British sitcom star Geoffrey Palmer is dead to me

He was 93. His career included a greatest hits of British TV -- As Time Goes By, Butterflies, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, Fawlty Towers, Blackadder, Dr Who, etc.

I know him best from "As Time Goes By", of course. And while I love "Black Adder", "Fawlty Towers", & (pre-reboot) "Dr. Who", I'd have to go back and review those, because I never realized he was in any of them.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I very well have some tea, & an "As Time Goes By" mini-marathon tonight.

*very well may have some tea

What? I was so sure he died about a year ago, I remember the Fawlty Towers clips all over social media when it happened.

That is sad news. He was one of those actors who was comfortingly familiar.

Wonderful character actor. Remember him in Fawlty Towers and the film Mrs. Brown. Worked right up to the very end; his final film "An UnQuiet Life" is currently in post-production.

He was in every British show on PBS circa 1983.

Makes me sad. ATGB is one of my favorite comfort British shows that I've watched for decades. Talk about a big dick face - he had one.

ATGB was my late mother's very favorite Britcom - mostly because Dame Judi was her favorite actress, but also on account of the pretty-close-to-perfect chemistry between her and Sir Geoff.

Rest well, old man. Not a bad life at all.

I started rewatching ATGB in memoriam, forgotten how well it was written and Dench's and Palmer's absolutely perfect timing. The canned laughter is annoying but still a real treat seeing two actors who are brilliant at their craft.

A 30 minute episode of As Time Goes By felt like 30 hours. Time did indeed go by, but slowly.

R1 - He was a great character actor. Even though he played pretty much the same character in everything, he was so good at it that he tended to disappear and let the persona take over. Hence one forgets several of the things he appeared in.

RIP. As Time goes By is indeed a great comfort show.

He was great in "Butterflies" - I loved that series.

Sad news. He was good in everything

He was killed by Silurians in a Dr. Who (Jon Pertwee) episode in 1970.

Awww. I will miss his presence on TV. RIP.

He played a villain on Inspector Morse.

Tom Wilkinson was in the same episode

We just saw him as a villain on a Mrs. Peel episode of The Avengers.

Aw, very sad.

I sort of found him handsome in a charming daddy way on ATGB. Though I was more attracted to Alistair and Hot Harry (one of them was, the other not so much).

[quote] Has Dame Judy Dench released a statement?

No, but I imagine Dame JUDI Dench will do so shortly.

[quote] Dame Judi, who starred in nine series of As Time Goes By with Palmer, told BBC Radio 4's Front Row programme: "Geoffrey was master of comedy, an absolute master." Paying tribute to his "wonderful deadpan expression", she added: "I've admired him all my life. How lucky to have been in something with him for so long."

We're waiting, Susan Dey.

Royal Marine corporal in WW2. Only such a remorseless killer could hold Judi in check.

R11 Your comment seems to suggest he was boring and was suitable playing boring characters. Well I have to agree.

I love British actors but I have avoided most of the TV shows he was in. His face was like one of those sagging old cushions on which you sit while passing the time watching nondescript TV shows.

I confuse him with the late Nigel Hawthorne who I thought equally nondescript— though Hawthorne was allowed to play 'The Madness of King George' which brought him an Oscar nomination and a role in that gay Jennifer Aniston comedy.

Just saw this and got the news of Geoffrey Palmer passing; how very sad.

Loved him as Lionel in "As Time Goes By", but his film work was great as well.

RIP Mr. Palmer, and may God grant you eternal rest in peace.

Aww! I liked Geoffrey Palmer a lot. The BBC series BUTTERFLIES was a big part of my adolescence. In the early 80's I'd watch it and other British shows on Sunday night PBS, before having to slog to school on Monday.

Recently in life I bought the DVD sets of the show that were available, and even bittorented the ones that aren't (the show indeed still has a following). It's amazing to see it all again. I still think the show is great. His character was central to its dynamic. RIP, sir!