By the Sea
4811207
183860629
2008-01-12T16:57:34Z
82.46.40.146
{{For|the [[Charlie Chaplin]] film|By the Sea (1915 film)}}
{{infobox television |
| show_name = By the Sea
| image = |
| caption = |
| format = [[Situation Comedy]]
| runtime = 55 minutes
| creator = [[Ronnie Barker|Dave Huggett]]<br>[[Ronnie Barker|Larry Keith]]
| starring = [[Ronnie Barker]]<br>[[Ronnie Corbett]]<br>[[Barbara New]]<br>[[Madge Hindle]]<br>[[Debbi Blythe]]<br>
| country = [[United Kingdom]]
| network = [[BBC One]]
| first_aired = [[12 April]], [[1982]]
| last_aired = |
}}
'''''By the Sea''''' (full title '''''The Two Ronnies Present - By the Sea'''''), is a 1982 [[BBC]] film starring [[The Two Ronnies]], and written by [[Ronnie Barker]] under the [[pseudonym]]s "Dave Huggett and Larry Keith".
==Introduction==
The film followed the extended family of "The General", played by Barker, as they went on an eventful seaside holiday. It was set on the [[Dorset]] coast in "Tiddly Cove", actually the coast between [[Bournemouth]] and [[Swanage]]. Ronnie Barker was a keen collector of saucy [[seaside postcard]]s, and published several books of them. The humour of ''By the Sea'' was very much based on the colourful style of these. The film is notable for being completely free of speech, with the score by [[Ronnie Hazlehurst]] and various sound effects in their place. The humour is instead entirely visual, and relies on comic stereotypes (the old randy general, the busty girl, the cheeky schoolboy, etc.). It was the follow-up to another Two Ronnies film, ''[[The Picnic]]'', featuring the same characters.
Before it was shown, the BBC commissioned producer Alan J.W. Bell, the director of ''[[Last of the Summer Wine]]'', to improve the film. No scenes were re-shot, but he re-structured the film and commissioned Ronnie Hazlehurst to write an original music score. To add comic effect, the film was also slightly speeded-up.
The 55 minute film was shown on BBC 1 at Easter 1982, but has rarely been repeated, although in recent times it has been shown several times by [[ITV3]], who currently hold the rights to the ''Two Ronnies'' library. It has not been released on DVD, despite the renewed interest in the work of Ronnie Barker. A limited VHS release of ''By The Sea'' and ''The Picnic'' was available in 1990 and deleted in 1994.
==External links==
*{{bbc.co.uk|id=comedy/guide/articles/t/tworonniespresen_7776585.shtml|title=''By the Sea''}} Comedy Guide
*{{imdb title|id=0186906|title=By the Sea}}
{{Ronnie Barker}}
[[Category:BBC television comedy]]
[[sv:Badliv]]