Mark Curry (television presenter)
Encyclopedia
Mark Curry is an English
television presenter most often in children's programmes.
's Junior Showtime
and played the producer in the film Bugsy Malone
(1976).
In 1981, Curry co-hosted the series Get Set For Summer on BBC1 with main host Peter Powell
and Lucie Skeaping
. The series returned the following year as Get Set but eventually became The Saturday Picture Show with Curry as main host, running until 1986. Curry's co-hosts over the years included Deborah Appleby, Maggie Philbin
and Cheryl Baker
.
In 1984 he was the question master on the final series of Screen Test
, the BBC
's cinematic quiz show for children.
In 1990, Curry played the role of a TV host in the ITV
drama London's Burning
.
. During his time on the show, he did such things as being strapped to the sails of Outwood Windmill in Surrey and accidentally knocking the head off a man made of Lego
. He left on 26 June 1989. Curry admitted later that he had refused to follow John Noakes
and Simon Groom
as a 'dog act'; co-presenter Yvette Fielding
was given the task of introducing the new Blue Peter dog.
in 2002. More recently, he has been a presenter on the now defunct TV Travel Shop
channel on Sky Digital and appeared in pantomime
at The Capitol Horsham
in December 2006 and again in 2008.
Mark Curry has made an appearance in an episode of Last of the Summer Wine
, entitled "Will The Nearest Alien Please Come In", broadcast 19 August 2007, playing a character trying to get in touch with extra terrestrials
.
Curry is currently (July - Sept 2011) appearing at the Mill at Sonning, Dinner Theatre in Berkshire, in "Wife Begins at 40".
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
television presenter most often in children's programmes.
Early career
He started his television career aged seven appearing on ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Junior Showtime
Junior Showtime
Junior Showtime was a British variety show for children made by Yorkshire Television and shown on ITV between 1969 and 1974.Presented by Bobby Bennett from the Leeds City Varieties theatre, the show consisted of song and dance routines and was produced by Jess Yates...
and played the producer in the film Bugsy Malone
Bugsy Malone
Bugsy Malone is a 1976 musical film, very loosely based on events in New York City in the Prohibition era, specifically the exploits of gangsters like Al Capone and Bugs Moran, as dramatized in cinema...
(1976).
In 1981, Curry co-hosted the series Get Set For Summer on BBC1 with main host Peter Powell
Peter Powell (disc jockey)
Peter Powell is a former disc jockey, popular on BBC Radio 1 in the late 1970s and 1980s, who has a second career in talent management.-Early career:...
and Lucie Skeaping
Lucie Skeaping
Lucie Skeaping is a British singer, instrumentalist and broadcaster, founder of the early music group the City Waites, pioneering klezmer band The Burning Bush and presenter of BBC Radio 3's Early Music Show, a programme dedicated to the early music repertoire...
. The series returned the following year as Get Set but eventually became The Saturday Picture Show with Curry as main host, running until 1986. Curry's co-hosts over the years included Deborah Appleby, Maggie Philbin
Maggie Philbin
Maggie Philbin is an English radio and television presenter whose credits include Tomorrow's World and Multi-Coloured Swap Shop.As a child she became interested in science through wanting to become a vet....
and Cheryl Baker
Cheryl Baker
Cheryl Baker is an English television presenter and singer. She is most famous for being a member of 1980s pop group Bucks Fizz, and has performed for the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest twice, winning it the second time.-Early career:After leaving school and a series of secretarial jobs, Cheryl...
.
In 1984 he was the question master on the final series of Screen Test
Screen Test
Screen Test was a UK children's quiz show about films, broadcast from 18 November 1970 to 20 December 1984 on BBC1. It was first hosted by Michael Rodd, who was succeeded by Brian Trueman and Mark Curry.-Background:...
, 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...
's cinematic quiz show for children.
In 1990, Curry played the role of a TV host in the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
drama London's Burning
London's Burning
London's Burning was a British television drama programme produced by London Weekend Television for the ITV network that focused on the lives of members of the London Fire Brigade, principally those of the Blue Watch at a fictional fire station called Blackwall.It was broadcast between 1986 and...
.
Blue Peter
On 23 June 1986, Curry joined the children's television programme Blue PeterBlue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
. During his time on the show, he did such things as being strapped to the sails of Outwood Windmill in Surrey and accidentally knocking the head off a man made of Lego
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
. He left on 26 June 1989. Curry admitted later that he had refused to follow John Noakes
John Noakes
John Noakes is a British television presenter and personality, best known for co-presenting the BBC children's magazine programme Blue Peter in the 1960s and 1970s. He remains the show's longest-serving presenter, with a stint that lasted 12 years and 6 months...
and Simon Groom
Simon Groom
Simon Groom is a British Producer & Director, best known as a former presenter of Blue Peter.Groom was born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, and was brought up on a farm in Dethick, which he often visited for Blue Peter reports...
as a 'dog act'; co-presenter Yvette Fielding
Yvette Fielding
Yvette Fielding is a British broadcaster, producer and actress. She is best known for being the presenter of the TV shows Blue Peter, Most Haunted and Ghosthunting With....-Early life and career:...
was given the task of introducing the new Blue Peter dog.
Later career
In 1998, Mark Curry presented a DIY show called Change That and also presented the final series of the popular quiz show, CatchphraseCatchphrase (game show)
Catchphrase is a British game show based on a short-lived US game show of the same name. It ran on ITV in the United Kingdom between 12 January 1986 and 19 December 2002, originally hosted by Northern Irish comedian Roy Walker....
in 2002. More recently, he has been a presenter on the now defunct TV Travel Shop
TV Travel Shop
TV Travel Shop was a British television channel that sold holidays.It launched in 1998, primarily on satellite and cable. In 2000, the channel launched on ONdigital, using capacity from ONrequest 2 , and broadcast 6am-12pm weekdays, and 6am-10am weekends, free to air on channel 44. Its hours were...
channel on Sky Digital and appeared in pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
at The Capitol Horsham
Horsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
in December 2006 and again in 2008.
Mark Curry has made an appearance in an episode of Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine is a British sitcom written by Roy Clarke that was broadcast on BBC One. Last of the Summer Wine premiered as an episode of Comedy Playhouse on 4 January 1973 and the first series of episodes followed on 12 November 1973. From 1983 to 2010, Alan J. W. Bell produced and...
, entitled "Will The Nearest Alien Please Come In", broadcast 19 August 2007, playing a character trying to get in touch with extra terrestrials
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
.
Curry is currently (July - Sept 2011) appearing at the Mill at Sonning, Dinner Theatre in Berkshire, in "Wife Begins at 40".