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The Bowmans
"The Bowmans" is an episode of the BBC television situation comedy programme ''Hancock'', the final BBC series featuring Tony Hancock, first broadcast on 2 June 1961. It was written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The title is a retronym; the episodes were not originally identified individually. Outline and background Hancock plays an actor in a fictional radio serial called ''The Bowmans'', a parody of the real BBC radio programme ''The Archers''. The theme tune to ''The Bowmans'' is a close variation by series composer Wally Stott of the real ''Archers'' theme tune "Barwick Green". Hancock plays Joshua Merriweather, a character similar to the soap opera's country bumpkin Walter Gabriel. Hancock's behaviour annoys the other actors and producers, so they kill off his character – only to find the audience holds the character in great affection. Hancock has difficulties finding new work, but audience reaction compels the BBC to resurrect his character by discovering a long-lost ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hancock's Half Hour
''Hancock's Half Hour'' was a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy series, broadcast from 1954 to 1961 and written by Galton and Simpson, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The series starred Tony Hancock, with Sid James, Sidney James; the radio version also co-starred, at various times, Moira Lister, Andrée Melly, Hattie Jacques, Bill Kerr and Kenneth Williams. The final television series, renamed simply ''Hancock'', starred Hancock alone. Comedian Tony Hancock starred in the show, playing an exaggerated and much poorer version of his own character and lifestyle, Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock, a down-at-heel comedian living at the dilapidated 23 Railway Cuttings in Cheam, East Cheam. The series was influential in the development of the Sitcom, situation comedy, with its move away from radio variety towards a focus on character development. The radio version was produced by Dennis Main Wilson for most of its run. After Main Wilson departed for his television career, his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peter Glaze
William George Peter Glaze (17 September 1917 – 20 February 1983) was an English comedian born in London. He appeared in '' Crackerjack!'' with Eamonn Andrews and Leslie Crowther in the 1960s, and with Michael Aspel, Don Maclean and Bernie Clifton in the 1970s. In ''Crackerjack!'' sketches, he usually played a pompous or middle-class character, who would always get exasperated with his partner Don Maclean during the course of the sketch. Maclean would then give an alliterative reply, such as "Don't get your knickers in a knot" or "Don't get your tights in a twist". He regularly uttered the expression "D'oh!", originated by James Finlayson in Laurel and Hardy films, long before it became associated with cartoon character Homer Simpson. He was also on the panel of the long-running radio panel game '' Twenty Questions'', along with Joy Adamson, Anona Winn and Norman Hackforth. Glaze was the son of an actor-manager and began his career in entertainment as a comedian at the Wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alec Bregonzi
Alec Bregonzi (21 April 1930, London – 4 June 2006) was an England, English actor who appeared in a number of stage and television roles. Bregonzi began his career as a professional actor in 1955 in repertory theatre in Farnham, then in York, Bromley and Leatherhead, amongst other places. Work in the West End followed, in Tennessee Williams's ''Camino Real (play), Camino Real'', where he played two parts and understudied Ronnie Barker. In 1957, Bregonzi appeared in ''Hancock's Half Hour'' for the first time. He went on to appear in 22 of the 63 television episodes Tony Hancock made for BBC Television. In 1958, Bregonzi toured with Hancock, and they performed the famous "Budgerigar" sketch together on tour and in the Royal Variety Performance and on television (in Christmas Night with the Stars). They toured together again in 1961. Duncan Wood, the television director of ''Hancock's Half Hour'' recommended Bregonzi to other directors, so that he also appeared in 1950s/60s sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Constance Chapman
Constance Chapman (29 March 1912 – 10 August 2003) was an English character actor working in theatre and television. She also made occasional film appearances. She made her stage debut in 1938 in ''Hay Fever'' at the Knightstone Theatre, Weston-super-Mare. Repertory work followed until her London debut in 1969 at the Royal Court Theatre for director Lindsay Anderson. ''In Celebration'' proved to be her big break, and opened the floodgates for further acting work. Her roles include Mrs. Brown in the 1982 Granada Television adaptation of '' A Kind of Loving'' and Anne in the Children's science fiction series, ''The Georgian House'' (1976). Her many comedy roles included appearances in the John Cleese film ''Clockwise'' (1986), ''Victoria Wood As Seen On TV''. and playing Uncle Albert's girlfriend, Elsie Partridge, in an episode of Only Fools and Horses. She repeated her leading role in the Lindsay Anderson film of ''In Celebration'' (1975), having previously appeared in Anderson ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bruno Barnarbe
Bruno may refer to: People and fictional characters *Bruno (name), including lists of people and fictional characters with either the given name or surname * Bruno, Duke of Saxony (died 880) * Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne, Duke of Lotharingia and saint * Bruno (bishop of Verden) (920–976), German Roman Catholic bishop * Pope Gregory V (c. 972–999), born Bruno of Carinthia * Bruno of Querfurt (c. 974–1009), Christian missionary bishop, martyr and saint * Bruno of Augsburg (c. 992–1029), Bishop of Augsburg * Bruno (bishop of Würzburg) (1005–1045), German Roman Catholic bishop * Pope Leo IX (1002–1054), born Bruno of Egisheim-Dagsburg * Bruno II (1024–1057), Frisian count or margrave * Bruno the Saxon (fl. 2nd half of the 11th century), historian * Saint Bruno of Cologne (d. 1101), founder of the Carthusians * Bruno (bishop of Segni) (c. 1045–1123), Italian Roman Catholic bishop and saint * Bruno (archbishop of Trier) (died 1124), German Roman ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hugh Lloyd
Hugh Lewis Lloyd (22 April 1923 – 14 July 2008) was an English actor who made his name in film and television comedy from the 1960s to the 1980s. He was best known for appearances in ''Hancock's Half Hour'', ''Hugh and I'' and other sitcoms of the 1960s. Life Lloyd was born on 22 April 1923 in Chester, Cheshire and attended the King's School. After leaving school he spent two years as a newspaper reporter on the ''Chester Chronicle''. His first professional acting appearance was with ENSA and he worked in repertory theatres until 1957, when he made the first of 25 appearances in the television series ''Hancock's Half Hour''. Many years after its first transmission, he is still remembered as the character in the episode entitled '' The Blood Donor'' in which he forgets to return Tony Hancock's wine gums. He appeared with Terry Scott in the series ''Hugh and I'' and ''The Gnomes of Dulwich''; with Peggy Mount in '' Lollipop Loves Mr. Mole''; in ''Jury'' and '' You Rang ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dennis Chinnery
Dennis Chinnery (14 May 1927 – 29 February 2012) was a British actor, noted for his performances in television. Following National service in the navy, he studied acting at RADA, graduating in 1949. His theatre work included appearances at the Old Vic. His TV credits include: ''Hancock's Half Hour'', ''Dixon of Dock Green'', ''Z-Cars'', '' Softly, Softly'', '' The Saint'', '' The Avengers'', ''The Prisoner'', ''The Champions'', ''Public Eye'', '' Special Branch'', ''Oh Brother!'', ''The Laughter of a Fool'', '' Thriller'' and '' Survivors''. He also appeared in three '' Doctor Who'' serials - '' The Chase'', ''Genesis of the Daleks'' and '' The Twin Dilemma''. The character Dr Chinnery in ''The League of Gentlemen'' was named after him. He was born at Romford, Essex, to Arthur F Chinnery and his wife Dorothy (née Mills). Chinnery was also an artist and painter. Partial filmography * ''Three Steps to the Gallows'' (1953) - Bill Adams, 2nd Officer * '' Escape by Night'' (19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grace Archer
Grace Archer (also Fairbrother) is a fictional character from the BBC's long-running radio soap, ''The Archers''. She was one of the original characters and was played by Monica Gray and then Ysanne Churchman. The episode depicting her death was broadcast by the BBC on 22 September 1955, the same evening as the launch of ITV, so as to distract from it. Storylines Grace is the daughter of a wealthy English family. She falls in love with Phil Archer (Norman Painting), the son of a farmer, and they are married in April 1955. A few months later, a fire breaks out at the stables while the residents of the village are at a dinner in the church hall. Grace runs into the burning stables to try to save her friend's horse and, as she searches, a burning beam falls down onto her, leaving her trapped. Phil and the others at the party learn that Grace is trapped in the shed and they pull her from the wreckage. She is rushed to hospital, but is pronounced dead on arrival. Reception An audience ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brian Oulton
Brian Oulton (11 February 1908 – 13 April 1992) was an English character actor. Biography Born in Liverpool, Lancashire, Oulton made his acting debut in 1939 as a lead actor. During the Second World War he served in the British Army, and returned to acting playing character roles in 1946; he made a name for himself playing the same pompous character in numerous films, ranging from '' Last Holiday'' (1950) to ''Young Sherlock Holmes'' (1985). Many of his film roles were in comedies, and he went on to appear in several ''Carry On'' films. In 1969, he appeared as an eccentric psychic medium in ''Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'' in the episode "Never Trust a Ghost"; as a hypochondriac GP in '' Doctor at Large''; and in the 1981 hit serial ''Brideshead Revisited''. He was also a stage actor and playwright, writing and starring in productions such as ''Births, Marriages and Deaths'' (1975), and ''For Entertainment Only'' (1976). Brian Oulton's radio credits include the role of Cy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Patrick Cargill
Patrick Cargill (3 June 191823 May 1996) was an English actor remembered for his lead role in the British television sitcom ''Father, Dear Father''. Career Cargill was born to middle-class parents living in Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex. After education at Haileybury College, he made his debut in the Bexhill Amateur Theatrical Society. However, he was aiming for a military career and was selected for training at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. Cargill became a commissioned officer in the British Indian Army. The stage After the Second World War ended, Cargill returned to Britain to focus on a stage career, and joined Anthony Hawtrey's company at Buxton, Croydon and later the Embassy Theatre at Swiss Cottage in London. He became a supporting player in John Counsell's repertory at Windsor alongside Brenda Bruce and Beryl Reid and scored a huge hit in the revue ''The World's the Limit'', which was seen by the Queen and 26 of her guests one evening. He made his first West End ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Galton And Simpson
Ray Galton OBE (17 July 1930 – 5 October 2018) and Alan Simpson OBE (27 November 1929 – 8 February 2017) were English comedy scriptwriters whose partnership lasted over 50 years. They met in 1948 whilst recuperating from tuberculosis at the Milford Sanatorium, near Godalming in Surrey. They are best known for their work with comedian Tony Hancock on radio and television between 1954 and 1961 and their long-running television situation comedy, ''Steptoe and Son'', eight series of which were aired between 1962 and 1974. Career The partnership's break in comedy writing came with the Derek Roy vehicle ''Happy Go Lucky'', although this was not a success. The Hancock connection began with their involvement with later radio variety series, and from November 1954 continued with ''Hancock's Half Hour'' on radio; a series featuring their scripts for Hancock ran on television between 1956 and 1961. In October that year Hancock ended his professional relationship with the writers ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barwick Green
"Barwick Green" is the theme music to the long-running BBC Radio 4 soap opera ''The Archers''. A "maypole dance" from the suite ''My Native Heath'' written in 1924 by the Yorkshire composer Arthur Wood, it is named after Barwick-in-Elmet in Yorkshire's West Riding. The recording used between 1950 and the 1990s was played by Sidney Torch and his orchestra. Sidney Torch recorded a commercial version of "Barwick Green" in the 1950s, but it was not used on ''The Archers'' itself. The familiar opening 7 notes are echoed in the pizzicato in Benjamin Britten's ''Simple Symphony'', written in 1934. The Sunday omnibus broadcast of ''The Archers'' starts with a more rustic, accordion-arranged rendition by The Yetties, while the theme for BBC Radio 4 Extra's ''The Archers'' spinoff, ''Ambridge Extra'', is a version arranged by Bellowhead Bellowhead is an English contemporary folk band, active from 2004 to 2016, reforming in 2020. The eleven-piece act played traditional dance tunes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
