The pairing had originally worked as a threesome with John Cleese on the David Frost sketch show, and were subsequently given their own show by the BBC. The programme quickly became one of the most successful and long running television comedy shows ever on British Television.
The show was based on the complementary personalities of Barker and Corbett, who never became a formal pairing, but continued to work independently in television outside of the seven, one-hour-long editions of the Two Ronnies produced annually between 1971 and 1987.
The show revolved around comic sketches in which Barker and Corbett appeared together and separately. The sketches often revolved around complex word-play, much of it written by Barker, and seldom equalled. Barker also liked to parody officialdom and establishment figures, as well as eccentrics. Corbett appeared quieter, more often acting as a foil for Barker, but remained an important part of the "chemistry". Corbett always had a solo monologue in each show, where he sat in a chair, facing camera, attempting to tell a simple joke, but constantly distracting himself onto other humerous incidents.
It soon became a tradition of the shows to have a continuing "serial" story which progressed through the main six episodes of a season. These were often fairly bawdy tales with special guest-stars, occasionally featuring comic detective characters' Piggy Malone, (Barker), and Charley Farley, (Corbett). Probably the best-remembered of these serials, however; The Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town, written by Spike Milligan "and a Gentleman", did not feature either Farley or Malone.
Another regular feature of the shows was an elaborate Musical Segment in which Barker, Corbett, and company would sing a medley of songs in character, perhaps in Barbershop, Music Hall, or other styles, with the original words altered to suit whatever comic situation they were portraying.
Following the departure of Morecambe and Wise from the BBC in 1978, the Two Ronnies became the BBC's flagship comedy programme, regularly gaining the top viewing figures for the critical Christmas Day audience battle.
The pairing made no new shows after the 1987 season, following Barker's sudden decision to retire from showbusiness.
It had many outside writers, including Ray Alan, John Cleese, Spike Milligan, and Michael Palin.
Catchphrase (At the end of each show, from the "newsdesk":)