Barry Took - Revision history

Kurt at 01:04, 16 January 2023

2023-01-16T01:04:07Z

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	\| name = Barry Took		\| name = Barry Took
	\| image = Barry Took.jpg		\| image = Barry Took.jpg
			\| caption = Took in 1994
	\| birth_name =		\| birth_name =
	\| birth_date = {{birth date\|1928\|6\|19\|df=y}}		\| birth_date = {{birth date\|1928\|6\|19\|df=y}}

Kurt at 01:03, 16 January 2023

2023-01-16T01:03:00Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:03, 15 January 2023
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	{{short description\|English comedian}}		{{short description\|English comedian}}
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=November 2020}}~~
	~~{{more citations needed\|date=February 2013}}~~
	{{Infobox writer		{{Infobox writer
	\| name = Barry Took		\| name = Barry Took
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	*[http://www.comedy-zone.net/standup/comedian/t/took-barry.htm Barry Took] – Comedy Zone		*[http://www.comedy-zone.net/standup/comedian/t/took-barry.htm Barry Took] – Comedy Zone
	*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/entertainment/tv_and_radio/newsid_1903000/1903696.stm BBC News article reporting his death]		*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/entertainment/tv_and_radio/newsid_1903000/1903696.stm BBC News article reporting his death]

	~~{{Authority control}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Took, Barry}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Took, Barry}}
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	[[Category:20th-century English comedians]]		[[Category:20th-century English comedians]]
	[[Category:20th-century Royal Air Force personnel]]		[[Category:20th-century Royal Air Force personnel]]
	~~[[Category:Deaths from cancer in England]]~~
	~~[[Category:Deaths from esophageal cancer]]~~
	[[Category:English male comedians]]		[[Category:English male comedians]]
	[[Category:English radio personalities]]		[[Category:English radio personalities]]

Kurt at 22:58, 21 July 2022

2022-07-21T22:58:47Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:58, 21 July 2022
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	{{more citations needed\|date=February 2013}}		{{more citations needed\|date=February 2013}}
	{{Infobox writer		{{Infobox writer
	\| name = Barry Took		\| name = Barry Took
	\| image = Barry Took.jpg		\| image = Barry Took.jpg
	\| birth_name =		\| birth_name =
	\| birth_date = {{birth date\|1928\|6\|19\|df=y}}		\| birth_date = {{birth date\|1928\|6\|19\|df=y}}
	\| birth_place = [[Wood Green]], [[London]], England		\| birth_place = Wood Green, London, England
	\| death_date = {{death date and age\|2002\|3\|31\|1928\|6\|19\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{death date and age\|2002\|3\|31\|1928\|6\|19\|df=y}}
	\| death_place = ~~[[London Borough of Enfield\|~~Enfield]], London, England		\| death_place = Enfield]], London, England
	\| resting_place = [[New Southgate]] Cemetery and Crematorium, London, England		\| resting_place = New Southgate Cemetery and Crematorium, London, England
	\| period = 1957–1999		\| period = 1957–1999
	\| genre = Radio, television		\| genre = Radio, television
	\| notableworks = {{nowrap\|''[[The Army Game]]'' (1957–1961) <br> ''[[Bootsie and Snudge]]'' (1960–64, 1974) <br>''[[Round the Horne]]'' (1965–67) <br> ''[[One-Upmanship]]'' (1976–78)}}		\| notableworks = {{nowrap\|''[[The Army Game]]'' (1957–1961) <br> ''[[Bootsie and Snudge]]'' (1960–64, 1974) <br>''[[Round the Horne]]'' (1965–67) <br> ''[[One-Upmanship]]'' (1976–78)}}
	\| spouse =		\| spouse =
	\| partner =		\| partner =
	}}		}}

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	==Early life and education==		==Early life and education==
	The son of a manager at the Danish Bacon Company, Took was born in Victoria Road, [[Muswell Hill]],<ref name=Martin>{{cite news \|last=Martin \|first=Douglas \|title=Barry Took, 73, Father of Monty Python, Dies \|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/14/nyregion/barry-took-73-father-of-monty-python-dies.html \|work=[[The New York Times]] \|date=14 April 2002 \|access-date=1 May 2015}}</ref><ref name=Scotsman /> [[north London]], and lived in Winton Avenue, [[Bounds Green]]. When ~~[[Evacuations of civilians in Britain during World War II\|~~evacuated]] to [[Wisbech]] in Cambridgeshire during the Second World War, he ran away from his assigned home there, cycling 20 miles to [[Peterborough]] in order to get a train back to London.<ref name="Telegraph">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1389535/Barry-Took.html Obituary: Barry Took], ''The Telegraph'', 2 April 2002</ref> He attended [[Stationers' Company's School\|Stationers School]]<ref>{{cite web \|last=Gifford \|first=Dennis \|title=Barry Took \|work=[[The Independent]] \|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/barry-took-729876.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100829061449/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/barry-took-729876.html \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=29 August 2010 \|date=1 April 2002 \|access-date=24 November 2009}}</ref> but left at the age of 15.<ref name=Martin /> His elder brother Philip would eventually work for the US Space Program before dying as a young man.<ref name=Scotsman />		The son of a manager at the Danish Bacon Company, Took was born in Victoria Road, [[Muswell Hill]],<ref name=Martin>{{cite news \|last=Martin \|first=Douglas \|title=Barry Took, 73, Father of Monty Python, Dies \|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/14/nyregion/barry-took-73-father-of-monty-python-dies.html \|work=[[The New York Times]] \|date=14 April 2002 \|access-date=1 May 2015}}</ref><ref name=Scotsman /> [[north London]], and lived in Winton Avenue, Bounds Green. When evacuated to Wisbech in Cambridgeshire during the Second World War, he ran away from his assigned home there, cycling 20 miles to Peterborough in order to get a train back to London.<ref name="Telegraph">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1389535/Barry-Took.html Obituary: Barry Took], ''The Telegraph'', 2 April 2002</ref> He attended [[Stationers' Company's School\|Stationers School]]<ref>{{cite web \|last=Gifford \|first=Dennis \|title=Barry Took \|work=[[The Independent]] \|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/barry-took-729876.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100829061449/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/barry-took-729876.html \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=29 August 2010 \|date=1 April 2002 \|access-date=24 November 2009}}</ref> but left at the age of 15.<ref name=Martin /> His elder brother Philip would eventually work for the US Space Program before dying as a young man.<ref name=Scotsman />

	==Career==		==Career==
	With his limited education, Took found work as an office boy for a publisher and a cinema projectionist.<ref name=Scotsman /><ref name="telegraph.co.uk"/> During his period of [[Conscription in the United Kingdom#After 1945\|National Service]] in the [[Royal Air Force]], in which he played the trumpet,<ref name=Scotsman /> he began performing and later worked as a stand-up comedian, eventually becoming a West End [[revue]] performer, working on ''[[For Amusement Only]]'' and ''[[For Adults Only (revue)\|For Adults Only]]''.		With his limited education, Took found work as an office boy for a publisher and a cinema projectionist.<ref name=Scotsman /><ref name="telegraph.co.uk"/> During his period of [[Conscription in the United Kingdom#After 1945\|National Service]] in the Royal Air Force, in which he played the trumpet,<ref name=Scotsman /> he began performing and later worked as a stand-up comedian, eventually becoming a West End [[revue]] performer, working on ''[[For Amusement Only]]'' and ''[[For Adults Only (revue)\|For Adults Only]]''.

	In terms of his comedy writing, Took's best work was written in collaboration with [[Marty Feldman]], whom he first met in 1954.<ref name="screenonline">John Oliver [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/532391/ "Took, Barry (1928–2002)"], BFI screenonline</ref> The two men wrote for several television shows in the 1950s and '60s, including ''[[The Army Game]]'' and its spin-off ''[[Bootsie and Snudge]]''. He co-wrote ''[[Beyond Our Ken]]'' for two series (1958–59) with [[Eric Merriman]] for BBC Radio before leaving after a disagreement with his fellow writer. With [[Marty Feldman]] he wrote most episodes of ''[[Round the Horne]]''; the intermittent partnership between them continued until 1974.<ref name="screenonline"/>		In terms of his comedy writing, Took's best work was written in collaboration with [[Marty Feldman]], whom he first met in 1954.<ref name="screenonline">John Oliver [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/532391/ "Took, Barry (1928–2002)"], BFI screenonline</ref> The two men wrote for several television shows in the 1950s and '60s, including ''[[The Army Game]]'' and its spin-off ''[[Bootsie and Snudge]]''. He co-wrote ''[[Beyond Our Ken]]'' for two series (1958–59) with [[Eric Merriman]] for BBC Radio before leaving after a disagreement with his fellow writer. With [[Marty Feldman]] he wrote most episodes of ''[[Round the Horne]]''; the intermittent partnership between them continued until 1974.<ref name="screenonline"/>

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2022-07-21T18:30:12Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 13:30, 21 July 2022
(No difference)

91.85.196.221: /* Career */ UK programmes have series not seasons

2022-05-20T20:52:23Z

Career: UK programmes have series not seasons

New page

{{short description|English comedian}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Barry Took
| image = Barry Took.jpg
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1928|6|19|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Wood Green]], [[London]], England
| death_date = {{death date and age|2002|3|31|1928|6|19|df=y}}
| death_place = [[London Borough of Enfield|Enfield]], London, England
| resting_place = [[New Southgate]] Cemetery and Crematorium, London, England
| period = 1957–1999
| genre = Radio, television
| notableworks = {{nowrap|''[[The Army Game]]'' (1957–1961) <br> ''[[Bootsie and Snudge]]'' (1960–64, 1974) <br>''[[Round the Horne]]'' (1965–67) <br> ''[[One-Upmanship]]'' (1976–78)}}
| spouse =
| partner =
}}

'''Barry Took''' (19 June 1928{{snd}}31 March 2002) was an English writer, television presenter and comedian. His decade-and-a-half writing partnership with [[Marty Feldman]] led to the television series ''[[Bootsie and Snudge]]'', the radio comedy ''[[Round the Horne]]'' and other projects.

He is also remembered in the UK for presenting ''[[Points of View (TV series)|Points of View]]'', a [[BBC Television]] programme featuring viewers' letters on the [[BBC]]'s output,<ref name="Stevens">{{cite book |last=Stevens |first=Christopher |title=Born Brilliant: The Life of Kenneth Williams |publisher=John Murray |year=2010 |page=370 |isbn=978-1-84854-195-5}}</ref> and the [[BBC Radio 4]] programme ''[[The News Quiz]]''.

==Early life and education==
The son of a manager at the Danish Bacon Company, Took was born in Victoria Road, [[Muswell Hill]],<ref name=Martin>{{cite news |last=Martin |first=Douglas |title=Barry Took, 73, Father of Monty Python, Dies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/14/nyregion/barry-took-73-father-of-monty-python-dies.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=14 April 2002 |access-date=1 May 2015}}</ref><ref name=Scotsman /> [[north London]], and lived in Winton Avenue, [[Bounds Green]]. When [[Evacuations of civilians in Britain during World War II|evacuated]] to [[Wisbech]] in Cambridgeshire during the Second World War, he ran away from his assigned home there, cycling 20 miles to [[Peterborough]] in order to get a train back to London.<ref name="Telegraph">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1389535/Barry-Took.html Obituary: Barry Took], ''The Telegraph'', 2 April 2002</ref> He attended [[Stationers' Company's School|Stationers School]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Gifford |first=Dennis |title=Barry Took |work=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/barry-took-729876.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100829061449/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/barry-took-729876.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 August 2010 |date=1 April 2002 |access-date=24 November 2009}}</ref> but left at the age of 15.<ref name=Martin /> His elder brother Philip would eventually work for the US Space Program before dying as a young man.<ref name=Scotsman />

==Career==
With his limited education, Took found work as an office boy for a publisher and a cinema projectionist.<ref name=Scotsman /><ref name="telegraph.co.uk"/> During his period of [[Conscription in the United Kingdom#After 1945|National Service]] in the [[Royal Air Force]], in which he played the trumpet,<ref name=Scotsman /> he began performing and later worked as a stand-up comedian, eventually becoming a West End [[revue]] performer, working on ''[[For Amusement Only]]'' and ''[[For Adults Only (revue)|For Adults Only]]''.

In terms of his comedy writing, Took's best work was written in collaboration with [[Marty Feldman]], whom he first met in 1954.<ref name="screenonline">John Oliver [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/532391/ "Took, Barry (1928–2002)"], BFI screenonline</ref> The two men wrote for several television shows in the 1950s and '60s, including ''[[The Army Game]]'' and its spin-off ''[[Bootsie and Snudge]]''. He co-wrote ''[[Beyond Our Ken]]'' for two series (1958–59) with [[Eric Merriman]] for BBC Radio before leaving after a disagreement with his fellow writer. With [[Marty Feldman]] he wrote most episodes of ''[[Round the Horne]]''; the intermittent partnership between them continued until 1974.<ref name="screenonline"/>

In the late 1960s Took became comedy advisor to the BBC, and was responsible for bringing together the performers who formed ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' before he moved to the US to work briefly on ''[[Rowan and Martin's Laugh In]]''.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk"/> He returned to the UK in early 1970 and was involved in setting up the BBC series ''[[The Goodies (TV series)|The Goodies]]'', although he had returned to take up the position of Head of Light Entertainment at [[London Weekend Television]]. He resigned from this position when [[Stella Richman]], his superior and the Director of Programming, was dismissed.<ref name="Telegraph"/> ''[[On the Move (TV series)|On the Move]]'' (1975–76), a programme linked to a national campaign to promote adult literacy, was written by Took and featured [[Bob Hoskins]] and Donald Gee. He was involved in two further television series on the issue, ''Your Move'' and ''Write Away''.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk">{{cite news |title=Barry Took |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1389535/Barry-Took.html |work=The Telegraph |date=2 April 2002 |access-date=1 May 2015}}</ref>

In 1977 Took hosted his own comedy sketch show, ''Took and Co''. Also featuring [[Robin Bailey]], [[Chris Emmett]], [[Andrew Sachs]] and [[Gwen Taylor]], the series ran for seven episodes late at night on [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]].

In 1979 he became chairman of ''[[The News Quiz]]'' on [[BBC Radio 4]], a role he filled until 1981 and again from 1986 to 1995. In the same year he became a presenter of ''[[Points of View (TV series)|Points of View]]'', staying with the programme for 7½ years.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk"/>

Took also hosted the [[BBC Radio 2]] comedy panel game ''The Impressionists'', which included [[Peter Goodwright]], [[Roger Kitter]], [[David Jason]] and Dave Evans and, in 1998, the single-series revival of ''[[Twenty Questions]]'' titled ''[[Guess What?]]''.

He had seven books published, including his autobiography and several histories of comedy.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk"/> He also wrote [[Kenneth Williams]]'s life story for the ''[[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]'' in 1996.<ref name="Stevens"/>

==Personal life and final years==
During his time with the Royal Air Force he met his first wife, Dorothy "Dot" Bird, who was serving in the [[Women's Royal Air Force]].<ref name=Martin /> They married in 1950<ref name="Telegraph"/> and had three children (Barry, Susan and David), but were later divorced. In 1964<ref name=Scotsman>[http://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/barry-took-1-500864 "Barry Took"], ''The Scotsman'', 1 April 2002</ref> he married Lynden "Lyn" Leonard, this second marriage resulting in a daughter named Elinor. The couple separated in 1999<ref name="Purser">{{cite news| first= Philip |last= Purser |url= https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/apr/01/broadcasting.guardianobituaries |title= Obituary: Barry Took| work= [[The Guardian]]| date= 1 April 2002}}</ref> and eventually divorced.<ref name=Martin /> He also spoke publicly about his experiences with depression and undergoing extensive psychotherapy for several years.<ref name=Martin /><ref name= Scotsman />

After suffering from bladder cancer during the 1970s,<ref name=Scotsman /> in 1999 he was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus,<ref name="Purser"/> and suffered a stroke four weeks after undergoing major surgery.<ref>{{cite news |title=Comedian Barry Took dies |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1903971.stm |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=31 March 2002}}</ref> He died on Easter Sunday 2002, aged 73, in a nursing home in [[London Borough of Enfield|Enfield]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findmypast.com/BirthsMarriagesDeaths.jsp|title=Deaths England and Wales 1984–2006|access-date=28 February 2009|archive-date=20 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220163304/http://www.findmypast.com/BirthsMarriagesDeaths.jsp|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Autobiography==
*''A Point of View'' (1990)

==References==
{{reflist|40em}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0867458|Barry Took}}
* {{British Comedy Guide|people|barry_took}}
*[http://www.comedy-zone.net/standup/comedian/t/took-barry.htm Barry Took] – Comedy Zone
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/entertainment/tv_and_radio/newsid_1903000/1903696.stm BBC News article reporting his death]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Took, Barry}}
[[Category:1928 births]]
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century English comedians]]
[[Category:20th-century Royal Air Force personnel]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in England]]
[[Category:Deaths from esophageal cancer]]
[[Category:English male comedians]]
[[Category:English radio personalities]]
[[Category:English radio writers]]
[[Category:English television personalities]]
[[Category:People educated at the Stationers' Company's School]]
[[Category:People from Muswell Hill]]
[[Category:People from Wisbech]]
[[Category:People from Wood Green]]