Robert Hardy

Robert Hardy

Born: October 29, 1925
Died: August 3, 2017
in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, UK
One of England's most successful and enduring character actors, with a prolific screen career on television and in films, Robert Hardy was acclaimed for his versatility and the depth of his performances.

Born in Cheltenham in 1925, he studied at Oxford University and, in 1949, he joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon. Television viewers most fondly remember him as the overbearing Siegfried Farnon in All Creatures Great and Small (1978) but his most critically acclaimed performance was as the title character of Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years (1981). His portrayal of Britain's wartime leader was so accurately observed that, in the following years, he was called on to reprise the role in such productions as The Woman He Loved (1988) and War and Remembrance (1988).

Unlike some British character actors, Hardy was not a Hollywood name and his work in films was therefore restricted to appearances in predominantly British-based productions such as The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) and Sense and Sensibility (1995). However, in the 21st century, Hardy came to the attention of a whole new generation for his performances in the hugely successful Harry Potter films, while also continuing to make regular appearances in British television series. His co-star from All Creatures Great and Small (1978), Peter Davison, quite simply described Hardy as an "extraordinary" actor who would "never do the same thing twice" when he was acting with him. He was awarded the CBE for services to acting. He died in August 2017.

Movies for Robert Hardy...

Snapshot Wedding
Title: Snapshot Wedding
Character: Donald
Released: January 1, 2017
Type: Movie
A son of a retiring Priest, now on the rebound, decides on an unconventional route to find marriage.
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Joseph's Reel
Title: Joseph's Reel
Character: Old Joseph
Released: June 18, 2015
Type: Movie
An elderly man, upon dying, is given the opportunity to relive one day of his life.
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Churchill:  100 Days That Saved Britain
Title: Churchill: 100 Days That Saved Britain
Character: Winston Churchill
Released: January 25, 2015
Type: Movie
Churchill: 100 Days That Saved Britain brings to life letters, diaries, speeches and personal testimony to depict the months of May, June and July 1940. This was a period when France was collapsing, the Nazis had the Allies on the run, the British Army was being defeated at Dunkirk, and - at any moment - Britain faced invasion by Hitler’s troops.
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Narnia's Lost Poet: The Secret Lives and Loves of C.S. Lewis
Title: Narnia's Lost Poet: The Secret Lives and Loves of C.S. Lewis
Character: Self - Interviewee
Released: November 27, 2013
Type: Movie
C.S. Lewis's biographer A.N. Wilson goes in search of the man behind Narnia, a highly secretive man whose personal life was marked by the loss of the three women he most loved.
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Ghosts in the Machine
Title: Ghosts in the Machine
Character: Narrator
Released: October 27, 2009
Type: Movie
Documentary charting the history of the supernatural on British TV, revisiting classic ghost stories and controversial shows. Contributors include Derren Brown and Yvette Fielding.
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Margaret
Title: Margaret
Character: Willie Whitelaw
Released: March 26, 2009
Type: Movie
A detailed and compelling portrait of one of the most formidable characters in British politics as she faces her final days in power. The year is 1990 and Margaret Thatcher's support within the government is wavering - her hold on the premiership hangs in the balance. Then, long-serving politician Sir Geoffrey Howe resigns over Thatcher's attitude to Europe. His resignation speech sparks a chain of events that leads to the overthrow of Britain's first woman prime minister. This modern dramatic tragedy illustrates the strengths and fatal flaws of this iconic woman more clearly than ever before and reveals how the very aspects of her character that helped her secure power are the ones that ensured her downfall. Drama starring Lindsay Duncan.
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Title: The Alan Titchmarsh Show
Character: Self
Released: September 3, 2007
Type: TV
The Alan Titchmarsh Show is a British daytime chat show presented by Alan Titchmarsh. It was first broadcast on ITV on 3 September 2007 and currently airs on weekday afternoons. The show's main focus is the "Best of British" theme with many of the shows' segments focusing on fashion, health, nature, cookery and animals.
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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Character: Cornelius Fudge
Released: July 8, 2007
Type: Movie
Returning for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts, Harry is stunned to find that his warnings about the return of Lord Voldemort have been ignored. Left with no choice, Harry takes matters into his own hands, training a small group of students to defend themselves against the dark arts.
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Title: Lewis
Character: Sir Arnold Raeburn
Released: February 18, 2007
Type: TV
Inspector Robert Lewis and Sergeant James Hathaway solve the tough cases that the learned inhabitants of Oxford throw at them.
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Goodbye Mr Snuggles
Title: Goodbye Mr Snuggles
Character: Mr. Stiles
Released: August 15, 2006
Type: Movie
Two elderly gentlemen go for a day's painting in the beautiful English countryside. A tranquil afternoon turns weird when a gun-toting clown appears on the scene.
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Title: Le Grand Charles
Character: Franklin D. Roosevelt
Released: March 27, 2006
Type: TV
Le Grand Charles was a 2006 French TV-drama on the life of Charles de Gaulle from 1939 to 1959, written and directed by Bernard Stora. De Gaulle was played by Bernard Farcy, Winston Churchill by David Ryall, and Franklin D. Roosevelt by Robert Hardy. Other actors in the cast included Dominic Gould, Sam Spiegel and Jay Benedict.
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Lassie
Title: Lassie
Character: Judge Murray
Released: December 16, 2005
Type: Movie
A family in financial crisis is forced to sell Lassie, their beloved dog. Hundreds of miles away from her true family, Lassie escapes and sets out on a journey home.
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Character: Cornelius Fudge
Released: November 16, 2005
Type: Movie
When Harry Potter's name emerges from the Goblet of Fire, he becomes a competitor in a grueling battle for glory among three wizarding schools—the Triwizard Tournament. But since Harry never submitted his name for the Tournament, who did? Now Harry must confront a deadly dragon, fierce water demons and an enchanted maze only to find himself in the cruel grasp of He Who Must Not Be Named.
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Title: Agatha Christie's Marple
Character: Winston Churchill
Released: December 12, 2004
Type: TV
The adventures of Miss Jane Marple, an elderly spinster living in the quiet little village of St Mary Mead. During her many visits to friends and relatives in other villages, Miss Marple often stumbles upon mysterious murders which she helps solve. Although the police are sometimes reluctant to accept Miss Marple's help, her reputation and unparalleled powers of observation eventually win them over.
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Making Waves
Title: Making Waves
Character: Father Parry
Released: July 26, 2004
Type: Movie
A romantic comedy about a group of ham-radio enthusiasts who, assuming they will never meet, exaggerate their identities on the airwaves. But things start to get complicated when two of the group fall in love with each other's imaginary personas, especially when they have to meet face-to-face and find themselves trying to live up to their fictitious alter-egos.
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Title: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Character: Cornelius Fudge
Released: May 31, 2004
Type: Movie
Year three at Hogwarts means new fun and challenges as Harry learns the delicate art of approaching a Hippogriff, transforming shape-shifting Boggarts into hilarity and even turning back time. But the term also brings danger: soul-sucking Dementors hover over the school, an ally of the accursed He-Who-Cannot-Be-Named lurks within the castle walls, and fearsome wizard Sirius Black escapes Azkaban. And Harry will confront them all.
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Title: Death in Holy Orders
Character: Father Martin
Released: August 23, 2003
Type: TV
Detective Adam Dalgliesh investigates the death of a young ordinand who died in mysterious circumstances.
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Lucky Jim
Title: Lucky Jim
Character: Professor Neddy Welch
Released: April 11, 2003
Type: Movie
A rollicking adaptation of Kingsley Amis's first novel, Lucky Jim stars Stephen Tompkinson as Jim Dixon, a luckless lecturer at a provincial British university, trying to make a splash with his pompous boss, Professor Neddy Welch (Robert Hardy). Jim is also trying to make it with the woman of his dreams, Christine Callaghan (Keeley Hawes, Othello and Wives and Daughters), while simultaneously being pursued by the woman of his nightmares, fellow lecturer Margaret Peel (Helen McCrory, Anna Karenina). One (of many) complications is that Christine is the girlfriend of Professor Welch's egotistical artist son, Bertrand. Another is that Margaret keeps attempting suicide to get Jim's attention. But despite his misadventures, Jim keeps his eyes on the prize: a leg up on the ladder to a professorship in medieval history.
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The Gathering
Title: The Gathering
Character: Bishop
Released: February 23, 2003
Type: Movie
Cassie Grant (Christina Ricci) is a young girl from the United States who is wandering through England on foot. On her way to Ashby Wake Cassie is hit by a car. The driver of the car, Mrs Marion Kirkman (Kerry Fox), immediately calls an ambulance. During an examination at the local hospital the doctor comes to the conclusion that Cassie only has some scratches and not even a concussion, but Cassie has lost her memory due to the accident. She only knows her name and mother country, but she does not know which town she comes from, who her family is and why she is in England.
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Character: Cornelius Fudge
Released: November 13, 2002
Type: Movie
Cars fly, trees fight back, and a mysterious house-elf comes to warn Harry Potter at the start of his second year at Hogwarts. Adventure and danger await when bloody writing on a wall announces: The Chamber Of Secrets Has Been Opened. To save Hogwarts will require all of Harry, Ron and Hermione’s magical abilities and courage.
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Title: Foyle's War
Released: October 27, 2002
Type: TV
As WW2 rages around the world, DCS Foyle fights his own war on the home-front as he investigates crimes on the south coast of England. Foyle's War opens in southern England in the year 1940. Later series sees the retired detective working as an MI5 agent operating in the aftermath of the war.
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Bertie and Elizabeth
Title: Bertie and Elizabeth
Character: President Roosevelt
Released: July 7, 2002
Type: Movie
The duke of York, nicknamed Bertie, was born as royal 'spare heir', younger brother to the prince of Wales, and thus expected to spend a relatively private life with his Scottish wife Elisabeth Bowes-Lyon and their daughters, in the shadow of their reigning father, George V, and next that of his elder brother who succeeded to the British throne as Edward VIII. However Edward decides to put his love for a divorced American, Wallis Simpson, above dynastic duty, and ends up abdicating the throne, which now falls to Bertie, who reigns as George VI.
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Thunderpants
Title: Thunderpants
Character: Doctor
Released: May 24, 2002
Type: Movie
An 11-year-old boy's amazing ability to break wind leads him first to fame and then to death row, before it helps him to fulfill his ambition of becoming an astronaut.
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Title: Spooks
Character: Sir John Barry
Released: May 13, 2002
Type: TV
Tense drama series about the different challenges faced by the British Security Service as they work against the clock to safeguard the nation. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, and the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a highly secure suite of offices known as The Grid.
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The Falklands Play
Title: The Falklands Play
Character: Sir Anthony Parsons
Released: April 10, 2002
Type: Movie
The Falklands Play is a dramatic account of the political events leading up to, and including, the 1982 Falklands War. The play was written by Ian Curteis, an experienced writer who had started his television career in drama, but had increasingly come to specialise in dramatic reconstructions of history. It was originally commissioned by the BBC in 1983, for production and broadcast in 1986, but was subsequently shelved by Controller of BBC One Michael Grade due to its alleged pro-Margaret Thatcher stance and jingoistic tone. This prompted a press furore over media bias and censorship.The play was not staged until 2002, when it was broadcast in separate adaptations on BBC Television and Radio.
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Title: Shackleton
Character: Sir James Caird
Released: January 2, 2002
Type: TV
The true story of Ernest Shackleton's 1914 Endurance expedition to the the South Pole and his epic struggle to lead his crew to safety after his ship was crushed in the pack ice.
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Title: The Lost World
Character: Professor Illingworth
Released: December 25, 2001
Type: TV
Professor Challenger, on an expedition to South America, shoots an animal that he claims is a pre-historic pterosaur. On his return to England, his fellow Professor, Summerlee, and most of the scientific establishment dismiss it as a hoax. However, an ambitious hunter and womaniser John Roxton and journalist Edward Malone are prepared to undertake the mission to find the truth.
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The Lost World
Title: The Lost World
Character: Prof. Illingworth
Released: December 25, 2001
Type: Movie
This Lost World is a splendid BBC TV dramatisation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous adventure story. Bob Hoskins makes an unusually genial Professor Challenger, far less of a bully than Doyle's character, but his slightly stereotyped companions are nicely filled out by a solid cast. James Fox is Challenger's more timid but still covertly adventurous rival, Tom Ward is the moustachioed big game hunter who faces an Allosaurus with an elephant gun, and Matthew Rhys plays the tagalong reporter hoping to impress his faithless fiancée.
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Title: The 10th Kingdom
Character: Chancellor Griswold
Released: February 27, 2000
Type: TV
Virginia and Tony, a father and daughter living in Manhattan, find themselves in a parallel universe where Snow White, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood are struggling to maintain order. Their kingdoms have been fragmented by trolls, giants and goblins.
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An Ideal Husband
Title: An Ideal Husband
Character: Lord Caversham
Released: May 18, 1999
Type: Movie
Rising politician Robert Chiltern once sold secret information and is now being blackmailed by Laura Cheveley. She has proof, and it will damage his career and marriage severely. Chiltern calls in the help of his friend Arthur Goring.
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Title: Nancherrow
Released: April 4, 1999
Type: TV
When Colonel Carey-Lewis dies, his irrepressible daughter, Loveday, inherits Nancherrow and fights to keep it alive so that her son Nat will eventually take over from her.
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Nancherrow
Title: Nancherrow
Character: Viscount Berryan
Released: January 1, 1999
Type: Movie
The basic story involves Loveday's struggle to keep the estate Nancherrow in the family after the death of her father.
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The Barber of Siberia
Title: The Barber of Siberia
Character: Forsten
Released: November 11, 1998
Type: Movie
Douglas is a foreign entrepreneur, who ventures to Russia in 1885 with dreams of selling a new, experimental steam-driven timber harvester in the wilds of Siberia. Jane is his assistant. On her travels, she meets two men who would change her life forever: a handsome young cadet Andrej Tolstoy with whom she shares a fondness for opera, and the powerful General Radlov who is entranced by her beauty and wants to marry her.
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The Tichborne Claimant
Title: The Tichborne Claimant
Character: Lord Rivers
Released: August 1, 1998
Type: Movie
Based on a true story, set in the late 19th century: Lord Tichborne, the ninth richest nobleman in England, disappears after a South American shipwreck. Some years later his erudite Afro-English valet, Bogle, is sent to investigate rumors that Tichborne survived and settled in Australia. An alcoholic ruffian answer's Bogle's inquiries claiming to be the lost heir. Bogle suspects fraud, but conspires with the claimant to split the inheritance should the latter succesfully pass himself off to friends, family and the courts. As the claimant returns to England to continue his charade, enough people confirm his identity to make both the claimant and Bogle believe that he just might be the rightful heir after all.
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Castle Ghosts of Wales
Title: Castle Ghosts of Wales
Character: Self
Released: October 31, 1997
Type: Movie
Wales is an edge of magnificent landscape and majestic medieval locks. On every square kilometer here are more locks, than somewhere in the world: from romantic ruins to the majestic fortresses. The familial locks of Wales remember time of bloody murders, cruel intestine war.
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Mrs. Dalloway
Title: Mrs. Dalloway
Character: Sir William Bradshaw
Released: September 1, 1997
Type: Movie
Clarissa Dalloway looks back on her youth as she readies for a gathering at her house. The wife of a legislator and a doyenne of London's upper-crust party scene, Clarissa finds that the plight of ailing war veteran Septimus Warren Smith reminds her of a past romance with Peter Walsh. In flashbacks, young Clarissa explores her possibilities with Peter.
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Title: Midsomer Murders
Character: Robert Cavendish
Released: March 23, 1997
Type: TV
The peacefulness of the Midsomer community is shattered by violent crimes, suspects are placed under suspicion, and it is up to a veteran DCI and his young sergeant to calmly and diligently eliminate the innocent and ruthlessly pursue the guilty.
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Title: Testament: The Bible in Animation
Character: Abraham (voice)
Released: December 11, 1996
Type: TV
A nine-part series of Old Testament stories for younger viewers using various animation techniques, including stop-motion, cel animation and computer animation.
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Castle Ghosts of Ireland
Title: Castle Ghosts of Ireland
Character: Self
Released: August 13, 1996
Type: Movie
The family locks of Ireland are kept in itself by the certificates of deadly feud, mean murders. In our days, still located on a tableland, locks are a living reminder about the victims of past years.
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Title: Gulliver's Travels
Character: Dr. Parnell
Released: February 4, 1996
Type: TV
Dr. Gulliver has returned from his journey to his family after a long absence - and tells them the story of his travels.
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Sense and Sensibility
Title: Sense and Sensibility
Character: Sir John Middleton
Released: December 13, 1995
Type: Movie
The Dashwood sisters, sensible Elinor and passionate Marianne, whose chances at marriage seem doomed by their family's sudden loss of fortune. When Henry Dashwood dies unexpectedly, his estate must pass on by law to his son from his first marriage, John and wife Fanny. But these circumstances leave Mr. Dashwood's current wife, and daughters Elinor, Marianne and Margaret, without a home and with barely enough money to live on. As Elinor and Marianne struggle to find romantic fulfillment in a society obsessed with financial and social status, they must learn to mix sense with sensibility in their dealings with both money and men.
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Castle Ghosts of England
Title: Castle Ghosts of England
Character: Self
Released: July 10, 1995
Type: Movie
Throughout history, Britain's castles have witnessed murders, executions, and countless acts of cruelty that spawned a parade of spirits. This program presents spine tingling stories in a riveting tour of England's ghostly heritage.
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Title: Look at the State We're In!
Character: Judge Sutcliffe
Released: May 20, 1995
Type: TV
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Title: Bramwell
Character: Sir Herbert Hamilton
Released: May 1, 1995
Type: TV
The story of Eleanor Bramwell , a pioneering female doctor in the late nineteenth century, and the struggles she has with her friends, her colleagues and society. Determined to take the medical profession out of the dark ages, her strongly held opinions often draw her into conflict with the chief surgeon, a man keener on tradition than he is on progress.
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Title: Bramwell
Character: Sir Herbert Hamilton
Released: May 1, 1995
Type: TV
The story of Eleanor Bramwell , a pioneering female doctor in the late nineteenth century, and the struggles she has with her friends, her colleagues and society. Determined to take the medical profession out of the dark ages, her strongly held opinions often draw her into conflict with the chief surgeon, a man keener on tradition than he is on progress.
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Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Title: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Character: Prof. Krempe
Released: November 4, 1994
Type: Movie
Based on Mary Shelley's novel, "Frankenstein" tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a promising young doctor who, devastated by the death of his mother during childbirth, becomes obsessed with bringing the dead back to life. His experiments lead to the creation of a monster, which Frankenstein has put together with the remains of corpses. It's not long before Frankenstein regrets his actions.
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A Feast At Midnight
Title: A Feast At Midnight
Character: Headmaster
Released: November 1, 1994
Type: Movie
A new student at a British public school forms a secret society centered around cooking and midnight feasting with other school misfits and outcasts.
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Title: Middlemarch
Character: Arthur Brooke
Released: April 10, 1994
Type: TV
19th century Great Britain. The Industrial Revolution brings both the promise and fear of change. In the provincial town of Middlemarch, the progressive Dorothea Brooke desperately seeks intellectual fulfillment in a male-dominated society and is driven into an unhappy marriage to the elderly scholar Casaubon. No sooner do they embark on their honeymoon than she meets and develops an instant connection with Casaubon's young cousin, Will Ladislaw. When idealistic Doctor Lydgate arrives, his new methods of medicine sweep him into the battle between conservatives and liberals in town. He quickly becomes enamored of the beautiful, privileged Rosamond Vincy, a woman whose troubles seem bound to destroy him.
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The Master Blackmailer
Title: The Master Blackmailer
Character: Charles Augustus Milverton
Released: February 2, 1992
Type: Movie
For years, a blackmailer has been preying on the weaknesses of others throughout London. When Holmes hears of the utter misery this mystery man is creating, he adopts a campaign to thwart his evil scheming. The campaign astonishes Dr. Watson by its strangeness and finds Holmes falling in love.
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Bomber Harris
Title: Bomber Harris
Character: Winston Churchill
Released: September 3, 1989
Type: Movie
Biography of Arthur Harris (aka "Bomber Harris") of RAF Bomber Command, during WW2 - in particular his strategy of heavy bomber "Millenium Raids" on German cities.
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Paris by Night
Title: Paris by Night
Character: Adam Gillvray
Released: April 18, 1989
Type: Movie
Clara Bell is a busy Euro MP with a husband and child at home and a high powered career - but on a trip to Paris her ordered existence is overturned by a murder and a chance encounter.
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Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Holiday Affair
Title: Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Holiday Affair
Character: Dr. Price
Released: December 19, 1988
Type: Movie
Robert Young brings his Marcus Welby alter ego to television for one last time. Having retired, the good doctor takes a trip to Europe alone and falls in love with an American divorcee who is caring for a blind dancer.
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Title: War and Remembrance
Character: Winston Churchill
Released: November 13, 1988
Type: TV
War and Remembrance is an American miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Herman Wouk. It is the sequel to highly successful The Winds of War.
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In from the Cold? A Portrait of Richard Burton
Title: In from the Cold? A Portrait of Richard Burton
Character: Self
Released: September 20, 1988
Type: Movie
Tony Palmer's award-winning feature-length documentary profile of Richard Burton.
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The Woman He Loved
Title: The Woman He Loved
Character: Winston Churchill
Released: April 3, 1988
Type: Movie
In 1936, Edward VIII abdicated in order to marry the woman he loved, Wallis Simpson, a twice divorced American. These events caused a scandal around the world and Wallis has since been demonised as the woman who stole the King of England.
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The Death of the Heart
Title: The Death of the Heart
Character: Major Brutt
Released: May 3, 1987
Type: Movie
A young orphan girl, Portia, goes to live with her well-to-do aunt and uncle. As she is groomed to become a lady, she is confused by the young man who seems to be courting her. Surrounded by pretentious people who have no clue how to deal with teenagers, she soon loses her naïveté and thinks of running away.
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Northanger Abbey
Title: Northanger Abbey
Character: General Tilney
Released: February 15, 1987
Type: Movie
A tale of intrigue, adventure and romance, this enchanting, remastered dramatization captures the romance of Jane Austin's classic novel "Northanger Abbey".
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Title: Inspector Morse
Character: Andrew Baydon
Released: January 6, 1987
Type: TV
Inspector Morse is a detective drama based on Colin Dexter's series of Chief Inspector Morse novels. The series starred John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis, as well as a large cast of notable actors and actresses.
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Make and Break
Title: Make and Break
Character: John Garrard
Released: January 2, 1987
Type: Movie
Lots of pent up business people struggle to balance business with pleasure.
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Paying Guests (Part 2)
Title: Paying Guests (Part 2)
Character: Colonel Chase
Released: October 2, 1986
Type: Movie
Miss Howard's exhibition of water-colours at the Green Salon falters but then takes off. The season at 'Wentworth' is now drawing to a close, peoples' plans for the winter unfold. Florence, for the first time in her life, refuses to go off with her selfish old father. Miss Howard has some momentous news, and the Colonel must make a very brisk about-turn.
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Paying Guests (Part 1)
Title: Paying Guests (Part 1)
Character: Colonel Chase
Released: October 1, 1986
Type: Movie
Spend some time in the company of the guests at 'Wentworth' - all taking the waters except for the Colonel and Miss Howard, who has some leisure for the beginnings of a late romance. Gossip, bicycle rides, rounds of golf, bridge in the evenings and preparations for the charity concert all make time pass most pleasantly - don't they?
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Title: Hot Metal
Released: February 16, 1986
Type: TV
Hot metal is a London Weekend Television sitcom about the British Newspaper industry broadcast between 1986 and 1988. The daily crucible, the dullest newspaper in Fleet Street, is suddenly taken over by media magnate Terence "Twiggy" Rathbone. Its editor Harry Stringer is 'promoted' to managing editor, and is replaced in his old job by Russell Spam. Spam then takes the paper shooting downmarket and turns the crucible into a sensation seeking scandal rag, very much in the style of the British tabloids of the 1980s. He is helped along by his ace gutter journalist, Greg Kettle, who intimidates his tabloid victims by claiming to be "a representative of Her Majesty's press" and produces stories such as accusing a vicar of being a werewolf. Throughout the first series, a running plot involved cub reporter Bill Tytla gradually uncovering an actual newsworthy story that went to the very heart of government. Written by David Renwick and Andrew Marshall, it is very much a continuation in style from their previous sitcom Whoops Apocalypse!. It was produced by Humphrey Barclay.
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Jenny's War
Title: Jenny's War
Character: Klein
Released: October 25, 1985
Type: Movie
This fact-based story follows a woman who launches a rescue of her Royal Air Force pilot son, who was shot down over Germany in 1941. Getting no help from the underground, she sets up her own rescue mission.
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The Shooting Party
Title: The Shooting Party
Character: Bob, Lord Lilburn
Released: February 1, 1985
Type: Movie
1913, shortly before the outbreak of WWI. A group of aristocrats gathers at the estate of Sir Randolph Nettleby for a weekend shoot. As the terminal decrepitude of a dying class is reflected in the social interactions and hypocrisy of its members, only world weary Sir Randolph seems to realise that the sun is setting.
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The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood
Title: The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood
Character: King Richard
Released: May 22, 1984
Type: Movie
The evil brother of Richard the Lionheart is holding the king for ransom, and only Robin Hood and his band of merry men can save him...for a small fee, of course.
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Title: Sherlock Holmes
Character: Charles Augustus Milverton
Released: April 24, 1984
Type: TV
Sherlock Holmes uses his abilities to take on cases by private clients and those that the Scotland Yard are unable to solve, along with his friend Dr. Watson.
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Title: The Far Pavilions
Character: The Commandant
Released: April 22, 1984
Type: TV
Adapted from M.M. Kaye's best-selling novel, this dramatic HBO miniseries follows two star-crossed lovers -- the young British officer Ash (Ben Cross) and the betrothed princess Anjuli (Amy Irving) -- as they face daunting odds in their quest to be together. Set in India during the time of the British Raj, this haunting (and BAFTA-nominated) love story features spectacular scenery and an epic saga of battle, treachery and intrigue.
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James Mason: The Star They Loved to Hate
Title: James Mason: The Star They Loved to Hate
Character: Lord Bob Lilburn (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: January 1, 1984
Type: Movie
Retrospective of the life and movie work of British actor James Mason. The documentary presents interview footage interspersed with some movie excerpts, mainly from his pre-hollywood period.
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Title: Natural World
Character: Narrator
Released: October 30, 1983
Type: TV
Natural World is a nature documentary television series broadcast annually on BBC Two and regarded by the BBC as its flagship natural history brand. It is currently the longest-running series in its genre on British television, with more than 400 episodes broadcast since its inception in 1983. Natural World is produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, but individual programmes can be in-house productions, collaborative productions with other broadcasters or films made and distributed by independent production companies and purchased by the BBC. Natural World programmes are often broadcast as PBS Nature episodes in the USA. Since 2008, most Natural World programmes have been shot and broadcast in high definition.
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Title: The Cleopatras
Character: Julius Caesar
Released: January 19, 1983
Type: TV
Eight-part drama covering the lives of the queens of Egypt from Cleopatra II in 145 BC to the death of the famous Cleopatra VII in 30 BC.
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Title: Countdown
Released: November 2, 1982
Type: TV
The clock is ticking as contestants compete in games of lexical dexterity and numerical agility.
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Title: Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years
Character: Winston Churchill
Released: September 6, 1981
Type: TV
Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years is an 8-part 1981 drama serial based on the life of Winston Churchill, and particularly his years in enforced exile from political position during the 1920s and 30s. It was written and directed by Ferdinand Fairfax and Churchill was played by Robert Hardy. Hardy's brilliant performance as Churchill won critical acclaim and a BAFTA award in 1982. He reprised the role in The Sittaford Mystery, Bomber Harris and War and Remembrance and at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the end of World War II in 1995 when he quoted a number of Churchill's wartime speeches in character.
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The Pied Piper of Hamelin
Title: The Pied Piper of Hamelin
Character: Narrator
Released: March 12, 1980
Type: Movie
In 1376, the city of Hamelin is freed from a plague of hungry rats by a mysterious Piper who plays a tune and leads the vermin on a mery dance out of town and straight in to the river. But the greedy city Governers refuse to pay their agreed fee, so the Piper wreaks a terible revenge. He plays his pipe once more, only this time he leads all the children of Hamelin away to a magical mountain portal, from which they never return...
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Twelfth Night
Title: Twelfth Night
Character: Sir Toby Belch
Released: January 6, 1980
Type: Movie
Viola and Sebastian are lookalike twins, separated by a shipwreck. Viola lands in Illyria, where she disguises herself like her brother and goes into the service of the Duke Orsino. Orsino sends her to help him woo the Lady Olivia, who doesn't want the Duke, but finds that she likes the new messenger the Duke's sending. Then, of course, Viola's brother shows up, and merry hell breaks loose. Meanwhile, Olivia's uncle and his cohorts are trying to find some way to get back at Olivia's officious majordomo, Malvolio.
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Speed King
Title: Speed King
Character: Dorothy Campbell
Released: December 19, 1979
Type: Movie
Biopic of Malcolm Campbell, detailing his tumultuous life and extreme drive as he attempts to break the world speed records on land and water.
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Title: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Character: Clayton
Released: September 20, 1979
Type: TV
20th-century astronaut Buck Rogers awakens in the 25th century after a freak accident puts him in suspended animation for 500 years. Upon returning to Earth and discovering the planet is recovering from a nuclear war, Buck uses his combat skills and ingenuity to protect Earth and fight evil throughout the galaxy alongside starfighter pilot Colonel Wilma Deering and robot companion Twiki.
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Title: Mrs. Columbo
Character: Stuart
Released: February 26, 1979
Type: TV
Mrs. Kate Columbo, wife of the famous lieutenant, solves crimes as a reporter, while raising her little daughter.
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Title: BBC Television Shakespeare
Released: December 3, 1978
Type: TV
The BBC Television Shakespeare is a series of British television adaptations of the plays of William Shakespeare, created by Cedric Messina and produced by BBC Television. It was transmitted in the UK from 3 December 1978 to 27 April 1985 and spanned seven series. Development of the series began in 1975 when Messina saw that Glamis Castle would make a perfect location for an adaptation of Shakespeare's play As You Like It. On returning to London, he envisioned an entire series devoted exclusively to the dramatic works of Shakespeare. After encountering numerous problems trying to produce the series, Messina eventually pitched the idea to the BBC’s departmental heads and the series was greenlighted. The series as a whole received generally negative reviews from critics.
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Title: All Creatures Great and Small
Character: Siegfried Farnon
Released: January 8, 1978
Type: TV
All Creatures Great and Small is a British television series, based on the books of the British veterinary surgeon Alf Wight, who wrote under the pseudonym James Herriot. Ninety episodes were aired over two three-year runs. The first run was based directly on Herriot's books; the second was filmed with original scripts.
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Title: Supernatural
Released: June 11, 1977
Type: TV
Anthology series in which a prospective “Club of the Damned” member is required to tell a horror story, their application for membership being judged on how frightening it was.
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Title: Raffles
Released: February 25, 1977
Type: TV
Raffles was a 1977 television adaptation of the A. J. Raffles stories by Ernest William Hornung. The series was produced by Yorkshire Television and written by Philip Mackie. The episodes were largely faithful adaptations of the stories in the books, though occasionally two stories would be merged to create one episode such as "The Gold Cup" which featured elements from both "A Jubilee Present" and "The Criminologist's Club".
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Title: Quincy, M.E.
Released: October 3, 1976
Type: TV
Quincy, M.E. is an American television series from Universal Studios pert in several of the later episodes.
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Title: The Duchess of Duke Street
Released: September 4, 1976
Type: TV
Set in London between 1900 and 1925, the story follows Louisa Leyton/Trotter, the eponymous "Duchess", who works her way up from servant to renowned cook to proprietress of the upper-class Bentinck Hotel in Duke Street, St. James's.
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Title: Victorian Scandals
Released: September 3, 1976
Type: TV
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Title: Bill Brand
Character: Mr. Marples
Released: June 7, 1976
Type: TV
Following the death of the sitting Labour Party Member of Parliament, Bill Brand is selected as Labour candidate for a Lancashire textile constituency.
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Caesar and Claretta
Title: Caesar and Claretta
Character: Benito Mussolini
Released: May 8, 1975
Type: Movie
'Caesar and Claretta' dramatises the last few hours in the lives of Benito Mussolini (El Duce, played by Robert Hardy) and his mistress Claretta (played by Helen Mirren).
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Title: Edward the Seventh
Released: April 1, 1975
Type: TV
Edward the Seventh is a 1975 television drama series, made by ATV in 13 episodes. Based on the biography of Edward VII by Philip Magnus, it starred Timothy West as the elder Edward VII and Simon Gipps-Kent and Charles Sturridge as Edward in his youth, Annette Crosbie as Queen Victoria, Deborah Grant and Helen Ryan as Queen Alexandra, Robert Hardy as the Prince Consort, Alison Leggatt as the Duchess of Kent, and Felicity Kendal as Princess Vicky. It was directed by John Gorrie, who wrote episodes 7-10 with David Butler writing the remainder of the series. The series also featured John Gielgud as Benjamin Disraeli, Michael Hordern as William Ewart Gladstone, Harry Andrews as young Edward's tutor Colonel Bruce, Jane Lapotaire as Empress Marie of Russia, Christopher Neame as Kaiser Wilhelm II and, in one of his earliest roles, Charles Dance as Edward's eldest son Eddy, who died at the age of 28. Gielgud previously played Disraeli in the 1941 film The Prime Minister. The actresses playing Edward's mistresses include Moira Redmond as Alice Keppel and Carolyn Seymour as Daisy Greville. Francesca Annis was featured in two episodes as Lillie Langtry which led to Butler writing a full series about Mrs Langtry's life for Annis to star in, Lillie.
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The Gathering Storm
Title: The Gathering Storm
Character: Joachim von Ribbentrop
Released: November 29, 1974
Type: Movie
Winston Churchill's life in the years leading up to World War II.
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The Slap
Title: The Slap
Character: Robert Dickinson
Released: October 23, 1974
Type: Movie
A Parisian teacher loses his cool when his teenage daughter tells him she plans to drop out of school and move in with her boyfriend.
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Title: Petrocelli
Released: September 11, 1974
Type: TV
Petrocelli is an American legal drama which ran for two seasons on NBC from September 11, 1974 to March 31, 1976. Tony Petrocelli is an Italian-American Harvard-educated lawyer who gave up the big money and frenetic pace of major-metropolitan life to practice in a sleepy city in the American Southwest. He and wife Maggie live in a trailer in the country while waiting for their new house to be built, and travel around in a beat-up old pickup truck. For a quiet rural area, Petrocelli seems to have no trouble running into his share of murderers to defend.
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Title: Shoulder to Shoulder
Character: Asquith
Released: April 3, 1974
Type: TV
The lives of the Pankhurst women and their role in the Suffragette Movement.
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Title: Playhouse
Character: John Fothergill
Released: March 13, 1974
Type: TV
BBC2 Playhouse is a one hour UK anthology television series of one-off contemporary and classic dramas created by Sara Pia Anderson and produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Among its many notable guest stars were Helen Mirren, Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Liam Neeson, Paul Scofield, Deborah Kerr, Ben Kingsley, Donald Pleasence, Brenda Blethyn, and Peggy Ashcroft. It premiered in the UK on March 13, 1974 and ran through May 20, 1983.
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Yellow Dog
Title: Yellow Dog
Character: Alexander
Released: August 11, 1973
Type: Movie
A Japanese cop is sent to join the London police force on a secret investigation.
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Gawain and the Green Knight
Title: Gawain and the Green Knight
Character: Sir Bertilak
Released: June 1, 1973
Type: Movie
The medieval legend of a supernatural knight who challenges the king's men to kill him.
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Dark Places
Title: Dark Places
Character: Edward Foster / Andrew Marr
Released: May 1, 1973
Type: Movie
A scheming couple plot to conceal a hidden cache of stolen money from its rightful owner. The only problem is that the house they plan to hide it in is haunted.
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The Silent One
Title: The Silent One
Character: The Assistant
Released: February 10, 1973
Type: Movie
Who is Anton Haliakov, who has just been abducted by the M.I.5 in London? A Soviet scientist apparently. But sixteen years before the man had another identity, Clément Tibère, and another nationality, French. So what led him to become Russian and to change identity? And why are the British secret services interested in him?
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Psychomania
Title: Psychomania
Character: Chief Inspector Hesseltine
Released: January 5, 1973
Type: Movie
A gang of young people call themselves the Living Dead. They terrorize the population from their small town. After an agreement with the devil, if they kill themselves firmly believing in it, they will survive and gain eternal life. Following their leader, they commit suicide one after the other, but things don't necessarily turn out as expected...
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Demons of the Mind
Title: Demons of the Mind
Character: Zorn
Released: November 5, 1972
Type: Movie
A physician discovers that two children are being kept virtually imprisoned in their house by their father. He investigates, and discovers a web of sex, incest and satanic possession.
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The Incredible Robert Baldick: Never Come Night
Title: The Incredible Robert Baldick: Never Come Night
Character: Doctor Sir Robert Baldick
Released: October 6, 1972
Type: Movie
Written by Terry Nation, Robert Hardy plays the eponymous hero of this 1972 one-off BBC drama; an occult detective who travels around in a lavish, bulletproof locomotive called 'The Tsar'. Along with his assistants Thomas and Caleb (Julian Holloway and John Rhys-Davies) Baldick is called in to investigate the latest in a series of brutal deaths at a desolate abbey.
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Young Winston
Title: Young Winston
Character: Prep School Headmaster
Released: July 20, 1972
Type: Movie
This historical drama is an account of the early life of British politician Winston Churchill, including his childhood years, his time as a war correspondent in Africa, and culminating with his first election to Parliament.
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Title: A Ghost Story for Christmas
Released: December 24, 1971
Type: TV
A Ghost Story for Christmas is a strand of annual British short television films originally broadcast on BBC One from 1971 to 1978, and later revived in 2005 on BBC Four. With one exception, the original instalments are directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark and the films are all shot on 16 mm colour film. The remit behind the series was to provide a television adaptation of a classic ghost story referencing the oral tradition of telling supernatural tales at Christmas.
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The Stalls of Barchester
Title: The Stalls of Barchester
Character: Archdeacon Haynes
Released: December 24, 1971
Type: Movie
Scholar Dr. Black's seemingly mundane assignment of sorting through the assets of the Barchester Cathedral library takes an eerie turn when he comes across the papers of the late Archdeacon, who plotted to gain his position through murder. However, he soon comes to discover something truly horrific about the wooden choir stalls in the church, which are tied to a famous local tree and a sinister local legend.
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Title: Upstairs, Downstairs
Character: Sir Guy Paynter
Released: October 10, 1971
Type: TV
Upstairs: the wealthy, aristocratic Bellamys. Downstairs: their loyal and lively servants. For nearly 30 years, they share a fashionable townhouse at 165 Eaton Place in London’s posh Belgravia neighborhood, surviving social change, political upheaval, scandals, and the horrors of the First World War.
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Title: Elizabeth R
Character: Robert Dudley
Released: February 17, 1971
Type: TV
This historical mini-series documents the reign of Elizabeth I with each episode focusing on one dramatic period in the lengthy reign of the Virgin Queen, including her ascension to the throne, her various marital intrigues, her problems with her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, and the threatened invasion of the Spanish Armada.
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10 Rillington Place
Title: 10 Rillington Place
Character: Malcolm Morris
Released: February 10, 1971
Type: Movie
The story of British serial killer John Christie, who committed most or all of his crimes in the titular terraced house, and the miscarriage of justice involving Timothy Evans.
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Warm Feet, Warm Heart
Title: Warm Feet, Warm Heart
Character: Albert Purvis
Released: September 22, 1970
Type: Movie
Albert has to chose between his wife Ursula and Molly, the cook in his factory. One empties his wallet regularly, the other other feeds him heartily.
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Title: Manhunt
Character: Abwehr Sergeant Gratz
Released: January 2, 1970
Type: TV
Manhunt is a World War II drama series consisting of 26 episodes, produced by London Weekend Television in 1969 and broadcast nationwide.
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Berserk!
Title: Berserk!
Character: Detective Superintendent Brooks
Released: November 1, 1967
Type: Movie
A lady ringmaster milks the publicity from a string of murders.
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How I Won the War
Title: How I Won the War
Character: British General
Released: October 18, 1967
Type: Movie
An inept British WWII commander leads his troops to a series of misadventures in North Africa and Europe.
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Title: Mystery and Imagination
Released: January 29, 1966
Type: TV
Mystery and Imagination is a British television anthology series of classic horror and supernatural dramas. Five series were broadcast from 1966 to 1970 by the ITV network and produced by ABC and Thames Television.
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The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Title: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Character: Dick Carlton
Released: December 16, 1965
Type: Movie
British agent Alec Leamas refuses to come in from the Cold War during the 1960s, choosing to face another mission, which may prove to be his final one.
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Title: The Troubleshooters
Character: Alec Stewart
Released: July 7, 1965
Type: TV
The Troubleshooters is a British television series made by the BBC between 1965 and 1972, created by John Elliot. During its run, the series made the transition from black and white to colour transmissions. The series was based around an international oil company – the "Mogul" of the title. The first series was mostly concerned with the internal politics within the Mogul organisation, with episodes revolving around industrial espionage, internal fraud and negligence almost leading to an accident on a North Sea oil rig.
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Old Man's Fancy
Title: Old Man's Fancy
Character: Jason
Released: January 1, 1965
Type: Movie
An aging businessman's squabbling children object to his proposed marriage to his much younger assistant, and each for his or her own selfish reasons manoeuvres against it.
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Title: The Wednesday Play
Character: Nick Prockter
Released: September 30, 1964
Type: TV
The Wednesday Play is an anthology series of British television plays which ran on BBC1 from October 1964 to May 1970. The plays were usually written for television, although adaptations from other sources also featured. The series gained a reputation for presenting contemporary social dramas, and for bringing issues to the attention of a mass audience that would not otherwise have been discussed on screen.
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Title: The Saint
Character: Walter Faber
Released: October 4, 1962
Type: TV
Simon Templar is The Saint, a handsome, sophisticated, debonair, modern-day Robin Hood who recovers ill-gotten wealth and redistributes it to those in need.
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Title: The Dark Island
Released: July 8, 1962
Type: TV
The Dark Island is a six-part British television miniseries, produced by Gerard Glaister for the BBC. It premièred on 8 July 1962. It was later adapted for radio, which was transmitted in 1969. It was set on the Outer Hebridean island of Benbecula, though the majority of the series was filmed on South Uist.
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Title: An Age of Kings
Character: Henry, Prince of Wales
Released: April 28, 1960
Type: TV
A linking together of Shakespeare's history plays chronicling the rise and fall of monarchs over the 86 years between Richard II and Richard III.
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Torpedo Run
Title: Torpedo Run
Character: Lt. Redley
Released: October 24, 1958
Type: Movie
A submarine commander is on a relentless pursuit of a Japanese aircraft carrier in the South Seas during World War II.
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Title: The Veil
Released: January 1, 1958
Type: TV
The legendary actor Boris Karloff presents a chilling collection of short stories of horror and suspense.
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Title: The Buccaneers
Character: Lord Hinch
Released: September 19, 1956
Type: TV
The adventures of privateer Captain Dan Tempest and his crew of former pirates as they make their way across the seven seas in The Sultana.
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Title: The Adventures of Sir Lancelot
Character: Sir Rupert
Released: September 15, 1956
Type: TV
The Adventures of Sir Lancelot is a British television series first broadcast in 1956, produced by Sapphire Films for ITC Entertainment and screened on the ITV network. The series starred William Russell as the eponymous Sir Lancelot, a Knight of the Round Table in the time of King Arthur at Camelot.
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Othello
Title: Othello
Character: Cassio
Released: December 15, 1955
Type: Movie
The earliest British televised production in existence of the play Othello, with black American actor, Gordon Heath, in the title role. This was the first televised version of the play to feature a black actor in the title role. Gordon Heath, an American, came to Britain in 1947 and was cast by Kenneth Tynan to play Othello in his 1950 Arts Council production. The play takes place in Venice and Cyprus and the original production was part-live, with recorded Venice sequences
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Title: Hallmark Hall of Fame
Character: Joachim von Ribbentrop
Released: December 24, 1951
Type: TV
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The longest-running primetime series in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning during 1951 and continuing into 2013. From 1954 onward, all of its productions have been shown in color, although color television video productions were extremely rare in 1954. Many television movies have been shown on the program since its debut, though the program began with live telecasts of dramas and then changed to videotaped productions before finally changing to filmed ones. The series has received eighty Emmy Awards, twenty-four Christopher Awards, eleven Peabody Awards, nine Golden Globes, and four Humanitas Prizes. Once a common practice in American television, it is the last remaining television program such that the title includes the name of the sponsor. Unlike other long-running TV series still on the air, it differs in that it broadcasts only occasionally and not on a weekly broadcast programming schedule.
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Title: Sunday Night Theatre
Character: Orsino
Released: January 1, 1950
Type: TV
Sunday Night Theatre was a long-running series of televised live television plays screened by BBC Television from early 1950 until 1959. The productions for the first five years or so of the run were re-staged live the following Thursday, partly because of technical limitations in this era, and the theatrical basis of early television drama. Some of the earliest collaborations between Rudolph Cartier and Nigel Neale were produced for this series, including Arrow to the Heart and Nineteen Eighty-Four. The Sunday night drama slot was subsequently renamed The Sunday-Night Play which ran for four seasons between 1960 and 1963. ITV transmitted its own unrelated run of Sunday Night Theatre between 1971 and 1974.