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BBC Two

Knowledge, drama, comedy and the arts for a broad adult audience.

BBC Two is a lively channel of depth and substance, carrying a range of knowledge-building programming complemented by great drama, comedy and arts.

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BBC Two is a TV channel that started broadcasting on the 20th April 1964.

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Series charting the history of the best of British comedy

Series charting the history of the best of British comedy, looking at performers and shows alike

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Until 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales (analogue) was known simply as BBC Two Wales. BBC Two Wales (digital) was BBC 2W. From 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales schedules on both analogue and digital became identical

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Comedy Connections: Series 2

Julia Sawalha

Geoffrey Palmer

John Barron

Sue Nicholls

John Horsley

Tim Preece

David Nobbs

John Howard Davis

Gareth Gwenlan

Kevin McMunigal

Toby Stevens

Comedy Connections: Series 2: Episode 4: The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin

Episode 4

Episode 4: The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin

Series 2

BBC One - Comedy Connections, Series 2, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin

The behind-the-scenes story of The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin.

The history of classic comedy shows. A look at 1970s sitcom The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, including interviews with writer and stars.

The behind the scenes story of The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin reveals how unlikely a comedy success Reggie really was. In writer David Nobbs's original book, The Death of Reginald Perrin, the central character's midlife crisis saw him to a mental hospital - hardly the stuff of comedy. And when the writer was told to take the jokes out of the first draft of the script to make the show funnier it was clear Reggie Perrin was going to be unusual on television too.

Despite not getting his first choice of Ronnie Barker to play the lead, writer David Nobbs created a hero for a generation and changed British comedy by proving that sitcom could be successful with a serial storyline.

The show has connections to The Two Ronnies, Steptoe and Son, Fawlty Towers, The Good Life and Fairly Secret Army.

Narrated by Julia Sawalha, interviewees include Geoffrey Palmer, John Barron, Sue Nicholls, John Horsley, Tim Preece, writer David Nobbs and producers John Howard Davis and Gareth Gwenlan.

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Episode 4: The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin

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