"You go and see the stars..." Bernard Cribbins, 1928-2022
July 28, 2022 9:35 AM Subscribe
Bernard Cribbins, OBE, passed away this week, after seven decades of work in film, screen and stage. His career spanned seven decades with such diverse work ranging from films like The Railway Children and the Carry On series, hit 60’s song ‘Right Said Fred’ a notorious guest on Fawlty Towers and narrating The Wombles. He worked well into his 90’s, appearing in Doctor Who and the CBeebies series Old Jack’s Boat.
Further background: BBC via MSN presents "A Life In Pictures"
The Guardian: A warm, kindly titan of children’s entertainment
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 9:41 AM on July 28, 2022
The Guardian: A warm, kindly titan of children’s entertainment
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 9:41 AM on July 28, 2022
As an American, I only knew him from Doctor Who, but I found him sweet, charming, and delightful. Earlier today, someone on Reddit posted a video of best bits of Cribbins on Never Mind the Buzzcocks--a special Doctor Who edition, I guess, guest-hosted by David Tennant with both Cribbins (Team Phill Jupitus) and Catherine Tate (Team Noel Fielding) as guests. He was absolutely hilarious.
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posted by ceejaytee at 9:45 AM on July 28, 2022 [3 favorites]
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posted by ceejaytee at 9:45 AM on July 28, 2022 [3 favorites]
There was a lovely story I heard about when he and David Tennant were both on Doctor Who together - they were getting ready to film some scene where The Doctor and Wilf were supposed to be walking out of the Tardis and doing something, and they were both crammed in the police box setpiece, waiting for the shot to set up. Bernard Cribbins had been on a 1966 episode of the show - some special or something - and he joked that "wow, the last time I was inside this thing was 1966."
And David Tennant just turned to him wide-eyed, and when he asked why, Tennant said "I just realized, I wasn't even born yet then, and now here we are."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:49 AM on July 28, 2022 [9 favorites]
And David Tennant just turned to him wide-eyed, and when he asked why, Tennant said "I just realized, I wasn't even born yet then, and now here we are."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:49 AM on July 28, 2022 [9 favorites]
Sad to hear this - and surprised to learn he was 93. From his 2007-2010 run on Doctor Who I'd have guessed he was in his mid-60s or early 70s, max. Such a sweet character though. I hadn't connected him to Fawlty Towers, but I remember his episode well.
posted by jzb at 10:08 AM on July 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by jzb at 10:08 AM on July 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
To this day, every single time I encounter the word "diagram," I'm compelled to think of his exchange with John Cleese in the "The Hotel Inspectors" episode.
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posted by detachd at 10:11 AM on July 28, 2022
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posted by detachd at 10:11 AM on July 28, 2022
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posted by faceplantingcheetah at 10:19 AM on July 28, 2022
posted by faceplantingcheetah at 10:19 AM on July 28, 2022
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posted by lalochezia at 10:24 AM on July 28, 2022
posted by lalochezia at 10:24 AM on July 28, 2022
Cribbins was in the second 1960s film of Dr Who, Invasion Earth, where he plays the young male companion. These aren’t really part of the canon, but it gave an extra dimension to see Cribbins take on an older companion.
posted by The River Ivel at 10:41 AM on July 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by The River Ivel at 10:41 AM on July 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
He filmed things for the Doctor Who 60th anniversary special alongside David Tennant and Catherine Tate. The article mentions his wife passed last year.
One more favor for The Doctor, I suppose, and he was off. :sob:
posted by greenland at 10:57 AM on July 28, 2022 [6 favorites]
One more favor for The Doctor, I suppose, and he was off. :sob:
posted by greenland at 10:57 AM on July 28, 2022 [6 favorites]
His fantastic work in Doctor Who made me seek out other stuff he'd been in, what a joy that was to discover.
His is a great loss.
posted by ApathyGirl at 11:06 AM on July 28, 2022
His is a great loss.
posted by ApathyGirl at 11:06 AM on July 28, 2022
He spent some time in novelty music, and performed one called "Right Said Fred". Which did, in fact, inspire the name of the guys who did "I'm Too Sexy".
posted by mephron at 11:11 AM on July 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by mephron at 11:11 AM on July 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
Oh no, but inevitable. He had a great career and there seems to be not a bad word to be said of him. A huge part of my childhood: from his friendly voice reading books in Jackanory, to the Wombles, even his surprisingly chilling role as the petulant evil robot Brian in Space 1999. So convinced was tiny scruss of Bernard Cribbins' essential goodness that for a while I considered him my "real" dad: my actual, real loving biodad had been working overseas for the first couple of years of my life, so I saw a lot more of Bernard than I did of dad.
For many years there was a slogan scrawled in faux-Spanish on a station wall in Glasgow: LIBERTADE PARA BERNARDO CRIBENZA. I guess he is now.
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posted by scruss at 11:26 AM on July 28, 2022 [6 favorites]
For many years there was a slogan scrawled in faux-Spanish on a station wall in Glasgow: LIBERTADE PARA BERNARDO CRIBENZA. I guess he is now.
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posted by scruss at 11:26 AM on July 28, 2022 [6 favorites]
The Hole in the Ground
With a surprisingly gruesome ending.
Right, Said Fred
Produced by George Martin.
posted by Grangousier at 11:54 AM on July 28, 2022
With a surprisingly gruesome ending.
Right, Said Fred
Produced by George Martin.
posted by Grangousier at 11:54 AM on July 28, 2022
He was also the narrator of the animated series Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:54 PM on July 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:54 PM on July 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
And lest we forget, he once sold his wife's car, but told her it was stolen. ("We need it to be a lie, Bernard.")
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posted by dannyboybell at 2:14 PM on July 28, 2022 [3 favorites]
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posted by dannyboybell at 2:14 PM on July 28, 2022 [3 favorites]
He was also the narrator of the animated series Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings.
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posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:41 PM on July 28, 2022
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posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:41 PM on July 28, 2022
....I just remembered David Tennant named one of his kids "Wilfred" after his character.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:51 PM on July 28, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:51 PM on July 28, 2022 [5 favorites]
this doctor was not the Gallifyrean 'The Doctor' we know for everything else, but a human scientist who travels with his daughter and companions.
I don't think I had ever realised this. Seen them both a few times.
posted by biffa at 4:05 PM on July 28, 2022
I don't think I had ever realised this. Seen them both a few times.
posted by biffa at 4:05 PM on July 28, 2022
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posted by Faintdreams at 6:25 PM on July 28, 2022
posted by Faintdreams at 6:25 PM on July 28, 2022
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posted by kitten kaboodle at 6:59 PM on July 28, 2022
posted by kitten kaboodle at 6:59 PM on July 28, 2022
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posted by freethefeet at 7:46 PM on July 28, 2022
posted by freethefeet at 7:46 PM on July 28, 2022
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posted by thatwhichfalls at 11:05 PM on July 28, 2022
posted by thatwhichfalls at 11:05 PM on July 28, 2022
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(He was pretty ubiquitous in the world of ads aimed at kids when I was growing up - and very good at it. Here he is flogging Hornby Railways - and again, or maybe Fray Bentos Pies, or British Telecom)
posted by rongorongo at 12:48 AM on July 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
(He was pretty ubiquitous in the world of ads aimed at kids when I was growing up - and very good at it. Here he is flogging Hornby Railways - and again, or maybe Fray Bentos Pies, or British Telecom)
posted by rongorongo at 12:48 AM on July 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by JoeXIII007 at 5:02 AM on July 29, 2022
posted by JoeXIII007 at 5:02 AM on July 29, 2022
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Always and forever, for me, the man who read Arabel and Mortimer on Jackanory.
I do wish the BBC would put those on iPlayer.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 5:39 AM on July 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
Always and forever, for me, the man who read Arabel and Mortimer on Jackanory.
I do wish the BBC would put those on iPlayer.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 5:39 AM on July 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
I found a rather scratchy recording: Arabel's Raven from Jackanory, read by Bernard Cribbins. I remember it well, too.
posted by scruss at 7:36 AM on July 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by scruss at 7:36 AM on July 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by crocomancer at 2:08 PM on July 29, 2022
posted by crocomancer at 2:08 PM on July 29, 2022
And here he is as Bilbo Baggins in a special 1979 Jackanory of The Hobbit with Jan Francis, Maurice Denham and David Wood.
(Usually Jackanory only had one reader but this began with the three thousandth episode so they upped the budget)
posted by thatwhichfalls at 2:12 PM on July 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
(Usually Jackanory only had one reader but this began with the three thousandth episode so they upped the budget)
posted by thatwhichfalls at 2:12 PM on July 29, 2022 [2 favorites]
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posted by Blue Jello Elf at 5:19 PM on July 29, 2022
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 5:19 PM on July 29, 2022
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posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:39 AM on July 28, 2022