Frank Windsor Higgins (12 July 1928 – 30 September 2020), known professionally as Frank Windsor, was an English actor, primarily known for his roles on television, especially policeman John Watt in ''

Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police and CID detectives in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by ...

'' and its spin-offs.

Early life

Windsor attended Queen Mary's Grammar School, Walsall, and studied speech training and drama at the Central School of Speech and Drama, then based at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

, London.

Career

Windsor played Detective Sergeant John Watt in ''

'' from 1962 to 1965, and thereafter its spin-offs '' Softly, Softly'' (1966–1969), '' Softly, Softly: Task Force'' (1969–1976), '' Jack the Ripper'' (1973), and '' Second Verdict'' (1976). He also returned as Watt for the final episode of ''Z-Cars'' itself in 1978. In 1969, Windsor appeared in the pilot episode of ''

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) ''Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'' is a British private detective television series, starring Mike Pratt (actor), Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope respectively as the private detectives Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk. The series was created by Denn ...

'' in the episode " My Late Lamented Friend and Partner" as Sorrensen, a wealthy businessman with a murderous streak. His lighter side was demonstrated in the pilot episode of the

situation comedy A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

'' The Dustbinmen'' in 1968, and as Scoutfinder General in an episode of ''

The Goodies The Goodies were a trio of British comedians: Tim Brooke-Taylor (17 July 1940 – 12 April 2020), Graeme Garden (b. 18 February 1943) and Bill Oddie (b. 7 July 1941). The trio created, wrote for and performed in their The Goodies (TV series), ...

''. He also appeared as "Tobin" in Series 6, Episode 9 of '' The Avengers''. From 1987 to 1989, Windsor starred in the comedy drama ''Flying Lady'' written by Brian Finch. He also starred as a rather old-fashioned headmaster grappling with problems in education in ''Headmaster'', which started as a single play in ''

Play for Today ''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage ...

'' in 1974. It was expanded into a six-part series in 1977. Windsor had regular roles in the BBC drama '' Casualty''; the ITV drama '' Peak Practice''; he played Major Charlie Grace in ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...

'' (1992); appeared twice in ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

''; had various stage roles, and in his later years appeared in television commercials advertising life-assurance policies for people over 50. He was the subject of '' This Is Your Life'' on 3 December 1975 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the Metropolitan Police Sports Club in East Molesey.

Personal life

Windsor was married to Mary Corbett from October 1959 until his death. They had two children. Windsor died at his home in London in September 2020, at the age of 92.

Partial filmography

* ''

This Sporting Life ''This Sporting Life'' is a 1963 British kitchen sink realism, kitchen sink drama (film and television), drama film directed by Lindsay Anderson. Based on the This Sporting Life (novel), 1960 novel of the same name by David Storey, which won th ...

'' (1963) – Dentist * '' The Jokers'' (1967) – Policeman in Court (uncredited) * ''

'' (1968) S1,E1 * '' Spring and Port Wine'' (1969) – Ned Duckworth * '' Dropout'' (1970) * '' Sunday Bloody Sunday'' (1971) – Bill Hodson * ''

Assassin Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...

'' (1973) – John Stacy * '' Barry McKenzie Holds His Own'' (1974) – Police Sergeant * '' Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?'' (1978) – Blodgett * '' The London Connection'' (1979) – McGuffin * '' Coming Out of the Ice'' (1982) – Sam Herman * ''

'' – serials '' The King's Demons'' (1983) and '' Ghost Light'' (1989) * '' The Shooting Party'' (1985) – Glass * ''

Revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...

'' (1985) – Gen. Washington * '' Out of Order'' (1987) – Traffic Warden * '' All Creatures Great and Small'' (1989) – David Rayner in episode " Mending Fences" * ''

Lovejoy ''Lovejoy'' is a British television comedy-drama mystery fiction, mystery series, based on the Lovejoy (novel series), novels by John Grant (Lovejoy), John Grant under the pen name Jonathan Gash. The show, which ran to 71 episodes over six ser ...

'' (1991) – Ralph Peagram in episode " Raise the Hispanic" * ''

'' (1 episode in 1992) – Major Grace * ''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British Mystery fiction, mystery television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the ''Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series created by Caroline Graham (writer), Caroline Graham. ...

'' (1999) – George Meakham in S2:E2 " Strangler's Wood" * '' Between Two Women'' (2000) – Mr Walker (final film role) * '' Judge John Deed'' (2002–3) – Sir James Valentine in episodes "

Abuse of Power Abuse of power or abuse of authority, in the form of "malfeasance in office" or "official abuse of power", is the commission of an Crime, unlawful act, done in an official capacity, which affects the performance of official duties. Malfeasan ...

", " Everyone's Child" and " Health Hazard"

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Windsor, Frank 1928 births 2020 deaths 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Actors from Walsall Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors Male actors from Staffordshire People educated at Queen Mary's Grammar School