Brian Cobby
Encyclopedia
Brian Cobby is a British
actor and telephone exchange worker who in 1985 became the first male voice of the British speaking clock
.
In 2004, Cobby guest-starred in the Doctor Who
audio drama The Creed of the Kromon
.
Cobby also appeared, albeit briefly, in the film version of Evita
, standing next to Madonna
in the balcony scene.
More than 5,000 staff entered the Golden Voice competition, which ended on 5 December 1984 when Brian Cobby, an assistant supervisor in a telephone exchange at Withdean
, Brighton, was selected from 12 finalists. The selection was broadcast live on BBC Television's Breakfast Time
at the top of BT Tower
. Eleven of the 12 finalists were female. The speaking clock had been voiced by female employees since 1936. The new speaking clock was inaugurated on 2 April 1985, and Cobby's voice was used until 2 April 2007, when Sara Mendes da Costa
took over.
title sequence, and indeed has said so himself, but the date he cites postdates the 1964 recording of the series. Cobby was paid by the BBC for a recording of Thunderbirds but this may have been for use in a Tracy Island toy.
Thunderbirds producer Gerry Anderson
has stated (as long believed by many of the TV series' fans) that the countdown was recorded by the late Peter Dyneley
, who provided the voice of Jeff Tracy
throughout the series' 32 episodes and two feature films:
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...
actor and telephone exchange worker who in 1985 became the first male voice of the British speaking clock
Speaking clock
A speaking clock service is a recorded or simulated human voice service, usually accessed by telephone, that gives the correct time. The first telephone speaking clock service was introduced in France, in association with the Paris Observatory on 14 February 1933.The format of the service is...
.
In 2004, Cobby guest-starred in the 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...
audio drama The Creed of the Kromon
The Creed of the Kromon
The Creed of the Kromon is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is the first story to feature Conrad Westmaas as the new companion C'rizz...
.
Cobby also appeared, albeit briefly, in the film version of Evita
Evita (film)
Evita is the 1996 film adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the same name based on the life of Eva Perón. It was directed by Alan Parker and written by Parker and Oliver Stone. It starred Madonna, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce...
, standing next to Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
in the balcony scene.
Becoming the voice of the speaking clock
When the machinery behind the speaking clock was due to be replaced in the mid-1980s, British Telecom (now BT plc) launched a search for a new voice from amongst its employees.More than 5,000 staff entered the Golden Voice competition, which ended on 5 December 1984 when Brian Cobby, an assistant supervisor in a telephone exchange at Withdean
Withdean
Withdean is a former village, now part of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. The area was originally named in the 12th century, when it was called Wictedene. The area was historically farm land but has been developed, mainly in the 1920s and 1930s, with a mix of detached, semi-detached and mid-rise...
, Brighton, was selected from 12 finalists. The selection was broadcast live on BBC Television's Breakfast Time
Breakfast Time
Breakfast Time was British television's first national breakfast show, beating TV-am's flagship programme Good Morning Britain to the air by two weeks.The show was revolutionary for the time...
at the top of BT Tower
BT Tower
The BT Tower is a tall cylindrical building in London, United Kingdom, located at 60 Cleveland Street, Fitzrovia W1T 4JZ, London Borough of Camden. It has been previously known as the Post Office Tower, the London Telecom Tower and the British Telecom Tower. The main structure is tall, with a...
. Eleven of the 12 finalists were female. The speaking clock had been voiced by female employees since 1936. The new speaking clock was inaugurated on 2 April 1985, and Cobby's voice was used until 2 April 2007, when Sara Mendes da Costa
Sara Mendes da Costa
Sara Mendes da Costa, born c. 1966, from Brighton & Hove became the fourth permanent holder of the iconic role of the voice of the UK Speaking Clock, first established in 1936, at 08:00 BST on 2 April 2007....
took over.
Thunderbirds claim
Cobby has frequently been cited as providing the (uncredited) voice-over countdown for the ThunderbirdsThunderbirds (TV series)
Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
title sequence, and indeed has said so himself, but the date he cites postdates the 1964 recording of the series. Cobby was paid by the BBC for a recording of Thunderbirds but this may have been for use in a Tracy Island toy.
Thunderbirds producer Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
has stated (as long believed by many of the TV series' fans) that the countdown was recorded by the late Peter Dyneley
Peter Dyneley
Peter Dyneley was a British actor, born in Hastings, East Sussex, England.Although appearing in many smaller roles in both film and television, he is best remembered for his performance as the voice of Jeff Tracy in the Gerry Anderson 1960s TV series Thunderbirds and the subsequent movies...
, who provided the voice of Jeff Tracy
Jeff Tracy
Jeff Tracy is a fictional character from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's Supermarionation television show Thunderbirds and the subsequent films Thunderbirds Are GO and Thunderbird 6. The voice for the character in these shows was supplied by Peter Dyneley. The character also appeared in the live...
throughout the series' 32 episodes and two feature films:
- Question: An actor by the name of Brian Cobby has claimed that he was the voice of the famous ‘5-4-3-2-1 Thunderbirds are go!’ countdown, whereas the voice sounds just like Jeff Tracy voice artist Peter Dyneley. Can you please confirm, just for the record, who the actual voice artist was? Ian Fryer, Bradford, W Yorks
- Answer: Sorry, but I haven’t got a clue who Brian Cobby is, Ian! Does anyone really believe that we’d hire a different actor to record those eight words in preference to the talented team of artists we’d already assembled to perform in the series? I remember the countdown as being one of the hardest voice recording sessions as it wasn’t just a case of someone coming in and reading out the lines. The actor had to really emote, and only an actor who had been involved in the production and understood what it was about could really do it. No, anyone who’s heard the Thunderbirds countdown knows that it is Peter Dyneley.