The Ronnie Barker Comedy Lecture

The first of a series of talks about comedy

The first of a series of talks about comedy, named after one of our greatest all-round comedians, sees Ben Elton deconstructing the studio sitcom in front of a celebrity audience.

Using clips of examples such as Mrs Brown's Boys (voted best sitcom of the 21st Century) and Ben's own The Thin Blue Line, he shows how they can attract vitriolic criticism even when getting high viewing figures.

Ben also talks about his relationship with Ronnie Barker – in particular their first inauspicious meeting at the BBC Light Entertainment Christmas party.