Lilias Walker (Joan Eastgate in The Dummy)

 

Scottish actress Lillias Frances Walker was born in Longforgan, Perth and Kinross, Scotland during 1930. Tragically her mother died whilst giving birth and Lillias was subsequently raised between her father, grandmother and her aunt Elspeth. Her father, Colin, was a farmer and the young Lillias alternated periods between a rural upbringing with her father and in more comfortable urban surroundings with her grandmother.

Amongst her first professional engagements as an actor was a stint with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre during April and May 1951 in The Princess of Pandemonia, the play Release written by Alfred Shaughessy and The Cocktail Party during September 1952. She married fellow actor Peter Burton in 1952 and had twin daughters, Alex and Vicki[1], but the marriage was later dissolved. Burton later quit acting to become a male model. She remarried in January 1966 to the character actor Peter Vaughan and remained in wedlock until his death in 2016. The couple met whilst they were both performing in reportory theatre. Vaughan had previously been married to the actress Billy Whitelaw.

From 1959 until 1961 she was a member of the Dundee Repertory Company and had roles in a wide variety of stage productions including Blithe Spirit, The Chalk Garden and the comedy Man for the Job in August 1961. This would be her final appearance for the company. Walker was then attached to Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre with substantial credits in Arms and the Man and Uncle Vanya at the end of 1962. During October 1963 she appeared in a production of Friedrich Durrenmatt’s play The Physicists where she appeared in the role of the hunchbacked Fraulein Doctor. Her work for the Citizens Theatre ended in 1964 with a production of Six Characters in Search of an Author during February and March. She relocated to London and was rapidly cast in the religious fantasy Mr Brown Comes down the Hill at the Westminster Theatre during June 1964. In the role of the Harlot she was noted as “an actress of exceptional talent.[2]” The play was such a success that plans were quickly made to produce a film version.

The 1965 film version of Mr Brown Comes Down the Hill marked Walker’s screen debut. The little seen film version of Peter Howard’s play was overseen by the veteran British director Henry Cass and told the story of the coming of Christ in a modern era with a prostitute, a black man and a bishop all finding faith through their contact with the strange preacher, Mr Brown, played by Eric Flynn who had also played the same role in a 1964 theatre production. Walker also recreated her role as the prostitute. The film was funded by the Moral Rearmament Association (MRA), an international moral and spiritual movement, which had also funded the production of the stage version.

The same year Walker also broke into television at the same time playing the role of Myra in an 'Old Man’s Fancy', an episode of Armchair Theatre, and with the role of Sonia Fordyce in the Public Eye episode 'You Have To Draw The Line Somewhere' (24th April 1965). She then returned to theatre work with The Marriage of Mr Mississippi presented by Hampstead Theatre Club September and October 1965 and a production of Shaw’s Getting Married at the Cambridge Arts Theatre over November 1965. Her next screen appearance was in 'The Golden Key to Knowledge' (24th June 1966), an episode of the BBC series This Man Craig. Walker appeared as a school mistress. Another episode of Armchair Theatre was next with an appearance as Miss Gudgeon in 'Pretty Polly' (23rd July 1966) adapted from a Noel Coward play. Lillias then took time off from acting as she had become pregnant. She gave birth to a son, David, in January 1967. David did not follow in his parent’s career paths as an actor, but has carved out a career as a notable jazz drummer.

Lillias returned to the screen with a part in the anthology series Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for the BBC. The series televised the non-Sherlock Holmes stories by Conan Doyle. Walker appeared in 'Playing With Fire' (23rd April 1967) as Mrs Bunn which was directed by Piers Haggard, who would make a considerable contribution to the folk horror movement when he directed the film Blood On Satan’s Claw a few years later. Walker then guest starred as the character Mary in 'The Target Man' (12th July 1967), an episode of the second season of the BBC crime thriller Vendetta. This was followed with the role of Mrs Baker in two episodes of the BBC soap The Newcomers (15th and 16th August 1968). The latter episode was the 300th edition of the series.

Her first work for the director Don Leaver, who would later cast her in 'The Dummy', came with the Armchair Theatre play 'A Very Fine Line' (9th March 1968). She then made a return to the espionage series Vendetta in the episode 'The Twelve Year Old Man' (8th July 1968. After a few years of taking a handful of television roles Walker had a bumper year during 1969. The year began in style with a third season episode of the BBC science fiction drama anthology series Out of the Unknown. 'The Last Lonely Man' (21st January 1969) featured George Cole and Peter Halliday in the lead roles with Walker as Mary in a tale of mind swapping. The episode was directed by Douglas Camfield who would utilise Lillias in several productions over the coming years.

Next was the role of Lady Sunderland in episodes six, eight and nine of the BBC folly Churchill’s People; 'The Protestant Wind' (14th February 1969), 'The Queen Commands' (28th February 1969) and 'Reconciliation' (7th March 1969). Then, in the winter of 1969, Walker took a role in the TV play The Mark II Wife (15th October 1969) as Mrs Badanski and rounded off the year with a small role as Eleanor Capell in 'The Man Who Wasn’t There' (21st December 1969) a first season episode of Paul Temple. The episode was directed by Douglas Camfield.

Director Lennie Mayne cast Walker in her next role, as Martha, in 'To the Gallows Tree' (24th February 1970) an episode of the BBC period drama The Borderers which featured Ian Cuthbertson (who would appear in the Beasts episode 'Baby') in a regular role. London Weekend Television’s World War Two drama Manhunt was next with Walker guest starring as Danielle in the episode 'One Way Home' (3rd April 1970). Walker then completed her second appearance in an episode of Public Eye with the role of Miss Pritchard in the story 'Come into the Garden, Rose' (11th August 1971). 

She had a small role as a secretary in the British horror film What Became of Jack and Jill (1972) directed by Bill Bain who had overseen her appearance in the series Manhunt. Her television work for the year saw her take the role of Angela Tomlins in 'The Banker' (24th June 1972), an episode of the police drama New Scotland Yard. Douglas Camfield cast her as Beryl Harkemer in 'Elected Silence' (4th October 1972) an episode of the Netherlands set detective series Van Der Valk. Her future Beasts co-star Michael Sheard was also in the cast as her husband Paul. Lillias appeared alongside her husband Peter Vaughan as Mr and Mrs Gunliffe in the period drama film Malachi’s Cove (1973) the following year, whilst on TV she took in roles in episodes of the ITV legal drama Crime of Passion, BBC’s Sporting Scenes and Softly Softly: Task Force. A further cinema credit came with the British film drama Intimate Reflections (1974) which saw Walker play Zonny opposite Anton Rodgers with her husband Peter Vaughan giving a cameo as a salesman. 

Next was the BBC crime drama You’re On Your Own playing Betty Ryder in the episode 'Contract To Kill' (9th April 1975). She also had a few small film roles during 1975 with the Joseph Losey directed The Romantic Englishwoman and as a chief nurse in The Hiding Place which neatly prefigured the role she was next seen in and for which she is possibly most recalled for. Douglas Camfield was assigned to direct the Tom Baker era Doctor Who story 'Terror of the Zygons' (30th August – 20th September 1975) and he cast Walker in the role of the creepy Sister Lamont.

By 1975 her daughters had finished with their education and making their own way in the world. Alex lived in Belgium and did voice over work in English for Dutch and Belgium TV commercials whilst Vicki had become an actress working in local rep. Meanwhile, her son David made his only acting appearance, aged just nine years old, in the Thames TV single drama The Shuttlecock playing an abused child. Just prior her role in 'The Dummy' Walker appeared in the 'The Nicest Man in the World' (16th May 1976), an episode of the ITV Sunday Night Drama series. Her role of Joan Eastgate in 'The Dummy' was next.  

Post-Beasts she guest starred as Jenny Rowe in 'The Mystery' (23rd October 1976), an episode of the women’s prison drama Within These Walls. Her next role was the regular role of Rosemary Cartland in the daytime drama The Cedar Tree. Lillias would appear in sixty episodes between December 1976 and September 1978. She also made a second appearance in Within These Walls with the episode 'Nemesis' (8th April 1978). After her regular Cedar Tree role ended she took the part of the Queen opposite Roy Kinnear as the King in the short film The Princess and the Pea (1978).
 

By the early 80s her daughter Vicki had met and settled down with a young actor called Gregor Fisher whom she had met whilst performing with the Dundee Repertory. Fisher would become famous for his comedy roles in Naked Video and as the Scottish layabout Rab C Nesbitt. Between 1986 and 1989 the couple bestowed Lillias and Peter with three grandchildren.

Walker’s final television role was as Helen Tucker in an episode of Central Television’s drama Charlie titled 'If You’re Not Part of the Solution, You’re Part of the Problem' (4th April 1984). Walker had grown disenchanted with the acting business. She had auditioned for a role in the BBC series Tenko but in the end was not cast and this only added to her disillusionment. Instead Lillias set up a boarding kennels and a cattery which she ran with input from her husband Peter for the next three years. After this the couple moved to Spain, but returned to the UK in 1999. Vaughan was still an active and hugely respected actor and so whilst he continued to take work Walker concentrated on making the family home and helping to raise her grandchildren. 

Peter Vaughan’s memoir Once a Villain was published shortly before his death in December 2016. In the book it is evident that he was very much in love and in awe of his wife Lillias. He felt very much that she was a better and more talented actor than he was and that her early retirement from the business deprived audiences of some superb performances. Their son David announced on 10th August, 2023 that she had passed away peacefully that morning following a courageous fight with vascular disease. 

 

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[1] born 28^th January 1955
[2] “Propaganda With a Preface”, The Stage, Thursday 4^th June 1964, page 12

Patricia Haines (Sheila Boyd in The Dummy)

Born in Sheffield, Yorkshire on 3^rd February 1932 the statuesque (she was 5’ 10’’) Patricia Ann Haines is best known outside of her cult TV roles for being the first wife of actor Michael Caine before he rose to stardom.

It was whilst she was working in local repertory theatre that she first met Caine at the Arcadia Theatre in Lowestoft, Suffolk. They married on 3rd April 1954 and had one daughter, Dominique (sometimes known as Nikki), born in 1958. The couple separated in 1962. In his autobiography What’s It All About Caine stated that it was his immaturity that led to the split, which was deeply acrimonious resulting in Caine never seeing her again. In 1963 Haines married the actor Bernard Kay and the couple remained in wedlock until her death from lung cancer in 1977. A heavy smoker, she was aged just forty five.

Haines was a successful repertory actress with the East Anglian based company The Standard Players from 1953 onwards and broke into television in 1959 playing an airport announcer in two episodes of the BBC series Garry Halliday. Following her TV debut she continued in the field of theatre which included playing the role of Mary Magdalene in a production of R F Delderfield’s Spark in Judea and a tour of The Tunnel of Love which took in Morecambe Winter Gardens and the Nottingham Royal amongst many other venues during May and June 1959.

Her cinema debut came with The Shakedown (1960), a British crime film, with an uncredited role as a modelling student. The rest of her work for the year was in small roles on a variety of television series; playing a hotel receptionist in 'Film Festival' (20th April 1960), an episode of forgotten ITV sitcom about a jazz musician, The Love of Mike, Polly Harwood in 'Summer Theatre: June Evening' (10th July 1960) an episode of the BBC Sunday Night Play and playing Deidre in 'Annual Outing' (30th August 1960), a one off comedy drama from the BBC written by Willis Hall. She finished the year by appearing in three episodes of the medical soap opera Emergency Ward Ten as Miss Spinks during October and November 1960.

BBC espionage drama The World of Tim Frazer, starring Jack Hedley as the eponymous character, provided Haines with the regular role of Barbara Day in seven episodes transmitted between 27th December 1960 and 7th February 1961. This was her biggest role to date and it was followed by Three Live Wires, an Associated-Rediffusion sitcom starring Michael Medwin. Haines had an untitled appearance in the episode 'Stranger than Fiction' (22nd May 1961). Magnolia Street (16th June – 21st July 1961) was a six part BBC drama series depicting the lives of Jewish and Gentile residents of a Manchester street between 1910 and 1926. The cast included Edward Woodward and Peter Bowles and Haines had the regular role of Jessie Edelman, the young daughter of one of the streets residents. Flower of Evil (11th October – 15th November 1961) was a six episode mystery thriller headlined by William Lucas as Scotland Yard policeman Detective Inspector Mitchell who becomes embroiled in a conspiracy surrounding plundered World War Two Nazi gold. Haines appeared as the character Erika across all six episodes.

After ending the previous year with regular work Haines was cast in an episode of Studio 4, a BBC drama anthology of plays filmed at BBC Televisions centre’s newly built Studio Four. Haines appeared in the episode 'The Second Curtain' (29th January 1962) in the role of Sarah Freeman. More regular work came with the BBC series Six Proud Walkers as Gloria when she appeared in six episodes transmitted between 28th April and 2nd June 1962. Next was the single drama The Wrong Way Back (13th July 1962) for the BBC.

Haines then undertook the role of Cathy Speed in the Dixon of Dock Green episode 'The Moonlighter' (17th November 1962) and played Caroline Deedes in 'Death of a Sportsman' (26th January 1963), a second season episode of crime series Ghost Squad. Next she guest starred as Dorothia, a potential girlfriend for Harold, in the Steptoe and Son episode 'Is That Your Horse Outside' (14th February 1963). She was cast as Ruth in the ATV drama 'The Hooded Terror' (July 1963), part of the anthology series Drama 63, and appeared in The Hooded Terror (25th August 1963) a single drama from ATV also featuring Jennie Linden and John Wood. For the anthology series Suspense she appeared as Penny Chase in the episode 'Scissors' (16th September 1963) and guest starred as Janet Pearce in 'All Part of the Job' (7th October 1963), an instalment of the business drama The Plane Makers. Also during the same year she made the first of three appearances in the series The Avengers playing Laura in the episode 'The Nutshell'.

She began 1964 with 'The Death of Marie Vetier' (13th January 1964) playing the eponymous character in an episode of the adventure series Crane. Stage work was still an important source of employment and she featured in a touring production of The Death is Announced during the months of June and July. At the end of the year she was introduced to viewers of the BBC soap Compact as the new regular character Vivien Ames, a role she would play for forty episodes between December 1963 and May 1964 appearing on occasion opposite her second husband Bernard Kay. Following her departure from Compact Haines appeared as Claire Carr in 'The Case of the Hero’s Return' (6th June 1964), an episode of the Victorian era detective series Sergeant Cork, and ventured into sitcoms with a guest appearance in the Richard Briers starring Marriage Lines playing Mrs Blackley in the episode 'The Ladies Man' (2nd February 1965). 'And A Very Fine Fiddle He Has' (13th March 1965) saw Haines portray the character Judith Spainer in a case for inquiry agent Frank Marker in the series Public Eye.

BBC drama thriller Reluctant Bandit (15th February – 15th March 1965) cast Haines as Diana opposite William Dexter as an ex-Army officer who becomes involved in the mafia. She then appeared in two episodes of the BBC drama The Flying Swan – 'Double Trouble' (10th April 1965) and 'Love and Marriage' (17th April 1965). She made two appearances in the series Danger Man, playing different roles; Lady Blanchard in the episode 'The Black Book' and as Nora Cazalet in the episode 'The Outcast'. Her only film role for the year was in the British science fiction thriller The Night Caller (1965), retitled as Blood Beast from Outer Space for its American release.

Into 1966 and Haines found herself in demand as a popular guest star appearing in shows that included The Baron playing Helga Sorenson in the episode 'Epitaph For A Hero', portraying Arlette Maylam opposite her husband Bernard Kay, in The Rat Catchers episode 'Operation Lost Souls' (13th April 1966), Kathy in 'The Tax Man Cometh' (21st November 1966), an episode of Blackmail, and as Sandra Webb in the Adam Adamant Lives! episode 'Death By Appointment Only' (8th September 1966). This role earned her complimentary review in The Stage; “Patricia Haines, as the charming escort who gave her companion a goodnight bullet in lieu of a kiss, oozed sultry sensuality without losing the hint of cold bloodedness that left no doubt that she would shoot down anyone who got in her way.[1]” Stage work for the year took in Noel Coward’s Suite in Three Keys at the New Theatre, Bromley during October 1966.

'The Master Minds' marked Haines second appearance in the series The Avengers and her third and final appearance in the series came with the episode 'Who’s Who???' in 1967 playing the role of Lola. Her remaining appearances for the year of 1967 covered guest roles in episodes of No Hiding Place, Softly Softly and Rainbow City. Her only film or television credit for 1968 was in the drama anthology City 68. She appears as Sheila Cuf in the episode 'The System: Them Down There' (24th September 1968) with a cast the also boasted future Beasts and Murrain actors Martin Shaw and Bernard Lee.

The following year was busier. A trio of ITC adventure series were graced with her presence with roles in episodes of The Champions – 'The Mission' (29th January 1969), The Saint – 'The World Beater' (9th February 1969) and Department S – 'The Trojan Tanker' (16th March 1969). The Department S story saw her appear on screen with her fellow 'The Dummy' co-star Simon Oates who has her killed after she has double crossed him. She also guest starred in an episode of the London Weekend Television drama The Inside Man – 'The Case of the Abandoned Wife' (28th March 1969). She made two film appearance during the year – Anne Nordeck in the thriller The Last Shot You Hear (1969), which also featured her future 'The Dummy' co-star Thorley Walters, and psychological thriller Walk A Crooked Path (1969) as Nancy Coleman. Before the year ended there was time for one more appearance in an ITC series with Haines playing Martha in 'Somebody Just Walked over My Grave', an episode of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased).

The new decade saw her appear opposite Frankie Howerd in the second season of the Roman Empire set sitcom Up Pompeii. 'Secret Agents Jamus Bondus' (28th September 1970) was a broad spy spoof with Haines appearing as the character Pussus Galoria! She was part of an assortment of ancient gods discovered in a volcano in 'The Quick and the Dead' (27th November 1970), an episode of the short lived science fiction sitcom The Adventures of Don Quick. Haines was seen as Aphrodite opposite Graham Crowden as Zeus and series regulars Ronald Lacey and Ian Hendry as the eponymous Don Quick.

'Motel' (21st March 1971) was an episode of the detective drama Paul Temple which starred Francis Matthews. Haines guest starred as the character Mrs Sandford. This was followed by more comedy work with an appearance on The Dick Emery Show transmitted 2nd April 1971. Her next film credit is possibly her most famous role in the medium. Virgin Witch (1972) was a British horror film directed by ex-stuntman Ray Austin from a script by Crossroads co-creator Hazel Adair under the pseudonym of Klaus Vogel. Haines plays Sybil Waite, the boss of a modelling agency, which is actually a cover for a witch’s coven. Buxom twins Vicki and Ann Michelle took lead roles over a cast that also included Peter Halliday who would feature in the Beasts episode 'Buddyboy'. Her next film credit was in the low budget crime drama The Fast Kill (1972), the latest opus from cult director Lindsay Shonteff. Haines plays Victoria Leach and Peter Halliday also pops up as Fred Chalmers.

Haines was next seen on television as Madame Anderson in 'Bagman' (28th September 1973), an episode of The Protectors scripted by Daleks creator Terry Nation. After this came 'To Suffer a Witch' (17th October – 19th October 1973), a case for the daytime legal drama Crown Court. Haines played the accused, Adelaide Vincent, the head of a witch’s coven who is accused of murder. ITC used her dramatic abilities once more when she was cast as series regular in the children’s drama and adventure series Ski-Boy which ran for one season of fourteen episodes starting in January 1974. The series was transmitted sporadically and did not attain the following of ITC’s previous series and now mainly forgotten. Between February 1973 and January 1974 she played the regular role of Laura Verney in the rural soap opera Emmerdale.

After leaving the regular work of Emmerdale she had a small guest role in the fourth season of the police drama Special Branch playing Mrs Lane in the episode 'Something About A Soldier' (14th March 1974). She then appeared in the Within These Walls episode 'Remand Wing' (17th January 1975) as Stella Kyprianou. The remaining roles for 1975 were all within comedy. Haines was cast as Melody Wilkinson in 'The Melody Lingers On' (30th September 1975), an episode of the sitcom The Growing Pains of PC Penrose, appeared as Anita in 'Fred' (9th November 1975), an episode of the sitcom Don’t Drink The Water, and portrayed Countess Pelligrini in the one off comedy play A Touch of the Casanovas (31st December 1975) which reunited Haines with Frankie Howerd.

1976 was her final year of credits, all on television. She guest starred as Elizabeth Paterson in 'Time Out' (7th May 1976), a fourth season episode of Hadleigh which starred Gerald Harper whom she had appeared opposite in Adam Adamant Lives! back in 1967. Murder was three part anthology crime drama series from Yorkshire Television. Haines appeared in the episode 'Nobody’s Conscience' (13th June 1976) which also starred Anthony Bate who would shortly star in the Beasts episode 'During Barty’s Party'. Her final broadcast role was as Sheila Boyd in 'The Dummy'. She was diagnosed with cancer shortly afterwards and passed away on 2th February 1977 in Northampton. Her husband Bernard Kay was devastated by her death and never came to terms with her early demise. 

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[1] No Sturdy Stem of Its Own by Marjorie Norris, The Stage, Thursday September 15^th 1966, page 12

Simon Oates (Peter Wager in The Dummy)

 

Oates was born in Canning Town, East London as Arthur Charles Oates on 6th January 1932 and was descended from the Victorian acting family Faucit Saville. After being evacuated to Derbyshire during the Second World War he rejoined his family and moved to Finchley in London where he attended Christ’s College. He worked as a window cleaner and trained as a heating engineer and as quantity surveyor before taking part in National Service where he claimed he was in the Intelligence Corps, the unit responsible for gathering and analysing intelligence and counter-intelligence information. During his time in the army he became an army boxing champion and acted in amateur dramatic productions. On his discharge he successfully auditioned for and enrolled at the Arts Educational School to study drama but he left before finishing the course to take up a role in stage management with Chesterfield Rep Company. He made his stage debut under the name of Titus Oates at Chesterfield in the play Someone at the Door in 1954.

During an interview with the Birmingham Daily Post in 1971 he reflected on his short time at drama school “I didn’t like it there and wasn’t any good. So I wrote this repertory company and kidded them I’d had plenty of experience and they took me on. I tend to feel that you can bluff your way into anything if you’re determined enough, but I really was so ignorant.[1]”

After working in local repertory theatre he gained a leading man position at York Theatre Royal where he remained for several years. Though a familiar face on television from the late 1950s onwards his big breakthrough role was as Doctor John Ridge in the BBC drama Doomwatch. His television debut was in an episode of the BBC Sunday Night Theatre, 'Shadow of Heroes' (19th July 1959), based on a play by Robert Ardrey and performed live. This was followed by an instalment of the BBC anthology series Musical Playhouse with Oates billed as a Bow Street official in 'Perchance To Dream' (3rd August 1959). The production, based on an Ivor Novello play, also featured Richard Bebb in the cast. Bebb would later supply voice work for the Beasts episode 'During Barty’s Party'.

Next was a production of Noel Coward’s The Vortex (1st May, 1960) made as part of the BBC Sunday Night Play series. Oates played the role of Tom Veryan with David McCallum taking the lead as Nicky Lancaster. During December he appeared in the stage play The Geese Are Getting Fat staged at Phoenix Theatre, London. He was a cast member of the stage production Teresa of Avila presented at the Vaudeville Theatre during October and November 1961. This was followed by roles in a couple of Armchair Theatre plays; 'A Head Full of Crocodiles' and 'Roll on Blooming Death' (5th November 1961). In between his TV appearances Oates continued to be in demand in the world of theatre. He was a cast member of the Guildford Theatre pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk over December 1961 and January 1962 before appearing in Judith staged at Her Majesty’s Theatre between May and July 1962. He played the role of Floyd Macduff in the play Fiorello at the Piccadilly Theatre during October 1962.

He had a small role in 'Triplets' (12th January 1963), an episode of the BBC sitcom The Rag Trade, which signalled the start of a busy year for Oates. Further roles during the year included playing Johnny De Souza in 'The Thirteenth Girl' (27 April 1963) - an episode of ATV crime drama Ghost Squad, portraying Leon Saval in 'Yvette' (4th July 1963) – an episode of the BBC series Maupassant and a credit as Jimmy Foster in 'The Frauds' (26th August 1963), an episode of the ATV anthology series Love Story. Between June and July 1963 he undertook the role of Mr Gosse in four episodes of the medical soap opera Emergency Ward Ten. Later work during the year saw his second appearance in an episode of BBC Sunday Night Theatre with the role of Joe Vance in 'Plain Jane' (1st September 1963). This was followed by 'The Cat’s Away' (26th November 1963), an episode of the business drama The Plane Makers. Oates appeared as the character Tim Driver. During the pantomime season Oates appeared as Sarah the Cook in a version of Dick Whittington at the New Theatre, Bromley.

Towards the end of 1963 Oates turned his hand to directing whilst he was attached to Bromley Rep which led to him being given a chance to produce a version of Ted Willis’s Woman In A Dressing Gown at the Vaudeville theatre from February 1964 starring David Hemmings. The Stage was positive about Oates’ direction feeling it was “unobtrusive, making its points accurately and establishing the mood of each scene with a minimum of emphasis[2]”.

1964 saw Oates toil away as a guest star in several ongoing series including the Doctor Finlay’s Casebook episode 'The Aristocrats' (12th April 1964), the police drama No Hiding Place with the episode 'My Father Is My Brother' (27th April 1964), playing the role of Cherub in the Sid James sitcom Taxi in the episode 'We’ve Got To Live In The Winter' (13th June 1964) and playing Rex Barnett in two episodes of Compact – 'To The Rescue' (3rd November 1964) and 'Over The Wall' (6th November 1964). He also appeared in 'The Flaw in the Crystal' (7th August 1964), an episode of the drama anthology Story Parade. The Stage reviewed “The Flaw in the Crystal” and singled out Oates performance for particular praise stating “Simon Oates made the most of his role. He spoke little, smiled much, but when he was on the screen he compelled attention.[3]” His film debut came with Night Train to Paris (1964) in the small role of Saunders. He also married Denise Shaune, a former dancer, during 1964. Shaune later worked as a choreographer and the couple had a son, Jason (though later called Adam), born in 1974.

He was next engaged to play the role of Stewart Simmonds in the BBC thriller series Contract To Kill (T3rd May – 7th June 1965) and followed this with the role of Michael in 'Common Ground' (22nd July 1965) an instalment of the BBC drama Londoners. His main screen role for 1965 was as Anthony Kelly in the BBC thriller series The Mask of Janus (8th October – 17th December 1965). Set in a fictional country the series dealt with the power struggles of British, American and Communist espionage blocks. Oates was one of the main leads alongside Dinsdale Landen as Richard Cadell. The series was a success with audiences and critics and a spin off series was soon forthcoming. The Spies (1st January – 16th April 1966) saw Landen and Oates play the same characters still in the fictional country of Amalia and still involved in various espionage escapades.

Viewers of The Mask of Janus and The Spies would have seen a different side to the dashing hero figure he portrayed in the two TV series if they had checked out the stage production of Sleeping Beauty at The New Theatre, Bromley which ran concurrently with the airing of the two BBC shows. Oates played a traditional pantomime dame for the production which also included Diana Dors and Carole Ann Ford in the cast. Back on television Oates completed the year by playing the Duke of Buckingham in the BBC’s The Three Muskateers (13th November 1966 – 15th January 1967) with D’Artagnan played by Jeremy Brett, Porthos by Brian Blessed and Athos by Jeremy Young. May 1967 saw Oates appear in the Ted Willis musical The Ballad of Queenie Swann at the Yvonne Arnauld, Guidlford during June 1967. The play later transferred to the Comedy theatre. He also returned to cinema roles with the low budget and low thrills science fiction film The Terrornauts (1967) as Doctor Joe Burke, one of a group of scientists kidnapped by a flying saucer.

He continued to have guest roles in ongoing series including Man In A Suitcase with Oates cast as Simon Croft in the episode 'Web With Four Spiders' (1968) and two episodes of The Avengers; 'You Have Just Been Murdered', a silent dialogue free role as the blonde haired Skelton the assassin, and 'Super-Secret Cypher Snatch' as Maskin. He also appeared in two anthology programmes with the episode 'Lily Christine' (8th October 1968), an episode of The Jazz Age, and 'The High Adventure' (14th July 1968) an episode of Detective. He made his second guest appearance in an episode of Doctor Finlay’s Casebook playing Doctor Kimber in 'The Facts of Life' (15th June 1969) before moving on to The Main Chance episode 'Liar’s Dice' (9th July 1969) and The Expert episode 'Your Money For Your Life' (29th August 1969). In this episode of he played the character of David Lynch, an insurance man involved in the road death of a successful businessman. His appearance in the Department S episode 'The Trojan Tanker' (16th March 1969) saw him appear alongside Patricia Haines who would star with him in 'The Dummy'. He played a character who is in a relationship with Haines. Throughout his film and TV career had also made regular stage appearances as well as having a parallel career as a stand-up comedian under the name of Charlie Barnett, the Cockney Comedian. He toured clubs and theatres and even compared a Rolling Stones tour as the character as well as performances by Tom Jones, Sandie Shaw and The Who.
Starting in 1970 he was part of the regular cast of Doomwatch playing the role of Doctor John Ridge over the course of three years and 29 episodes. The role would bring him public recognition and a healthy income. He would also appear as Ridge in a small role in the spin off film Doomwatch (1972). Such was the popularity of the role that Oates was at one point considered as a replacement for the retiring Sean Connery to play James Bond replacing George Lazenby, but Connery changed his mind and returned to play Bond in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). After Doomwatch, apart from an appearance in an episode of Jason King, his TV career stalled and he never regained the popularity he once had when playing John Ridge. Instead he concentrated on theatre work.

Stage work during 1971 included Born Yesterday at Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre during April. Oates played a journalist who accidentally becomes involved with an American racketeer. Oates had also begun to make more appearances on the cabaret circuit and working men’s pubs or clubs under his Charlie Barnett alias. “I began to go to East End pubs, just to watch. Then one night I got to a place where the comic had really died, and they suggested I should go on, and I kept saying no. Then the chap who introduced the turns and got up and announced me – saying I’d been there three times before, which wasn’t true – and there I was on my own in front of an audience. When actors say how dreadful such-and-such role was for them, I say they should try a Welsh Sunday lunchtime drinking club; it’s just you and them. After that, nothing is so bad again.[4]”

Oates also branched out into releasing a pop song in February 1971. I Love You Too Much to Lose You was released as a single on the Columbia Records label. A contemporary music paper review commented “It turns out that he has a very pleasant and virile voice, possibly a wee bit too strong for this lilting sing-a-long ballad. Still, it’s very melodic, eminently hummable and decidedly easy listening.[5]”

In July 1971 he took the role of John Steed in a short lived, and poorly received, West End theatre version of The Avengers written by veterans of the TV iteration, Terence Feeley and Brian Clemens. Sue Lloyd played his assistant Hannah Wild and Kate O’Mara was the villain Madame Gerda who headed an all-women gang dressed in shiny black leather. The production was staged at the Birmingham Theatre before going on to the Prince of Wales theatre in London where it finished at the end of November 1971. For the next five years Oates was a busy stage actor. Credits are many and varied so I will only highlight those of particular interest. During August and September 1972 Oates appeared with Barbara Windsor in a touring production of The Owl and the Pussycat. Oates would later produce a version of the play for Canadian audiences in Calgary during 1981. He appeared alongside Peter O’Toole in a version of Cinderella staged at the Drury Lane, London during December 1973. A young man called John Nathan-Turner wrote and directed the show. Following The Avengers stage show Oates was reunited with fellow cast member Kate O’Mara and writer Brian Clemens when he agreed to direct a touring production of Clemens’ new play Shock during June and July 1975. He also directed a version of Agatha Christie’s Spider’s Web during July and August 1976. This was followed by more directing work overseeing the production Many a Naked Bird in Stevenage during September 1976. October 1976 saw Oates appearing in a revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat at Harlow Playhouse. During the 1976 pantomime season Oates appeared as Abanazer in Aladdin at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry. His wife, Denise, also worked on the production as the show’s choreographer.

Oates’ appearance as the unlikeable and bullish Peter Wager in Beasts was his return to the screen. The following year he could be seen in an episode of Whodunnit? – 'No Happy Returns' (11th July 1977) and The New Avengers – 'Hostage' (21st October 1977). He was in pantomime during December 1977 and January 1978 appearing in a version of Dick Whittington at the Theatre Royal in Bath. Once again choreography was provided by his wife Denise. Over the next few years he took a handful of television roles each year such as Nathan in the ITV Playhouse production 'No, Mama, No' (27th March 1979) which is now more famed for the first use of a four letter swear word starting with the letter C on British Television than anything else about the production. As the new decade started Oates had a spurt of activity with starting with an appearance in a British / Polish co-production entitled Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson which cast Geoffrey Whitehead as Holmes and Donald Pickering as Watson. Oates is credited in the episode 'The Case of the Shrunken Heads' (1980) playing James McIntyre. He also played Larry Foster in the three part storyline 'The Family Affair' (11th January – 25th January 1980), part of the detective series Breakaway. He then played Tully in The Professionals story 'Need To Know' (5th October 1980). Between television engagements he still toiled in local theatre productions.

He returned to comedy with a role as hairdresser Luigi in 'The Home Perm' (4th August 1981), an episode of the sitcom You’re Only Young Once, which starred Peggy Mount and Pat Coombes. He followed this by playing Major Darling in two episodes of the BBC drama series Strangers and Brothers (29th February and 7th March 1984). More comedy work was next, as Brother Laidlaw, in 'Light and Shade' (18th May 1984), an episode of the Molly Sugden sitcom That’s My Boy. For a short period during the mid-1980s Oates lived and worked in Canada where he managed a theatre company. It was probably during this time that he took the role of the Earl of Claridge in the two-part Remington Steel story 'Steele Searching' (24th September and 1st October 1985). On his return to the UK he took on more theatre appearances with the role of Abanazar once again for the pantomime season production of Aladdin staged in Swansea at the Grand Theatre during December 1985 and January 1986. He later appeared in the stage comedy The Secretary Bird staged in Leatherhead during May 1986. During June 1986 he was cast in two pilot episodes of a potential new soap opera, Griffins, set within a health spa. The series was never commissioned. Outside of this he busied himself directing and acting in the theatre for the next few years.

Intriguingly he took a role in the West German science fiction film Doppleganger (1989) playing Herr Klein before returning to British television screens with a guest role in a single episode of the Channel Four soap opera Brookside – 'Pusilanimous' (17th April 1989). 1991 saw Oates appear in the Bergerac episode 'The Waiting Game' (16th February 1991) and the BBC Play On One production 'Gas and Candles' (1st August 1991). His final television role was as Roddy Preston in the pilot episode (23rd February 1993) of the comedy series The 10 Percenters. Oates retired from the profession shortly after this role.

He died of prostate cancer on 20th May 2009 aged 77. He was married twice and had one son and one daughter as well as another son with Denise Shaune. The actor and comedian Justin Brett is Oates’ son from his second marriage to Jaki Eastoe.

---

[1] “Simon Oates: The “Scientist” With An Interest in Junk” by Judith Cook, Birmingham Daily Post, Wenesday 14^th April, 1971, page 8

[2] “This Sob Story Lacks Dramatic Bite”, The Stage, Thursday 27^th February 1964, page 13

[3] The Flaw in the Crystal review by Bill Edmund, The Stage, Thursday 13^th August 1964, page 22

[4] “Simon Oates: The “Scientist” With An Interest in Junk” by Judith Cook, Birmingham Daily Post, Wednesday 14^th April, 1971, page 8

[5] Review by Derek Johnson, Melody Maker 13^th February 1971.

Spotlight: Don Leaver (director of The Dummy)

Donald Alfred Leaver was born on 27th September 1929 in traumatic circumstances. Leaver’s mother died in childbirth and this led to his father, a chauffeur by profession, to rely on Donald’s grandmother for his upbringing in Streatham, London.

Leaver originally had aspirations on becoming a professional actor and following his National Service in Egypt he gained a scholarship to the prestigious Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. Graduating in the 1950s he found work appearing in productions at the Embassy Theatre in London before deciding to make a sideways move into television production. He does have a couple of credited television appearances as an actor – A Publican’s Story (22nd November 1953) and The Running Tide (23rd August 1955), a BBC play which also starred future ‘Buddyboy’ actor Peter Halliday in the cast. Leaver is credited by his full name, Donald Leaver, in a small role as a sailor.

His first production role was as a floor manager at Granada in 1957 and by the end of the decade he had advanced to the level of director for the short-lived ITV franchise Television Wales and The West (TWW). He worked in this capacity on a range of programming including the music show Jazz Club and in 1959 he directed the franchise’s first drama production, Dance Date (2nd January 1959). On the strength of this production he was quickly headhunted by ABC and Sydney Newman to work on their drama output including Armchair Theatre and episodes of Police Surgeon, the precursor to The Avengers.

Leaver directed nine episodes of Police Surgeon in total starting with the second episode ‘Under the Influence…?’ (17th September 1960) and finishing with ‘The Bigger They Are’ (3rd December 1960). Leaver was a favoured director by the show’s producer, Leonard White. “He was an obvious choice to work on the programme’s successor, The Avengers, and it is a measure of White’s faith in the director’s abilities that Leaver was entrusted with directing the new series’ opening instalment.[1]”

In an audio commentary for the season three The Avengers episode ‘Man with Two Shadows’ Leaver described his feelings during this period: “I was quite terrified, because I hadn’t been with ABC long. I’d been picked up in the provinces, where I’d been working at TWW, and to come down to ABC to work with Sydney Newman was just the most amazing thing for me.[2]” Lever, alongside fellow director Peter Hammond, oversaw the majority of the first season of The Avengers often turning mundane scripts into exciting pieces of drama by using ambitious and unusual camera movements and framing. This can be considered to be even more impressive when you consider that the episodes were broadcast live. Leaver and Hammond helped to establish to look and style of the series thus ensuring its longevity.

Aside from The Avengers Leaver was given an episode of the Boris Karloff presented science fiction anthology series Out Of This World. ‘Vanishing Act’ (18th August 1962) starred Maurice Denham as a washed up magician who becomes an overnight sensation after a buying a vanishing box trick. However the magician cannot explain exactly where his assistants and objects go when they vanish in the box as they don’t return… For season three of The Avengers in 1963 Leaver would direct three episodes; ‘Man With Two Shadows’, ‘The Wringer’ and ‘Esprit De Corps’.

Leaver directed his first serial, Dimensions of Fear (5th January – 26th January 1963), a four-part science fiction thriller which saw a rural space research centre threatened by an alien menace. John Lucarotti and Berkely Mather wrote the script and the cast included Peter Vaughan, Peter Copley, Mark Eden and Bruce Montague. Leaver’s main body of work during 1964 was working in ABC’s celebrated drama anthology Armchair Theatre. Leaver would work on four episodes starting with ‘Always Ask for the Best’ (15th March 1964) a comedic tale of a love triangle written by actor Stephen Lewis who also starred in the production alongside Warren Mitchell. Lewis would later find fame playing Blakey in the sitcom On The Buses.

Leaver also oversaw the next episode, ‘Mug’s Game’ (29th March 1964) before following up with the episode ‘A Jug of Bread’ (17th May 1964) which is notable for giving John Hurt an early leading role. Written by ex-lorry driver Jack Malton, the play was originally performed by the Sheffield Repertory Company where that it was seen by Armchair Theatre producer Leonard White. The final Armchair Theatre episode to benefit from Leaver’s skills was ‘A Certain Kind of Silence’ (28th June 1964) which was slated by The Stage “This was one of those dreary plays in which everybody dislikes everybody else, proving it by words, gestures, looks and action. There didn’t seem to be a loving heart among them.[3]”

‘You Must Be Virginia’ (6th September 1964) was the first Armchair Mystery Theatre production that Leaver directed. This was a spin-off series from Armchair Theatre which concentrated on thriller and mystery based plays. For The Avengers’ fourth season Leaver supplied three episodes; ‘Dial A Deadly Number’, ‘The House That Jack Built’ and ‘How To Succeed…At Murder’.

Leaver was then given the first two episodes of a new detective series, Public Eye, created by Roger Marshall to direct; ‘All For A Couple of Ponies’ (23rd January 1965) and ‘Nobody Kills Santa Claus’ (30th January 1965). Leaver also took on the role of producer for the series following a dispute with ABC which prevented him from directing. Still under contract Leaver took on the producer role until the dispute was resolved and he was able to return to directing. He returned to the anthology series Armchair Mystery Theatre to oversee two more episodes – ‘The Welcome’ (4th July 1965) and ‘The Lodger’ (25th July 1965) – and towards the end of the year contributed to the main show, Armchair Theatre, with the episodes ‘A Cold Peace’ (18th December 1965), which reunited him with actor Ian Hendry who had starred in Police Surgeon, and ‘Easier in the Dark’ (22nd January 1966) which featured Hollywood star Shelley Winters in the cast. His next Armchair Theatre instalment was ‘The Match’ (30th April 1966) starring Lee Montague, Wanda Ventham and Barbara Lott.

During 1967 Lever committed himself to four more episodes of Armchair Theatre starting with ‘Easier in the Dark’ (25th February 1967) written by Robert Muller who would create the BBC horror anthology series Supernatural. A month later and Lever’s next episode of Armchair Theatre appeared, ‘Any Number Can Play’ (25th March 1967), a satire set in a future where everyone works a three-day week. His third instalment was ‘A World of Time’ (1st April 1967), which was another script from Robert Muller, and his final credit of the year for the series was ‘England My England’ (29th April 1967) which starred Paul Eddington and Rachel Gurney.

He also directed a single episode of the now sadly lost horror TV series Haunted which starred Patrick Mower. Leaver oversaw the sixth episode, ‘After the Funeral’ (23rd September 1967). Three days later his opening first episode of The Gamblers anthology series, ‘Read ‘em and Weep’ (26th September 1967), was transmitted. Lever then worked on a single episode of Armchair Theatre in 1968 directing the story ‘A Very Fine Line’ (9th March 1968) which starred Stephanie Cole, Michael Craig and Lesley Phillips. A highlight of his work during the 1960s has to be The Gold Robbers which follows Detective Chief Superintendent Craddock (Peter Vaughan) as he tracks down and brings to justice the criminals responsible for a five and half million gold bullion robbery. Leaver directed the opening episode, ‘The Great Bullion Robbery’ (6th June 1969), which featured the tense and complex bullion robbery itself. Leaver directed a further two episodes of the thirteen-part series – ‘Crack Shot’ (20th June 1969) and ‘The Big Spender’ (27th June 1969).

During 1972 Lever would direct three episodes of Man at the Top before moving onto his final episode of Armchair Theatre with ‘Whatever Became of Me?’ (29th August 1972) written by Roger Marshall, the creator of Public Eye. The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes was an anthology drama with each episode featuring a different central character solving a murder or mystery which ran for two seasons between 1971 and 1973. The idea was to adapt short stories written by contemporaries of Arthur Conan Doyle and Lever directed one episode for season two ‘The Mystery of the Amber Beads’ (16th April 1973). His other credits for 1973 take in the very first episode of the Holland based detective series Van Der Valk, ‘A Death by the Sea’ (29th August 1973), and five episodes of the live action Gerry Anderson series The Protectors for the second season.

Lever’s production ‘Double Exposure’ (14th February 1974) opened the fourth season of the police drama Special Branch. He then moved on to work on the offbeat detective series Zodiac, co-created by Jaqueline Davies and Roger Marshall. Apart from the episode, ‘The Cool Aquarian’ (4th March 1974), Lever would also direct the episode ‘Saturn’s Rewards’ (18th March 1974). Rooms was an afternoon drama series which presented weekly two-part stories of the various characters and couples who rent rooms in a boarding house. Leaver’s first contribution to the series was the story 'Bernard and Ginnie' (21st and 22nd January 1975). For the BBC Leaver then directed two episodes of Sutherland’s Law – ‘In at the Deep End’ (27th May 1975) and ‘No Second Chance’ (10th June 1975) which guest starred Simon MacCorkindale who the following year would take a lead role in the Beasts episode ‘Baby’.

Following his two Sutherland’s Law stories Leaver was assigned an episode of the anthology series Against the Crowd by ATV. This series also included Kneale’s ‘Murrain’ during its run though Leaver was given an episode written by Kingsley Amis, ‘We Are All Guilty’ (17th August 1975). HTV was the next ITV franchise to hire Leaver who delivered two episodes of the series Westway, a drama about a self-sufficient community, working on episode three, ‘A Growing Concern’ (12th May 1976) and episode four, ‘Happy Families’ (19th May 1976). Operation Patch was a seven-part Southern Television production set in England during 1805, in the weeks leading up to the Battle of Trafalgar, when the country was at war with France. As well as directing all seven episodes Leaver also acted as the programme’s producer, the first time he had taken on this role since two episodes of Public Eye back in 1965. Written by John Lucarotti and transmitted between 13th June and 25th July.

He was then assigned by Thames Television to oversee two episodes of Killers, an anthology series based on historical acts of murder. Leaver directed episode three, ‘The Crumbles Murder’ (4th August 1976), which reunited Leaver with Ian Hendry, and episode six, ‘The Chalkpit Murder’ (25th August 1976), which featured Bernard Lee (‘Murrain’) in the cast. Leaver’s episode of Beasts was next and was his only contribution to the series.

Leaver started 1977 with the transmission during January of seven episodes of the daytime drama series Rooms he had directed. He cast his old Beasts co-worker Michael Sheard in ‘Hazell and the Weekend Man’ (6th March 1978) and for the anthology series Scorpion Tales Leaver directed the second episode, ‘Killing’ (6th May 1978), from a script by Bob Baker and Dave Martin. Next was three episodes of The Famous Five for Southern TV for which Leaver also acted as a producer on the complete thirteen episode run. The Stage reviewed the series and singled Leaver out for praise: “Director/producer, Don Leaver, had clearly grasped the essence of the Famous Five and was skilful in creating and conveying a cohesive feeling among the young actors and preserving a sense of intrigue and mystery exclusive to the group.[4]”

It was back to the BBC next for the interesting proto-portmanteau drama Accident which told how a car crash impacted upon the people involved in it. Leaver was responsible for three episodes before returning to ATV to work on the anthology drama series Heartland which was a series of single dramas themed around love. Staying with the franchise, now rebranded as Associated Television, he next worked on Turtle’s Progress providing the opening episode of season two (20th May 1980) and episode three (6th May 1980) which was produced by his old Beasts colleague Nicholas Palmer. Sounding Brass was an ATV comedy drama and Leaver worked on three episodes which starred Brian Glover as Horace Gilbert Bestwick. The first episode directed by Leaver was episode three, ‘H.G. and the Battle of Waterloo’ (16th July 1980), and this was followed by episode four, ‘H.G. and the Takeover Bid’ (23rd July 1980) and episode five, ‘H.G. and the Indian Job’ (30th July 1980). Fellow Beasts director, Don Shaw, oversaw the remaining episodes of the series.

Leaver made a return to the horror genre with two episodes of the horror anthology series Hammer House of Horror. His two episodes bookended the series with the debut story ‘Witching Time’ (13th September 1980) and the final instalment ‘The Mark of Satan’ (6th December 1980). Next was another BBC detective series for Leaver as he travelled to Jersey to direct an episode of the debut season of Bergerac. ‘See You in Moscow’ (15th November 1981) had Bergerac getting involved in a spot of espionage with Russian spies.

Leaver’s main body of work for 1983 and 1984 was producing and directing thirteen episodes of the sitcom A Fine Romance as well as acting on director on the 1984 season. For his work on the series he was nominated for a 1984 BAFTA nomination in the category of Best Comedy Series along with BBC sitcoms Hi-De_Hi!, Last of the Summer Wine and Only Fools And Horses. The award was won by Hi-De-Hi!. The following year A Fine Romance was given a second nomination in the same category, this time losing out to The Young Ones. Leaver also directed four episodes for the second season of the computer crime thriller Bird of Prey for the BBC and four episodes of the series Mitch starring John Thaw as an investigative reporter.

The BBC series The Detective featured Tom Bell and Mark Eden as senior policemen. Leaver directed all five episodes of the series transmitted 10th May – 7th June 1985 and based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Paul Ferris. Bell played Commander Kenneth Crocker, head of Scotland Yard’s Special Intelligence Branch. Crocker was a moral and patriotic policeman who, on discovering a senior government minister is corrupt, finds his colleagues closing ranks to protect the politician. Crocker decides to investigate the corruption scandal by himself. Leaver later attempted to raise interest in a movie version of the series, but this came to nothing eventually.

He was interviewed by The Stage in July 1985 were he was labelled as a director specialising in action orientated TV series though he declined to acknowledge the term instead “I like to think of myself as a jobbing director and I’ve been very fortunate that during the last five years I’ve had the chance to work with some excellent writers and producers.[5]”

Central Independent Television invited Leaver to direct a couple of episodes of the anthology series Unnatural Causes. The result were the stories ‘Hidden Talents’ (15th November 1986), featuring Tom Bell and Pat Phoenix and written by Lynda La Plante (who had acted in the Beasts episode ‘Special Offer’), and ‘Window, Sir?’ (29th November 1986) which was set in a barber’s shop in a Welsh town. The series also included a Nigel Kneale scripted instalment, ‘Ladies Night’.

Bust was a forgotten London Weekend Television comedy drama which was co-created by Philip Hinchcliffe and had a cast led by Paul Nicholas as a bankrupt businessman. Leaver helped launch the series by directing the first two episodes, ‘Write Off’ (4th September 1987) and ‘Hidden Assets’ (11th September 1987). Prime Suspect (7th and 8th April 1991) is possibly the most celebrated series of Leaver’s later career who acted as producer for the Granada Television mini-series. He was able to cast Tom Bell opposite Helen Mirren’s DCI Jane Tennison trying to investigate a series of murders whilst facing sexism and hostility from her male police colleagues. The series was an outstanding success with both viewers and critics and was nominated in nine BAFTA Awards categories, winning six including Best Drama Serial and Best Actor Awards for Tom Bell, Helen Mirren and Zoe Wannamaker. It was the crowning glory of Leaver’s career.

His follow up series was A Touch of Frost. Starring David Jason the series started in a low key style and quickly gained popularity due to Jason’s portrayal. Leaver acted as producer from the first episode and would continue in this role for fifteen episodes broadcast between 1992 and 1999. He also doubled up as director on four episodes including the first story ‘Care and Protection’ (6th December 1992), season two production ‘Stranger in the House’ (30th January 1994), season three instalment ‘No Refuge’ (22nd January 1995) and an episode of the fourth season, ‘Deep Waters’ (4th February 1996)

An Independent Man was a comedy drama featuring a post-Minder George Cole as an independent county councillor. The seven-part series was produced by Leaver, who also directed two episodes, broadcast June and July 1995. In between producing or directing episodes of Frost Leaver took up an offer to direct two episodes of the BBC’s Hetty Wainthropp Investigates. Leaver’s final directing credits where on two episodes of The Bill – ‘Cover Stories’ (16th November 1999) and ‘Search Me’ (25th May 2000). Leaver also appeared in front of the camera being interviewed about some of his past credits for several television documentaries including Without Walls – ‘The Avengers’ (14th January 1992), Drama Connections – ‘Prime Suspect’ (25th October 2005), Must See TV – ‘The Avengers’ (10th November 2005) and Super Sleuths – ‘A Touch of Frost’ (12th December 2006). Leaver passed away on 13th December 2015 aged 86. He was survived by his second wife, Tania Scott, and their two children as well as four children from his first marriage to Caroline Swinton.

[1] Two Against The Underworld: The Collected Unauthorised Guide To The Avengers Series 1 by Robert McGinlay, Alan Hayes and Alys Hayes. Hidden Tiger Books 2015, page 81.

[2] DVD audio commentary for The Avengers episode ‘Man with Two Shadows’, The Avengers – The Complete Series 3, Optimum Releasing, 2010

[3] “A Certain Kind of Silence” by Bill Edmund, The Stage, Thursday 2^nd July 1964, page 12

[4] “Grasps Essence of Famous Five”, The Stage, Thursday 27^th July 1978, page 15

[5] “Losing Label of Being an Action Director”, The Stage, Thursday 27^th June 1985, page 19