As always, each new year brings with it a number of milestones and anniversaries. A lot of what I do with this blog is heavily based in nostalgia often writing about films that were made decades ago or actors who have long since departed. For me it's important to keep their legacy alive and well so that each new generation can discover their talents and their wonderful performances in the Carry Ons.
However I wonder whether it's right to mark so many different anniversaries? Is it dwelling too much on the past? Is it right that a load of actors who had their time decades ago are still so talked about so many years later? Or have we reached a point where there is little left to say? Well I certainly hope not as I want this blog to well, Carry On, for as long as possible!
This year sees several important milestones, celebrating some of the Carry On actors who are still with us and some who sadly are not. Should we concentrate on those that are still around or also commemorate those who have gone? Probably the biggest moment to commemorate this year is Carry On and EastEnders legend Dame Barbara Windsor turning 80 years young. The BBC obviously thing this is a big moment to celebrate as they are currently filming a feature length biopic about Windsor's life and career. Of all the Carry On actors still with us today, Barbara undoubtedly has the biggest profile and is still very current in the British psyche.
Other valuable, important Carry On contributors also celebrate landmark birthdays this year - original Carry On girl Shirley Eaton will turn 80 later this month and the gorgeous Fenella Fielding reaches an unbelievable milestone towards the end of the year. Surely these lovely ladies deserve some recognition at this time?
Then we come to some comedy actors who are sadly no longer with us. Frankie Howerd is probably the most famous and most instantly recognisable and it came as quite a shock to realise this year marks 100 years since his birth. Frankie's contribution to post-war British comedy is so diverse that surely a fuss should be made on the lead up to this noteworthy anniversary. A few years ago there was a BBC film made about his career starring David Walliams (and Carry On favourite Dilys Laye as Frankie's mother) however I would hope for a great deal more than that.
Also, in April this year, Jack Douglas would have turned 90 as would fellow Carry On performer Terry Scott, the following month. It only seems fitting that these hard working comedy actors should be remembered at this time.
So what do you think? Do we strike the right balance between remembering and commemorating the talents of our favourite comedy actors? Do they deserve more recognition or do we spend too much time dwelling on the past?
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I think it is marvellous to remember all of the Carry On cast. The only time I would think it was a bad thing to dwell on the past is if it were negative thoughts and memories. The Carry Ons are none of these, quite the opposite. They still provide laughter all of these years later and prove that they have stood the test of time. I see them as a breath of fresh air compared to the standards of today, where just about anything goes and certainly nothing is left to the imagination. I am continuing the Carry On tradition as my children love them as much as I do.
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