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The Incredible Robert Baldick
''The Incredible Robert Baldick'' is a 1972 BBC drama that formed part of the third season of ''Drama Playhouse'', the BBC's launching pad for potential series (the first and second seasons had already seen pilot episodes make it to full runs with ''Codename'', '' The Befrienders'', '' The Regiment'' and ''The Onedin Line''). It marked the return to the BBC drama department, for the first time in six years, of writer Terry Nation. His last completed piece of work for the BBC before this, had been his work on the '' Doctor Who'' story ''The Daleks' Master Plan'' in 1965. After that he had worked for ITV/ITC film series including '' The Avengers'', '' The Saint'', '' The Baron'', ''The Champions'' and '' Department S''. The pilot episode was entitled "Never Come Night" and was produced by Anthony Coburn, and directed by Cyril Coke. The drama was described as 'Victorian Gothic Suspense'. Robert Baldick, played by Robert Hardy, was an eccentric dilettante scientist/detective, possessed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Television Pilot
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distributor. A pilot is created to be a testing ground to gauge whether a series will be successful. It is, therefore, a test episode for the intended television series, an early step in the series development, much like pilot studies serve as precursors to the start of larger activity. A successful pilot may be used as the series premiere, the first aired episode of a new show, but sometimes a series' pilot may be aired as a later episode or never aired at all. Some series are commissioned straight-to-series without a pilot. On some occasions, pilots that were not ordered to series may also be broadcast as a standalone television film or special. A "backdoor pilot" is an episode of an existing series that heavily features supporting characters ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tsar Nicholas II
Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Poland and Grand Duke of Finland, ruling from 1 November 1894 until his abdication on 15 March 1917. During his reign, Nicholas gave support to the economic and political reforms promoted by his prime ministers, Sergei Witte and Pyotr Stolypin. He advocated modernization based on foreign loans and close ties with France, but resisted giving the new parliament (the Duma) major roles. Ultimately, progress was undermined by Nicholas's commitment to autocratic rule, strong aristocratic opposition and defeats sustained by the Russian military in the Russo-Japanese War and World War I. By March 1917, public support for Nicholas had collapsed and he was forced to abdicate the throne, thereby ending the Romanov dynasty's 304-year rule of Russia (161 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reginald Marsh (actor)
Reginald Albert Saltmarsh, known by the stage name Reginald Marsh (17 September 1926 – 9 February 2001), was an English actor who is best remembered for supporting roles in many British sitcoms from the 1970s onwards. Early life and career Marsh was born in London in 1926 and he grew up on the Sussex coast at Worthing. After he left school he worked in a bank. After realising how serious he was about acting, his father introduced him to a retired actress, who introduced him to an agent who got his first acting role, at the age of 16, as a juvenile in ''Eden End'' by J.B. Priestley. He then worked in rep. In 1958, he started working behind the scenes of Granada Television, but he soon went back to acting. From the 1960s he appeared in many films, including ''The Day the Earth Caught Fire'' (1961), '' Jigsaw'' (1962), ''Berserk!'' (1967), '' The Ragman's Daughter'' (1972), ''Young Winston'' (1972) and ''The Best Pair of Legs in the Business'' (1973), and on television, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James Cossins
James Cossins (4 December 1933 – 12 February 1997) was an English character actor. Born in Beckenham, Kent, he became widely recognised as the abrupt, bewildered Mr Walt in the ''Fawlty Towers'' episode "The Hotel Inspectors" and as Mr Watson, the frustrated Public Relations training course instructor, in an episode of ''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em''.Guide Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em Episodes at Comedy guide Retrieved 14 August 2015 Early life He was born in and educated at the |
John Rhys-Davies
John Rhys-Davies (born 5 May 1944) is a Welsh actor best known for portraying Sallah in the ''Indiana Jones'' franchise and Gimli in ''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy. His other roles include Michael Malone in the 1993 series ''The Untouchables'', Vasco Rodrigues in the miniseries ''Shōgun'', Professor Maximillian Arturo in ''Sliders'', King Richard I in ''Robin of Sherwood'', General Leonid Pushkin in the James Bond film ''The Living Daylights'', and Macro in ''I, Claudius''. In voice acting, he portrayed Treebeard in ''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy, Cassim in '' Aladdin and the King of Thieves'', Ranjan's father in ''The Jungle Book 2'', Macbeth in '' Gargoyles'', Man Ray in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', Hades in ''Justice League'', and Tobias in '' Freelancer''. Early life John Rhys-Davies was born in Salisbury on 5 May 1944, the son of Welsh parents. His mother, Phyllis Jones, was a nurse, while his father, Rhys Davies, was a mechanical engineer and colonial officer. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Julian Holloway
Julian Holloway (born 24 June 1944) is a British actor. He is the son of comedy actor and singer Stanley Holloway and former chorus dancer and actress Violet Lane. He is the father of author and former model Sophie Dahl. Early life Holloway was born in Watlington, Oxfordshire, England on 24 June 1944. He was educated at Ludgrove School, Harrow School and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Career In the 1962–63 television season of ''Our Man Higgins'', Holloway was cast in his first major acting role as Quentin in four episodes. He became a mainstay of the Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' film franchise, appearing in eight films between 1967 and 1976, as well as one of the ''Carry On Christmas Specials, Carry On Christmas'' TV specials. In the 1970's British police drama ''The Sweeney,'' episode ''Big Spender,'' Holloway appeared as John Smith, the brains of an organized crime family who involve themselves with two dishonest employees of a car park company in an elaborate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Venturers
''The Venturers'' is a British television series produced by the BBC in 1975. The series, created by Donald Bull, had started out as an edition of ''Drama Playhouse'' in 1972 before being commissioned as an ongoing series. ''The Venturers'' took place in the high pressure world of Prince's merchant bank and dealt with the intricacies of high finance amongst its millionaire clients. Geoffrey Keen starred as director Gerald Lang, in a virtual reprise of his role as oil executive Brian Stead in '' Mogul / The Troubleshooters''. Other major cast members included James Kerry, David Buck, Cyril Luckham and William Squire. ''The Venturers'' lasted for a single series of ten episodes. Cast * Geoffrey Keen as Gerald Lang * David Buck as Tom Prince * James Kerry as David Ayrton * Karin MacCarthy as Dorothy Ayrton * Hugh Manning as Freddie Pander * Cyril Luckham as Lord Kilvern * William Squire William Squire (29 April 1917 – 3 May 1989) was a Welsh actor of stage, film and tel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sutherland's Law
''Sutherland's Law'' is a television series made by BBC Scotland between 1973 and 1976. The series had originated as a stand-alone edition of the portmanteau programme ''Drama Playhouse'' in 1972 in which Derek Francis played Sutherland and was then commissioned as an ongoing series. The producer was Frank Cox.Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors, , Jerry Roberts, Scarecrow Press 2009, p. 105 ''Sutherland's Law'' dealt with the duties of the Procurator Fiscal in a small Scottish town. The major cast members included Iain Cuthbertson (as John Sutherland), Gareth Thomas, Moultrie Kelsall, Victor Carin, Martin Cochrane, Don McKillop, Maev Alexander and Edith MacArthur. Directors included Douglas Camfield who directed episode 2 of series 2 "Caesar's Wife" transmitted on 22 May 1974Directed by Douglas Camfield, Michael Seeley, Fantom Publishing, 2020, pp. 184, 326 The exteriors for the series were filmed in Oban, Argyll. The signature tune was ''The Land of the Mountain ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Visions Before Midnight
''Visions Before Midnight'' is a selection of the television criticism written by Clive James during his first four years (1972–1976) as ''The Observers weekly television critic. The selection begins with a piece on the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, and ends with a piece on the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. It was first published in 1977. The title derives from Sir Thomas Browne: ''Dreams out of the ivory gate, and visions before midnight.'' Before being contracted by ''Observer'' editor David Astor, James had previously written one piece per month on television for '' The Listener'' and its editor, Karl Miller, had been an important influence on James. He had allowed him to, "write a column which eschewed solemnity so thoroughly that it courted the frivolous. Like Lichtenberg Karl Miller appreciated the kind of joke that unveils a problem: if your gags had a serious reason for being there, they stayed in." James explains in the preface: "Television was a natural part ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hammer Film Productions
Hammer Film Productions Ltd. is a British film production company based in London. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic horror and fantasy films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Many of these involve classic horror characters such as Baron Victor Frankenstein, Count Dracula, and the Mummy, which Hammer reintroduced to audiences by filming them in vivid colour for the first time. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers, film noir and comedies, as well as, in later years, television series. During its most successful years, Hammer dominated the horror film market, enjoying worldwide distribution and considerable financial success. This success was, in part, due to its distribution partnerships with American companies United Artists, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, American International Pictures and Seven Arts Productions as well as fellow European fi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. History Origins The first issue, published on 4 December 1791 by W.S. Bourne, was the world's first Sunday newspaper. Believing that the paper would be a means of wealth, Bourne instead soon found himself facing debts of nearly £1,600. Though early editions purported editorial independence, Bourne attempted to cut his losses and sell the title to the government. When this failed, Bourne's brother (a wealthy businessman) made an offer to the government, which also refused to buy the paper but agreed to subsidise it in return for influence over its editorial content. As a result, the paper soon took a strong line against radicals such as Thomas Paine, Francis Burdett and Joseph Priestley. 19th century In 180 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clive James
Clive James (born Vivian Leopold James; 7 October 1939 – 24 November 2019) was an Australian critic, journalist, broadcaster, writer and lyricist who lived and worked in the United Kingdom from 1962 until his death in 2019.Clive James — writer, TV broadcaster and critic — dies aged 80 ''ABC News'', 28 November 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019. He began his career specialising in literary criticism before becoming television critic for ''The Observer'' in 1972, where he made his name for his wry, deadpan humour. During this period, he earned an independent reputation as a poet and satire, satirist. He achieved mainstream success in the UK first as a writer for television, and eventually as the lead in his own programmes, including ''...on Television ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
