''Bognor'' is a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

, made by

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a Broadcast license, franchise holder for a region of the British ITV (TV network), ITV television network serving Greater London, London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until th ...

for

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

. It was originally shown in 21 episodes between 10 February 1981 and 23 March 1982.BFI.org
/ref> It was based on a series of novels by

Tim Heald Tim Villiers Heald FRSL (28 January 1944 – 20 November 2016) was a British author, biographer, journalist and public speaker. Life and writings Heald was born in Dorchester, Dorset, England, and educated at Sherborne School, Dorset, and Balliol ...

featuring Simon Bognor, an investigator working for the

Board of Trade The Board of Trade is a British government body concerned with commerce and industry, currently within the Department for International Trade. Its full title is The Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of ...

, and starred

David Horovitch David Horovitch (born 11 August 1945) is an English actor, perhaps best known for playing the character of Inspector Slack in ''Miss Marple''. He stars in the '' Game of Thrones'' prequel series ''House of the Dragon'' as Grand Maester Mellos. ...

in the title role. The first run of stories was shown in February and March 1981, with each story running to six 30-minute episodes. The series was cancelled after only four stories were made. The final story was not broadcast until March 1982, when it was shown in three parts.

Regular cast

- Simon Bognor *

Joanna McCallum Joanna McCallum (born 27 June 1950) is an English theatre, film and television actress. Early years and personal life She is the daughter of English actress Googie Withers and Australian actor John McCallum, and was educated at St Catheri ...

- Monica *

Ewan Roberts Ewan Roberts (29 April 1914–10 January 1983) was a Scottish stage, film and television actor. On stage from 1935, his theatre work included a season with the Old Vic, in 1946-1947. In 1949 he appeared at the Adelphi Theatre in '' Castle in ...

- Parkinson * Tim Meats - Lingard

Guest cast

''Unbecoming Habits''

* James Maxwell - Anselm *

Patrick Troughton Patrick George Troughton (; 25 March 1920 – 28 March 1987) was an English actor who was classically trained for the stage but became known for his roles in television and film. His work included appearances in several fantasy, science fiction ...

- Xavier *

Geoffrey Chater Geoffrey Michael Chater Robinson (23 March 1921 – 16 October 2021) was an English film, television and stage actor. He appeared in the crime drama series ''Callan'', ''Foyle's War'' and '' Midsomer Murders''. Biography Geoffrey Michael Chat ...

- Sir Erris Brig *

Richard Hurndall Richard Gibbon Hurndall (3 November 1910 – 13 April 1984) was an English actor. He is best remembered for replacing William Hartnell in the role of the First Doctor for '' Doctor Who's'' 20th anniversary special ''The Five Doctors''. Career ...

- Lord Camberley *

Robert Eddison Robert Leadam Eddison, OBE (10 June 1908 – 14 December 1991) was an English actor, who despite his lengthy career as a classical stage actor, is probably most widely remembered in the role of the Grail Knight in ''Indiana Jones and the Last C ...

- John *

Charles Lloyd-Pack Charles Lloyd-Pack (10 October 1902 – 22 December 1983) was a British film, television and stage actor. Life and career Lloyd-Pack was born at Wapping, East London, to working-class parents. He was seen in several horror films produced by th ...

- Matthew * Anthony Jackson - Barnabus * Alec Wallis - George Hey * Glyn Jones - Sir John Derby * David Rowlands - Batty Tom *

David Gooderson David Gooderson (born 24 February 1941) is an English actor who has appeared in several television roles. Career As well as portraying Davros, creator of the Daleks in the ''Doctor Who'' serial ''Destiny of the Daleks'', he appeared in epis ...

- Andy *

Edward Peel Edward Peel is an English television and stage actor. He was described by ''The Times'' in 2010 as a "veteran star of TV dramas" and "a familiar face on television for the past 40 years". Early life and education Peel trained as an actor at Ro ...

- Vivian * John Flint - Insp. Trollope *

Gordon Rollings Gordon Charles Rollings (17 April 1926 – 7 June 1985) was an English actor who mainly appeared on television, but also appeared on-stage and in feature films. He was born in Batley, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England in 1926 and start ...

- Sid * David Telfer - PC Temple

''Deadline''

Benjamin Whitrow Benjamin John Whitrow (17 February 1937 – 28 September 2017) was an English actor. He was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor for his role as Mr Bennet in the 1995 BBC version of ''Pride and Prejudice'', and voiced the role of Fow ...

- Eric Gringe *

Charlotte Cornwell Charlotte Cornwell (26 April 1949 – 16 January 2021) was an English actress, singer, and a celebrated teacher of acting on the faculty at the University of Southern California (2003-2012). She began her career as an actress in Richard Cottr ...

- Molly Mortimer *

Robert Addie Robert Alastair Addie (10 February 1960 – 20 November 2003) was an English film and theatre actor, who came to prominence playing the role of Sir Guy of Gisbourne in the 1980s British television drama series ''Robin of Sherwood''. Early life ...

- Willy Wimbledon *

Peter Jeffrey Peter Jeffrey (18 April 1929 – 25 December 1999) was an English character actor. Starting his performing career on stage, he would later have many roles in television and film. Early life Jeffrey was born in Bristol, the son of Florence ...

- Milburn Port *

Richard Vernon Richard Evelyn Vernon (7 March 1925 – 4 December 1997) was a British actor. He appeared in many feature films and television programmes, often in aristocratic or supercilious roles. Prematurely balding and greying, Vernon settled into playi ...

- Lord Wharfedale * Glyn Jones - Sir John Derby * Frances White - Thelma Gringe * Shirley Dixon - Parson Woodforde *

Glynis Barber Glynis Barber (born Glynis van der Riet; 25 October 1955) is a South African actress. She is known for her portrayals of Sgt. Harriet Makepeace in the British police drama ''Dempsey and Makepeace'', Glenda Mitchell in ''EastEnders'', DCI Grace ...

- Secretary * David Calder - Insp. Flanders *

Annette Badland Annette Badland (born 26 August 1950) is an English actress known for a wide range of roles on television, radio, stage, and film. She is best known for her roles as Margaret Blaine in the BBC science fiction series ''Doctor Who'', Mrs. Glen ...

- Charlotte *

Christopher Biggins Christopher Kenneth Biggins (born 16 December 1948) is an English actor and television presenter. Early life Biggins was born in Oldham, Lancashire, the son of William and Pamela Biggins. He was brought up in Salisbury, Wiltshire, attended St P ...

- Spencer Nugent * Geoffrey Bateman - Elliston Gravelle

''Let Sleeping Dogs Die''

Robin Bailey William Henry Mettam "Robin" Bailey (5 October 1919 – 14 January 1999) was an English actor. He was born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. Often cast in upper class and tradition-bound roles such as Mr Justice Graves in Thames Television's ''R ...

- Percy Pocklington *

Nigel Davenport Arthur Nigel Davenport (23 May 1928 – 25 October 2013) was an English stage, television and film actor, best known as the Duke of Norfolk and Lord Birkenhead in the Academy Award-winning films '' A Man for All Seasons'' and ''Chariots of Fir ...

- Edgar Eagerly *

Joan Greenwood Joan Mary Waller Greenwood (4 March 1921 – 28 February 1987) was an English actress. Her husky voice, coupled with her slow, precise elocution, was her trademark. She played Sibella in the 1949 film ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'', and also app ...

- Duchess of Dorset *

Elizabeth Spriggs Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

- Alisa Potts *

Michael Bilton Robert Michael Bilton (14 December 1919 – 5 November 1993) was an English actor best known for his roles in the British television sitcoms ''To the Manor Born'' (playing the gardener and sometime butler Ned) and '' Waiting for God'' (playing ...

- Andrew * Roy Macready - Mervyn Sparks *

Shane Rimmer Shane Rimmer (born Shane Lance Deacon; May 28, 1929 – March 29, 2019) was a Canadian actor and screenwriter who spent the majority of his career in the United Kingdom. The self-proclaimed "Rent-A-Yank" of the British entertainment industry, he ...

- Horace Higgins * Frederick Treves - Brigadier Willoughby *

Victor Winding Victor Winding (30 January 1929 – 9 October 2014) was a British actor born in Lambeth, London. He appeared in "The Faceless Ones", a '' Doctor Who'' serial broadcast from April to May 1967 starring Patrick Troughton in which he played the ...

- Ramble * Gabriel Woolf - Jorgen Winterfield *

Alfred Molina Alfred Molina (born Alfredo Molina; 24 May 1953) is a British-American actor known for his work on the stage and screen. He first rose to prominence in the West End, earning a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Pla ...

- Waiter

''Just Desserts''

Andrew Burt Andrew Thomas Hutchison Burt (23 May 1945 – 16 November 2018) was a British actor, voiceover artist, and counsellor. Early life and education Andrew Burt was born on 23 May 1945 in Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, to Hutchison Bu ...

- Aubrey Pring *

John Le Mesurier John Le Mesurier (, born John Elton Le Mesurier Halliley; 5 April 191215 November 1983) was an English actor. He is perhaps best remembered for his comedic role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the BBC television situation co ...

- Blight-Purley * Lynda Marchal - Lady Aubergine *

Edward de Souza Edward James de Souza (born 4 September 1932) is a British character actor and graduate of RADA, who is of Portuguese-Indian and English descent. Early life De Souza was the only child of Annie Adeline Swift (née Calvert) and Edward Valentine De ...

- Pendennis *

Ian Collier Ian Gordon Arthur Collier (25 January 1943 – 1 October 2008) was a British actor. He appeared on stage in Tony Richardson's production of "Hamlet" in 1969 at London's Roundhouse, and at the Lunt-Fontanne theater in New York City. Other repe ...

- Scoff Smith

Novels

Five of Heald's novels were reissued as tie-ins with the series by

Arrow Books Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

in 1981: ''Unbecoming Habits'', ''Deadline'', ''Let Sleeping Dogs Die'', ''Just Desserts'' and ''Blue Blood Will Out''. The cancellation of the series meant the fifth novel was never produced for television. Heald continued to write further Bognor novels and they have all been re-issued since without reference to the television series.

DVD release

The series was released on 4 DVDs in the UK (Region 2) by Network DVD in 2011.

References

External links

* 1980s British drama television series 1981 British television series debuts ITV television dramas 1982 British television series endings Television series by Fremantle (company) Television shows produced by Thames Television English-language television shows {{UK-tv-prog-stub