Bill Paterson
Encyclopedia
Bill Paterson is a Scottish
stage, film and television actor.
, Scotland
, Paterson spent three years as a quantity surveyor
's apprentice, before attending the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
. He made his professional acting debut in 1967, appearing alongside Leonard Rossiter
in Bertolt Brecht
's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
at the Glasgow Citizens Theatre. In 1970, Paterson joined the Citizen's Theatre for Youth. He remained there as an actor and assistant director until 1972, when he left to appear with Billy Connolly
in The Great Northern Welly Boot Show at the Edinburgh Festival
. Paterson would work with Connolly again, some years later, when he performed in Connolly's play An Me Wi' a Bad Leg Tae.
, touring the United Kingdom
and Europe
with plays such as The Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black Black Oil
. He was a founding member of 7:84, and made his London
debut in 1976 with the company. He appeared in the Edinburgh Festival and London with John Byrne's first play, Writer's Cramp, and he first appeared in the West End
when he took over the lead role in Whose Life Is It Anyway?
at the Savoy Theatre
in 1979.
Paterson's career began to centre more on television than the theatre. His first appearances included the 1978 BAFTA award
winning drama Licking Hitler
, and playing King James
in the UK television serial Will Shakespeare
the same year. He played Lophakin in the BBC production of 'The Cherry Orchard
' in 1981. Paterson did not, however, entirely neglect the theatre, and in 1982, he was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for his performance as Schweyk in another Brecht play, Schweik in the Second World War
at the National Theatre
. He was in the original National Theatre production of Guys and Dolls
(1982), Death and the Maiden
at the Royal Court
and Duke of York's
(1991–92) and Ivanov at the Almeida
, London and Maly Theatre, Moscow
(1997). His most recent theatre is "Earthquakes in London" at the National Theatre in the summer of 2010
The early 1980s also saw Paterson beginning to appear in films, including The Killing Fields
, Comfort and Joy and A Private Function
(all 1984). Other film credits include Dutch Girls
(1985), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
(1987), The Witches (1990), Truly, Madly, Deeply
(1990), Chaplin (1992), Sir Ian McKellen
's Richard III
(1995), Bright Young Things
(2003), Miss Potter (2006), How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
(2008) and Creation (2009).
His extensive and award winning TV career includes a memorable portrayal of villain Ally Fraser in series 2 of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
(1986), Smiley's People
(1982), The Singing Detective
(1986), Traffik
(1988), The Crow Road
(1996), and Doctor Zhivago
(2002).
In 1997, he appeared as Brian in Spice World the movie.
Much of his later work has been for the BBC
, starring as Dr. Douglas Monaghan in three seasons of the supernatural drama series Sea of Souls
. He also played the role of Dr. Gibson in the 1999 production of Wives and Daughters
, and appeared in the 2008 BBC production
of the Charles Dickens
novel Little Dorrit
as Mr. Meagles, as DS Box in the first series of Criminal Justice
(2008), and as Dr. James Niven
in Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen
in 2009. Since 2009, he has appeared as George Castle, the head of the CPS in Law & Order: UK.
Throughout his career he has appeared regularly in radio drama and provided the narration for a large number of documentaries. He provided the voice of the Assistant Arcturan Pilot in Episode 7 of the original BBC Radio 4
version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
in 1981. In 2005, he would take a similar role as Rob McKenna, a lorry driver and unknowing Rain God, in Fits the 19th, 20th, and 22nd of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Quandary Phase. He also played the key role of SIS Chief Percy Alleline in the 2009 BBC Radio 4
version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
In 2003, Paterson began broadcasting his own radio stories Tales From the Back Green on BBC Scotland
, which led to them being published by Hodder in 2008 and appearances at many book festivals throughout the UK
In 2009, he narrated a BBC TV programme called 1929 - The Great Crash which recalled the Wall Street Crash of 1929
and compared it to the recent financial turmoil of 2008.
In 2010, Paterson starred in Doctor Who
as Professor Edwin Bracewell, in the episode "Victory of the Daleks
", with his character making a second appearance in the opening half of the season finale, "The Pandorica Opens
". Later in the year, Paterson narrated the BBC Four
wildlife documentary Birds Britannia
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
stage, film and television actor.
Early years
Born in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Paterson spent three years as a quantity surveyor
Quantity surveyor
A quantity surveyor is a professional working within the construction industry concerned with building costs.The profession is one that provides a qualification gained following formal education, specific training and experience that provides a general set of skills that are then applied to a...
's apprentice, before attending the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a conservatoire of music, drama, and dance in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Educational Association, it is the busiest performing arts venue in Scotland...
. He made his professional acting debut in 1967, appearing alongside Leonard Rossiter
Leonard Rossiter
Leonard Rossiter was an English actor known for his roles as Rupert Rigsby, in the British comedy television series Rising Damp , and Reginald Iolanthe Perrin, in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin...
in Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director.An influential theatre practitioner of the 20th century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the...
's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui is a play by the German dramatist Bertolt Brecht, originally written in 1941...
at the Glasgow Citizens Theatre. In 1970, Paterson joined the Citizen's Theatre for Youth. He remained there as an actor and assistant director until 1972, when he left to appear with Billy Connolly
Billy Connolly
William "Billy" Connolly, Jr., CBE is a Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor. He is sometimes known, especially in his native Scotland, by the nickname The Big Yin...
in The Great Northern Welly Boot Show at the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
. Paterson would work with Connolly again, some years later, when he performed in Connolly's play An Me Wi' a Bad Leg Tae.
Career
Paterson spent much of the 1970s in John McGrath's theatre company, 7:847:84
7:84 was a Scottish left-wing agitprop theatre group. The name comes from a statistic, published in The Economist in 1966, that 7% of the population of the UK owned 84% of the state's wealth....
, touring the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
with plays such as The Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black Black Oil
The Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black Black Oil
The Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black Black Oil is a play written in the 1970s by the popular Liverpudlian playwright John McGrath. From 1973, beginning at a venue in Aberdeen, it was performed in a touring production in community centres around Scotland by 7:84 and other community theatre groups...
. He was a founding member of 7:84, and made his London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
debut in 1976 with the company. He appeared in the Edinburgh Festival and London with John Byrne's first play, Writer's Cramp, and he first appeared in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
when he took over the lead role in Whose Life Is It Anyway?
Whose Life is it Anyway?
Whose Life Is It Anyway? is a play by Brian Clark adapted from his 1972 television play of the same title. The play premiered at the Mermaid Theatre in London's West End in 1978 starring Tom Conti as Ken.-Plot:...
at the Savoy Theatre
Savoy Theatre
The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre located in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre opened on 10 October 1881 and was built by Richard D'Oyly Carte on the site of the old Savoy Palace as a showcase for the popular series of comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan,...
in 1979.
Paterson's career began to centre more on television than the theatre. His first appearances included the 1978 BAFTA award
British Academy Television Awards
The British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . They have been awarded annually since 1954, and are analogous to the Emmy Awards in the United States.-Background:...
winning drama Licking Hitler
Licking Hitler
Licking Hitler was a television play about a black propaganda unit operating in England during World War II, broadcast by the BBC on 10 January 1978 as part of the Play for Today series. Written by David Hare, it featured performances by Kate Nelligan and Bill Paterson. Photography was by Ken...
, and playing King James
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
in the UK television serial Will Shakespeare
Will Shakespeare (TV series)
Will Shakespeare, also known as Life of Shakespeare, was a 1978 historical drama series created and written by John Mortimer. Broadcast in six parts, the series is a dramatisation of the life of William Shakespeare, and was co-produced by Lew Grade's ATV and RAI and distributed internationally by ITC...
the same year. He played Lophakin in the BBC production of 'The Cherry Orchard
The Cherry Orchard
The Cherry Orchard is Russian playwright Anton Chekhov's last play. It premiered at the Moscow Art Theatre 17 January 1904 in a production directed by Constantin Stanislavski. Chekhov intended this play as a comedy and it does contain some elements of farce; however, Stanislavski insisted on...
' in 1981. Paterson did not, however, entirely neglect the theatre, and in 1982, he was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for his performance as Schweyk in another Brecht play, Schweik in the Second World War
Schweik in the Second World War
Schweik in the Second World War is a play by German dramatist and poet Bertolt Brecht. It was written by Brecht in 1943 while in exile in California, and is a sequel to the 1923 novel The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek. It is set in Prague and on the Russian Front during World War II...
at the National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
. He was in the original National Theatre production of Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure", two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably...
(1982), Death and the Maiden
Death and the Maiden (play)
Death and the Maiden is a 1990 play by Chilean playwright Ariel Dorfman. The world premiere was staged at the Royal Court Theatre in London on 9 July 1991, directed by Lindsay Posner...
at the Royal Court
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
and Duke of York's
Duke of York's Theatre
The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End Theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre, until her death in 1935. It opened on 10 September 1892 as the Trafalgar Square Theatre, with Wedding...
(1991–92) and Ivanov at the Almeida
Almeida Theatre
The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325 seat studio theatre with an international reputation which takes its name from the street in which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diverse range of drama and holds an annual summer festival of...
, London and Maly Theatre, Moscow
Maly Theatre (Moscow)
Maly Theatre is a drama theater in Moscow, Russia. Established in 1806 and operating on its present site on the Theatre Square since 1824, the theatre traces its history to the Moscow University drama company, established in 1756...
(1997). His most recent theatre is "Earthquakes in London" at the National Theatre in the summer of 2010
The early 1980s also saw Paterson beginning to appear in films, including The Killing Fields
The Killing Fields (film)
The Killing Fields is a 1984 British drama film about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, which is based on the experiences of two journalists: Cambodian Dith Pran and American Sydney Schanberg. The film, which won three Academy Awards, was directed by Roland Joffé and stars Sam Waterston as...
, Comfort and Joy and A Private Function
A Private Function
A Private Function is a 1984 British comedy film starring Michael Palin and Maggie Smith. The film was predominantly filmed in Ilkley and Ben Rhydding, West Yorkshire. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival....
(all 1984). Other film credits include Dutch Girls
Dutch Girls
Dutch Girls is a 1985 film, released by the London Weekend Television Company, produced by Sue Birtwistle, directed by Giles Foster, and written by William Boyd. The film is about a group of young men who go to Holland to play hockey. Along the way they drink, smoke, and try to have sex...
(1985), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is a 1988 British adventure comedy film directed by Terry Gilliam, starring John Neville, Sarah Polley, Eric Idle, Jonathan Pryce, Oliver Reed, Uma Thurman, and Robin Williams.-Plot:...
(1987), The Witches (1990), Truly, Madly, Deeply
Truly, Madly, Deeply
Truly, Madly, Deeply is a 1990 film made for the BBC's Screen Two series.-Overview:The film was written and directed by Anthony Minghella and stars Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman. Minghella said he wrote the script specifically as “a vehicle for [Stevenson] to express all her talents...
(1990), Chaplin (1992), Sir Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
's Richard III
Richard III (1995 film)
Richard III is a 1995 drama film adapted from William Shakespeare's play of the same name, starring Ian McKellen, Annette Bening, Jim Broadbent, Robert Downey Jr., Nigel Hawthorne, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, John Wood and Dominic West....
(1995), Bright Young Things
Bright Young Things
Bright Young Things is a 2003 British drama film written and directed by Stephen Fry. The screenplay, based on the 1930 novel Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh, provides satirical social commentary about the Bright Young People: young and carefree London aristocrats and bohemians, as well as society in...
(2003), Miss Potter (2006), How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (film)
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People is a 2008 British comedy film based upon British writer Toby Young's 2001 memoir of the same name. The film follows a similar storyline, about his five year struggle to make it in the United States after employment at Sharps Magazine...
(2008) and Creation (2009).
His extensive and award winning TV career includes a memorable portrayal of villain Ally Fraser in series 2 of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet is a British comedy-drama television programme about seven English migrant construction workers. In the first series, the men live and work on a building site in Düsseldorf....
(1986), Smiley's People
Smiley's People
Smiley's People is a spy novel by John le Carré, published in 1979. Featuring British master-spy George Smiley, it is the third and final novel of the "Karla Trilogy", following Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Honourable Schoolboy...
(1982), The Singing Detective
The Singing Detective
The Singing Detective is a BBC television miniseries written by Dennis Potter, which stars Michael Gambon, and was directed by Jon Amiel. The six episodes were "Skin", "Heat", "Lovely Days", "Clues", "Pitter Patter" and "Who Done It"....
(1986), Traffik
Traffik
Traffik is a 1989 British television serial about the illegal drugs trade. Its three stories are interwoven, with arcs told from the perspectives of Pakistani growers and manufacturers, German dealers, and British users. It was nominated for six BAFTA Awards, winning three...
(1988), The Crow Road
The Crow Road
The Crow Road is a novel by the Scottish writer Iain Banks, published in 1992.-Plot introduction:Prentice McHoan's life, growing up in a complex but coherent Scottish family with many mysteries is described, seen through his preoccupations with death, sex, relationships, drink and God, with the...
(1996), and Doctor Zhivago
Doctor Zhivago (TV serial)
Doctor Zhivago is a 2002 British television serial directed by Giacomo Campiotti and starring Keira Knightley and Sam Neill. The teleplay by Andrew Davies is based on the 1957 novel of the same title by Boris Pasternak....
(2002).
In 1997, he appeared as Brian in Spice World the movie.
Much of his later work has been for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, starring as Dr. Douglas Monaghan in three seasons of the supernatural drama series Sea of Souls
Sea of Souls
Sea of Souls is a BBC paranormal drama series, based around the fictional activities of a group of investigators into psychic and other paranormal events. Produced in-house by BBC Scotland, initially in association with Sony Pictures Television International, the series debuted on BBC One in the UK...
. He also played the role of Dr. Gibson in the 1999 production of Wives and Daughters
Wives and Daughters (1999 miniseries)
Wives and Daughters is a 1999 four part BBC serial adapted from the novel Wives and Daughters: An Everyday Story by Victorian author Elizabeth Gaskell...
, and appeared in the 2008 BBC production
Little Dorrit (TV serial)
Little Dorrit is a 2008 British television serial directed by Adam Smith, Dearbhla Walsh, and Diarmuid Lawrence. The teleplay by Andrew Davies is based on the serial novel of the same title by Charles Dickens, originally published between 1855 and 1857....
of the Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
novel Little Dorrit
Little Dorrit
Little Dorrit is a serial novel by Charles Dickens published originally between 1855 and 1857. It is a work of satire on the shortcomings of the government and society of the period....
as Mr. Meagles, as DS Box in the first series of Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice (TV series)
Criminal Justice is a British television drama series produced by the BBC and first shown in 2008. Written by Peter Moffat, each five-episode series follows the journey of an individual through the justice system and was first broadcast over five successive nights on BBC One.The first series, first...
(2008), and as Dr. James Niven
James Niven
James Niven was a Scottish physician most famous for his work during the Spanish Flu outbreak in 1918 as Manchester's Medical Officer of Health. He held the position for 28 years , until he retired. He held the degrees of M.A., M.B. and LL.D. He had been Oldham's Medical Officer of Health from...
in Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen
Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen
Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen is a 2009 television drama. It deals with Dr James Niven's attempts to deal with the 1918 flu pandemic in Manchester. Its screenplay was written by Peter Harness and it starred Bill Paterson as Niven, along with Mark Gatiss, Kenneth Cranham and Charlotte Riley. It...
in 2009. Since 2009, he has appeared as George Castle, the head of the CPS in Law & Order: UK.
Throughout his career he has appeared regularly in radio drama and provided the narration for a large number of documentaries. He provided the voice of the Assistant Arcturan Pilot in Episode 7 of the original BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy radio series written by Douglas Adams . It was originally broadcast in the United Kingdom by BBC Radio 4 in 1978, and afterwards on global short wave radio on the BBC World Service, National Public Radio in the U.S. and CBC Radio in...
in 1981. In 2005, he would take a similar role as Rob McKenna, a lorry driver and unknowing Rain God, in Fits the 19th, 20th, and 22nd of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Quandary Phase. He also played the key role of SIS Chief Percy Alleline in the 2009 BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
In 2003, Paterson began broadcasting his own radio stories Tales From the Back Green on BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
, which led to them being published by Hodder in 2008 and appearances at many book festivals throughout the UK
In 2009, he narrated a BBC TV programme called 1929 - The Great Crash which recalled the Wall Street Crash of 1929
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
and compared it to the recent financial turmoil of 2008.
In 2010, Paterson starred in Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
as Professor Edwin Bracewell, in the episode "Victory of the Daleks
Victory of the Daleks
"Victory of the Daleks" is the third episode in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is written by Mark Gatiss and first broadcast on BBC One on 17 April 2010....
", with his character making a second appearance in the opening half of the season finale, "The Pandorica Opens
The Pandorica Opens
"The Pandorica Opens" is the twelfth episode, and first in a two-part story, in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who, broadcast on 19 June 2010. The Doctor's friends send him a warning; he deals with a message on a cliff, a mysterious box and a love story that...
". Later in the year, Paterson narrated the BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
wildlife documentary Birds Britannia
Birds Britannia
Birds Britannia is a four-part BBC Four television series about the birds of the United Kingdom, first shown in 2010. It was produced by Stephen Moss....
.
Personal life
Paterson is married to stage designer, Hildegard Bechtler, with whom he has a son and daughter. They live in London.Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 & 1977 & 1978 & 1980 & 1981 & 1983 | Play for Today Play for Today Play for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted... |
7:48/Luke/Archie MacLean/Actor/Tony/Ron Brackett | TV |
| 1976 | The Flight of the Heron | Sergeant | TV |
| 1977 | Backs to the Land Backs to the Land Backs to the Land is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 1977 to 1978. Starring Philippa Howell, Terese Stevens and Marilyn Galsworthy, Backs to the Land is set during World War II. It was written by David Climie... |
Forbes | TV |
| 1978 | ITV Playhouse ITV Playhouse ITV Playhouse was a UK comedy-drama TV series that ran from 1967 to 1983, which featured contributions from playwrights such as Dennis Potter, Rhys Adrian and Alan Sharp. The series began in black and white, but was later shot in colour and was produced by various companies for the ITV network, a... |
Gary | TV |
| Life of Shakespeare | King James I | TV | |
| The Odd Job The Odd Job The Odd Job is a 1978 British comedy film starring Graham Chapman . It tells the story of a man named Arthur Harris who is recently abandoned by his wife. He becomes so depressed that he hires an "odd job man" to kill him... |
Sergeant Mull | ||
| 1979 | One Fine Day | Second Man in Lift | TV Movie |
| Telford's Change Telford's Change Telford's Change was a 1979 BBC television series by Brian Clark starring Peter Barkworth.Barkworth played a bank manager, Mark Telford, who took a backward step in his career in order to retreat from the rat race... |
Kevin | TV | |
| Scottish Playbill | TV | ||
| 1979 - 1981 | Crown Court Crown Court The Crown Court of England and Wales is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Senior Courts of England and Wales... |
Dr. Rutherford | TV |
| 1980 | The Lost Tribe | Moshe Kaydan | TV Mini-Series |
| 1981 | The Cherry Orchard The Cherry Orchard The Cherry Orchard is Russian playwright Anton Chekhov's last play. It premiered at the Moscow Art Theatre 17 January 1904 in a production directed by Constantin Stanislavski. Chekhov intended this play as a comedy and it does contain some elements of farce; however, Stanislavski insisted on... |
Lopakhin | TV Movie |
| 1982 | Smiley's People Smiley's People Smiley's People is a spy novel by John le Carré, published in 1979. Featuring British master-spy George Smiley, it is the third and final novel of the "Karla Trilogy", following Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Honourable Schoolboy... |
Lauder Strickland | TV Mini-Series |
| 1983 | The Ploughman's Lunch The Ploughman's Lunch The Ploughman's Lunch is a 1983 film written by Ian McEwan and directed by Richard Eyre which featuring Jonathan Pryce, Tim Curry and Rosemary Harris.The film looks at the media world in Margaret Thatcher's Britain during the time of the Falklands War... |
Lecturer | |
| One of Ourselves | Mr. Daly | TV Movie | |
| 1984 | Comfort and Joy | Alan | |
| The Killing Fields The Killing Fields The Killing Fields are a number of sites in Cambodia where large numbers of people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge regime, during its rule of the country from 1975 to 1979, immediately after the end of the Cambodian Civil War .... |
Dr. MacEntire | ||
| Scotland's Story Scotland's Story Scotland's Story is book by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall first published in 1906 in the United Kingdom and in 1910 in the United States. It was reissued in 2005. It is about the history of Scotland, and it also has some legends having to do with Scotland... |
David Kirkwood/Thomas Muir | TV | |
| A Private Function A Private Function A Private Function is a 1984 British comedy film starring Michael Palin and Maggie Smith. The film was predominantly filmed in Ilkley and Ben Rhydding, West Yorkshire. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival.... |
Morris Wormold the Meat Inspector | ||
| 1985 | Dutch Girls Dutch Girls Dutch Girls is a 1985 film, released by the London Weekend Television Company, produced by Sue Birtwistle, directed by Giles Foster, and written by William Boyd. The film is about a group of young men who go to Holland to play hockey. Along the way they drink, smoke, and try to have sex... |
Mole | TV Movie |
| 1986 | Auf Wiedersehen, Pet Auf Wiedersehen, Pet Auf Wiedersehen, Pet is a British comedy-drama television programme about seven English migrant construction workers. In the first series, the men live and work on a building site in Düsseldorf.... |
Ally Fraser | TV |
| Defence of the Realm Defence of the Realm Defence of the Realm is a 1985 political thriller directed by David Drury. Starring Gabriel Byrne, Greta Scacchi and Denholm Elliott... |
Jack MacLeod | ||
| God's Chosen Car Park | Victor Rosen | TV Movie | |
| The Singing Detective The Singing Detective The Singing Detective is a BBC television miniseries written by Dennis Potter, which stars Michael Gambon, and was directed by Jon Amiel. The six episodes were "Skin", "Heat", "Lovely Days", "Clues", "Pitter Patter" and "Who Done It".... |
Dr. Gibbon | TV | |
| 1987 | Screenplay Screenplay A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated... |
TV | |
| Friendship's Death | Sullivan | ||
| Coming Up Roses Coming Up Roses Coming Up Roses is a 1986 Welsh language comedy drama film. It was directed by Stephen Bayly and starred Ifan Huw Dafydd, Gillian Elisa and Mari Emlyn... |
Mr. Valentine | ||
| 1988 | The Modern World: Ten Great Writers | Titorelli | TV |
| Hidden City Hidden City Hidden City is a film written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff for Film4 Productions in 1987. It starred Charles Dance, Cassie Stuart, Richard E. Grant and Bill Paterson.-External links:*... |
Anthony | ||
| The Adventures of Baron Munchausen The Adventures of Baron Munchausen The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is a 1988 British adventure comedy film directed by Terry Gilliam, starring John Neville, Sarah Polley, Eric Idle, Jonathan Pryce, Oliver Reed, Uma Thurman, and Robin Williams.-Plot:... |
Henry Salt | ||
| 1989 | The Return of the Musketeers The Return of the Musketeers The Return of the Musketeers is a 1989 film adaptation loosely based on the novel Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas, père. It is the third Musketeers film directed by Richard Lester, following 1973's The Three Musketeers and 1974's The Four Musketeers... |
Charles I Charles I Charles I may refer to:In Kings and Emperors:* Charles I, Holy Roman Emperor or Charlemagne * Charles I of Naples, King of Sicily * Charles I of Hungary, King of Hungary... |
|
| The Rachel Papers The Rachel Papers The Rachel Papers is a 1989 British film based on the novel of the same name by Martin Amis. It stars Dexter Fletcher and Ione Skye as the two main characters, and a number of famous names in supporting roles such as Jonathan Pryce, Bill Paterson, James Spader, Jared Harris, Claire Skinner, and... |
Gordon Highway | ||
| Traffik Traffik Traffik is a 1989 British television serial about the illegal drugs trade. Its three stories are interwoven, with arcs told from the perspectives of Pakistani growers and manufacturers, German dealers, and British users. It was nominated for six BAFTA Awards, winning three... |
Jack Lithgow | TV | |
| Boon Boon (TV series) Boon is a British television drama and modern-day western series starring Michael Elphick, David Daker, and later Neil Morrissey. It was created by Jim Hill and Bill Stair and filmed by Central Television for ITV... |
Peter Mortan | TV | |
| 1990 | God on the Rocks | Mr. Marsh | TV Movie |
| The Witches | Mr. Albert Jenkins | ||
| The Play on One | Alex McPherson | TV | |
| Bearskin: An Urban Fairytale | Jordan | ||
| Truly Madly Deeply Truly Madly Deeply "Truly Madly Deeply" is a song by Australian pop band Savage Garden, released as a single in March 1997. Written by band-mates Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones, the song is a reworking of a song called "Magical Kisses" that the pair wrote together long before recording began on their debut album.... |
Sandy | ||
| Just Ask for Diamond Just Ask for Diamond Just Ask for Diamond is a 1988 British comedy crime film directed by Stephen Bayly and starring Colin Dale, Saeed Jaffrey and Dursley McLinden. A pair of brothers are paid to take care of a confectionary box, but soon come under pressure from various people seeking its contents... |
Chief Inspector Snape | ||
| 1991 | Shrinks | Matt Hennessey | TV |
| The Object of Beauty The Object of Beauty The Object of Beauty is a 1991 film directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg.-Cast:* John Malkovich - Jake* Andie MacDowell - Tina* Lolita Davidovich - Joan* Rudi Davies - Jenny* Joss Ackland - Mr. Mercer* Bill Paterson - Victor Swayle... |
Victor Swayle | ||
| Murder Most Horrid Murder Most Horrid Murder Most Horrid is a BBC dark comedy anthology series starring comedian Dawn French. It ran for four series runs, in 1991, 1994, 1996 and 1999.... |
Chief Inspector | TV | |
| 1992 | Tell Tale Hearts | Anthony Steadman | TV Mini-Series |
| Chaplin | Stage Manager | ||
| In Dreams | Dr. Gold | TV Movie | |
| 1993 | Screen One Screen One Screen One is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 between 1989 to 1993.Following the demise of the BBC's Play For Today which ran from 1970 to 1984, producer Kenneth Trodd was asked to formulate a new series of one-off television dramas... |
PC Howard Mullen | TV |
| 1994 | Hard Times Hard Times Hard Times - For These Times is the tenth novel by Charles Dickens, first published in 1854. The book appraises English society and is aimed at highlighting the social and economic pressures of the times.... |
Stephen Blackpool | TV |
| 1995 | Jackanory Jackanory Jackanory is a long-running BBC children's television series that was designed to stimulate an interest in reading. The show was first transmitted on 13 December 1965, the first story being the fairy-tale Cap o' Rushes read by Lee Montague. Jackanory continued to be broadcast until 24 March 1996,... |
Storyteller | TV |
| The Turnaround The Turnaround - Track listing :# "The Turnaround" - 8:15# "East of the Village" - 6:44# "The Good Life" - 5:08# "Straight Ahead" - 7:02# "My Sin" - 6:53... |
James Webb | ||
| Oliver's Travels Oliver's Travels Oliver's Travels is a five-part television miniseries written by Alan Plater and starring Alan Bates, Sinéad Cusack, Bill Paterson, and Miles Anderson. It first aired in the UK in 1995.... |
Baxter | TV Mini-Series | |
| Richard III Richard III (1995 film) Richard III is a 1995 drama film adapted from William Shakespeare's play of the same name, starring Ian McKellen, Annette Bening, Jim Broadbent, Robert Downey Jr., Nigel Hawthorne, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, John Wood and Dominic West.... |
Sir Richard Ratcliff | ||
| Ghostbusters of East Finchley | Joe Small | TV | |
| 1996 | The Writing on the Wall The writing on the wall "The writing on the wall" , an idiom, is a portent of doom or misfortune. It originates in the Biblical book of Daniel—where supernatural writing foretells the demise of the Babylonian Empire... |
Bull | TV Movie |
| The Crow Road The Crow Road The Crow Road is a novel by the Scottish writer Iain Banks, published in 1992.-Plot introduction:Prentice McHoan's life, growing up in a complex but coherent Scottish family with many mysteries is described, seen through his preoccupations with death, sex, relationships, drink and God, with the... |
Kenneth McHoan | TV | |
| Victory | Captain Davidson | ||
| 1997 | Melissa Melissa Melissa is a given name for a female child. The name comes from the Greek word μέλισσα , "honey bee" and from μέλι , "honey". Compare Hittite melit, "honey".... |
DCI Cameron | TV Mini-Series |
| Spice World | Brian | ||
| Mr. White Goes to Westminister | Ben White | TV Movie | |
| 1998 | Hilary and Jackie Hilary and Jackie Hilary and Jackie is a 1998 British biographical film directed by Anand Tucker. The screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce is based on the memoir A Genius in the Family by Piers and Hilary du Pré, which chronicles the life and career of their late sister, cellist Jacqueline du Pré... |
Cello Teacher | |
| Out of Sight Out of Sight Out of Sight is a 1998 American crime film. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was the first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and star George Clooney. The film was released on June 26, 1998. It was nominated for two... |
Marcus Mildew | TV | |
| Oi! Get Off Our Train | Walrus (Voice) | Television Short | |
| 1999 | Chrono-Perambulator | Professor Teddy Knox | Short Film |
| Heart | Mr. Kreitman | ||
| The Match | Tommy | ||
| Sunshine Sunshine (1999 film) Sunshine is a 1999 historical film written by Israel Horovitz and István Szabó, directed and produced by István Szabó. It follows three generations of a Jewish family during the changes in Hungary from the beginning of the 20th century to the... |
Minister of Justice | ||
| Wives and Daughters Wives and Daughters Wives and Daughters is a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, first published in the Cornhill Magazine as a serial from August 1864 to January 1866... |
Mr. Gibson | TV Mini-Series | |
| 2000 | Complicity Complicity (film) Complicity is a 2000 film based on the novel Complicity by Iain Banks. The screenplay was written by Bryan Elsley. It was directed by Gavin Millar... |
Wallace Byatt | |
| The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne is a 22-episode science fiction television series in the steampunk genre that first aired in June 2000 on CBC Television in Canada and in syndication in the United States.... |
Sir Nicol McLean | TV | |
| 2009–2011 | Law & Order UK | George Castle | TV series |
| 2011 | The Man Who Crossed Hitler The Man Who Crossed Hitler The Man Who Crossed Hitler is a 2011 BBC film set in Berlin in the summer of 1931, dramatising the true story where lawyer Hans Litten subpoenas Adolf Hitler as a witness in the trial of some Nazi thugs... |
Kurt Ohnesorge | TV |