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Bill Brand (TV Series)
''Bill Brand'' is a British television drama series produced by Thames Television for the ITV network which was shown in the summer of 1976. Written by Trevor Griffiths, the series charts the political progress of the eponymous Brand, who becomes a Labour Party member of parliament for Layleigh, an industrial Lancashire constituency near Manchester, after retaining the seat for Labour at a by-election with a small majority. A former Liberal Studies lecturer at a local Technical college, Brand finds the demands placed on him by Labour Party whips and bureaucrats, and their links with employer boards and bankers, to be completely at odds with his left-wing socialist convictions. Produced as one series of eleven episodes, ''Bill Brand'' stars Jack Shepherd in the title role. Arthur Lowe appeared as the Prime Minister, Arthur Watson (a character loosely based on Harold Wilson). Alan Badel played a left-wing Cabinet minister, David Last (a character based on Michael Foot), conne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trevor Griffiths
Trevor Griffiths (4 April 1935 – 29 March 2024) was an English dramatist. Early life Born in Ancoats, Manchester and brought up as a Roman Catholic by his mother, Annie, a bus conductor and father, Ernest, who worked in a factory. He attended St. Bede's College before being accepted into Manchester University in 1952 to read English. He graduated in 1955. After a brief involvement with professional football and a year in national service, he became a teacher and then an education officer for the BBC. Career 1960s–1970s Griffiths became chairman of the Manchester Left Club, and the editor of the Labour Party's ''Northern Voice'' newspaper. Gradually he tired of political journalism, began writing plays, and was eventually commissioned by Tony Garnett to provide a script for ''The Wednesday Play'' (BBC, 1964–70). The play, "The Love Maniac", was about a teacher, but even though Garnett took the commission with him when he moved to London Weekend Television and formed K ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nigel Hawthorne
Sir Nigel Barnard Hawthorne (5 April 1929 – 26 December 2001) was an English actor. He is known for his stage acting and his portrayal of Sir Humphrey Appleby, the permanent secretary in the 1980s sitcom ''Yes Minister'' and the Cabinet Secretary (United Kingdom), Cabinet Secretary in its sequel, ''Yes, Prime Minister''. For this role, he won four BAFTA TV Awards for British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance, Best Light Entertainment Performance. He won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for portraying King George III in ''The Madness of King George'' (1994), having previously won an Olivier Award for the stage version. He later won the BAFTA TV Award for British Academy Television Award for Best Actor, Best Actor, for the 1996 series ''The Fragile Heart''. He was also an Olivier Award and Tony Award winner for his work in theatre. Early life Hawthorne was born on 5 April 1929 in Co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1976 British Television Series Debuts
Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic relations are established between Bangladesh and Pakistan 5 years after the Bangladesh Liberation War. * January 27 ** The United States vetoes a United Nations resolution that calls for an independent Palestinian state. ** The First Battle of Amgala (1976), First Battle of Amgala breaks out between Morocco and Algeria in the Spanish Sahara. February * February 4 ** The 1976 Winter Olympics begin in Innsbruck, Austria. ** The 7.5 1976 Guatemala earthquake, Guatemala earthquake affects Guatemala and Honduras with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (''Violent''), leaving 23,000 dead and 76,000 injured. * February 9 – The Australian Defence Force is formed by unification of the Australian Army, the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Au ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Leech
Richard Leeper McClelland (24 November 1922 – 24 March 2004), known professionally as Richard Leech, was an Irish actor. Richard Leeper McClelland was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Isabella Frances (Leeper) and Herbert Saunderson McClelland, a lawyer. He was educated at Haileybury and Trinity College, Dublin, and qualified as a doctor in 1945. He worked in that profession from 1945–6, then became a full-time actor. His numerous film credits include '' The Dam Busters'' (1955) (playing Dinghy Young), '' Night of the Demon'' (1957), '' Yangtse Incident: The Story of HMS Amethyst'' (1957), '' Ice Cold in Alex'' (1958), '' Tunes of Glory'' (1960), '' Young Winston'' (1972), ''Gandhi'' (1982), and the acclaimed '' The Shooting Party'' (1985). On television Richard Leech appeared in ''Dickens of London'', '' The Barchester Chronicles'', '' Smiley's People'', three episodes of '' The Avengers'' in different roles, '' Redcap'', ''Danger Man'', '' The Doctors'', '' The New ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James Garbutt
James Garbutt (12 September 1925 – 6 April 2020) was a British actor who was active on television from the 1960s. Born in Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham in 1925, James was an RAF pilot and was trained in the United States and stationed in Africa during the Second World War. After the war he became an art teacher and became an important member of the People's Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne, during the 1950s and 1960s. His credits include: '' The Troubleshooters'', ''The Borderers'', ''Z-Cars'', ''The Onedin Line'', ''Warship'', ''Doctor Who'' (in the serial '' Genesis of the Daleks''), '' Bill Brand'', ''When the Boat Comes In'', ''Juliet Bravo'', '' One by One'', '' All Creatures Great and Small'', ''Soldier Soldier'' (TV series) 'Band of Gold' episode (which features Robson & Jerome singing in an impromptu wedding band), '' Boon'', '' Between the Lines'' and ''Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dave Hill (actor)
David Hill is a British actor. He was born in Skipton, West Riding of Yorkshire, where he attended Ermysted's Grammar School for boys. He has appeared in ''The Full Monty'' and many other films and TV series. He played Bert Atkinson in ''EastEnders'' from 2006 to 2007 and in 2017. Filmography * '' Man of Straw'' - Napoleon Fischer *''The Sweeney'' (1976, TV series) - Shaylor *''The Duellists'' (1977) - Cuirassier *''Going Straight'' episode 3 (1978) *'' Oppenheimer'' (1980, TV mini-series) - James Tuck *'' Britannia Hospital'' (1982) - Jeff *''The Draughtsman's Contract'' (1982) - Mr Herbert / Mrs Herbert's husband *'' Remembrance'' (1982) - Paul *'' Bergerac'' (1983) Se2Ep6 *''Invitation to the Wedding'' (1985) - Higson *'' Turtle Diary'' (1985) - taxi driver (uncredited) *'' Car Trouble'' (1986) - Bill *''The Nature of the Beast'' (1988) - Oggy *'' The Raggedy Rawney'' (1988) - Lamb *''The Most Dangerous Man in the World'' (1988) - Ahmet *''Georg Elser - Einer aus Deutschla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peter Copley
Peter Copley (20 May 1915 – 7 October 2008) was an English television, film and stage actor. Biography Copley was born in Bushey, Hertfordshire, son of the printmakers, John Copley and Ethel Gabain. After changing his mind about joining the Royal Navy, he studied at the Old Vic School and started out as a stage actor in 1932. He made his first film appearance in 1934, going on to play a wide variety of characters from the villainous to the meek and mild. In 1946, he appeared on stage in "Cyrano de Bergerac" at the New Theatre in London. In 1951 he appeared at the Duchess Theatre in London's West End in the comedy play '' The Happy Family'' by Michael Clayton Hutton. TV credits include: '' Thorndyke'', ''Danger Man'', '' The Saint'', '' The Avengers'', '' The Forsyte Saga'', '' The Troubleshooters'', ''The Champions'', '' Department S'', '' Doomwatch'', ''Z-Cars'', ''Fall of Eagles'', '' Survivors'', '' Bless Me, Father'' (episode "A Legend Comes to Stay"), '' Father ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peter Howell (actor)
Peter Norman Bulmer Howell (25 October 1919 – 20 April 2015) was an English actor. Howell was active in film, television, radio and theatre. Biography Early life Born in London, England, he was educated at Winchester College and began studying law at Christ Church, Oxford, but left in 1939 after being called up for military service in World War II. He served as a second-lieutenant in the Rifle Brigade, but was invalided out with dysentery during the North Africa Campaign in 1943. Shortly after, he made his professional stage debut with the Old Vic company. His West End plays included '' The Affair'', '' The Doctor's Dilemma'', '' Little Boxes'', and '' Conduct Unbecoming''. Career Howell's most recognised role was as Dr. Peter Harrison in television hospital drama series '' Emergency Ward 10'' from 1958 to 1964, making brief returns to the series in 1966 and for the show's final episode in 1967. He made guest appearances in '' The Avengers'', ''The Prisoner'', '' Bill Bran ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Hoyland
William Hoyland (10 November 1943 – 15 July 2017) was an English actor whose career spanned fifty years. He appeared in several British television series. Career After a Quaker education at Leighton Park in Reading, Hoyland started out in a short film titled ''You're Human Like The Rest of Them'' in 1967. After several small roles in well-known series, such as "Budgie", ''Z-Cars'' and ''Coronation Street'', he appeared in five episodes of the 1976 television mini-series '' Bill Brand'', as Sandiford. Two years later, he appeared in the 1978 '' All Creatures Great and Small'' episode "The Name of the Game" as Mr Blenkinsopp, the village's vicar. He reprised the role two episodes later in "Ways and Means". Hoyland had a brief role in the 1981 Bond film '' For Your Eyes Only'' as McGregor, a military officer serving as caretaker of a classified device aboard the spy ship ''St. Georges''. He also appeared in '' Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi'' as Commander Igar. His ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Douglas Campbell (actor)
Douglas Campbell, CM (11 June 1922 – 6 October 2009) was a Canadian-based stage actor. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland. Acting career Campbell's interest in the theatre began at London's Old Vic Theatre at age 17, where working as a stage hand he saw Tyrone Guthrie's production of ''King John''. He first performed in the 1941 Old Vic touring productions of ''Medea'' and ''Jacob's Ladder''. He was invited to Canada in 1953 by Guthrie, who had just been appointed the first artistic director of the fledgling Stratford Festival of Canada in Stratford, Ontario. Campbell played Hastings in the opening production of ''Richard III'' in 1953, and King Oedipus in the stage and screen production of ''Oedipus Rex'' in 1954. He appeared many times at Stratford in the fifty years that followed, drawing great acclaim in the role of Othello in 1959, and in many appearances as Falstaff. Campbell founded the Canadian Players in 1954, and was artistic director at the Guthrie Theater in Mi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Allan Surtees
Allan Joseph Surtees (31 December 1924 – 1 November 2000) was an English actor who appeared in many television productions and films over a 30-year period. Television appearances His television appearances included roles on ''Coronation Street'' as councillor Ben Critchley, '' Bill Brand'' (1976), '' Rosie'' (1977–1981) as uncle Norman, ''Lovejoy, Brookside, Peak Practice, The Professionals, The Chinese Detective, Play of the Month, The Bill'' and ''The Brothers McGregor ''The Brothers McGregor'' is a British sitcom television series set in Liverpool, and a spin-off of ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera create ...'' as Colwyn Stanley.Allan Surtees profile BFI.org.uk; retrieved 29 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Colin Jeavons
Colin Abel Jeavons (born 20 October 1929) is a British retired actor and TV presenter. He is known for his character roles and has worked in theatre, television and film, especially in literary adaptations and roles related to the works of Charles Dickens. He was born in Monmouthshire, Wales. Career Jeavons' started his early career in rep theatre in Birmingham in a production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night in 1946, and also worked for such companies as the Bristol Old Vic, Old Vic School of Theatre in London, Royal Court Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company amongst others. His earliest television role was as Jules Neraud in an episode of the 1956 anthology series of teleplays ''Nom-de-Plume''. Jeavons began appearing in BBC literary adaptation roles including a production of Pride and Prejudice, an association with Dickens productions on BBC Television began in 1959 with ''Bleak House'' as Richard Carstone, and ''Great Expectations'' (for the first time) as Herbert Pocket ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
