s, so it was closer to live performance than comedy shows today (nearly 50 years later). Both Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett were able to react to unexpected events during filming (and make it funny) and were consummate performers.

Occasionally, it's obvious that they are briefly ad-libbing, but I suspect that they may have ad-libbed at other times and done it so well that it appeared to be scripted, in particular Ronnie Corbett during his rambling monologues.

How much ad-libbing did the Ronnies actually do in The Two Ronnies?

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  • From what I've heard - though I can't track down any documentary evidence to support it right now - The Two Ronnies was pretty tightly scripted; many of the sketches required precision delivery... four candles, the society for piss-mronunciation etc. Unlike Morecambe & Wise, who would ad-lib a lot in rehearsals & add that & new ad-libs to the broadcast show too. Corbett's monologues may be the only parts which weren't so tightly formatted. – disassociated Jul 30 '18 at 19:09
  • I did find this beautiful interview with Ronnie Barker, from after he retired, The Telegraph 1998 - The two sides to one Ronnie – disassociated Jul 30 '18 at 19:24

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