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Rentaghost
''Rentaghost'' is a British children's television comedy show, originally broadcast by the BBC between 6 January 1976 and 6 November 1984. The show's plot centred on the antics of a number of ghosts who worked for a firm called Rentaghost, which hired out the spirits for various tasks. Background The firm, located in South Ealing, is originally run by Fred Mumford, a recently deceased loser who feels he can find work for ghosts whose lives were as unsuccessful as his. His first (and only) recruits are Timothy Claypole, a mischievous jester with a comical lack of knowledge about modern technology, and Hubert Davenport, a delicate Victorian-era gentleman who is morally shocked by the modern world. The ghosts work from an office, which they rent from Harold Meaker, who discovers the truth about them in the third episode. Over the course of several series, other characters were added: Hazel the McWitch, a Scottish witch; Nadia Popov, a Dutch ghost who suffers from hay fever and te ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Staniforth
Michael Peter Staniforth (15 December 1942 – 31 July 1987), born in Selly Oak, Birmingham, was a British stage actor. Life Staniforth's father was a sergeant major in the Army and so Michael's childhood was spent with his family in Germany, Egypt and Libya. He emigrated to Australia at the age of 21 and two years later landed a role in ''South Pacific (musical), South Pacific'' at The Menzies Theatre Restaurant in Sydney, where for the next few years he performed in a further 12 musicals, including ''Wonderful Town'' and Cole Porter's ''Out of This World (musical), Out Of This World'', followed by a national tour of ''The Boy Friend''. He returned to England in late 1969 and first appeared in the West End in ''Hair (musical), Hair'' at the Shaftesbury Theatre. He also appeared in the ''Two Gentlemen Of Verona'' (Speed) and ''Winnie The Pooh'' (Tigger) at the Phoenix Theatre, London, Phoenix Theatre. In 1977 he played the role of Paul in the original British cast of ''A Chorus L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bob Block
Bob Block (20 July 1921 – 17 April 2011) was a British radio and television comedy scriptwriter. Career His earliest work was for radio, best known for co-writing the domestic sitcom ''Life with the Lyons'' for Ben Lyon, as well as working with Arthur Askey and Frankie Howerd. Block was best known for writing television comedy series for children, including '' Pardon My Genie'' (1972–73), '' Robert's Robots'' (1974–75), '' Galloping Galaxies'' (1985) and the BBC's ''Rentaghost'' (1976–84). Notable credits Radio *''Variety Bandbox (1940s–1950s) *'' Radio Rinso'' (1950) *'' The Starlight Hour'' (1950) *''Life with the Lyons'' (1951–1961) *''Festival of Britain'' (1951) *'' Arthur's Inn'' (1952) *'' Discord in Three Flats'' (1962) Television *'' Our House'' (1960) *'' That's My Boy'' (1963) *'' Crackerjack'' (1964–1973) *'' Hey Presto It's Rolf'' (1966) *'' Broaden Your Mind'' (1968–1969) *'' Ken Dodd and the Diddymen'' (1969–1970) *'' The Dave King Show'' (19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ann Emery
Ann Emery (12 March 1930 – 28 September 2016) was a British actress. She was the half-sister of actor and comedian Dick Emery. Educated at Mrs Smith's School for Young Ladies and the Cone Ripman School, she excelled in tap dancing, which led to her first stage role as a Babe in ''Babes in the Wood'' at the King's Theatre, Hammersmith. During her career she performed in various theatre roles, including Sir Trevor Nunn's production of ''My Fair Lady'' ( Royal National Theatre and the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane). She originated the role of Grandma in ''Billy Elliot the Musical'' which she played from 2005–10. Reviewing the musical in ''The Guardian'', Michael Billington noted, "... when Ann Emery, as Billy's gran, sings of her sour memories of her husband, we get on the other side of the stage a collective demonstration of the slow movements of the inebriated working-class male. It is the kind of effect that can only be achieved in a musical." Following her appearance in ''B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sue Nicholls
Susan Frances Harmar Nicholls (born 23 November 1943) is an English actress, known for her roles on British television in ''Crossroads'' (1964–1968), ''The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin'' (1976–1979) and, ''Rentaghost'' (1981–1984), and especially for her long-running part as Audrey Roberts in the soap opera ''Coronation Street'' (1979–1982, 1984–present). She also appeared on Broadway in the 1974 revival of the comedy ''London Assurance''. Nicholls first appeared as Audrey in ''Coronation Street'' in 1979 and played the role intermittently for six years, before joining the cast permanently in 1985. She won the 2000 British Soap Award for Best Comedy Performance and the 2003 British Soap Award for Best Dramatic Performance, and received the Outstanding Achievement Award in 2019. Early life Susan Frances Harmar Nicholls was born in Darlaston, Wednesbury .She was educated at the School of St Mary and St Anne (now known as Abbots Bromley School for Girls), and is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kenneth Connor
Kenneth Connor, (6 June 1918 – 28 November 1993) was a British stage, film and broadcasting actor, who rose to national prominence with his appearances in the ''Carry On'' films. Early life Connor was born in Highbury, Islington, London, the son of a naval petty officer who organised concert parties. He first appeared on the stage at the age of two as an organ-grinder's monkey in one of his father's shows, in Portsmouth. By the age of 11 he had his own act. He attended the Central School of Speech and Drama, where he was a Gold Medal winner. Connor made his professional debut in J. M. Barrie's ''The Boy David'', at His Majesty's Theatre, London, in December 1936. During the Second World War he served as an infantry gunner with the Middlesex Regiment, but continued acting by touring Italy and the Middle East with the Stars in Battledress concert party and ENSA. Earlier in the war, in 1941, he was apparently performing as a comedic entertainer in a concert party named the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anthony Jackson (actor)
Anthony Thomas Jackson (18 February 1944 – 26 November 2006) was an English actor. He appeared as the founder of the eponymous ghost hiring agency in the BBC children's comedy series ''Rentaghost'' and as Sid Abbott’s neighbour Trevor, in the sitcom '' Bless This House''. Jackson began his career with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. He studied at Rose Bruford College and in 1965 joined the Radio Drama Company by winning the Carlton Hobbs Bursary. Later he played at the Mermaid Theatre and the Nottingham Playhouse. Roles Jackson played the part of The Tale Bearer (a narrator not included in the original story) in the 1968 BBC Radio dramatisation of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Hobbit''. Jackson also provided a large number of voices in the animated children's series ''Ivor the Engine'' and went on to have roles in many long-running British television series. He also appeared in the sitcoms '' Bless This House'', '' All Our Saturdays'', ''Mind Your Language'', ''Citizen Sm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ealing
Ealing () is a district in West London, England, west of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Ealing. Ealing is the administrative centre of the borough and is identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Ealing was historically in the county of Middlesex. Until the urban expansion of London in the late 19th century and early 20th centuries, it was a rural village. Improvement in communications with London, culminating with the opening of the railway station in 1838, shifted the local economy to market garden supply and eventually to suburban development. By 1902 Ealing had become known as the "Queen of the Suburbs" due to its greenery, and because it was halfway between city and country. As part of the growth of London in the 20th century, Ealing significantly expanded and increased in population. It became a municipal borough in 1901 and part of Greater London in 1965. It is now a significant commercial and retail centre with a developed night-time econom ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Darbyshire
Michael Darbyshire (15 October 1917 – 20 November 1979) was an English actor of stage and screen. He is perhaps best known for his role as Hubert Davenport, the Victorian ghost, in the long running BBC TV children's comedy series ''Rentaghost''. He also played one of the eccentric inventors in the 1968 film '' Chitty Chitty Bang Bang''. On stage, he appeared in the original West End cast of the musical '' Pickwick'' in 1963, its Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (other) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ... transfer in 1965, and a BBC TV adaptation in 1969. He was a member of the Players Theatre Company based in London in Villiers Street, appearing regularly and also on many occasions on the BBC TV series '' The Good Old Days''. Michael Darbyshire died in 1979, aged 62. Filmography Re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jeffrey Segal
Jeffrey Segal (1 August 1920 – 5 February 2015) was an English actor and scriptwriter. He made his first screen appearance, as an extra, in the film '' Jew Süss'' (1934). From the early 1960s onwards he appeared in many British TV series, notably ''Callan'', ''Z-Cars'', ''The Protectors'', ''Terry and June'', ''The Pallisers'', ''It Ain't Half Hot Mum'' and ''Dad's Army''. Career Segal played "Arthur Perkins" in the children's comedy series ''Rentaghost'', in the "Gourmet Night" episode of ''Fawlty Towers'', he played a hotel guest who is a hen-pecked husband and father of a babied spoiled brat; his character name was given, although this is never mentioned in dialogue, as Mr Heath in the credits, and he appeared as a civil servant in an episode in ''Yes Minister''. He appeared in '' The Sweeney'' and ''Minder''. In the mid-1980s he appeared in the mini-series of ''Oliver Twist'', ''Vanity Fair'', and in an episode of ''Jonathan Creek''. Segal broadcast on British radio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Molly Weir
Mary Weir (17 March 1910 – 28 November 2004), known as Molly Weir, was a Scotland, Scottish actress. She appeared as the character Hazel the McWitch in the BBC TV series ''Rentaghost''. She was the sister of naturalist and broadcaster Tom Weir. Biography Born in Glasgow and brought up in the Springburn area of the city, Weir began in amateur dramatics. In her early professional career, she was a well-known radio actress, featuring in many comedy shows, such as ''It's That Man Again, ITMA''. Her greatest theatrical success came in ''The Happiest Days of Your Life (play), The Happiest Days of Your Life''. She made her film debut in 1949, and had a regular role as the housekeeper, Aggie McDonald, in the radio and television sitcom ''Life With The Lyons''. During the 1970s and early 1980s she became famous as a writer, with several volumes of best-selling memoirs, notably, ''Shoes Were For Sunday''. She also appeared in a series of television advertisements for ''Mr. Clean, Fla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lynda La Plante
Lynda La Plante, CBE (born Lynda Titchmarsh; 15 March 1943) is an English author, screenwriter and former actress, best known for writing the ''Prime Suspect'' television crime series. Early life Lynda La Plante was born Lynda Titchmarsh on 15 March 1943 in Newton, Lancashire. La Plante's older sister Dail was killed in a road accident, at the age of five, before she was born. Raised in Liverpool, La Plante trained for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After finishing her studies, using the stage name Lynda Marchal, she appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company in a variety of productions, as well as popular television series including ''Z-Cars'', ''Educating Marmalade'', ''The Sweeney'', '' The Professionals'', and '' Bergerac''. As an actress she is perhaps best remembered as the hay-fever suffering ghost Tamara Novek in the BBC children's series ''Rentaghost''. In 1974, La Plante took her first scriptwriting job on the ITV children's series ''The Kids from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Betty Alberge
Betty Alberge (22 January 1922 – 18 May 1991) was an English theatre, radio and television actress, with an extensive career which ran from the late 1930s to the 1980s. She was best known for playing Corner Shop owner Florrie Lindley in the soap opera ''Coronation Street'' from the first episode in 1960 until 1965. Early life Born in Manchester on 22 January 1922, Alberge received her formal education at Fallowfield Central School for Girls in Manchester. Whilst at school she became interested in acting after performing in a school theatrical production of Maurice Maeterlinck's ''The Death of Tintagiles,'' with school friend Patricia Pilkington, later to become known as Pat Phoenix and play Elsie Tanner in ''Coronation Street''.Profile of Betty Alberge on the 'Corrie Net' website, acting profiles of the cast through the history of the 'Coronation Street' television series. http://www.corrie.net/profiles/actors/alberge_betty.html Acting career After initial training to be an ac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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