Rodney Bewes v James Bolam

WOW! Another brilliant and very enlightening article by Graham McCann, this time on the strained relationships between Rodney Bewes and James Bolam, and thank you Mr McCann for clearing that mess up! I now look on the whole sorry saga in a totally different light.

There was me believing all I read about how mean Bolam was with regards to him disliking Bewes so much that he vetoed any repeats of "Whatever Happened to.........", whereas it was far from the truth - I will certainly view James Bolam also in totally different light (previously booing him as the panto villain), and now take the opposite view by having some disdain for Rodney Bewes.

https://www.comedy.co.uk/features/comedy_chronicles/strained-relationships-bewes-and-bolam/

My BH only knew James Bolam from "When the boat comes in" which she loved. She was quite gobsmacked to learn that he started in a very popular sitcom.

My goodness! She has a treat in store if she's never watched WHTTLL - one of the all time very funny sitcoms, and for me (now) even more remarkable considering the animosity between the two stars and even it seems Bob's wife Thelma played by the gorgeous Brigit Forsyth - (drools) those legs!!!!

A great article. With a proper ring of truth as to the real story.

Very good read. Always a Bolam fan.

I remember reading in a newspaper the article where Rodney Bewes was saying about James Bolam blocking repeats and how Bewes was struggling at the time I thought Bolam was a right git. Read Bewes's autobiography he comes across as very arrogant and conceited. Graham McCann's article was excellent.

That's an impressive level of detail.

Interesting piece, but why would a journalist wait all this time, until Bewes was dead to character assassinate?

I speed read it so I'll have to give it a proper read later. I have to say I quite like these mini bios, it saves me buying the books and I never finish them. I loved the one on Rossiter. Hmm, I'd like to know his references if I was a friend of the late Rodney Bewes, as it's pretty condemning of him.

If he can back it up then poor old Rodney didn't do himself any favours, he certainly didn't get the level of TV work Bolam got. If you upset people in show biz, they can close doors for you in petty revenge. That's why most actors these days are puke makingly nice to everyone. Underneath it they are seething masses of insecurity and jealousy at others' success.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 30th July 2020, 6:34 PM

Underneath it they are seething masses of insecurity and jealousy at others' success.

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You don't have to be an actor to feel like this.

Yes most writers are definitely like this, but they're not known for being nice to people.

Great article. Certainly not a character assassination. Just correcting the false impression left in many people's minds - including my own - by Bewes' misleading interviews in later life.
Assuming we believe McCann's version of events - and personally I do - he certainly shouldn't be condemned for revealing the truth about this. Bolam's reputation was suffering unfairly otherwise.
That said, it would hardly have been appropriate to have revealed all this at the time of Bewes' death.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 30th July 2020, 6:56 PM

Yes most writers are definitely like this, but they're not known for being nice to people.

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A bit of a sweeping statement! Are most chemists bad people? Newsagents? People in IT?
Impossible to say!

Quote: Chris Hallam @ 30th July 2020, 7:46 PM

Great article. Certainly not a character assassination. Just correcting the false impression left in many people's minds - including my own - by Bewes' misleading interviews in later life.

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Yeah, all the article was saying was that Bewes didn't understand Bolam's need for privacy. What Bewes said later was a character assassination.

I remember Rodney in an episode of Man in a Suitcase and he was in the Bristow radio series.It was his own fault but everyone only ever though of him as Bob.