| Hark at Barker | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Created by | Alun Owen |
| Written by |
|
| Starring | Ronnie Barker Josephine Tewson David Jason Frank Gatliff |
| Theme music composer | John Gregory |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 15 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Humphrey Barclay |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production company | London Weekend Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV |
| Release | 11 April 1969 – 21 August 1970 |
| Related | |
| Six Dates with Barker | |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
Hark at Barker is a 1969 British comedy series combining elements of sitcom and sketch show, which starred Ronnie Barker. It was made for the ITV network by London Weekend Television.
Each show began with a spoof news item read by Barker as the announcer. He would then introduce the main part of the programme, a lecture to be given by Lord Rustless (also Barker) on a different topic each week from his stately home, Chrome Hall. Helped and hindered by Rustless' secretary (Mildred) Bates, his Butler Badger, his bad-tempered Cook, his incoherent gardener Dithers and (in Series 2) his buxom, near-mute maid Effie, these lectures invariably degenerated into farce, and were frequently interrupted by comic sketches on location or in the studio which also starred Barker in differing roles.
Barker reprised the role of Lord Rustless in the BBC series His Lordship Entertains, and played very similar characters in Futtock's End and the Two Ronnies specials The Picnic and By the Sea.