Posted on 06/22/2014 3:41:54 AM PDT by the scotsman
'British actress Patsy Byrne, best known for playing Nursie in Blackadder II, has died aged 80.
She died on Tuesday at Denville Hall, a retirement home for actors, in Hillingdon, north-west London.
The Kent-born actress joined the Royal Shakespeare Company after drama school and took on TV and theatre roles.
She played Nursie - a kind but dim-witted nursemaid to Elizabeth I - in the second series of BBC comedy Blackadder in 1986.
Byrne joined the RSC after studying drama at the Rose Buford College in Kent.
Her other roles included the ITV sitcom Watching and the classic police series Z Cars. She also made appearances in Holby City and I, Claudius, and played Mrs Nubbles in the BBC's 1979 adaption of The Old Curiosity Shop.
Byrne's death came just over a week after Rik Mayall, who shared screen time with her as Lord Flashheart in Blackadder, died suddenly at his home in London.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
It’s been a bad month for Blackadder cast members.
From the Blackadder Two series. I’ve been doing a mental count if it’s true about it going in threes.
The names I’m getting are going to make me cry, they are all actors in their 50s I think.
Though a lot of them did comedic work on other Britcoms of that era as well.
RIP, Bernard.
Loved that show. One of the better last scenes in TV.
I loved the episode when she made the joke about Queenie and the winkle.
Its been voted as the ‘best last scene in British TV history’ more than once.
Did not know that, thanks for the info. Man, that was a long time ago, hard to believe that much time has passed.
If the category is 80s UK sitcom castmembers, then it’s Patsy Byrne who makes three. Sam Kelly, of “’Allo, ‘All” fame passed away last week.
Didn’t know that. One show that never made it across the pond and I’ve been looking for tapes to view.
I remember enjoying Blackadder when it first ran on PBS. After Rik Mayall died, I reordered it on Netflix - and I just can’t get into it. It may be I’m spoiled by excellent prints these days - the video of this Blackadder series was terrible. I’ll keep trying.
Allo Allo is the series the poster was referring to.
A classic BBC comedy from the 80s about the French Resistance and useless, idiotic Nazis.
Kelly was also in what is one of THE great (possibly the greatest) British sitcom of all time: Porridge (BBC 1974-77), as dopey but lovable prisoner ‘Bunny’ Warren.
Allo Allo never made it across the pond, and I never saw it when I worked in London. I have been looking for years for either VHS or DVDs of it.
I have seen Porridge when I was abroad, and thought it was good.
My favorite of all time is still Red Dwarf, though. It’s the only tv show I have the complete set in both VHS, and DVD, and iTunes, if I want to watch it on a device. Second favorite was Blackadder, until I discovered Father Ted. But I think it was Alaistair Cooke and Masterpiece Theatre, that made me fall in love with watching British TV.
I hope that Rowan Atkinson is watching his back.
Where would Great Britain be without winkle humor?
Oh Bernard!
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