Special Offer in the TV Times

The listing for the episode 'Special Offer' as featured in the Anglia edition of TV Times for the dates 30th October 1976 to 5th November 1976. 

Lynda Marchal (Young Women in Special Offer)

Born as Lynda J Titchmarch on 15th March, 1943 in Newton Le Willows, Lancashire (now part of Merseyside) Marchel attended Streatham House School in Crosby. She trained at RADA and began her professional career under the name of Lynda Marchal. Today she is better known as Lynda La Plante, CBE, the award winning writer of hard hitting TV drama.

When applying to RADA she lied about her age as she was only 16 at the time. She would later reflect on her time at the drama school; “It was awful, I hated every second of it. I was younger then everyone else and so immature. I didn’t even know the facts of life. I remember Ian McShane, who was in the year above me, saying to me in the canteen, ‘You know she’s a lesbian’, about someone else. I had no idea there were homosexuals and lesbians, I was so naïve.[1]” Marchal also had to cope with the additional burden of having dyslexia, though it was not diagnosed until later in her life. “I learnt very early on if I had someone read the lines to me, I was okay. Dyslexia is word blindness but you have an incredible memory to compensate and I’d compensated for so many years as a child.[2]” Amongst her contemporaries at RADA was David Neal who would later appear in “Murrain”.

During her time at RADA she found herself cast in a string of roles playing older and elderly woman. When she challenged this casting with the principle he replied “You’re not a very attractive girl, you’re rather tiny, I don’t think you’ll come into your own until you’re in your forties.” Marchal later reflected on her acting career when interviewed by newspaper the Liverpool Echo in 1978: “I don’t get glamorous roles these days I’m either a frump or a hooker, but I don’t mind. If I’m dolled up I feel a million dollars but put me against a really good looking woman and I’m nothing. I’m a character actress not a leading lady.[3]”

After graduating she undertook work with the Royal Shakespeare Company before making her TV debut as Nurse Brown in the Z Cars episode 'Person Unknown' (14th November 1962). For this she was credited under the name of Lynda Titchmarch. She then returned to the series a year later, this time under the name of Lynda Marchal, playing the role of Janey Hinden in the episode 'Remembrance of a Guest' (6th November 1963). During July 1964 Marchal appeared in the stage farce One for the Pot initially staged at the Whitehall Theatre, London before touring the provinces. Between 1965 and 1967 Marchal was a member of the Liverpool Repertory Theatre having been headhunted by the director of the Liverpool Playhouse, David Scase. A particular highlight of this period was Bill Naughton’s play All in Good Time which was staged at the Liverpool Playhouse during January and February 1965. The play was set in the home of a Lancashire working class family and revolved around the fact that after six weeks the marriage of the younger son had not been consummated much to the concern of his family and the parents of the bride. The production was later adapted for the big screen by Naughton himself under the title The Family Way (1966). Marchal undertook the key role of the bride, Jenny, later played by Hayley Mills in the film.

Marchal’s next Liverpool Playhouse production was the Restoration comedy The Beaux Stratagem during February and March 1965. She was also a cast member of The Playboy of the Western World during March and April 1965 with Anthony Hopkins taking the lead role. Further appearances at the venue included The Scandalous Affair of Mr Kettle and Mrs Moon during May 1965 and a production of Machiavelli’s Mandragola in July. During the Christmas pantomime period of December 1965 and January 1966 she was a cast member of a production of Tom Sawyer. Her association with the theatre continued into 1966 with roles in She Stoops to Conquer over February and March, Mirandolina during April and May and a stage version of Doctor at Sea between June and September. Marchal ended her work with the theatre in early 1967 which saw her take part in a production of Noel Coward’s Present Laughter over January and February and Jean Anouilh’s farce Dinner With the Family staged at the Liverpool Playhouse during February 1967. This was Marchal’s final production with the Playhouse.  

On television during the same period she had a small guest role in two episodes of Coronation Street (23rd and 25th August 1965) before another return to Z Cars to play Marlene Nesbitt in the two-part story 'The Nesbitts Are Coming' (1st and 2nd May 1967). She then returned to the programme only a few weeks later to play a new character, Rita, in the two-part story 'Sheena' (29th and 30th May 1967). Next was a small role in the Armchair Theatre episode 'Marriage and Henry Sunday' (19th August 1967) followed. During October 1967 she appeared in the play Lee Harvey Oswald at the Castle theatre in Farnham playing the Russian wife of Oswald.

BBC Show of the Week was a showcase for various light entertainment stars including Lulu, Sacha Distel and Tony Bennett. The show also offered actors to show themselves in a different light to their regular screen personas. 'Simply Sheila' (7th July 1968) was a platform for Sheila Hancock to demonstrate her comedy and singing skills and Marchal was on hand to support in various sketches. Marchal's stage roles for the year included Angie and Ernie at the Intimate Theatre during December 1968. Her next screen role was in the Out of the Unknown episode '1+1+=1.5' (4th March 1969) with Marchal playing Miss Harvey in a dystopian tale of population control. Life With Johnny was a Tyne Tees musical drama series that starred Cliff Richard as Johnny Brown, a young singer who struggled with various situations and moral dilemmas. The series was designed to help teach young people how to deal with life’s issues with the help of Christianity. Una Stubbs also featured alongside Marchal as Janet in two episodes; 'Johnny Come Home' (15th June 1969) and 'Johnny Faces Facts' (22nd June 1969). The former episode is notable for a rare post-Doctor Who role for William Hartnell as Johnny’s dad. During July and August 1969 Marchal was a cast member of the production Music Hall staged at the Greenwich Theatre. This was an unusual production as it was staged in the theatre’s bar and restaurant whilst the stage was being redeveloped. The cast preformed amongst the tables and chairs of customers and also changed roles on regular basis. The Doctors was an afternoon drama series produced by the BBC and created by Donald Bull. Marchal joined the cast from the first episode (19th November 1969) as the character Molly Dolan and would remain with the series until 15th October 1970, having featured in over fifty episodes.

Marchal was absent from the screen for a few years and concentrated on stage work. April 1972 saw her contribute towards the stage play Qetzalcoati at London’s Roundhouse Theatre. Later her half-hour play With All My Love I Hate You was given a lunchtime presentation at the theatre pub the Act Inn during September 1972. October 1972 saw her as a cast member of The Misanthrope at the Oxford Playhouse. Also in the cast was fellow future Beasts cast member John Rhy-Davies. All Our Saturdays was a Yorkshire Television sitcom starring Diana Dors and Marchal guest starred in a single episode, '100 Years of Outstanding Underthings' (28th February 1973) as Rita da Costa. The episode was directed by Roger Cheveley who must have kept her in mind as he then cast her in a guest role in an episode of another Yorkshire TV sitcom, Hey Brian! (5th June 1973). She made one more appearance in a Yorkshire TV comedy when she appeared in 'Backs to the Wall' (17th January 1974), an episode of Beryl’s Lot.

Marchal began her career as a scriptwriter in late 1973 with eight episodes of the children’s drama series The Kids from 47A whilst in October 1973 Marchal’s first full length play, Wait Till the Son Shines Nellie[4], was staged at the Howff theatre in Dundee. She continued as a stage actress playing Mahalia, the ugliest girl in the world, in Mind Your Head at the Shaw Theatre in London during January and February 1974. Between 1974 and 1975 Marchal was part of the Belgrade repertory company in Coventry. A highlight of her work there was appearing as the character Regan in a production of King Lear opposite Michael Gough as the king during November and December.

During this period she also took the lead role in a production of Calamity Jane during April and May 1975. Her performance was much appreciated by a review in the Coventry Evening Telegraph “Miss Marchal is the sort of comedienne which this country produces only about once a decade. The limitations of her singing voice are nothing when set against the verve, nerve, vitality, timing, drive and flair which proves such an irresistible combination. Brilliant is a word to be used sparingly, but there is total justification for using to describe Miss Marchal’s performance.[5]” On Friday 25th April, 1975 Marchal’s Mini had its back wheels stolen just in time to harvest some publicity for the production of Calamity Jane the following Thursday. The incident was featured in the Coventry Evening Telegraph the next day with Marchal commenting “Everyone seems to make a beeline for my car, wherever I park it. In August I lost my tape deck and cassettes. The next time I came to Coventry, for King Lear, I lost my heated rollers. They ripped off the grille and tried to steal my radio. I have tried every car park in the centre of the city and it has been nothing but parts stolen and damage done.[6]”

August and September 1974 saw her go naked on stage for the role of Lady Godiva in the production The Only True Story of Lady Godiva at The Belgrade. October 1975 saw Marchal engaged in the production The National Theatre at the Open Space theatre in London. Marchal then wrote a further stage play, Billy the Kid, which was staged at the Belgrade Theatre during November and December 1975. The play was advertised as being ‘not suitable for children’. Marchal carefully researched the background to the real-life Wild West outlaw before writing the play as Marchal revealed in an interview with The Coventry Evening Telegraph in November 1975 “I didn’t set out just to explode the myth, I just wanted to do a play about the real Will Bonney. And the more I read and researched the more I realised that the public image was very different from the truth.[7]” The central role was played by two actors during a performance one by Neil Boorman as the real to life psychotic killer and the other by David Bradley representing the legend. Press reaction was mixed with most reviews highlighting the liberal use of swear words. The Birmingham Daily Post was particularly scathing “Despite the efforts of the cast this is the sort of show that one could recommend only to one’s enemies. By the interval I had become envious of that reporter who, on another occasion, made his excuses and left. Duty made me stay and ponder on who was finally to blame for Billy the Kid. I decided the author came high on the list. But only the horse remains entirely blameless.[8]”

After production of Billy the Kid finished Marchal returned to acting on the stage. February until March 1976 saw her cast in The Soul of the White Ant at the Soho Poly theatre. During September and October 1976 Marchal was a cast member of Scribes at the Greenwich Theatre. On television she appeared in a Granada production for the ITV Play strand. 'Our Young Mr Wignall' (17th November 1976) featured Marchal as the character Vera. For the themed anthology series Seven Faces of Woman she appeared in the episode 'She: Anxious Anne' (15th May 1977) as Fritzie Ritz. This was followed by an appearance in the comedic drama anthology Send in the Girls playing another Vera in the episode 'Goosepimples' (12th April 1978). The play was written by David Nobbs and also starred Sharon Duce in a story of two girls taking part in rival promotions on Whitby beach. At the same time 'Goosepimples' was transmitted theatre goers could see Marchal as a cast member of Windsor’s Theatre Royal production of The Luck of the Bodkins by P G Wodehouse. For the gritty drama Out she appeared as Angela in the episode 'A Little Hart to Heart with Miss Bangor' (14th August 1978) and could be seen as Jenny Hiketier in 'Wings of Song' (10th September 1978), an episode of The Sunday Drama.

October 1978 saw her stage career continue when she was cast in The Transfiguration of Benno Blimpie at The Bush theatre. The cast was headed by Robbie Coltrane in the title role. She went onto a lunchtime revue at the theatre pub The King’s Head in London during November 1978. Nashville was devised and narrated by Robert Cushman. Marchal, along with Jeffrey Perry and Joss Ackland, recited and sang humorous verse. Kurt Weill supplied the music. Her most notable screen role for the year was as Eve Fisher in The Sweeney story 'Victims' (14th December 1978). Also in 1978 Marchal married the American Richard La Plante. The marriage lasted eighteen years before they couple divorced.

Her first acting role for 1979 was in the children’s drama series Horse in the House when she played Anya in the two-part storyline 'Strangles' (26th February and 5th March 1979). This was followed with a small role as Cecilia Plasche in the BBC Play for Today 'Coming Out' (10th April 1979) which was headlined by Hywel Bennett. Marchal completed the year with two other guest roles – Jeanette in an episode of the Clive Dunn starring children’s sitcom Grandad (17th October 1979) and as Mrs Smith in an episode of the BBC period drama Penamrric (28th December 1979). As a new decade started Marchal took on the regular role of Tamara Novek for the fifth season of Rentaghost (transmitted from March 1980) and also continued to take on guest roles in established series or single dramas. These guest slots included Mrs Roberts in a London Weekend Television production of Agatha Christie’s Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? (1980), playing Juanita Shervington in The Gentle Touch episode 'Something Blue' (5th September 1980), portraying Viv Copeland in The Professionals instalment 'The Acorn Syndrome' (7th September 1980) and appearing as Mrs Beatty in 'The Fall of the House of Ushworth' (8th December 1980), an episode of the sitcom In Loving Memory. It was while her episode of The Gentle Touch was in production that La Plante wrote a treatment based on a bank robbery which she later pitched to a production company…

She took on a regular role as Muriel Maddocks in the six-party comedy series Coming Home (27th February – 3rd April 1981) for BBC 1. The series portrayed the success and failure of two brothers who are married to two sisters. The cast also included Roger Sloman, Philip Jackson and Sharon Duce. She then continued with guest roles including playing Mrs Pekenham – Walsh in the Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years episode 'In High Places' (20th September 1981) and portraying Lisa Reynolds in the Bergerac story 'Relative Values' (13th December 1981). Also during 1981 she appeared in a Theatre Box production which would lead to a full series. 'Marmalade Atkins in Space' (2nd November 1981) saw Marchal undertake the role of Mrs Atkins, the mother of Marmalade. Charlotte Coleman played the naughtiest schoolgirl in the world and the play was successful enough to have a series commissioned. Marchal next graced the screen with an appearance in Bognor, playing Lady Aubergine in the three part storyline 'Just Desserts' (9th – 23rd March 1982). She could also be seen as Felicity Carilne in the Crown Court case 'Peanuts' (transmitted from 27th April 1982). She returned nearly a year later to the series playing a different role, Belinda Heaton, in the case 'A Proper Man' (transmitted from 22nd February 1983). Marchal also had two small roles in two feature films – Mrs Clement in The Draughtsman’s Contract (1982) and the other role in the adventure film High Road to China (1982) which starred Tom Selleck.

It is her role as Marmalade Atkins long-suffering mother that is the defining acting role for Marchant in the general public’s mind’s eye. Marchal would play the role in Educating Marmalade (25th October 1982 – 3rd January 1983). Her other screen roles during 1983 included The Last Song, a Carla Lane scripted sitcom which featured Marchal in the small role of Gillian in an episode transmitted 1st April 1983. She also featured in the series Partners in Crime appearing as Phyllis Betts in 'The Affair of the Pink Pearl' (16th October 1983). By now her writing career had really took off and she accepted only a handful of further roles before writing became her main form of employment. Widows was a hard-hitting crime drama scripted by Marchal under the now familiar name of Lynda La Plante in which a group of women carry out their deceased husbands plan to rob an armoured car. The six-part series (16th March – 20th April 1983) was commissioned by Verity Lambert at Euston Films for ITV franchise Thames. It became a huge success with both critics and the general public and sequel was quickly commissioned. It also placed her as the first female British crime script writer alongside all male cohorts such as Ian Kennedy Martin and Troy Kennedy Martin

Acting wise she was seen as Mrs Marley in 'Landscape' (28th August 1984), an episode of The Brief, and was Colonel Hernandez in the Bulman episode 'Death of a Hitman' (26th June 1985). Her final screen role was playing Helen in the single drama Once in a Life Time (1988). Widows 2 (3rd April – 8th May 1985) continued the story of the group of female criminals with Marchal delivering a further six episodes for the eager viewing public. For the anthology series Unnatural Causes Marchal then delivered 'Hidden Talents' (15th November 1986) which featured the actor Tom Bell under the direction of Don Leaver who had also overseen the Beasts episode 'The Dummy'. Nigel Kneale had also contributed a script to the series entitled 'Ladies Night'. 'Hidden Talents' also starred Pat Phoenix, in a rare post-Coronation Street screen role, playing the bedridden elderly mother of Bell’s character.

With the success of the Widows series La Plante signed her first book deal with her debut novel The Legacy published by Pan Macmillian in 1987. It became an international bestseller, as did her subsequent novels – The Talisman (1987), Bella Mafia (1990) and Entwined (1993). Marchal’s writing career has far outshone her acting one, making her a household name thanks to her ground breaking crime drama Prime Suspect (7th and 8th April 1991) starring Helen Mirren and Tom Bell. Following transmission on PBS in America La Plante won an Edgar Allen Poe Writer’s Award for her script for Best Mystery TV Episode. With both Widows and Prime Suspect La Plante became one of British televisions most sought after writers. Prime Suspect developed from La Plante noting the lack of senior women officers in such reality TV series as Crimewatch. After contacting the Metropolitan Police she discovered that there were only three female detective chief inspectors (DCI) in the UK at the time, compared to a population of 300 nationwide. Again she deployed her research carefully by interviewing the existing DCIs. The series gathered over fourteen million viewers on first transmission and was a critical hit.

Tom Bell also starred in her next produced script, a Screen One production called 'Seconds Out' (4th October 1992) set in the world of boxing. This was her first script for the BBC and it was followed with a drama series, Civvies (22nd September – 27th October 1992), which followed the lives of a group of former paratroopers returning to civilian life and featured Jason Isaacs and Peter Howitt amongst the regular cast. The Parachute Regiment complained to the BBC about how the Paras were depicted in the series and pointing out many inaccuracies in the script. She then returned to ITV for Prime Suspect 2 (December 1992), sharing the writing credits with Allan Cubitt. She also had time to write and create the mini-series Framed (December 1992) which featured Timothy Dalton, David Morrisey and Timothy West in the cast. La Plante meticulously researched her subject stating she “interviewed supergrasses and I talked to people who had been jailed as a result of supergrasses’ evidence.”[9]

Less successful were the female detective series Seekers (25th and 28th April 1993), starring Brenda Fricker and Josette Simon, and Channel Four drama Comics (6th and 7th July 1993) about a stand-up comedian who witnesses a gangland execution and has to go on the run. As evidence of her success
she was then profiled by Melvyn Bragg in The South Bank Show: Lynda La Plante (14th November 1993). Prime Suspect 3 was next (December 1993). Marchal also created The Lifeboat, a series based around the lives of a Welsh lifeboat crew, writing the first episode, 'Troubled Waters' (27th April 1994), and during May 1994 she appeared in the Channel 4 documentary In The Firing Line where she investigated men’s infatuation with firearms. She then followed up Widows with She’s Out (6th March – 10th April 1995) which continued the story of Dolly Rawlins who had appeared in the previous series. Her own production company, La Plante productions, was responsible for producing The Governor a drama set in a women’s prison. Marchal wrote the entire first season (14th May – 18th June 1995) as well as the last episode of the second season (27th April 1996). Next were a couple of single dramas for the American television networks – co-writing and executive producing The Prosecutors (2nd December 1996) for NBC and cop drama Supply and Demand (5th February 1997) and an adaptation of her own novel, Bella Mafia (16th November 1997), starring Vanessa Redgrave.

She created and wrote Trial and Retribution (19th October 1997) which detailed the discovery of a child’s murder, the ensuing police investigation and trial. The characters created for this drama would continue to solve further cases through a run of mini-series and single dramas up until 2008. For Channel Four she created and wrote the four-part mystery thriller Killer Net (5th – 26th May 1998) about a Brighton-based student who becomes obsessed with a woman he met over the internet. Later on in the year Supply and Demand (1st September – 6th October 1998) was commissioned for a single season with La Plante writing all six episodes.

Mind Games (6th January 2001) was a crime drama about a nun turned criminal profiler investigating the murder of two elderly women. This was also produced by La Plante productions who also oversaw remakes of The Governor and Framed for US TV audiences. The Governor became The Warden (14th December 2004) and featured Ally Sheedy, whilst Framed (13th April 2003) relocated events to New York and featured Sam Neil and Rob Lowe in lead roles. She also produced a pilot based on her Cold Shoulder (2006) series of books which starred Kelly McGillis. During 2001 she gained the recognition of the industry for her contribution to film and television industry. BAFTA awarded her the Dennis Potter Award for her contributions to scriptwriting on television. Previous recipients included Roy Clarke, David Renwick and Tony Marchant. She was also made a fellow of the British Film Institute.

Widows (6th – 27th August 2002) was also remade for American television with an American cast with Marchal scripting the episodes. The plot was changed considerably replacing the robbery with the theft of a famous painting. Widows was also made into a film directed by Steve McQueen in 2018. Prime Suspect was also remade as an American television series which ran for thirteen episodes (22nd September 2011 – 22nd January 2012). Marchal earned a 'created by' credit on the series.

Marchal also created The Commander (16th February 2003) which starred Amanda Redman as police commander Clare Blake. The character would return in a series of single dramas including Virus (10th January 2005), Blackdog (17th January 2005), Blacklight (27th March 2006), The Devil You Know (8th July 2007), The Fraudster (22nd July 2007) and Abduction (10th November 2008). In 2008 Marchal was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to Literature, Drama and to Charity. She also received the TV Spielfilm Award at the International Film and Television Festival Conference in Cologne, German for her adaptation of her novel Above Suspicion. During 2009 Marchal was inducted into the Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame and 2013 she was awarded an Honorary Fellowship with the Forensic Science Society (FSSoc). She was the first non-scientist to be indicted into the society due to her accuracy of forensic science within her work. Her most recent writing credits include the ITV crime thriller Above Suspicion (2009 – 2012) and Prime Suspect 1973 (25th July – 6th April 2017) which detailed the early life and career of Jane Tennyson.

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[1] “Criminal Mastermind” by Mary Comerford, The Stage, Thursday 11^th January 2007, page 37

[2] “Criminal Mastermind” by Mary Comerford, The Stage, Thursday 11^th January 2007, page 37   

[3] “One Role Lynda Really Wants” by Moya Jones, Liverpool Echo, Friday 18^th August 1978, page 6

[4] The spelling is correct

[5]“ Calamity Jane Is Right on Target” by David Isaacs, Coventry Evening Telegraph, Friday 2^nd May 1975, page 18

[6] “What A Calamity For Jane”, The Coventry Evening Telegraph, Saturday 26^th April 1975

[7] “Lynda and the Kid” by David Isaacs, Coventry Evening Telegraph, Friday 14^th November, 1975, page 18

[8] “Arts Review” by James Clayton, Birmingham Daily Post, Friday 21^st November 1975, page 2

[9] “007 Turns Cunning Con Man”, The Liverpool Echo, Friday 22^nd May 1992, page 35

Ysanne Churchman (Joyce in Special Offer)

Churchman was born in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire on 14th May, 1925 to Andrew Churchman and Gladys Dale, both well-known stage and radio performers. Ysanne was educated at Bromley High School and in 1938, aged thirteen, she appeared on the BBC radio series Children’s Hour. The following year she made her TV debut in the BBC TV play Gallows Glorious (8th July 1939). On leaving school she went on to train as a dancer at the recently established Cone-Ripman College and after graduation she found work with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Following this she began to specialise in radio and voice work for film and television productions. It was in this area that she found recognition amongst the public playing Grace in the long-running BBC radio series The Archers. Such was the popularity of her character that Ysanne made dozens of public appearances opening events such as the Marston St Lawrence Garden Fete in June 1953 or Tynemouth Flower Show in July 1955.

The character of Grace was controversially killed off in a fire on the 30th September, 1955, the night of the launch independent television in the UK. Churchman suspected she had been killed off by the producers as she had discovered that some of the cast members were not being paid the proper Equity rates and had voiced her concerns regarding this. Churchman would return to The Archers in the following years voicing five other characters – Jennifer Archer, Barbara Drury, Joan Ilverton, Jocelyn Page and most recently Mary Pound. Following her initial departure from the popular radio soap she did not have to wait long for more work. As one source of income dried up another opened with the advent of commercial television in the UK. Churchman found herself in demand for voice over work for adverts and would contribute in this fashion to a vast array of productions over the years.

Churchman tended to concentrate on radio, television and film roles in her career rather than stage work. After her marriage she gave up working on the stage. In an interview with the Birmingham Daily Post in 1967 she commented on this decision “I gave up the stage – which sounds terrible doesn’t it? – because it would not have fitted in with married life…I adore working in radio because it gives one the chance of being something other than oneself. There is no restriction on account of what one looks like. It is far more fun.[1]” Churchman married Tony Pilgrim, chief BBC engineer for the Midlands area.

As mentioned above her television debut came with the BBC play Gallows Glorious though her next role would have to wait until after the Second World War. Spring, 1600 (26th June 1949) was a one-off comedy drama in which Churchman was cast as the unflatteringly named character Grizzly Fox. This was followed by Craven House (21st February 1950), in which Churchman featured as the character Audrey Custard, and the comedy horror play The Poltergeist (1st April 1950) which had previously been filmed as Things Happen at Night (1948). Her film debut came with an unnamed role in Murder in the Cathedral (1951) adapted by T S Elliot from his own stage play. During 1951 she married her husband Tony and the couple would remain lifelong companions celebrating their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 2001. Pilgrim was responsible for organising outside broadcasts for the BBC and in this capacity had overseen both the coronation of King George VI in 1945 and the 1948 Olympic Games. He was also instrumental in establishing the Royal Television Society and was awarded an MBE in 1992. He died in 2015.

Ysanne next undertook the role of Ruth in the BBC’s production of The Railway Children appearing in three episodes from July 1951. She then contributed to the first episode of the satirical show The Lighter Side, entitled 'Food' (1st August 1951), as well as supplying the voice of Bianca in a Russian feature film version of Othello (1956). Her final role for the year was in the BBC play Pitfall (27th September 1956) playing the role of Carol Armistead. During 1957 she reprised her role of Ruth in another BBC production of The Railway Children which began transmission from March. Churchman was then absent from screens for a few years as she busied herself with voice and radio roles.

Churchman’s next substantial, and notable role, was supplying the voice of Sara in the BBC children’s puppet series Sara and Hoppity. The programme was created and produced by Roberta Leigh and based on a series of books she had written. Fifty two instalments were produced and broadcast between 27th February 1962 and 26th February 1963. At present only the first episode is preserved in the archives. On screen appearances for Ysanne were still rare. During 1964 Churchman could be seen as Mrs Wallace in the soap opera Crossroads and had a small role as a housewife in 'The Spider’s Web' (4th November 1964), an episode of the county council set BBC drama Swizzlewick. She also took a role in the BBC drama anthology Story Parade playing the fabulously named Loona Bimberton in 'The Unbearable Bassington' (8th April 1965), adapted from a story by Saki. She then had a guest role in two episodes of the football drama United! (7th and 9th March 1966) in the role of Helen Wilkinson. Later in the year she returned to the series as Miss Sharpe for a single episode (19th September 1966). Following this she made her debut in Softly Softly portraying Mrs Robins in 'Sleeping Dogs' (30th November 1966).

Rainbow City was a BBC drama about the working and personal life of a Jamaican born solicitor in the city of Birmingham. Churchman played Ann Lawrence in two episodes – 'Beards and Turbans' (26th July 1967) and 'Always on Sunday' (9th August 1967). After this she made her second appearance in an episode of Softly Softly playing Mrs Wright in the story 'The Good Girl' (15th February 1968). 'Hudson’s Way' (18th and 19th March 1968) was a two-part Z Cars storyline which featured Churchman in the role of a barmaid. The episodes are also notable due to an early appearance by future Doctor Who Tom Baker in a guest role.

Having worked with Roberta Leigh on Sarah and Hoppity when production on Space Patrol started Churchman was offered voice work on the puppet series. Churchman voiced the regular characters of Marla and Cassiopeia as well as various supporting voices. A total of 39 episodes were transmitted between April 1963 and July 1968. In front of the cameras Churchman played a nurse in the Boy Meets Girl episode 'Purposes of Love' (22nd November 1968) and appeared as Mrs Bainbridge in the Peter Cushing starring Sherlock Holmes story 'The Solitary Cyclist' (9th December 1968).

She was still much in demand for her voice over and radio work and so screen appearances became very rare over the next few years, often just once or twice each year. She returned to the police drama Softly Softly playing Mrs Smedley in the episode 'One Thing Leads to Another' (16th October 1969) and played Nanny in the Thirty-Minute Theatre production 'Whispers' (4th April 1970). However, this was another voice only role with Churchman providing her dialogue as a disembodied voice over an intercom. For the Omnibus documentary series she also provided voice over work for 'The Passionate Hunter' (23rd May 1971), a profile of the composer Giacomo Puccini. She was seen in front of the cameras for two different roles in two Play For Today productions during the year; playing a hospital nurse, Sister Thompson, in 'When The Bough Breaks' (6th May 1971) and a factory worker in 'Skin Deep' (25th November 1971). For the ITV Sunday Night Theatre production 'Consequences' (18th June 1972) she had a small role as Lady Number 1.

Churchman supplied her vocal talents to a Jon Pertwee era Doctor Who adventure, 'The Curse of Peladon' (29th January – 19th February 1972), when she was cast as the voice of the alien Alpha Centuri, a hermaphrodite hexapod appearing green in skin colour with a single large eye, six arms and a squeaky high pitched voice. Stuntman Stuart Fell wore the actual monster costume on screen. She did appear on screen in the Softly Softly: Task Force episode 'Little Acorns' (31st January 1973) as Mrs Brady before Jon Pertwee’s Doctor Who revisited the planet of Peladon in 'The Monster of Peladon' (23rd March – 27th April 1974). Churchman was on hand to once again give the character a voice. She was then called upon to lend her voice to the giant spiders in Pertwee’s final Doctor Who story 'The Planet of the Spiders' (4th May – 8th June 1974).

Her next role was another voice over part supplying a woman’s voice in an episode of Sadie, It’s Cold Outside (26th May 1975), a Thames Television sitcom written by Jack Rosenthal. Back in front of the cameras Churchman could be seen as Heloise in the first episode of a BBC production of Madame Bovary (10th October 1976). As well as her role as Joyce in 'Special Offer' Churchman could also be seen as Mrs Doan in 'Master of Many Parts' (10th December 1976), an episode of the historical drama Brensham People, directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark who had chilled many viewers with his Ghost Story for Christmas productions. She also supplied various voices for the English language dub of the French animated feature film The Twelve Tasks of Asterix (1976).

The year of 1978 would see Churchman fill a string of small supporting roles in productions such as the dystopian science fiction thriller 1990 – 'What Pleases The Prince' (10th April 1978) as a clerk, a typing teacher in the People Like Us episode 'Breakout' (28th April 1978), a motorway services waitress in One Of These Nights I’m Gonna Get an Early Day (16th October 1978) and playing the simply credited “woman” in the Shoestring instalment 'Knock for Knock' (7th October 1979). A rare film appearance was next with the role of magistrate in the bleak Prostitute (1980).

On television she had a supporting role as Edith Hanks in an episode of We, The Accused (8th October 1980). However, it was her voice work that she was still widely known for and so when Play For Today made a rare foray into the realms of science fiction, and the voice for a computer was required, Churchman was approached. The result was the voice of Soo, a computer used by a time traveller from the future in 'The Flipside of Dominick Hide' (9th December 1980). She also supplied the voice of a radio announcer in the bizarre (some would say tedious) single drama Artemis 81 (29th December 1980). 'Another Flip for Dominick' (14th December 1982) was a sequel to the previous Play For Today to feature the eponymous time traveller and Churchman once again supplied the voice of the computer. Her final role of the year was as Mrs Parkes in the one-off BBC children’s fantasy drama Ghost in the Water (31st December 1982).

The next decade saw Churchman take on small roles in a variety of the programmes including Lilly in the biographical drama Amy (2nd January 1984), playing the mouse in the first episode of Barry Lett’s production of Alice in Wonderland (5th January 1986), voice work for the animated drama David Macauley: Pyramid (1988) and being seen as Mrs Grimshaw in the Screenplay production 'Starlings' (28th September 1988). She was also cast as Mrs Atterbow in the final episode of Dennis Potter’s Lipstick on Your Collar (28th March 1993). Churchman officially retired in 1993, though she would still find herself making the occasional return to radio or television. Her penultimate television appearance was a small supporting role as a woman in the street in the first episode of a HTV production of Oliver Twist (28th November 1999).

In 2015 the Radio 4 drama Dead Girls Tell No Tales dramatized the events leading up to the death of Churchman’s character Grace Archer in the radio soap opera The Archers. Her final role to date, at the grand age of 91, has been to return to her Doctor Who character Alpha Centauri for the Peter Capaldi era adventure 'Empress of Mars' (10th June 2017).

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[1] “The Many Voices of Ysanne Churchman”, Birmingham Daily Post, Tuesday 21^st March 1967, page 4

 

Sue Le Cash (Wardrobe Supervisor for Special Offer)

Sue Le Cash attended Saint Martin’s School of Art in London specialising in fashion and after graduating she decided her interests lay within the area of designing for theatre and musicals. After work designing for local rep theatre Le Cash successfully applied for a position within ATV as it geared up to become a franchise broadcaster on ITV.

Le Cash was assigned the role of wardrobe supervisor working on such light entertainment productions as the music programme Showtime (1968) and Burt Bacharah and Associates (1972). She progressed to costume designer and by the 1970s she was handling the design chores for a variety of drama products at ATV including the anthology series Thriller (1974), Edward the Seventh (1975) and a live action version of Peter Pan (1976) starring Mia Farrow. She won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Costume Design for a Limited Series or a Special for her work on Edward the Seventh (1975). Her episode of Beasts, 'Special Offer', came in the same year as working on the hugely successful and popular The Muppet Show (1976- 1980). Her later credits include sitcom A Sharp Intake of Breath (1978) and quiz show Family Fortunes (1982 – 1983).

Her career took her to work within American television at Buena Vista Home Entertainment, a distribution company owned by The Walt Disney Company and through this connection she was offered a position at Euro Disney. She started work in January 1992, prior to the theme park being opened in April, as the head of the Disneyland Paris Costume Department (1992 – 2011). Her duties included managing a team of dressers and costumers and supervising the production of costumes for all aspects of entertainment within Disneyland including bringing Disney characters to life. Le Cash retired in 2011.

TV Credits
1968 Showtime
1972 Burt Bacharah and Associates
1973 Thriller
1974 Julie and Jackie: How Sweet It Is
1975 Edward the King
1976 Peter Pan, Beasts – “Special Offer”
1976 – 1980 The Muppet Show
1977 Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas
1978 A Sharp Intake of Breath
1982 – 1983 Family Fortunes

Roger Allan (Production Designer for Special Offer)

Born as Roger Glenmor Allan on 26th May 1940 in London Allan was active as a television production designer from the late 1960s with work on the arts programme Tempo and the Thames Television comedy drama The Queen Street Gang (1968). He moved onto be the main designer for the first season of the Sid James and Victor Spinetti starring sitcom Two in Clover (1969) as well as contributing to episodes of Dear Mother…Love Albert (1969) and Best of Enemies (1969). As well as sitcoms Allan also worked on tough drama series such as Callan – 'Once A Big Man, Always A Big Man' (19th March 1969) and several episodes of Special Branch. He completed the year by working on the Christmas special Carry on Christmas (24th December 1969).

Allan entered the new decade with work on the comedy series A Present for Dickie (1970), a vehicle for the talents of Dickie Henderson. The titular present just happened to be an elephant called Mini who has to live inside Henderson’s house… Allan then applied his talents to the eight episode period drama Smith (March – April 1970) and returned to comedy with Carry on Again Christmas (24th December 1970) which was based on the story of Treasure Island. Allan also designed two episodes of Armchair Theatre during the year; 'The Dolly Scene' (3rd November 1970) and 'The Company Man' (6th November 1970).

1971 and1972 saw a run of work on high rated drama series including 'Sugar and Spice' (12th January 1971), an episode of the anthology thriller series Shadows of Fear, episodes of Public Eye, two Armchair Theatre instalments and an episode of Van der Valk. After this Allan had a run of credits on children’s or comedy series with credits on episodes of Rainbow, The Benny Hill Show, All Star Comedy Carnival and Father Dear Father. He also toiled on the afternoon drama series Harriet’s Back in Town during 1973.

He made his final Armchair Theatre contribution with the episode 'According to the Rules' (3rd September 1974) directed by Piers Haggard who would later helm the final Quatermass TV series. He also worked on an episode of police drama Hunter’s Walk – 'Villain' (6th May 1974). 1976 seems to be the final year that Allan worked on television. His credits included six episodes of ATV’s period drama Clayhanger and a further episode of Hunter’s Walk – 'Missing' (3rd August 1976) which was directed by Richard Bramall who had also directed the Beasts episode 'Special Offer'. The Beasts episode appears to be his last credit as a television production designer and it was certainly a high mark to end a career on.


TV Credits
1968 Tempo – “The Actor and the Role” ( and 5 more episodes), The Queen Street Gang
1969 Callan – “Once A Big Man Always A Big Man”, Two in Clover, Best of Enemies, Albert! – “The Interview”, Special Branch – “Troika” / “The Promised Land” / Care of Her Majesty”, Carry on Christmas , Dear Mother… Love Albert
1970 A Present for Dickie, Smith, Carry on Again Christmas, Armchair Theatre - “The Dolly Scene” / “The Company Man”
1970 – 1971 Never Mind the Quality Feel the Width
1971 Shadows of Fear – “Sugar and Spice”, Public Eye – “Slip Home in the Dark” / “Transatlantic Cousins”, Armchair Theatre – “Competition”
1972 Van der Valk – “Thicker Than Water”, Rainbow, The Benny Hill Show, All Star Comedy Carnival, Armchair Theatre – “A Touch of the Victorians”, Father Dear Father
1973 Father Dear Father, Harriet’s Back in Town
1974 Armchair Theatre – “According to the Rules”, Hunter’s Walk – “Villain”, Thriller - “One Deadly Owner”, Tonight With Danny La Rue
1975 Thriller – “Murder Motel” / “If It’s a Man Hang Up”
1976 Clayhanger, Hunter’s Walk – “Missing”, Beasts – “Special Offer”

Jane Williams (Customer in Special Offer)

Biographical and career details are scarce for Jane Williams. She was born in Oldham as Jane Valerie Williams on 11th November 1939 and appeared in Two Plays written by Alan Pearce and performed at the Little Theatre Club during September 1968. The second of the single act plays, 'This and That', featured Williams in the cast as Mrs Burns. This was followed by playing Gladys Wurtzer in horror comedy farce Look Out, It’s Behind You presented at the Little Theatre Club in London during November 1968. At the same venue this was followed by a production of the Raymond Bantock play The Love of Four Women during December 1968. She was a cast member of the lunchtime performance of Jean Cocteau’s Duet for One Voice at the Act Inn during August 1973. The performance was produced by the theatre company Recreation Ground.
 
Her television roles are sparse. She often appeared in small supporting roles which included the ATV single drama Death of an Informer (17th February 1976) which dramatized the real life murder of Kenneth London in 1974. Williams played a solicitor’s clerk. She was cast as Louise in the Thriller story 'Sleepwalker' (10th April 1976) prior to her appearance in 'Special Offer'. Her final television appearance was as Linda in the first episode of the comedy series Pictures (11th February 1983).

Williams passed away on 17th January, 2015 in Wimbledon aged 75.

Jean Hardwicke (Customer in Special Offer)

The petite 5’4” Hardwicke was born in 1921 on Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk as Jean Duff Hardwicke and was the niece of Sir Cedric Hardwicke, a noted stage and film actor. Sir Cedric persuaded her to give up an early interest in a career as a ballet dancer for one as an actor. She trained at RADA and graduated in 1940. During the Second World War she was an active member of Civil Defence. 

Her acting career began in earnest after the end of the Second World War. The majority of her work would be on the stage with a handful of film and TV credits in small and supporting roles. Her early stage work included a touring production of Call Home the Heart headlined by noted actress Sybil Thorndike during September 1946. Her television debut came the following year with a BBC production of A A Milne’s The Ugly Duckling (24th April 1947) playing Dulcibella. At the start of 1949 she joined the Midland Theatre Company and her debut for the company came with a production of Noel Coward’s Present Laughter which also included Roger Delgaldo and Graham Stark in the cast. This was followed by a production of Bernard Shaw’s The Apple Cart in February 1949.

She next appeared on screen in an episode of the magazine programme Kaleidoscope (29th June 1951) playing Lillian in a dramatic segment entitled 'Fools Rush In'. Hardwicke then appeared in a couple of crime dramas for the independent British film company Nettleford Films – The Broken Horseshoe (1953) and Operation Diplomat (1953. Her theatre work saw her attached to the Northampton Repertory Theatre for several productions including Sweethearts and Wives during June 1953 in the lead role of Martha Handsford. The season continued with To Sup with the Devil in early July 1953, Little Women and Love’s A Luxury in August 1953 and The Offending Hand by R F Delderfield during September 1953. Local newspaper the Northampton Mercury held her performance in high regard “As the young thug’s sister, Jean Hardwicke gives the easy, gentle rendering that her role demands – until the final scene. And then, in the climax which comes almost as a shock because of its intensity, Miss Hardwicke snatches the acting honours brilliantly and convincingly.[1]” Later Northampton productions took in The Lady from Edinburgh during early October 1953 and the murder mystery Laura during December 1953. The local newspaper, the Northampton Mercury, was again full of praise once more for Hardwicke’s performance stating “All round it is a gripping performance. Jean Hardwicke as the girl who comes back from the dead is as alternately charming, mysterious and suspect as the plot demands.[2]”

Hardwicke’s next television appearance was 'The Inward Eye' (10th November 1955), an episode of drama anthology series London Playhouse. The cast also included future Doctor Who William Hartnell. Over a year later she appeared in the BBC single drama Romantic Chapter (17th January 1957) in the role of Valeria. On stage she was cast in a supporting role as a scullery maid for a production of Jean Anouilh’s Restless Heart which was headlined by Mai Zetterling and Donald Pleasence at the Royal Theatre, Brighton during February 1957. During the 1957 Edinburgh Festival she could be seen in a production of Man of Distinction at the Lyceum, Edinburgh.

Back on TV she appeared as Miss Cartwright in the Emergency Ward 10 episode transmitted 10th August 1962. Hardwicke then shared billing with 'During Barty’s Party' star Elizabeth Sellars and distinguished actor Marius Goring in an episode of the romance anthology Love Story, 'In Loving Memory' (28th July 1964), written by Brian Clemens. Also in the cast was Ruby Head who would appear as the tea lady in the Beasts episode 'The Dummy'.

Apart from the above TV credits Hardwicke spent most of her career in theatre. She had a small role as a milk bar assistant in the Spyder’s Webb episode 'Rev Counter' (14th April 1972). Her role as a Briteways customer in 'Special Offer' appears to have been her final screen appearance.

Harwicke died on 12th August, 2016 in London at the age of 95.

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[1] “R F Delderfield Scores With The Offending Hand”, Northampton Mercury, Friday 11^th September 1953, page 7

[2] “Another Success for John Scott”, Northampton Mercury, Friday 6^th November 1953, page 3

Wensley Pithey (Mr Liversedge in Special Offer)

Wensley Ivan Frederick William Pithey was a South African born character actor who had a long career in film, television and stage. He was born in Cape Town on 21st June 1914 and attended the University of Cape Town studying music and drama. He made his stage debut at the age of twelve playing Herbert in the Shakespeare play King John and toured South African venues playing in excerpts and amateur productions. Whilst studying at Cape Town he entered a contest to find a new radio announcer which he subsequently won. This led him to land a job at the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation after he had graduated.

In 1935 he made his professional stage debut in a production of Shakespeare’s Henry IV for the Little Theatre in Cape Town. Further stage productions whilst still in South Africa include Six Characters in Search of an Author, The Merry Wives of Windsor, George Washington Slept Here and The Wind of Heaven. In 1939 he was made the director of the University of Cape Town theatre and toured Brazil and Hong Kong with productions. He also became a popular presence in radio plays.

He immigrated to the UK in 1947, tempted by potential work in the post-war British film industry, and carved a career playing characters that were often older than his real age. Thick set, and usually sporting a moustache, he quickly established himself in roles as hard working men, policemen, officials or hard headed businessmen (his role in Beasts capitalises on these character roles). Later in his career he became well known for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in four different productions; TV series Edward and Mrs Simpson (1978), Ike: The War Years (1979), Suez 1956 (1979) and F.D.R.: The Last Year (1980).

On arriving in England Pithey found work with the Manchester Library Theatre repertory company which led to his West End theatre debut with Odet’s Rocket to the Moon. Touring work followed before a spell at the Bristol Old Vic theatre in such productions as The Admirable Crichton and As You Like It. When Pithey broke into film and television acting he continued to work on the stage throughout the rest of his career.

Between 1961 and 1976 he appeared in a series of adverts for the Tchibo coffee company. Dressed in a black suit with a homburg hat he became well known as “der Tchibo Kaffee – Experte” who travelled to plantations in far off countries, accompanied the coffee as it was transported by sea and visited roasting facilities. He was coffee personified to the German general public and even to this day he is still closely associated with the brand in Germany. In January 1968 Pithey was interviewed by The Daily Mirror on the role “Five years ago I was told that someone was coming over from a German advertising agency looking for a fat man,” says Pithey who weighs 15 and half stone. “The German saw me, said: “Just the man” – and I’ve been appearing as a coffee expert in commercials ever since. My little moustache seems to intrigue them – I’m one of the few faces on German TV with a moustache. They’re not seen very often and you can guess why.[1]”

Pithey started a five decade long screen career with an uncredited role as an opera house attendant in the British period drama The Mark of Cain (1947). This inauspicious debut was followed by further small roles in London Belongs To Me AKA Dulcimer Street (1948) as an air raid warden and an uncredited role as a vicar in the comedy It’s Hard To Be Good (1948). Next was a small role as a jailer in the Cromwellian era set comedy Cardboard Cavalier (1949), a vehicle for forgotten music hall comedian Sid Field. His TV debut came with the BBC single drama The Gentle People (17th May 1949) playing a judge. Stage work for the period included a revival of Anna Christie in Manchester during January 1949 following a tour of the Welsh coalfields sponsored by the Arts Council. Later he appeared in Until The Thaw which debuted at the Palace Theatre, Plymouth in September 1949 before transferring to the West End. The play was produced by Reginald Tate, the first actor to play the role of Professor Bernard Quatermass.

Back in the bustling British film industry Pithey had appearances in the comedy drama Your Witness (1950) and the crime drama Guilt Is My Shadow (1950) which also featured Elizabeth Sellars, who would go on to appear in the Beasts episode 'During Barty’s Party', amongst the cast. By now Pithey was appearing in West End theatre works such as Captain Carvallo at the Theatre Royal during March 1950, a version of Moliere’s Tartuffle at the Lyric, Hammersmith during June 1950 and The Seven Sleepers at His Majesty’s Theatre during July 1950 in the role of the Bishop of Sorrento.

His first regular television role came with a BBC version of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women (12th December 1950 – 23rd January 1951) when Pithey undertook the role of Mr James Laurence. Also during January he appeared as the character Snooks in the singe drama The Powder Monkey (20th January 1951) and popped up in a single episode of the BBC family drama The Man in Armour, 'Play Acting' (7th March 1951), and in the second episode of the period adventure series Midshipman Barney (3rd July 1951). Pithey made his debut appearance in a BBC Sunday Night Theatre with the production 'Skipper Next To God' (7th October 1951) which was based on a play written by Jan de Hartog.

He returned to cinema with an uncredited role in the romantic drama The Woman’s Angle (1952) and followed this with a pair of comedy films; Brandy For The Parson (1952) as a circus owner and Father’s Doing Fine (1952) in an uncredited role as a policeman. Pithey completed his credits for the year with the role of Sid the barman in the Hammer Films crime noir Lady in the Fog AKA Scotland Yard Inspector (1952). Theatre work for the year included Boule de Suif at the New Boltons theatre during April 1952 and The Trial of Mr Pickwick at the Westminster Theatre during May 1952 alongside Bartlett Mullins and Peter Copley.

His only appearance on film during 1953 was as a policeman (he would play many more in the years to come) in the Ealing comedy The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953). The rest of the year Pithey made several television appearances including playing Martineau in the BBC crime thriller Little Red Monkey (24th January 1953), headlining as Tom Pascoe in the BBC Wednesday Theatre episode 'For Want of A Nail…' (13th May 1953), portraying Mr Rogers in the single drama Badger’s Green (1st September 1953) and being cast as Mr Sampson in the play Fortune House (19th November 1953). His main role for the year also gave him a unique claim to fame. Pithey became the first actor to play Friar Tuck on British television when he took on the role for a BBC adaptation of Robin Hood (17th March – 21st April 1953). Playing the eponymous hero was Patrick Troughton who also became the first actor to play the role on UK TV. The role would benefit Pithey the following year as he was about to have his busiest period on television ever.

1954 started with an appearance playing Mr Parsons in 'Ragged Knights' (12th January 1954), an episode of the BBC drama series A Castle and Sixpence, and continued with the one off comedy drama Fool’s Paradise (23rd February 1954) in the role of Jarvis Brook. Next was the role of headmaster Doctor Lovibond in Whistle for Silence (11th March 1954) followed by role as an commandant in the single drama Let Me Ever Escape Them (2nd April 1954). He was cast as John Shakespeare for the biographical drama Tygers Heart (22nd March 1954) which retold the life of William Shakespeare. For the forgotten children’s period drama The Gentle Falcon he had a small role as an innkeeper in the second episode (20th July 1954). His final TV appearance for the year was in the prestigious single drama Montserrat (14th September 1954) playing Salas Ina amongst a cast that included Denholm Elliott and Donald Pleasence. Film credits for the year include an uncredited role as a police sergeant in the crime drama The Diamond AKA The Diamond Wizard (1954) and a return to the adventures of Robin Hood for the Hammer Films production The Men of Sherwood Forest (1954). Credited as 'Winsley Pithy' he did not play Friar Tuck, but instead took a different role as the character Hugo. He could also be seen playing Sam in the period romantic comedy Isn’t Life Wonderful AKA Uncle Willie’s Bicycle Shop (1954).

His career continued the following year with the one off BBC rural comedy drama Barnet’s Folly (22nd February 1955) as well as two episodes of the anthology series Douglas Fairbanks Jnr Presents filmed in the UK – 'Flight One Zero One' (29th June 1955) as an airport official and 'Enchanted Doll' (20th July 1955) playing the role of Jim Carter in a play adapted from a short story by Paul Gallico.

Moby Dick Rehearsed (1955) was a recording of the play within a play directed by Orson Wells and staged during June and July 1955 at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London. The play had a fantastic cast which included Wells, Christopher Lee, Kenneth Williams, Joan Plowright, Patrick McGoohan, Gordon Jackson and Peter Sallis. Welles filmed the production with the original cast at the Scala Theatre and Hackney Empire with the hope of sales to US TV networks. However, Welles was dissatisfied with the rushes and as a result abandoned filming despite having captured around and hour and quarter of footage. The uncompleted film is now consider lost with no record of the original footage. Pithey undertook the role of a middle aged actor who plays the character Stubbs in the play within the play.

For television Pithey completed roles in two episodes of the early cop show Fabian of the Yard; 'The Golden Peacock' (20th April 1955) and 'Cocktail Girl' (30th January 1956). For the BBC he featured as Brother Jordan in the half hour single drama Our Lady’s Tumber (30th March 1956). Pithey then made his debut in an ITV Play of the Week production when he took on the role of Detective Inspector Pember in the episode 'Ten Minute Alibi' (14th May 1956). He had a small role in the second episode of a BBC production of David Copperfield (5th October 1956) as Mr Tungay and this was followed by his second appearance in a BBC Sunday Night Theatre episode, 'Pillars of Society' (25th November 1956), based on a Henrik Ibsen play. Tiger in the Smoke (1956) was a British film noir directed by Roy Ward Baker based on a novel by Margery Allingham. Pithey was cast as Detective Sergeant Pickett. He also had a small uncredited appearance in the crime thriller film You Can’t Escape (1956). Assignment Foreign Legion was an adventure TV series made by the independent production company Bartley Productions. Pithey appeared in the episode 'The Richest Man in the Legion' (8th February 1957) in the role of Captain Mercier.

 

Film work for 1957 included playing Sam the poacher in the comedy film Doctor At Large (1957), crime drama Kill Me Tomorrow (1957), British noir thriller The Long Haul (1957) as Inspector Lane, an uncredited cameo as a Brigadier in Blue Murder at St Trinians (1957) and the bona fide classic Hell Drivers (1957) as the ill-fated Pop. His third, and final, appearance in a BBC Sunday Night Theatre production came with the episode 'Jonathan North' (19th May 1957) with a small role as Pollard-Jones. Next was another policeman role for the one-off BBC drama The Amorous Goldfish (30th May 1957) playing Police Sergeant Pritchard.

Overseas Press Club – Exclusive! was an anthology series based on the premise of a London club for the world’s leading newspaper reporters. Each week one of the reporters would recount a true story that they discovered during their investigative work. Pithey appeared in the instalment 'Santa Claus in a Jeep' (27th July 1957) as Father Tsouderos. Pithey’s most prominent role since the start of his career came with the role of Detective Inspector Charlesworth in the BBC crime drama Mister Charlesworth (4th September – 9th October 1957). Each week, along with his sidekick Sergeant Spencer (played by Nigel Davenport), would solve cases and catch criminals. The production was popular with viewers and spawned several sequels. Sadly the series is now sadly lost from the BBC archives.

Pithey’s second role for an instalment of the ITV Play of the Week was as Mr Read in “The Guinea Pig” (30th October 1957). Fresh from this appearance Pithey was cast in a guest role as Mr Vincent Crummles in the fourth episode of a BBC adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby (8th November 1957). After this he joined the ITV crime drama Shadow Squad to play Inspector Smith in the two part storyline 'The Missing Cheese”=' (28th November and 2nd December 1957). 1958 started with Pithey reprising his role as Inspector Charlesworth, along with Nigel Davenport as Sergeant Spence, for the crime drama Big Guns (1st January – 5th February 1958). This series is also missing from the archives. Pithey stayed with the BBC for his next TV role with a guest role in 'Buddy' (7th March 1958), an episode of the drama series Caxton’s Tales. He also popped up in the BBC biographical drama The Diary of Samuel Pepys (7th March – 13th June 1958) as Viscount Brouncker opposite Peter Sallis as Pepys. Children’s drama series The Firm of Girdlestone featured Pithey in its first two episodes, 'A Dangerous Promise' (24th June 1958) and 'Ruin Threatens' (1st July 1958), as Doctor Dimsdale. The ITC co-production with American TV, The New Adventures of Charlie Chan, featured Pithey in the episode 'Safe Deposit' (8th April 1958). He was then cast in another ITC adventure series, Ivanhoe, as the Earl of Pembroke in the episode 'The Masked Bandits' (7th September 1958).

He was also in an episode of the obscure suspense anthology series Target, appearing alongside David Graham and Adrienne Corri, in the instalment 'The Clean Kill' (19th September 1958). Pithey ended the year as he began, in the role of Inspector Charlesworth. Charlesworth At Large (16th August – 20th September 1958) saw the role of Sergeant Spence recast with Nigel Davenport replaced by Tony Church. Pithey also found time to make his debut appearance in an episode of Armchair Theatre with the instalment 'The Greatest Man in the World' (9th November 1959). Pithey was cast as Frank Evans in an intriguing story about the first American man on the moon who dies in an accident on his return to Earth. Given a prestigious funeral only the president and a few high ranking officials know what type of man he was. Donald Pleasence could be seen as the president whilst Patrick McGoohan played his chief advisor Jack Smurch.

During 1959 Pithey guest starred in an episode of the crime drama Dial 999, '24 Hours' (20th July 1959) and an episode of the BBC period drama The Last Chronicle of Barset, 'How Did He Get It?' (30th January 1959), in the role of Mr Walker. His next ITV Play of the Week appearance came with a version of the Agatha Christie play 'Ten Little Niggers' (13th January 1959) when Pithey played William Blore, his by now customary role as a detective. He was once again cast as a police sergeant for his role in the Terence Young directed film Serious Charge (1959) before reprising his popular role as Inspector Charlesworth for his final appearance as the character in the succinctly titled Charlesworth (4th April 1959 – 5th September 1959) which ran for an impressive 22 episodes. This would be the last time Pithey undertook the role.

As a new decade dawned Pithey continued to be a popular film and television actor starting with the role of Mr Moffat in a two-part storyline for Probation Officer (4th and 11th January 1960) and continuing with his second Armchair Theatre role in the production 'The Girl in the Market Square' (20th March 1960) which saw him cast as Doctor Fenwick. Pithey made two appearances in ITV Play of the Week during 1960. The first was as Lapshin in the production 'In Search of Happiness' (19th January 1960) whilst the second was as 'Gilchrist in The Girl in the Window' (20th December 1960).

Pithey, Edward Woodward, Ewen Solon, Patrick Troughton and Rupert Davies were amongst the cast of The True Mistery of the Passion (sic) (14th April 1960) produced by the BBC to celebrate Easter. More television guest spots followed with Pithey featuring in episodes of Yorky, 'What’s in a Name?', (31st May 1960) and Armchair Mystery Theatre, 'The Man with a Feather in His Hat' (21st August 1960), which reunited him with Donald Pleasence. Pithey also dabbled in comedy roles with the role of George Potter in 'Unlucky Strike' (10th September 1960), the opening episode of the fourth season of The Larkins. 'The Four Dutchmen' (4th October 1960) was the opening instalment of a new season of anthology drama series The Somerset Maugham Hour. Pithey appeared as one of the eponymous Dutchmen. He was then seen as a cast member of the Granada Television play The Rag (20th December 1960).

Film roles for the year included an uncredited cameo as a police superintendent in Make Mine Mink (1960), playing a police chief constable in The Pure Hell of St Trinians (1960) and a small role as Jim Adams in the crime drama Snowball (1960), which marked the debut of actor Dennis Waterman. Pithey was also still extremely busy on stage with notable engagements including playing Sir Peter in a revival of The School For Scandal in Leatherhead during October 1960 and The Maimed staged at the Royal Court during December 1960 in the role of Senator Bart Harmse. He completed the year with a role in the BBC’s production of Persuasion (30th December 1960 – 13th January 1961) playing Mr Musgrove.

1961 would see Pithey very active on television starting with An Enemy of the People (17th – 31st January 1961) which was a BBC Schools drama series based on the novel by Henrik Ibsen. Pithey featured as the newspaper editor Hovstad alongside Douglas Wilmer as the Mayor of a Norwegian coastal town in 1882. Next was a guest role in 'The Slippery Deck' (3rd February 1961), an episode of the police drama No Hiding Place, followed by the Dixon of Dock Green episode 'The Glass of Fury' (25th March 1961).

Pithey was reunited with Patrick McGoohan for his appearance as Senor Lazar in the Danger Man story 'The Hired Assassin' (30th April 1961) before spoofing his police roles in the Harry Worth comedy series Here’s Harry by playing a policeman in the episode 'The Bicycle' (4th May 1961) dealing with Worth and his missing bicycle. Pithey then had a small, but pivotal role, as a hotel receptionist in the ITV Television Playhouse production 'The Reception' (18th May 1961) before appearing in the legal drama Boyd Q C playing Mr Woodhurst in the instalment 'The Needle Match' (24th May 1961). The guest roles continued apace with Pithey playing Frederick Hall in the Deadline Midnight episode 'The Unforgiven' (9th September 1961), which also featured future Beasts actor Glyn Houston in the lead role of newspaper editor Mike Grieves. Pithey’s next roles were explorer Davey Preston in the Sir Francis Drake episode 'The Lost Colony of Virginia' (19th November 1961) and Colonel Von Schwendi in the BBC Sunday Night Play production 'The Judge and His Hangman' (17th December 1961). His main TV role for the year was playing the chief police inspector in the BBC crime drama Jacks and Knaves (16th November – 7th December 1961).

The following year was not as busy for Pithey on television and he undertook a couple of film roles including Mr O in The Barber of Stamford Hill (1962), a remake of an ITV Television Playhouse production, and appearing as Mr Coulter in the crime drama The Boys (1962). Pithey was credited as 'Wensley Athey' for this role. On stage he was cast in Peter Ustinov’s play Photo Finish during April and May 1962. The play’s central character Sam was played by different actors to portray different stages of Sam’s lifetime. Pithey played the elderly Sam whilst Ustinov played the younger Sam.

Television roles for 1962 included being Mr Robbins in the Scales of Justice episode 'The Guilty Party' during November, ITV Play of the Week 'The Casualties' (21st August 1962) as a militant trade unionist facing the sack and appearing as comedic character Barrington Blizard, QC in the children’s entertainment series Playbox (4th October 1962 – 7th March 1963) which alternated weekly with Crackerjack. The programme introduced Tony Hart and his artwork to the viewing public, though both Playbox and Crackerjack were hosted by Eamon Andrews. After appearing in the ITV Play of the Week production 'The Search' (26th February 1963) more guest roles followed in top rated shows including the anthology series Suspense playing Bradwell, a gang leader who kidnaps a doctor, in 'Killer Lie Waiting' (8th April 1963), European President Ruschek in The Saint episode 'In The Picture' (8th June 1863) and as Inspector Claude Teal in The Saint escapade 'Starring The Saint' (26th September 1963). He also appeared in his penultimate ITV Play of the Week, 'Three Sisters' (3rd September 1963), playing Doctor Chebutikin. For the BBC half hour drama anthology Teletale he played Professor Bur-Malottke in 'Doctor Murke’s Collection of Silences' (15th November 1963) based on a short story by Heinrich Boll and also starring hellraiser actor Nicol Williamson in an early role.

Guest parts continued with the role of Bill Ingram for The Plane Makers episode 'The Homecoming' (17th March 1964) and the comedy show Sykes and a Band (7th April 1964) as yet another policeman. For the Victorian era detective series Sergeant Cork he was cast as Sir Hector Bundy in the episode 'The Case of the Hero’s Return' (6th June 1964). Call The Gun Expert (2nd July – 6th August 1964) was a BBC police documentary drama in which real-life ballistics expert Robert Churchill, played by Wesley Pithey, investigated historical crimes. Churchill was a pioneering expert called upon by Scotland Yard to help solve murders involving firearms and the series. The series was based on the book The Other Mister Churchill by Macdonald Hastings. Anthology series Love Story cast Pithey as Jack Wightman for the episode 'An Apple for the Teacher' (15th September 1964) followed by another role as a policeman, Superintendent Bill Hemmingway, in 'Big Fish, Little Fish' (19th December 1964), an episode of Gideon’s Way.

1965 was a relatively quiet year for Pithey. He made one film appearance in The Knack…and How to Get It (1965) playing a teacher and appeared in episodes of TV series The Airbase, playing Mr Swearingen in 'The Natives Grow Restless' (31st March 1965), appearing in The Sullavan Brothers instalment 'This Town Is Mine' (4th September 1965) and 'Cobb' (19th November 1965), an episode of the anthology series Blackmail. Stage credits included The Philanderer at the Mermaid Theatre during January and February 1966. The revival of the Bernard Shaw play was directed by Don Taylor who would later oversee the Beasts episode 'During Barty’s Party'.

1966 was quieter for Pithey with a single television guest role in an episode of the drama series Mrs Thursday entitled 'A Ride in a Rolls Royce' (15th March 1966). The following year was busier. Vacant Lot was a forgotten ABC sitcom starring Alfie Bass, Bill Fraser and Arthur Mullard. Pithey appeared in the episode 'Criminal Negligence' (13th May 1967). He also made his last appearance in an episode of the ITV Play of the Week with the episode 'Little Moon of Alban' (16th May 1967) playing Doctor Clive. Pithey then appeared as a character called Old Crowkey in 'The Shooting War' (8th December 1967), part of an anthology of BBC plays themed around the emerging problems or urban living. This debut episode examined how the behaviour of footballers on the pitch may be reflected by the behaviour of the fans in the stands. Pithey returned later in the season of plays playing a new character, Alderman Sankey, in two other stories; 'Who Pays?' (19th January 1968) and 'Freedom of the City' (9th February 1968). 'Who Pays?' continued with the forward thinking storylines telling the story of who is responsible for the death and disfigurement of a scout troupe after they are mown down by a lorry. Is it the poorly sited road works, the driver or the scout master for allowing the boys on a main road?

His other television role for 1968 was in Her Majesty’s Pleasure. Produced by Granada, and now all but forgotten, the series was a sitcom forerunner to Porridge and was set within a prison. Pithey appeared as the prison governor in three out of the thirteen episodes including the series opener 'Bread and Circuses' (25th September 1968) followed by 'Uncertain Glory' (9th October 1968) and 'A Pearl in the Oyster' (13th November 1968). His only film role for the year was in the musical Oliver! (1968) playing Doctor Grimwig. Pithey’s next film was Richard Attenborough’s satire Oh! What A Lovely War (1969) in an uncredited role as Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Back on television Pithey seemed to be stuck in a cycle of playing policeman. He appeared as Detective Inspector Charwood in the Callan episode 'Land of Light and Peace' (19th February 1969), but his biggest police role for the year was as Detective Superintendent Eden in the first season of Special Branch (17th September 1969 – 17th December 1969). Also during December Pithey made his debut in an episode of the BBC Play of the Month with the role of Father Clement in 'The Marquise' (14th December 1969) which was adapted from a play by Noel Coward.

Pithey undertook just two TV roles in 1970; as Leonard Lomngbottom in an episode of the sitcom Nearest and Dearest, 'When Love Walks In' (4th June 1970), and as Lord Bennett in 'The Best Legal System in the World' (26th October 1970), an episode of the series The Main Chance. He garnered no film or TV credits for 1971 and his roles for 1972 were equally sparse with only guest spots in The Adventurer, 'Thrust and Counter Thrust', and Doomwatch, 'Flood' (31st July 1972), as well as the one-off drama To Encourage Other (28th March 1972). Fellow Beasts cast member Michael Sheard also starred in this production which was a dramatized reconstruction of the notorious Craig and Bentley murder case of 1952. The play was directed by notable television director Alan Clarke.

Pithey also undertook a semi-regular role in Coronation Street as school headmaster Wilfred Perkins which started in January 1972 and continued in blocks of episodes into 1973. Pithey had a guest role in four episodes of the second season of the comedy series Sykes during October to December 1973. During 1974 Pithey would make his final appearance as school teacher Wilfred Perkins in Coronation Street during May. His other TV appearance during the year was as Inspector Duggan in 'Sting Sting Scorpio' (25th March 1974) an episode of the series Zodiac. Following stage roles in Somerset Maugham’s The Circle during December 1974 and Death of a Salesman at the Yvonne Arnaud during January 1975 he returned to cinema work with the Walt Disney live action family adventure film One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing (1975) in the role of Bromley. On TV he appeared as Jeffrey Clymer in two episodes of Poldark (3rd and 10th July 1975). Whilst his two episodes of Poldark were being transmitted Pithey was supporting a headlining Honour Blackman in a touring theatre production of The Gentle Hook during June and July 1975.

His role as Mr Liversedge in the Beasts episode 'Special Offer' was his only television role for 1976. The following year he was cast once more as a policemen for 'A Hymn to Jim' (29th September 1977) playing Chief Inspector Lymington in an episode of the BBC series Premiere. Stage work for this period he appeared in Sir Is Winning at Cottesloe Theatre, London during August and September 1977. He then went on to Riverside Studios in a revival of The Cherry Orchard during January 1978. Pithey played the jovial character Lopakhin. For the BBC historical drama The Devil’s Crown Pithey was cast as Saladin in the episode 'Lion of Christendom' (11th June 1978). Pithey’s first attempt at playing Winston Churchill came with the Thames Television period drama Edward and Mrs Simpson. Pithey appeared as the prime minister in three episodes during November and December 1978. The above role led to Pithey being cast as Churchill for a second time by the producers of the American television mini-series Ike: The War Years (1979). For UK screens Pithey played the role of Franklyn for The Return of the Saint over two episodes; 'The Brave Goose' (7th January 1979) and 'The Sixth Man' (14th January 1979). These two episodes were later edited into a feature length film and released under the title The Saint and the Brave Goose (1979).

Nearly a decade after he had made his debut in a BBC Play of the Month production Pithey returned to the series playing George Booth in the episode 'The Voysey Inheritance' (4th February 1979). He was then cast as Winston Churchill for a third time with the single drama Suez 1956. The BBC production depicted the events around the Suez Crisis and had an all-star cast including Michael Gough as then present Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden. Towards the end the year Pithey took part in the latest BBC version of Dicken’s The Old Curiosity Shop which stared transmission in December 1979 and continued into the New Year, ending in February 1980. For the American television movie F.D.R. : The Last Year (15th April 1980) Pithey played Winston Churchill for a fourth and final time with Jason Robards playing the President Franklin D Roosevelt. Back in the UK Pithey had a single television appearance during 1981 playing Pischik in a BBC production of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard (13th October 1981) which was adapted by Trevor Griffiths and directed by Richard Eyre. Judi Dench, Bill Patteron and Anton Lesser also featured in the cast. 1982 was another quiet year for television appearance for the actor with only one role (uncredited), as Doctor Quesne, in 'Right of Entry' (22nd October 1982) an episode of The Gentle Touch.

By now Pithey was heading towards being seventy years old and so it was inevitable that the actor slowed down and took fewer roles. For the rest of the 1980s Pithey took only one or two roles a year including playing King Edward VII in an episode of the series Number Ten, 'The Asquiths' (13th March 1983), portraying Voroshilov in the UK television movie Red Monarch (16th June 1983), being cast as Owen Merrick in Yorkshire TV drama Love and Marriage in the episode 'Lucifer' (8th January 1984) and donning a dog collar to play a vicar in 'King and Castle' (20th August 1985), an episode of Storyboard. This production was directed by Richard Bramall who had also overseen Pithey’s Beasts episode 'Special Offer'.

Stage work for this period saw him play in a revival of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible at the Young Vic during December 1985 and January 1986. This was followed by the Man in the Moon Theatre presenting the play Eleanor and Felix during April 1986 and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Young Vic during May and June 1986. Pithey continued to be selective of screen roles during the second half of the decade with appearances in the BBC’s Howard’s Way (26th October 1986) and the sitcom In Sickness and In Health (26th November 1987). He made a rare cinema appearance with the small role of Sheridan in White Mischief (1987). For the BBC drama series Blind Justice (12th October – 9th November 1988) Pithey appeared in several episodes as Sir Charles Bingham

The Diamond Trap (20th November 1988) was a TV movie co-production between HTV in the UK and Columbia Pictures Television which was headlined by Brooke Shields with Pithey in a small role as a character called Basil. Pithey was then off our screens for a few years before returning to make his final feature film appearance in American Friends (1991), a comedy drama written by and starring Michael Palin. Pithey’s final television role was playing an elderly gentleman in the sixth episode of Dennis Potter’s drama series Lipstick on Your Collar (28th March 1993)

Pithey died on 10th November 1993, aged 79, in London. His obituary in The Independent newspaper published on 25th November 1993 summed up his acting strength in its first paragraph “Whenever Wensley Pithey came on stage or screen you could be sure of a touch of the truth. Something about his solid presence, his heavy build, his warm personality and his unaffected, naturalistic acting smacked of sincerity, whether he was being sincere was beside the point. He seemed so.”[2]

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[1] “An Actor Who Owes A Lot to Coffee” by Jack Bell, The Daily Mirror, Friday 19^th January 1968, page 15

 [2] Wensley Pithey obituary by Adam Benedick

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-wensley-pithey-1506543.html (accessed 9th October 2017)