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John Devon Roland Pertwee (7 July 1919^[1] – 20 May 1996) was an English actor. Pertwee is best known for his role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, in which he played the third incarnation of the Doctor from 1970 to 1974, and as the title character in the series Worzel Gummidge. He is also well known for his 18-year stint on BBC Radio as Chief Petty Officer Pertwee in The Navy Lark.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Born in Chelsea, London, to a family descended from Huguenots (the name was an Anglicisation of "Perthuis"; his full surname being "de Perthuis de Laillevault"^[2]), he was the son of noted screenwriter and actor Roland Pertwee and distant cousin of actor Bill Pertwee, who played Chief Warden Hodges in the comedy Dad's Army (coincidentally, Jon Pertwee was the writers' first choice for the role of Captain George Mainwaring in Dad's Army). The actor Henry Ainley, a close friend of his father, was his godfather and Ainley's son Anthony appeared alongside Pertwee in the 1983 Doctor Who anniversary story The Five Doctors.

Education[link]

Pertwee was educated at Frensham Heights School, an independent school in Rowledge, near Farnham in Surrey, at Sherborne School in Sherborne in Dorset, and at some other schools from which he was expelled. After school, he went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), from which he was also expelled after he refused to play a Greek "wind" during one of the lessons, feeling it was a waste of both his time and his father's money. He was also accused of writing graffiti about the tutors on the toilet walls.^[3]

Early career[link]

Pertwee was an officer in the Royal Navy, spending some time working in naval intelligence during the Second World War. He was a crew member of HMS Hood and was transferred off the ship shortly before she was sunk, losing all but three men. During his time in the Navy Pertwee woke up one morning after a drunken night out while in port to find a tattoo on his right arm, which was occasionally seen during his time in Doctor Who.

After the war he made a name for himself as a comedy actor, notably on radio in Waterlogged Spa, alongside Eric Barker and Puffney Post Office in which he played a hapless old postman with the catch-phrase "It doesn't matter what you do, as long as you tears them up". From 1959 to 1977, he had a long-running role as the conniving Chief Petty Officer Pertwee in The Navy Lark on BBC Radio. He was known as a Danny Kaye look-alike, and his impersonation of Kaye can be seen in the 1949 film Murder at the Windmill.^[4]

On stage, he played the part of Lycus in the 1963 London production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Frankie Howerd and appeared in the smaller role of Crassus in the 1966 film version. He appeared as Sidney Tait in the 1963 comedy Ladies Who Do and later in four Carry On films: Carry On Cleo (1964, as the soothsayer), Carry On Screaming (1966, as Dr. Fettle), Carry On Cowboy (1965, as Sheriff Earp) and Carry On Columbus (1992, as the Duke of Costa Brava). On television, he started off with small parts in children's shows like Mr Pastry. Later he made an appearance in The Avengers episode "From Venus with Love" as Brigadier Whitehead, and in the 1970s, he guest-starred as a vicar in The Goodies' episode "Wacky Wales".

He had one of his most memorable film roles in the 1971 Amicus horror compendium The House That Dripped Blood. Filmed in the summer of 1970, between his first and second Doctor Who seasons, Pertwee played the lead in the last segment of the film as Paul Henderson, a deliciously arrogant horror film star who meets his quasi-comedic doom thanks to a genuine vampire cloak.

He was married twice, first in 1955^[5] to Jean Marsh (1955–1960), whom he divorced, and then, on 13 August 1960,^[6] to Ingeborg Rhoesa, by whom he had two children, Sean and Dariel.

[edit] Doctor Who (1970–1974)

In 1969, Pertwee was selected by producer Peter Bryant to take over as the Doctor from Patrick Troughton in the television series Doctor Who. Pertwee had asked his agent to apply for the role for him and was surprised to find he was already on the shortlist for the role. He was the second choice of the producer; Ron Moody was the first but was unavailable.^[7] In a departure from the Doctor's first two incarnations, Pertwee played the character as an active crusader with a penchant for action and fancy clothes, even while the character was exiled on Earth and serving with UNIT. He played the Doctor for five seasons from early 1970 to mid-1974, at the time the longest stint of any of the actors who played the part, surpassing predecessors William Hartnell's and Patrick Troughton's three years each in the role, although due to shortened broadcast seasons, he appeared in fewer episodes than Hartnell. Of the eleven actors to portray the role, only three would play the Doctor for longer chronological time: Pertwee's immediate successor, Tom Baker (seven years from 1974 to 1981), Sylvester McCoy (eight years from 1987–1996) and David Tennant (four years and six and a half months from June 2005 to January 2010, thus longer by a month). In early 1974, Pertwee announced he would step down as the Doctor in order to resume his stage career in The Bedwinner, also citing typecasting in the role as the reason for leaving, though later he would say that the catalyst for his departure was the death of his good friend and co-star Roger Delgado and the departures of co-star Katy Manning and producer Barry Letts. His last fulltime appearance in the series was in the story "Planet of the Spiders"' in June 1974. Pertwee later reprised the role in the 20th anniversary story The Five Doctors, in two radio adventures and on stage in The Ultimate Adventure. On 14 April 1971, Pertwee was the subject of Thames Television's This Is Your Life which featured the first television appearance of his son Sean Pertwee, who went on to become an actor.

[edit] Worzel Gummidge

After a stint between 1974 and 1978 as the host of the Thames Television murder-mystery game show Whodunnit!, Pertwee took the starring role in Worzel Gummidge, based on the books written by Barbara Euphan Todd. First aired in 1979 on ITV, the series saw Pertwee as a scarecrow, as well as utilising several comedic voices. The show was an immediate hit and ran on the channel until 1981. Keen to continue beyond this, Pertwee campaigned for the series and it was picked up by a New Zealand network in 1987. Worzel Gummidge Down Under aired for the next two years and was screened in the UK on Channel 4. In 1995, Pertwee played the role one last time in a one-off special for ITV, which celebrated 40 years of the channel. Pertwee also played the character on stage and recorded an album, Worzel Gummidge Sings, as well as a Christmas single.

Other roles[link]

Pertwee also voiced the character of "Spotty" in the 1980s cartoon series SuperTed and in 1985 he starred in Do You Know The Milkyway?, a television adaptation of Karl Wittlinger's stage play in which he played Dr. Neuross and another nine characters. In 1995 Pertwee also had the key voice of Death and other voice characterisations in the PC and PlayStation renditions of "Discworld". Also in 1995, Jon Pertwee played General Von Kramer in the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles episode "Attack of the Hawkmen". Pertwee voiced and appeared in the television advertisement which promoted the Green Cross Code by use of the mnemonic "SPLINK".

Later life[link]

He returned to the role of the Doctor in the 1983 20th anniversary television special The Five Doctors and in the 1993 charity special Dimensions in Time for Children in Need. He also portrayed the Doctor in the stage play Doctor Who – The Ultimate Adventure which toured theatres in the United Kingdom from March to June 1989. During the 1990s, he made a guest appearance in the "Lords and Ladies" episode of the BBC Radio 4 comedy series Harry Hill's Fruit Corner, playing a Time Lord and also spoofed the role in the Radio 4 comedy The Skivers. He also presented the Doctor Who video releases The Troughton Years (showcasing selected surviving episodes of missing stories) and The Pertwee Years (a lookback at his time on the show, with his three selected episodes) in the early 1990s.

In 1993, Pertwee was featured in the unofficial 30th anniversary VHS release of Doctor Who entitled '30 Years of Time Travel and Beyond'. When asked in an interview for this documentary if the show should be brought back he simply replied with 'No...no'. Pertwee would continue to act in films and television as well as make appearances worldwide in support of Doctor Who. Ultimately, Pertwee was successful in seeing the Third Doctor return to the airwaves with two audio productions for BBC Radio, The Paradise of Death and The Ghosts of N-Space.

In late 1995, he appeared in Devious, an amateur video drama set between the second Doctor's trial at the end of The War Games and before the start of Spearhead From Space, which shows an interim (between second and third) Doctor played by Tony Garner being told he was "never meant to be the Doctor" and that the third, played by Jon, will complete him. Pertwee's scenes are the only pieces of the video that have been released (on the DVD of The War Games).

Pertwee's final film role was in a short film, "Cloud Cuckoo" for Scottish Screen, released on 18 June 1994. His last formal television appearance was on Cilla's Surprise, Surprise, broadcast on 21 April 1996. At the date of his death, Pertwee was regularly being seen at the tail end of an enigmatic UK TV commercial for mobile phone operator Vodafone: dressed somewhat in his flamboyant 'Doctor' manner, his character walked wordlessly across an alleyway in sight of a Liverpool landmark, and entered a garage evidently containing some kind of 'time machine'.

Death and legacy[link]

Pertwee continued on the convention circuit and with his voice and television acting until his death from a heart attack in Connecticut on 20 May 1996, two months before his 77th birthday. (Some reports place the location of his death in New York.) He was cremated at Putney Vale Crematorium with a toy Worzel Gummidge affixed to the coffin, following the instructions in his will.^[8][9]

He died only days after the American broadcast of the Doctor Who television film, which used in its opening credits a logo based on the one from his era of the television series. The BBC broadcast of the television film featured a dedication to Pertwee at its end.

His last association with the series was posthumous. With the approval of his widow, Ingeborg, his voice was utilised as part of the plot of the Big Finish Productions' 40th Anniversary Doctor Who audio drama, Zagreus, appearing as messages from the Doctor's TARDIS as it attempted to help the currently corrupted Eighth Doctor (voiced by Paul McGann). Pertwee's voice was culled from a fan-produced Doctor Who film Devious, portions of which were recorded just prior to his death.

Pertwee wrote two autobiographies: Moon Boots and Dinner Suits (published in 1984), which primarily covers his life and career prior to Doctor Who, and the posthumously published Doctor Who: I Am the Doctor – Jon Pertwee’s Final Memoir (published in 1996 by Virgin Publishing Ltd and co-written with David J. Howe), which covered his life during and after the series. In 2000, Jon Pertwee: The Biography by Bernard Bale (ISBN 0-233-99831-4) was published by André Deutsch, and included a few chapters by Pertwee's widow Ingeborg.

Discography[link]

• In 1966 Pertwee contributed to the children's album Children's Favourites by EMI and Paul Hamilin. Songs sung by him include "The Runaway Train", "Froggy Went A-Courtin'", "My Grandfather's Clock", "Three Little Fishes" and "I Know An Old Lady". Published by Music for Pleasure in mono (catalogue MDP 1175), the recordings were produced by Norman Newell, with a synopsis written on the back by Roger St. Pierre. On the front cover is the picture of a glove puppet by Carol Patmore & Rima Reed. At least one of the songs, "The Runaway Train" (b/w "The Ugly Duckling"), was released as a single on Music for Pleasure (catalogue FP 10).
• In 1972 he released, with June Whitfield, "Wonderful Children's Songs" on the Contour label (catalogue 2870191)
• In 1972, while still in the role of the Doctor, he released a vocal version of the Doctor Who theme music entitled "Who is the Doctor".
• In 1976 he recorded a promotional flexi-disc for Heinz called "The Noodle Doodle Man".^[10]
• In 1980 he released "Worzel's Song", from the album Worzel Gummidge Sings.^[11] The single reached No.33 on the UK charts in March.^[12] A second single was released in 1987 when the series was revived, but this met with less success. Also released was a single of "Yesterday", semi-spoken word and "When I'm 64", in the guise of Worzel to aid a hospital charity.
• Other chart action came in 1993 when an audio release of the radio play The Paradise of Death reached No.48 in the album charts.^[13]
• In 1984 He featured in the computer game audio tape of "DEUS EX MACHINA" by Automata(UK)Ltd, released for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum in 1984.^{[citation needed]}

Filmography[link]

• A Yank at Oxford (1938)
• The Four Just Men (1939)
• Trouble in the Air (1946)
• A Piece of Cake (1948)
• William Comes to Town (1948)
• Murder at the Windmill (1949)
• Helter Skelter (1949)
• Dear Mr. Prohack (1949)
• Miss Pilgrim's Progress (1950)
• The Body Said No! (1950)
• Mister Drake's Duck (1951)
• Will Any Gentleman...? (1953)
• The Gay Dog (1954)
• A Yank in Ermine (1955)
• It's a Wonderful World (1956)
• The Ugly Duckling (1959)
• Just Joe (1960)
• Not a Hope in Hell (1960)
• Nearly a Nasty Accident (1961)
• Carry on Cleo (1964)
• Runaway Railway (1965)
• You Must Be Joking! (1965)
• I've Gotta Horse (1965)
• Carry on Cowboy (1965)
• Carry on Screaming! (1966)
• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)
• Up in the Air (1969)
• The House That Dripped Blood (1971)
• One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing (1975)
• Wombling Free (1977) (voice)
• Adventures of a Private Eye (1977)
• No. 1 of the Secret Service (1977)
• The Water Babies (1978)
• The Boys in Blue (1982)
• Carry on Columbus (1992)
• Cloud Cuckoo (1994)
• The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1995)

References[link]

External links[link]

Biography portal

• Jon Pertwee at the Internet Movie Database
• Jon Pertwee Biography – British Film Institute
• Interview with Jon Pertwee conducted in March 1996^{[dead link]}
• Action Who – Jon Pertwee article at Kasterborous.com^{[dead link]}
• Jon Pertwee's career including The Navy Lark at http://www.kastria.net
• An Hour with Jon Pertwee Jon Pertwee reminisces, including time serving on the Hood – streaming audio (No longer available)

Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE (born 28 March 1935) is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007. He has been described in The Guardian as "the great British talkshow host".^[1]

Early life[link]

Parkinson, or "Parky" as he is known, was born in the village of Cudworth, England. The son of a miner, he was educated at Barnsley Grammar School and passed two O-Levels: in Art and English Language.^{[citation needed]} He was a club cricketer, and both he and his opening partner at Barnsley Cricket Club, Dickie Bird, had trials for Yorkshire together with Geoffrey Boycott.^[2] He once kept Boycott out of the Barnsley Cricket team by scoring a century and 50 in two successive matches.^[3] Parkinson began as a journalist on local newspapers, and his Yorkshire background and accent remain part of his appeal. He worked as a features writer for the Manchester Guardian, working alongside Michael Frayn, and later on the Daily Express in London.^[4] He was also conscripted into National Service as Britain's youngest army captain^[5] and was involved in the Suez Operation in the summer of 1956.

Career[link]

Television[link]

During the 1960s, Parkinson moved into television, working on current affairs programmes for the BBC and Manchester-based Granada Television.

From 1969 he presented Granada's Cinema, a late-night film review programme,^[5] (which included his first star interview with Laurence Olivier), before in 1971 presenting his eponymous BBC series. Parkinson ran until 1982 and from 1998 until December 2007, leaving the BBC for ITV1 partway through the second run. It featured celebrities but it avoided posing the confrontational questions for which Parkinson is well known. By his own reckoning, Parkinson interviewed 2,000 of the world's most famous people.^[6] In 1985, he stood in for Barry Norman as presenter of Film 85.

He was one of the original line-up of TV-am in 1983, with Angela Rippon, Anna Ford and Robert Kee, all replaced with younger talent. He also took over as host of Thames Television's Give Us a Clue from Michael Aspel.

On Halloween night 1992, Parkinson appeared as himself in the television drama Ghostwatch. He was the studio link during a fictional, apparently live, paranormal investigation. However, the cinéma vérité style in which it was shot led to complaints from viewers who believed it depicted real events. From 1995 to 1999, he hosted the BBC One daytime programme Going for a Song. He again played himself in Richard Curtis' 2003 romantic comedy, Love Actually, interviewing the character Billy Mack, played by Bill Nighy. From 31 January to 3 February 2007, Parkinson presented "Symphony at the Movies" at Sydney Opera House, where he shared stories about his interviews with movie stars and introduced music from films.

In October 2003, Parkinson had a controversial interview with Meg Ryan while she was in the United Kingdom to promote In the Cut. He said it was his most difficult television moment.^[7]

Parkinson announced his retirement on 26 June 2007:^[8]

In 2007, Parkinson appeared in the Australian soap Neighbours as himself. On 24 November 2007, during recording of the final regular edition of his ITV chat show, broadcast on 16 December, Parkinson fought back tears as he was given an ovation.^[9] The last artist to perform on his show was regular guest Jamie Cullum.

As of December 2008, Parkinson held 458 credits as a presenter on his own and with others.^[10]

Parkinson was a flagship of the BBC's prime time schedule, attracting top names before the chat show circuit was part of the promotional mill^{[citation needed]}. Parkinson interviewed Marlon Brando, he was able to interview wartime variety stars while attracting up-and-coming comedians such as Billy Connolly, and was not afraid to allow an interviewee time to be himself, sometimes as with Fred Astaire or Sir Paul McCartney devoting an entire programme to a guest.

Parkinson was a guest on Top Gear in 2008, posting a lap time of 1:49.4 as the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car".

Parkinson would always maintain that the most remarkable man he ever interviewed was Muhammad Ali.^[11]

He regrets having never interviewed Frank Sinatra or Sir Donald Bradman.^{[citation needed]}

Radio[link]

Parkinson took over BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs for the 1986 series, after the 1985 death of its creator, Roy Plomley, whose widow was unhappy with Parkinson replacing him. After six shows he was criticised by the BBC Board of Management for "a Yorkshire bias in the choice of castaways". despite the fact that only one of his guests was born in the county.^[12] (The list of castaways included, within its first seven under Parkinson control, Maureen Lipman, Ben Kingsley and Selina Scott (all born in Yorkshire), Roy Hattersley (born 'just over the border' in Derbyshire but always associated with Sheffield, Yorkshire) and Bruce Oldfield (born in County Durham but largely educated in Yorkshire [Ripon Grammar School and Sheffield College]). Parkinson claimed that the criticism was " a rearguard action by the establishment against the perceived desecration of an institution by an outsider".^[13] Parkinson stayed for three years until handing over to Sue Lawley.

Between 1994 and 1996 he hosted Parkinson on Sport on BBC Radio Five Live. Between 1996 and 2007, he presented a morning show on BBC Radio 2 called Parkinson's Sunday Supplement; it featured newspaper and entertainment summaries with the help of journalists and a lengthy interview with a media personality. These were interspersed with music that demonstrated his penchant for jazz and big-band. In October 2007, a few months after announcing his retirement from his television series, Parkinson said his radio show would also end.^[14] The last programme was broadcast on Sunday 2 December 2007. As an interim Clive Anderson presented the programme during December/January and Eammon Holmes during February and Fiona Bruce during March. Michael Ball has now replaced him on a permanent basis. Parkinson presented a mid-morning programme on London's LBC Newstalk 97.3FM. He was considered responsible for promotion of jazz singers to a more mainstream audience during the run of his BBC radio show.^{[citation needed]}

Writing[link]

In 1965 The Sunday Times invited Parkinson to write a regular sports column, drawing on characters in his days in cricket and soccer.^{[citation needed]} In the 1980s, Parkinson wrote a series of children's books called The Woofits about a family of anthropomorphic dog-like creatures in the fictional Yorkshire coal-mining village of Grimeworth. The books led to a TV series, which he narrated. He wrote a sports column for the Daily Telegraph and is president of the Sports Journalists' Association of Great Britain.^[15]

His book Parky: My Autobiography was published on 2 October 2008.

In April 2009, Parkinson wrote about the recently deceased Jade Goody in Radio Times. He described her as "barely educated, ignorant and puerile," adding, "When we clear the media smokescreen from around her death, what we're left with is a woman who came to represent all that's paltry and wretched about Britain today."^[16] Bishop Jonathan Blake, who had presided over Goody's wedding, took exception to Parkinson's comments.^[17]

Other work[link]

In 1971 Parkinson was nominated as a candidate for the position of Rector of the University of Dundee. In one of the closest ever contests for that position he was very narrowly defeated by incumbent Peter Ustinov after two recounts. The result was controversial as it was alleged earlier results indicated Parkinson had won and a further recount should have taken place to confirm the result. As a result pressure grew for the poll to be rerun. While the University decreed that the original result was to stand a new poll was organised by the Students' Association, which also featured the candidature of a goat. However, this time Ustinov won a decisive victory over Parkinson, the goat and Paul Foot.^[18][19]

On 29 September 2008 Parkinson launched his website, which includes online interviews with Nelson Mandela and British comedian Rory Bremner. The site also includes a blog, giving Parkinson's views on news events plus information about his compilation album, Michael Parkinson: My Life In Music, featuring favourite songs performed by Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé, Dionne Warwick and others.

Parkinson gave the keynote address in Sydney on Australia Day 2011, the first non-Australian to do so. ^[20] Parkinson used the publicity surrounding his Australia Day appearance to promote the abolition of the Australian monarchy. ^[21]

Personal life[link]

On 22 August 1959 he married Mary Heneghan, who was from Doncaster. Under her new name, Mary Parkinson was one of the presenters of the Thames TV daytime show Good Afternoon and briefly presented Parkinson in the 1970s. They have three children, Andrew, Nicholas and Michael Jr, who were born in 1960, 1964 and 1967 and eight grandchildren (Laura, James, Emma, Georgina, Ben, Felix, Sofia and Honey). In the 1970s he campaigned in support of birth control, having had a vasectomy in 1972 to allow his wife to stop taking the Pill.^[22] He is a cricket fan, and in 1990 hosted a World XI team against Yorkshire. Parkinson and his wife live in Bray, Berkshire.^[23] He met his friend Michel Roux when rowing down the River Thames on a Sunday to his then pub, the Waterside Inn.^[24]

Honours and awards[link]

In 1999 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Lincoln. He was invested as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Prince Charles in November 2000 for services to broadcasting.^[25] Parkinson was made a Knight Bachelor in the 2008 New Year's Honours List; he remarked that he was "not the type to get a knighthood" coming as he did "from Barnsley. They give it to anyone nowadays."^[26]

Parkinson was ranked 8th^[27] in a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, voted for by industry professionals. In April 2006, Parkinson was awarded Honorary Patronage of the University Philosophical Society (Trinity College, Dublin). He was voted number 20 in ITV's "TV's 50 Greatest Stars".

On 4 June 2008 his knighthood was bestowed by the Queen at Buckingham Palace^[28]

Parkinson became the first Chancellor of Nottingham Trent University on 11 November 2008. His role includes representing the university and conferring degrees at graduation ceremonies. He is quoted as saying, “I am honoured to be offered the chancellorship at Nottingham Trent University. In television I have always worked with young, ambitious people and I am keen to be involved in this university which helps to realise the aspirations of the young. It will also give me an opportunity to see what I missed!”.^[29]

Since 2005, Parkinson has served as the President of the Sports Journalists' Association of Great Britain,^[30] the largest national organisation of sports journalists in the world.

In popular culture[link]

His presenting techniques were spoofed by Benny Hill on The Benny Hill Show (sketch "The Golden Boy"), Alistair McGowan on Big Impression and by Jon Culshaw on Dead Ringers, in which Culshaw portrays Parkinson interviewing the public at bus stops and other locations. The Kenny Everett character Cupid Stunt was "interviewed" by a cut-out Parkinson in "her" sketches. He is on the cover of the Wings album Band on the Run. Paul McCartney told Parkinson that he would appear on his chat show if Parkinson appeared on the album cover, although it was not until 1999 that McCartney fulfilled his promise.

In 2005, Parkinson appeared with comedian Peter Kay on the music video of the re-released "Is This the Way to Amarillo" for Comic Relief, which became a Number 1 single. Parkinson was also featured in Irregular Webcomic! Number 1697.^[31]

In May 2009 Parkinson "bemoaned the state of TV generally, saying he was fed up of the rise of celebrities hosting shows, ridiculously titled documentaries and property shows", saying "In my television paradise there would be no more property programmes, no more police-chasing-yobbos-in-cars programmes and, most of all and please God, no more so-called documentary shows with titles like My 20-Ton Tumour, My Big Fat Head, Wolf Girl, Embarrassing Illnesses and The Fastest Man on No Legs."^[32] On 11 October 2010 Parkinson appeared on Richard Bacon's Radio 5 Live show where he was particularly critical of British comedian and actor Russell Brand saying “I don't see the point of him," ^[33]

Mark E. Smith of The Fall, on the song "Middlemass" from the live album The Legendary Chaos Tape, London, 1980 has an improvised line about "the son of Mike Parkinson made from coal".

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Michael Parkinson and the MBC's Encyclopedia of Television
• Michael Parkinson at the Internet Movie Database

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2010)

Patrick George Troughton (25 March 1920 – 28 March 1987) was an English actor most widely known for his roles in fantasy, science fiction and horror films, particularly in his role as the second incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running British science-fiction television series Doctor Who, which he played from 1966 to 1969, reappearing in 1973, 1983 and 1985. He was also the first actor to play Robin Hood on television.

Early life[link]

Troughton was born on 25 March 1920 in Mill Hill, Middlesex, England to Alec George Troughton, a solicitor, and Dorothy Evelyn Offord, who married in 1914 in Edmonton, and had an elder brother, Alec Robert (1915–1994), and a younger sister, Mary Edith (1923–2005). Troughton attended Mill Hill School and continued to live in Mill Hill for most of his life. While at Mill Hill School, he acted in a production of J.B. Priestley's "Bees on the Boat Deck" in March 1937. His brother A.R. ('Robin') Troughton shared the 1933 Walter Knox Prize for Chemistry with the future Nobel Prize winner Francis Crick, who also attended Mill Hill School.

He would later attend the Embassy School of Acting at Swiss Cottage, under Eileen Thorndike. After his time at the Embassy School of Acting, Troughton won a scholarship to the Leighton Rallius Studios at the John Drew Memorial Theatre on Long Island in New York, U.S..

When the Second World War broke out, he returned to Britain on a Belgian ship. The ship hit a mine and sank off the coast of Britain; Troughton escaped in a lifeboat. Troughton had joined the Tonbridge Repertory Company in 1939 and in 1940 joined the Royal Navy. He was a Lieutenant, R.N.V.R. on East Coast Convoy duty from February to August 1941, and Coastal Forces (M.G.B.'s) based at Great Yarmouth from November 1942 to 1945, and was "Mentioned in Dispatches". He was concerned in an "E" boat action, when one was successfully destroyed by ramming, and his ship and another destroyed two others by gunfire. His decorations included the 1939-45 Star, and Atlantic Star. He would wear a tea cosy on his head in cold weather in the North Sea.^[1]

Acting career[link]

[edit] Before Doctor Who

After the war, Troughton returned to the theatre in 1945. He worked with the Amersham Repertory Company, the Bristol Old Vic Company and the Pilgrim Players at the Mercury Theatre, Notting Hill Gate. He made his television debut in 1947. In 1948, Troughton made his cinema debut with small roles in Olivier's Hamlet, the TCF production "Escape" (one of the stars of which was William Hartnell), and a minor role as a pirate in Treasure Island appearing only during the attack on the heroes' hut. However, television was his favourite medium. In 1953 he became the first actor to play the famous folk hero Robin Hood on television, starring in six half-hour episodes broadcast from 17 March to 21 April on the BBC, and titled simply Robin Hood (Vahimagi, 42). (His grandson Sam Troughton played one of Robin's colleagues in the 2006 BBC TV Series of the same name, and Patrick himself would make an appearance on the Adventures of Robin Hood starring Richard Greene.) Troughton's other notable film and television roles included Kettle in Chance of a Lifetime (1950), Sir Andrew Ffoulkes in The Scarlet Pimpernel (1955), Vickers in the episode entittled Strange Partners in the Invisible Man (the ITP Series also starred one of Pat's future Doctor Who co-stars, Deborah Watling, as Sally) (1958), Phineus in Jason and the Argonauts (1963), Quilp in The Old Curiosity Shop (1962), Paul of Tarsus (BBC 1960, title role), Dr. Finlay's Casebook (BBC 1962, semiregular). He voiced Winston Smith in a 1965 BBC Home Service radio adaptation of Nineteen Eighty-Four. Prior to Doctor Who he appeared in numerous TV shows including, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Ivanhoe, Dial 999, Danger Man, Maigret, Compact, The Third Man, Crane, Detective, Sherlock Holmes, No Hiding Place, The Saint, Armchair Theatre, The Wednesday Play, Z-Cars, Adam Adamant Lives! and Softly, Softly.

[edit] Doctor Who (1966–1969)

In 1966, Doctor Who producer Innes Lloyd decided to replace William Hartnell in the series' lead role. The continued survival of the show depended on audiences accepting another actor in the role, despite the bold decision that the replacement would not be a Hartnell lookalike or soundalike. Lloyd later stated that Hartnell had approved of the choice, saying, "There's only one man in England who can take over, and that's Patrick Troughton" (Howe, Stammers and Walker, p68). Lloyd chose Troughton because of his extensive and versatile experience as a character actor. After he was cast, Troughton considered various ways to approach the role, to differentiate his portrayal from Hartnell's amiable-yet-tetchy patriarch. Troughton's early thoughts about how he might play the Doctor included a "tough sea captain", and a piratical figure in blackface and turban. Doctor Who creator Sydney Newman suggested that the Doctor could be a "cosmic hobo" in the mould of Charlie Chaplin, and this was the interpretation eventually chosen (Howe, Stammers and Walker, p68–69). Troughton was the first Doctor to have his face appear in the opening titles of the show, and one of six Doctor Who actors to play two roles in the same story when he appeared as Salamander in "The Enemy Of The World" (the others being William Hartnell in The Chase and The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve, Tom Baker in Meglos, Peter Davison in Arc of Infinity, David Tennant in Journey's End, and Matt Smith in "The Rebel Flesh" and "The Almost People").

During his time on the series, Troughton tended to shun publicity and rarely gave interviews. He told one interviewer, "I think acting is magic. If I tell you all about myself it will spoil it" (Howe, Stammers and Walker p72). Years later, he told another interviewer that his greatest concern was that too much publicity would limit his opportunities as a character actor after he left the role (KTEH interview).

A rare interview with Ernest Thompson from Radio Times reveals that Patrick "always liked dressing up, and would have been happy as a school teacher as children keeps one young" (Haining p. 54). Patrick gave away the secret of what Jamie (Frazer Hines) wore underneath his kilt - "khaki shorts" (Haining p. 56).

Troughton was popular with both the production team and his co-stars. Producer Lloyd credited Troughton with a "leading actor's temperament. He was a father figure to the whole company and hence could embrace it and sweep it along with him". Troughton also gained a reputation on set as a practical joker (Howe, Stammers and Walker p68, 74).

Many of the early episodes in which Troughton appeared were wiped by the BBC (a full list of Doctor Who episodes missing from the BBC Archives is available here). Troughton found Doctor Who's schedule (at the time, 40 to 44 episodes per year) gruelling, and decided to leave the series in 1969, after three years in the role. This decision was also motivated in part by fear of typecasting (Howe, Stammers and Walker p75; KTEH interview). Troughton's decision would eventually become something of an unwritten law (the "Troughton Rule") among actors, in order to prevent one from becoming typecast in a particular role in a potentially long-running television programme. Patrick Troughton was succeeded in the role by Jon Pertwee.

Troughton returned to Doctor Who three times after he originally left the programme, becoming the only former "Doctor" to reprise the role that many times on television after his original run. The first time was in The Three Doctors, a 1973 serial celebrating the programme's 10th anniversary. Ten years later, Troughton overcame some reluctance to reprise his role and agreed to appear in the 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors at the request of series producer John Nathan-Turner. He also agreed to attend Doctor Who conventions including the show's 20th anniversary celebrations at Longleat in 1983. He also appeared around the world with Nathan-Turner. Troughton enjoyed the return to the programme so much that he readily agreed to appear one more time as the Second Doctor, with Colin Baker's Sixth Doctor in The Two Doctors (1985). Reportedly, he also advised the Fifth Doctor, actor Peter Davison, to limit his time in the role to three seasons in order to avoid being typecast and the young actor followed that advice.

[edit] After Doctor Who

After Troughton left Doctor Who in 1969, he appeared in various films and television roles. Film roles included Klove in Scars of Dracula (1970), Father Brennan in The Omen (1976) and Melanthius in Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977). Television roles included the recurring role of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk in five of the six episodes of The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970), the villainous Nasca in Thames Television's Aztec-themed drama The Feathered Serpent (1976–78), a guest starring spot in the comedy series The Goodies in the episode "The Baddies", as well as episodes of Paul Temple, Dr. Finlay's Casebook, Doomwatch, The Persuaders!, A Family at War, Coronation Street, Softly, Softly: Taskforce, Colditz, Play for Today, Z-Cars, Special Branch, Sutherland's Law, The Sweeney, Jason King, Survivors, Crown Court, Angels, Warship, Van der Valk, Space: 1999, The Onedin Line, All Creatures Great and Small, Only When I Laugh (Series 2, Total Episode #9), Nanny, Minder, and the first episode of Inspector Morse in January 1987. He also portrayed Cole Hawlings in a BBC Television dramatisation of the John Masefield children's book The Box of Delights (1984). In the same year he also appeared in a "Two Ronnies" Christmas Special playing a judge.

Troughton's health was never entirely robust and later in his life he refused to accept his doctor's advice that he had developed a serious heart condition through overwork and stress. He suffered two major heart attacks, one in 1978 and the other in 1984, which prevented him from working for several months. Following each of these attacks, his doctor's warnings were again ignored as Troughton committed himself to a heavy TV and film schedule.

He featured in the 1974 11-part radio adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's Sword of Honour. In 1986, he was a regular in the LWT sitcom The Two of Us, and guested in an episode of Super Gran in May 1987, which was the last role he filmed. His final television appearance was in the autumn of the same year in Knights of God, which had actually been filmed two years before it was transmitted.

Death[link]

On Friday, 27 March 1987, two days after his 67th birthday, Troughton was a guest at the Magnum Opus Con II science fiction convention in Columbus, Georgia, USA.

Although he had been warned by his doctors before leaving the UK not to exert himself because of his heart condition, Troughton appeared to be in good spirits and participated vigorously in the day's panels, and was looking forward to a belated birthday celebration, which was planned for the coming Saturday evening, as well as a screening of the Doctor Who story The Dominators, which Troughton had requested personally, on the Saturday afternoon.

Troughton suffered a third and final heart attack at 7:25 a.m. the next day (28 March 1987) just after he had ordered his breakfast from the hotel staff. According to the paramedics who were called, Troughton died instantly.^[2]

Family life[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Troughton was married three times and he is survived by his second partner Ethel Margaret 'Bunny' Troughton. He had two daughters, four sons, one stepdaughter and stepson.

• Joanna Troughton, author and illustrator of children's books
• Jane Troughton
• David Troughton, actor
• Michael Troughton, actor
• Peter Patrick Troughton
• Mark Troughton, pastor of York Evangelical Church

Troughton's grandchildren include:

• Sam Troughton (son of David Troughton) is an actor, known for Robin Hood.
• Jim Troughton (son of David Troughton) plays professional cricket for Warwickshire
• Harry Melling (son of Joanna Melling, née Troughton) plays Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films.

Selected filmography[link]

• Badger's Green (1949)
• The Franchise Affair (1951)
• The Moonraker (1958)
• The Black Torment (1964)
• The Omen (1976)

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Roderick Braithwaite. "'Strikingly Alive', The History of the Mill Hill School Foundation 1807-2007"; published Phillimore & Co. ISBN 978-1-86077-330-3

• Haining, Peter & British Broadcasting Corporation 1984, Doctor Who : the key to time : a year-by-year record, W.H. Allen, London. ISBN 0-491-03283-8

• Howe, David J., Mark Stammers and Stephen James Walker. Doctor Who: The Sixties. London: Virgin Publishing, 1993. ISBN 0-86369-707-0.

• Troughton, Patrick. Interview with Terry Phillips. KTEH, San Jose, California. 1985.

• Troughton, Michael "Patrick Troughton, by his son Michael Troughton"; to be published by Hirst Publishing November 2011.

• Vahimagi, Tise. British Television: An Illustrated Guide. Oxford: Oxford University Press / British Film Institute. 1994. ISBN 0-19-818336-4.

External links[link]

Biography portal

• Patrick Troughton at the Internet Movie Database
• Into The Unknown - Patrick Troughton article at Kasterborous.com
• Patrick Troughton Biography - British Film Institute

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2010)

Peter Davison
Born	Peter M. G. Moffett (1951-04-13) 13 April 1951 (age 61) Streatham, London, England
Spouse	Diane J. Russell (1973) (divorced)[1] Sandra Dickinson (1978-1994) (divorced) Elizabeth Morton (2003-present)
Children	Georgia Moffett

Peter Davison (born Peter M. G. Moffett on 13 April 1951)^[2] is a British actor, best known for his roles as Tristan Farnon in the television version of James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small and the fifth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, which he played from 1982 to 1984.^[3]

Early life[link]

Davison was born Peter Moffett in Streatham, London, son of an electrical engineer who was originally from Guyana. The family then moved to Knaphill in Surrey.^[4] Before becoming an actor, he gained three O-levels at Winston Churchill School, St John's, Woking, Surrey, and then had several odd jobs, including a stint as a mortuary attendant.^[4]

Davison studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama. His first job was as an actor and assistant stage manager at the Nottingham Playhouse.^[4] He chose the stage name Peter Davison to avoid confusion with the actor and director Peter Moffatt, with whom Davison later worked.

His first television work was in a 1975 episode of the children's science fiction television programme The Tomorrow People, alongside American actress Sandra Dickinson, whom he married on 26 December 1978. Davison portrayed an alien named "Elmer", often tortured with "tickling boots" under the control of his sister (played by Dickinson) and his mother (played by Margaret Burton) known as "the Mama".

The couple composed and performed the theme tune to Button Moon, a children's programme broadcast in the 1980s. Davison subsequently appeared alongside Dickinson as the Dish of the Day in the television version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1981), whose producers considered it humorous for an actor known for playing a veterinary surgeon to appear as a cow. The couple had a daughter, Georgia Moffett, in 1984, and later divorced in 1994.

In 1977, Davison had a prominent role in the 13-segment TV miniseries Love for Lydia opposite a young Jeremy Irons. In 1978, Davison's performance as the youthfully mischievous Tristan Farnon in All Creatures Great and Small made him a household name. Davison has said that he was mainly cast in the role because he looked as if he could be Robert Hardy's younger brother.^[4] Davison also appeared in some British sitcoms, including Holding the Fort and Sink or Swim, as well as appearing in dramatic roles.

[edit] Doctor Who (1982–1984 and later revivals)

In 1981, Davison signed a contract to play the Doctor for three years, succeeding Tom Baker (the Fourth Doctor) and, at age 29, was at the time the youngest actor to have played the lead role, a record he retained for nearly thirty years until Matt Smith (the Eleventh Doctor) took the role in 2010 at age 26. Attracting such a high-profile actor as Davison was as much of a coup for the programme's producers as getting the role was for him, but he did not renew his contract because he feared being typecast.^[5] Patrick Troughton (who had played the Second Doctor and whom Davison had watched on the programme as a teenager) had recommended to Davison that he leave the role after three years, and Davison followed his advice.^[6][7] The Fifth Doctor encountered many of the Doctor's best-known adversaries, including the Daleks (in Resurrection of the Daleks) and the Cybermen (in both Earthshock and The Five Doctors). However, Peter Davison has since stated that he also felt too young for the role, and if given the chance at the role now he would have made a better Doctor. In 1982, Davison had lent his name to two series of short stories published by Arrow. The two were Peter Davison's Book of Alien Monsters and Peter Davison's Book of Aliens which both featured a photograph of him on the cover.^[8]

Davison did, in fact, return to play the Fifth Doctor in the 1993 multi-doctor charity special Dimensions in Time and in the 1997 video game Destiny of the Doctors (audio only). He continues to reprise the role in a series of audio plays by Big Finish Productions. He returned once again in "Time Crash", a special episode written by Steven Moffat for Children in Need; in the episode, which aired on 16 November 2007, the Fifth Doctor met the Tenth Doctor, played by David Tennant.^[9]

[edit] After Doctor Who

After Davison left Doctor Who in 1984, he did not work on another popular series until 1986, when he played Dr Stephen Daker, the ingenuous hero of A Very Peculiar Practice, written by Andrew Davies. The surreal comedy-drama was revived several years later as A Very Polish Practice. Davison also played the lead in Campion, a series based on the period whodunnits of Margery Allingham. This, and the opportunity to play Tristan Farnon again in 1985 and 1990, kept Davison busy until the early 1990s, when he gradually faded from the public eye. He continued to appear occasionally on television, including playing the leads in Fiddlers Three (1991) and Harnessing Peacocks (1992) and an appearance on the American show Magnum, P.I. (in the feature-length 1985 episode "Deja Vu", set in the UK). In 1994-1995 he co-starred in the British sitcom Ain't Misbehavin', then in 1995 he presented "Heavenly Bodies" a six-part series about astronomy, broadcast on BBC1. This led to him being featured on the cover of "Practical Astronomy" magazine (Volume 1, number 5, dated March 1995). It was not until 2000 that he returned in another major role, that of David Braithwaite in At Home with the Braithwaites.

Davison has appeared in several radio series including Change at Oglethorpe in 1995 and Minor Adjustment in 1996. In 1985 he appeared in the BBC Radio 4 comedy drama series King Street Junior, as teacher Eric Brown, but he left after only two series and was replaced by Karl Howman (as Philip Sims). In the 2000s, he starred in the comedy series Rigor Mortis.

In 1993 he presented the video documentary release Doctor Who: Daleks - The Early Years, showcasing surviving episodes of missing stories featuring the Daleks.

In 1994, he provided the voice of Mole in the The Wind in the Willows animated special Mole's Christmas. He also played a doctor in Heartbeat episode A Bird In The Hand.

In 1997, Peter Davison acted the part Buttons in the pantomime Cinderella in the Arts Theatre in Cambridge.

In 1998, he guest starred in the sixth episode of the crime drama Jonathan Creek as the son-in-law of a horror writer who was shot dead on Halloween.

In 1999, he appeared as the outgoing head teacher in the television series Hope and Glory, and had the recurring role of Inspector Christmas in several episodes of the 1999 series of Diana Rigg's Mrs Bradley Mysteries.

He has also starred in the television series as Dangerous Davies in The Last Detective (2003–2007) and Distant Shores (2005), both for ITV, in the latter of which he also played a doctor. In 2006 he appeared as Professor George Huntley in The Complete Guide to Parenting. He has also appeared on the TV series Hardware as himself.

Davison made a guest appearance in the first episode of the second series of the BBC Radio 4 science fiction comedy series Nebulous, broadcast in April 2006.

Davison also worked on the stage. In 1984, he appeared in Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park at the Apollo Theatre alongside his then wife, Sandra Dickinson. In 1991, he appeared in Arsenic and Old Lace at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Further theatre appearances include: The Last Yankee, by Arthur Miller at the Young Vic Theatre and later the Duke of York's Theatre, London in 1993, and Vatelin in An Absolute Turkey, by Georges Feydeau, at the Gielgud Theatre in 1994. In 1996 he played the role of Tony Wendice in the theatrical production of Dial M for Murder, the play on which the movie by Alfred Hitchcock was based. He also appeared as Amos Hart in Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre in 1999, and as Dr Jean-Pierre Moulineaux, in Under the Doctor at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley and later at the Comedy Theatre, London in 2001.

In early 2007, Davison appeared in a BBC comedy Fear, Stress and Anger, which also starred his daughter Georgia Moffett. Davison plays one-half of an overworked couple with two irresponsible daughters and his senile mother at home.

Davison performed as King Arthur in the London production of Spamalot. He first appeared in the role on 23 July 2007 and his final performance was 1 March 2008.

He appeared in the popular television show Al Murray's Happy Hour in March 2008, and in January 2009 appeared in Unforgiven, an ITV1 drama starring Suranne Jones. Davison played John Ingrams, a lawyer who helps Jones' character, Ruth Slater, find her sister after her release from prison.^[10]

Recently, Davison made television appearances in an episode of Midsomer Murders, in July 2009,^[11] and a guest appearance in Miranda Hart's sitcom, Miranda, on BBC 2 in Autumn 2009.

In October 2009, Davison was seen in a small but memorable role as a bank manager in Micro Men, a drama about the rise of the British home computer market in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

In December 2009, he played Denis Thatcher in The Queen, a docu-drama on Channel 4.

Throughout 2010, he appeared as Professor Callahan in the West End production of Legally Blonde, which opened at the Savoy Theatre.^[12]

In November 2010 it was announced that Davison would be joining the regular cast of the UK version of Law and Order as Henry Sharpe, the Director of the London Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Davison's debut in the role will be from the beginning of the series' fifth season, alongside fellow Doctor Who actress Freema Agyeman.

In July 2011 he appeared in an episode of the police comedy/drama New Tricks.

Views and advocacy[link]

In 2010, Davison was one of 48 celebrities who signed a letter warning voters against Conservative Party policy towards the BBC.^[13]

On 21 April 2010 Davison appeared in a party election broadcast on behalf of the UK Labour Party, following in the footsteps of fellow Doctor Who actor David Tennant, and Jon Pertwee's son Sean Pertwee. Quoted in The Guardian, Davison said: "I'll be voting Labour without a doubt. I tremble at the idea we might put a Tory government back into power. I think back to the last time a Conservative government was running the country and can't believe we might do it. I'm also a big Brown fan; he might not have that slick charm that we seem to buy into these days, as we did with Blair, which turned into a big mistake, and as we seem to be doing with Cameron. With Brown, it's substance over style; he's a career politician, who has spent his life working to help people. I like that he isn't slick, unlike Cameron, who's only been in politics for a few years."^[14]

Davison supported BBC presenter Jonathan Ross following the Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row and criticised BBC director general Mark Thompson's decision to punish Ross, stating: "I thought Ross’s suspension, in particular, was utterly ludicrous. Why punish all the people who enjoy tuning into his programmes?"^[15]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Peter Davison at the Internet Movie Database
• Peter Davison Biography – British Film Institute
• Violence & Vulnerability – Peter Davison article at Kasterborous.com
• Chicago TARDIS 2011 – Peter Davison Interview on The Omega Podcast
• Works by or about Peter Davison in libraries (WorldCat catalog)