Michael Robbins

Michael Robbins

Born: November 14, 1930
Died: December 11, 1992
in London, England, UK
Born in London, Robbins was a bank clerk who became an actor after appearing in amateur dramatic performances in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, where he and his family lived at the time. Robbins made his television debut as the cockney soldier in Roll-on Bloomin' Death. Primarily a comedy actor, he is best remembered for the role of Arthur Rudge, the persistently sarcastic husband of Olive (Anna Karen), in the popular sitcom On the Buses (1969–73). Robbins and Karen provided the secondary comic storyline to Reg Varney's comedy capers at the bus depot. Robbins also appeared in the series film spin-offs, On the Buses, Mutiny on the Buses, and Holiday on the Buses. His other comedy credits include non-recurring roles in Man About the House, Oh Brother!, The Good Life, One Foot in the Grave, The New Statesman, George and Mildred, Hi-de-Hi! and You Rang, M'Lord? He appeared as a rather humorously portrayed police sergeant in the TV adaptation of Brendon Chase.

As well as these comic roles, he assumed various straight roles in some of the major British television shows of the 1960s and 1970s: including Minder, The Sweeney, Z-Cars, Return of the Saint, Murder Most English, The Avengers, Dixon of Dock Green, The Bill and the 1982 Doctor Who story The Visitation.

Robbins's film credits included The Whisperers, Up The Junction, The Looking Glass War, Zeppelin and Blake Edwards' films The Pink Panther Strikes Again and Victor/Victoria'. He also had an extensive career as a radio actor, including a role in the soap opera Waggoner's Walk and the satirical 1970s show Life is What Yer Make It.

Robbins was an indefatigable worker for charity. He was active in the Grand Order of Water Rats (being elected 'Rat of the Year' in 1978) and the Catholic Stage Guild, and received a Papal Award for his services in 1987. In one of his last television appearances, in A Little Bit of Heaven Robbins recalled his childhood visits to Norfolk and spoke of his faith and love of the Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham. Michael Robbins had a brother Jack who was a head teacher at Saint Gregory's Catholic middle school in Bedford in the 1970s and early 1980s. Michael made some guest appearances at this school throughout the years and sometimes entertained the pupils with various sketches with his brother Jack Robbins

In the mid-1970s he also directed a film: How Are You?

Movies for Michael Robbins...

Adam Bede
Title: Adam Bede
Character: Thias Bede
Released: March 1, 1992
Type: Movie
Rich and languorous, this adaptation of George Eliot's classic tale perfectly evokes rural England in the 18th Century. But beneath the tranquil surface of this pastoral idyll run deep passions and the bitter gall of betrayal.
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Title: One Foot In the Grave
Released: January 4, 1990
Type: TV
One Foot in the Grave is a BBC television sitcom series The series features the exploits of Victor Meldrew and his long-suffering wife, Margaret. The programmes invariably deal with Meldrew's battle against the problems he creates for himself. Living in a typical household in an unnamed English suburb, Victor takes involuntary early retirement. His various efforts to keep himself busy, while encountering various misfortunes and misunderstandings are the themes of the sitcom. The series was largely filmed on location in Walkford, near New Milton in Hampshire, although several clues show that the series may have been set in Hampshire – possibly Winchester. Despite its traditional production, the series supplants its domestic sitcom setting with elements of black humour and surrealism.
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Just Ask for Diamond
Title: Just Ask for Diamond
Character: The Fat Man
Released: September 1, 1988
Type: Movie
Thirteen-year-old Nick and his slightly dense older brother Herbert run the Diamond Private Detective Agency above Camden Town Tube Station in north-central London. When a master criminal called The Falcon dies, they come into possession of his box of chocolate Maltesers, which contains the secret key to a fabulous cache of diamonds. Can they unravel the mystery and avoid the clutches of seedy lowlifes Brenda Von Falkenberg, Gott and Himmell, The Fat Man and the dogmatic Chief Inspector Snape, all of whom want to find the swag first.
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Title: The New Statesman
Character: Mad Eddie
Released: September 13, 1987
Type: TV
The New Statesman is a British sitcom of the late 1980s and early 1990s satirising the Conservative government of the time.
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Lost In London
Title: Lost In London
Character: Bill
Released: November 20, 1985
Type: Movie
Facing his parent's impending divorce and emotional upheaval, a young boy runs away and joins a gang of London street urchins who live by their wits, begging, and thievery.
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Title: Dempsey and Makepeace
Character: Simmons
Released: January 11, 1985
Type: TV
Dempsey and Makepeace is a British television crime drama made by London Weekend Television for ITV, created and produced by Ranald Graham. The leading roles were played by Michael Brandon and Glynis Barber, who later married each other on 18 November 1989. The series combined elements of previous series such as the mis-matching of British and American crime-fighters from different classes as seen in The Persuaders! and the action of The Professionals.
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Title: Fairly Secret Army
Character: Sgt. Major Throttle
Released: October 22, 1984
Type: TV
Fairly Secret Army is a British sitcom which ran to thirteen episodes over two series between 1984 and 1986. Though not a direct spin-off from The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, the lead character, Major Harry Truscott, was very similar to Geoffrey Palmer's character of Jimmy in that series, and the scripts were written by Reginald Perrin's creator and writer David Nobbs. Harry Kitchener Wellington Truscott is an inept and slightly barmy ex-army man intent on training a group of highly unlikely people into a secret paramilitary organisation. This idea first emerged in an episode of Perrin when Jimmy confided the plan to Reggie and was based on persistent though unsubstantiated rumours in the 1970s press that right wing generals were secretly planning a coup to rescue Britain from union militancy. The character's name was changed due to Fairly Secret Army being broadcast on Channel 4, and the television rights to The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin and its characters being held by the BBC. The first series was script edited by John Cleese, whose training films company was responsible for the series. The series did not have a laughter track. Nobbs only started work on the show when he turned down an offer to write a spin-off sitcom for Manuel of Fawlty Towers.
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Title: The Bill
Released: October 16, 1984
Type: TV
The daily lives of the men and women at Sun Hill Police Station as they fight crime on the streets of London. From bomb threats to armed robbery and drug raids to the routine demands of policing this ground-breaking series focuses as much on crime as it does on the personal lives of its characters.
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Title: Fresh Fields
Character: Mr. Pringle
Released: March 7, 1984
Type: TV
Fresh Fields is a British situation comedy written by John T. Chapman and produced by Thames Television for ITV between 7 March 1984 and 23 October 1986. A ratings success at the time, the show is well remembered for its opening titles featuring a silhouette of a person in a rocking chair. It stars Julia McKenzie and Anton Rodgers as Hester and William Fields, a devoted middle-class couple with an idyllic suburban lifestyle. William works while Hester keeps home. The crux of the show was that she was always looking to try new hobbies or find ways to improve her life, much of which exasperated her hard-working husband. The family home had a granny flat attached, in which Hester's mother Nancy lived. She was divorced from Hester's father Guy although remarried him as the series progressed. The couple had a daughter called Emma who frequently telephoned but never appeared. Her husband Peter did appear often. They later had a son — the Fields' first grandchild — whom they named Guy, after his great-grandfather. Perhaps, the best remembered supporting character was Sonia Barrett who would frequently pop round to borrow items to replace hers due to breakage, theft or mislaying. Hester was not perturbed by this, as the two were close friends, but it used to irritate William. Sonia had the show's only catchphrase — she would always knock on the back door of the Fields' home and then say It's only Sonia! as she walked in. This would sometimes lead to applause of recognition from the studio audience, a phenomenon more regularly seen within American sitcoms. Sonia's husband John appeared on occasion, as did William's secretary Miss Denham, played by Daphne Oxenford.
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The Merry Wives of Windsor
Title: The Merry Wives of Windsor
Character: Nym
Released: December 28, 1982
Type: Movie
When Sir John Falstaff decides that he wants to have a little fun he writes two letters to a pair of Window wives: Mistress Ford and Mistress Page. When they put their heads together and compare missives, they plan a practical joke or two to teach the knight a lesson. But Mistress Ford's husband is a very jealous man and is pumping Falstaff for information of the affair. Meanwhile the Pages' daughter Anne is beseiged by suitors.
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Victor/Victoria
Title: Victor/Victoria
Character: Manager of Victoria's Hotel
Released: April 25, 1982
Type: Movie
A struggling female soprano finds work playing a male female impersonator, but it complicates her personal life.
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Title: The Bounder
Character: Bert
Released: April 16, 1982
Type: TV
The Bounder is a British sitcom which ran from 16 April 1982 to 28 October 1983, made by Yorkshire Television. The series starred Peter Bowles as Howard Booth, an ex-convict who served two years in jail. He lives with Trevor Mountjoy who's his brother in law, and his wife Mary Rosalind Ayres. The latter left after Series one in 1982. It also starred Isla Blair as the next door widowed neighbour, Laura Miles. This series was created by Eric Chappell.
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Doctor Who: The Visitation
Title: Doctor Who: The Visitation
Character: Richard Mace
Released: February 23, 1982
Type: Movie
In 17th century England, the Doctor and itinerant thespian Richard Mace uncover a plot by a crew of criminal Terileptils to wipe out humanity.
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Title: Brendon Chase
Character: Sergeant Bunting
Released: January 3, 1982
Type: TV
The three brothers Robin, John and Harold spend their vacations in 1925 on the country estate of their aunt Ellen. But instead of fun and games, the young men are expected to be extremely disciplined. And it gets worse: Harold falls ill and his brothers are to be quarantined. That's enough for the young adventurers! So they escape and hide in the forest. This is the beginning of a life they have always dreamed of. But it is not as easy as they had imagined. So the boys have to find shelter in a hollow tree trunk, their aunt worries and, on the advice of the vicar, calls in the police in the form of Sergeant Bunting. While the latter is searching, an unscrupulous journalist starts a hard-nosed hunt for Robin and John. The sergeant joins the hunt when Harold, who has fallen ill, also disappears...
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The Great Muppet Caper
Title: The Great Muppet Caper
Character: Henderson
Released: June 26, 1981
Type: Movie
Kermit and Fozzie are newspaper reporters sent to London to interview Lady Holiday, a wealthy fashion designer whose priceless diamond necklace is stolen. Kermit meets and falls in love with her secretary, Miss Piggy. The jewel thieves strike again, and this time frame Miss Piggy. It's up to Kermit and Muppets to bring the real culprits to justice.
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Title: The Chinese Detective
Released: April 30, 1981
Type: TV
Chinese British Detective Sergeant John Ho solves cases in the East End of London. Ho fits the pattern of the maverick detective, prepared to use unorthodox methods to solve his cases, which emerged in series like Z Cars and The Sweeney.
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Murder Rap
Title: Murder Rap
Character: Det. Sgt. Praed
Released: January 31, 1980
Type: Movie
Wallie, a caretaker in a block of flats, loses his job when the flats are used to rehouse Bhengali families.
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Title: Minder
Character: McQueen
Released: October 29, 1979
Type: TV
This comedy drama series featured Terry McCann, a former boxer with a conviction for G.B.H., and Arthur Daley, a second-hand car dealer with an eye for a nice little earner. Alongside his many business ventures, Arthur would regularly hire Terry out as a minder or bodyguard, later replaced by nephew, Ray Daley.
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Title: The Cannon & Ball Show
Character: Police Seargent
Released: July 28, 1979
Type: TV
A comedy variety show featuring the double act of Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball.
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Title: How's Your Father
Released: February 27, 1979
Type: TV
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Title: Dick Turpin
Released: January 6, 1979
Type: TV
Richard O'Sullivan stars as Dick Turpin in this action-filled adventure series chronicling the exploits of England's most celebrated highwayman.
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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: Return of the Saint
Character: Beeky
Released: September 10, 1978
Type: TV
Follow the swashbuckling exploits of Simon Templar, a modern-day Robin Hood of sorts.
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Title: Mixed Blessings
Released: March 3, 1978
Type: TV
Mixed Blessings is a British sitcom produced by LWT for broadcast on the ITV network between 1978 and 1980, It was created by comedy-writer Sid Green and starred Christopher Blake and Muriel Odunton.
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Title: Murder Most English
Character: Pumphrey
Released: May 8, 1977
Type: TV
1970s detective series based on the Flaxborough novels by Colin Watson. Starring Anton Rodgers as Detective Inspector Purbright and Christopher Timothy as Detective Sergeant Love, the series pays tribute to a long-gone England of heavy tweed jackets, dial telephones, typewriter ribbons and good old-fashioned investigation and deduction.
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The Pink Panther Strikes Again
Title: The Pink Panther Strikes Again
Character: Jarvis
Released: December 15, 1976
Type: Movie
Charles Dreyfus, who has finally cracked over inspector Clouseau's antics, escapes from a mental institution and launches an elaborate plan to get rid of Clouseau once and for all.
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Title: George and Mildred
Released: September 6, 1976
Type: TV
A middle-aged housewife feels frustrated with her mean and miserable husband, the married couple adapting to life in an up-market housing estate.
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Title: Rumpole of the Bailey
Released: December 17, 1975
Type: TV
Rumpole of the Bailey is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It stars Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, an aging London barrister who defends any and all clients, and has been spun off into a series of short stories, novels, and radio programmes.
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Title: The Good Life
Character: Mr. Bulstrode
Released: April 4, 1975
Type: TV
Tom and Barbara Good escape the rat race and pursue a self-sufficient lifestyle in Surbiton, much to the concern, frustration and sometimes envy of their neighbours Margo and Jerry Leadbetter. Entitled ‘Good Neighbors’ when shown in the USA.
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Title: The Sweeney
Character: Kevin Lee
Released: January 2, 1975
Type: TV
Jack Regan, an unethical officer of the Flying Squad, uses unorthodox methods to pursue criminals with the help of his partner, George Carter.
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Man About the House
Title: Man About the House
Character: Doorman
Released: December 22, 1974
Type: Movie
An unscrupulous property developer wants to flatten the street to make way for new buildings. Householder George Roper is happy to take the offered money and run but his wife Mildred and their lodgers join with other residents to take a stand and keep things as they are.
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Title: Thick As Thieves
Released: June 1, 1974
Type: TV
British ITV sitcom starring John Thaw and Bob Hoskins as two friends in a love triangle.
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Title: Black and Blue
Released: August 14, 1973
Type: TV
Black and Blue was a BBC TV comedy-drama series, first broadcast in 1973. It was so named because of the black and blue humour. The show consisted of 6 episodes of 50–60 minutes duration, each episode was a separate self-contained playlet. The only connection between them was the Black and Blue humour theme. The first episode was broadcast on 14 August 1973, with the last episode airing on 18 September 1973. The play Secrets was wiped, only surviving thanks to a domestic videotape copy made from the mastertape by its producer, Mark Shivas.
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No Sex Please: We're British
Title: No Sex Please: We're British
Character: Car Driver
Released: July 25, 1973
Type: Movie
A porn-store owner orders some new stuff from his supplier, but the delivery address gets mixed with the address of the local Barclays Bank. Here, David (the bank's assistant manager) and his new wife are shocked when photos, then films and finally two girls are sent to them in their bank-supplied flat. They and the banks' head cashier then hatch a plan to get rid of the porn—without letting their boss, the local police and David's mother in on what is happening.
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Holiday on the Buses
Title: Holiday on the Buses
Character: Arthur Rudge
Released: May 19, 1973
Type: Movie
Due to a female passenger falling out of her top whilst running for the bus Stan is distracted and crashes the bus resulting in the depot managers car being written off. As a result Stan, Jack and Blakey are fired. Stan and Jack soon get new jobs as a bus crew at a Pontins holiday resort but discover that Blakey has also gotten a job there as the chief security guard.
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That's Your Funeral
Title: That's Your Funeral
Character: 2nd Funeral Director
Released: December 1, 1972
Type: Movie
Two funeral parlours fight one another for business, one of whom is more shady than the other.
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Mutiny on the Buses
Title: Mutiny on the Buses
Character: Arthur his brother in law
Released: June 2, 1972
Type: Movie
Bus driver Stan Butler agrees to marry Suzy, much to the anguish of Mum, her son-in-law, Arthur, and daughter Olive. How, they wonder, will they ever manage without Stan's money coming in? Then Arthur is sacked, and Stan agrees to delay the wedding. Meanwhile, he hits on an idea: Arthur should learn to drive a bus. Somehow he does just that, and even gets a job. Stan then blackmails the Depot Manager into giving him the job of driver on the new money-making Special Tours Bus. A great idea ...if only the inspector hadn't taken Stan on his trial run to the Windsor Safari Park
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Title: Justice
Character: Eddie
Released: October 8, 1971
Type: TV
Justice is a British drama television series which originally aired on ITV in 39 hour-long episodes between 8 August 1971 and 16 October 1974. Margaret Lockwood stars as Harriet Peterson a female barrister in the North of England. It was made by Yorkshire Television and was based loosely on Justice Is a Woman, an episode of ITV Playhouse broadcast in 1969 in which Lockwood had previously also played a barrister. The theme music was Crown Imperial by William Walton.
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On the Buses
Title: On the Buses
Character: Arthur Rudge - Stan's Brother-in-Law
Released: July 9, 1971
Type: Movie
Stan gets a little annoyed when his Mum and Sister keep buying expensive items on hire purchase, but the money he earns for overtime working as a bus driver means that he can afford it... just! His job is secure, as bus drivers are hard to come by, and his overtime prospects are good, until the bus company decide to revoke a long standing rule and employ women bus drivers. Aghast at the thought of
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Villain
Title: Villain
Character: Barzun
Released: May 26, 1971
Type: Movie
In 1970s London, Scotland Yard orchestrates the downfall of mob boss Vic Dakin after he crosses the line by blackmailing Members of Parliament.
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Zeppelin
Title: Zeppelin
Character: Cockney Sergeant
Released: April 8, 1971
Type: Movie
The outbreak of World War I places Scots officer Geoffrey Richter-Douglas in an uncomfortable position. Although his allegiance is to Britain, his mother was from an aristocratic Bavarian family, and he spent his summers in Germany as a child. When Geoffrey is approached by a German spy who offers him a chance to defect, he reports the incident to his superiors, but instead of arresting the spy they suggest that he accept her offer--and become an Allied agent. In Germany, among old friends, Geoffrey discovers that loyalty is more complicated than he expected, especially when he finds himself aboard the maiden voyage of a powerful new prototype Zeppelin, headed for Scotland on a secret mission that could decide the outcome of the war.
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All the Way Up
Title: All the Way Up
Character: Taxi Driver
Released: June 1, 1970
Type: Movie
Fred Midway may be a bit short on brains, but he's got plenty of ambition. However, before he can gain promotion as a salesman, he must make his family more socially acceptable.
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The Hunting of Lionel Crane
Title: The Hunting of Lionel Crane
Character: Sergeant Billings
Released: January 21, 1970
Type: Movie
An army deserter hides out on a country estate but falls foul of the gamekeeper.
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The Looking Glass War
Title: The Looking Glass War
Character: Truck Driver
Released: January 2, 1970
Type: Movie
When a Polish sailor jumps ship in Britain, a couple of local intelligence operatives keep him under surveillance. Soon, he’s recruited to infiltrate a missile installation outside of East Berlin and bring back photos of the new rockets.
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Crossplot
Title: Crossplot
Character: Garage Attendant
Released: November 25, 1969
Type: Movie
A successful London ad-exec hires a beautiful Hungarian girl to pose for some modeling shots, little realising that she has overheard an assassination plot and is now being hunted by some dangerous killers.
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Title: Department S
Character: Burton
Released: September 9, 1969
Type: TV
Department S is a United Kingdom spy-fi adventure series produced by ITC Entertainment. The series consists of 28 episodes which originally aired in 1969–1970. It starred Peter Wyngarde as author Jason King, Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan, and Rosemary Nicols as computer expert Annabelle Hurst. The trio were agents for a fictional special department of Interpol. The head of Department S was Sir Curtis Seretse.
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Title: The Main Chance
Character: Gerry Baxter
Released: June 18, 1969
Type: TV
The Main Chance was a British television series which first aired on ITV between 1969,1970,1972 and 1975. A drama, it depicts the sudden transformation in the life of solicitor David Main who relocates from London to Leeds.
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Title: Judge Dee
Released: April 8, 1969
Type: TV
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Title: On the Buses
Released: February 28, 1969
Type: TV
On the Buses is a British comedy series created by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney, broadcast in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1973. The writers' previous successes with The Rag Trade and Meet the Wife were for the BBC, but the corporation rejected On the Buses, not seeing much comedy potential in a bus depot as a setting. The comedy partnership turned to a friend, Frank Muir, Head of Entertainment at London Weekend Television, who loved the idea; the show was accepted and despite a poor critical reception became a hit with viewers.
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Till Death Us Do Part
Title: Till Death Us Do Part
Character: Fred
Released: January 1, 1969
Type: Movie
The film version of 'Till Death Do Us Part' tells the story of Alf Garnett, his wife Else, and their newborn daughter Rita, living through the London Blitz and beyond.
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Horizontal Hold
Title: Horizontal Hold
Character: TV Repairman
Released: May 27, 1968
Type: Movie
A woman writes a book about sex and marriage and it becomes a best seller.
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The Drummer and the Bloke
Title: The Drummer and the Bloke
Character: Jack
Released: January 31, 1968
Type: Movie
Alf and Jack, two labourers hired to work in a quarry,have decided to go on strike because of the degrading nature of the job.
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Up the Junction
Title: Up the Junction
Character: Figgins
Released: January 25, 1968
Type: Movie
A young woman trades her upper-class existence for a new life in an economically depressed suburb of London.
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The Whisperers
Title: The Whisperers
Character: Mr Noonan
Released: July 18, 1967
Type: Movie
Margaret Ross is an impoverished old woman who lives alone in a seedy apartment and enjoys a rich fantasy life as an heiress. One day she discovers stolen money hidden by her son and believes her fantasy has come true.
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Title: Callan
Released: July 8, 1967
Type: TV
Callan is the title of a British television series set in the murky world of espionage. Originally produced by ABC Weekend Television and later Thames Television, it was aired on the ITV network over four seasons spread out between 1967 and 1972. The series starred Edward Woodward as David Callan, a reluctant professional killer for a shadowy branch of the British Government's intelligence services known as 'the Section'.
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Title: Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width
Released: February 18, 1967
Type: TV
Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width is a British television sitcom first broadcast in 1967 as a single play in the Armchair Theatre anthology series, later becoming a series of half-hour episodes, which ran until 1971. A total of 40 episodes were made, all but one of them being believed to have aired. It was originally made by ABC Television for the ITV network, with its production being continued by Thames Television.
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Title: You Can't Win
Released: July 7, 1966
Type: TV
You Can't Win was a 1966 British television series made by ITV as an adaptation of the novels Scenes from Provincial Life and Scenes from Married Life by William Cooper. It stars Ian McShane as protagonist Joe Lunn, an English provincial grammar school physics teacher in 1939 who later moves to London and into the English establishment.
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Title: Adam Adamant Lives!
Released: June 23, 1966
Type: TV
Adam Adamant Lives! is a British television series which ran from 1966 to 1967 on the BBC, starring Gerald Harper in the title role. Proposing that an adventurer born in 1867 had been revived from hibernation in 1966, the show was a comedy adventure that took a satirical look at life in the 1960s through the eyes of an Edwardian.
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Dead Man's Chest
Title: Dead Man's Chest
Character: Sergeant Harris
Released: October 27, 1965
Type: Movie
Two young journalists simulate a murder, but the scheme backfires when the mock victim disappears.
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Title: The Man In Room 17
Character: C.P.O. Bradshaw
Released: June 11, 1965
Type: TV
The Man in Room 17 is a British television series which ran for two seasons in the mid-1960s, produced by the Northern ITV franchise, Granada Television. Key to the series' success was the involvement of writer/producer Robin Chapman. The show was set in Room 17 of the Department of Social Research, where former wartime agent-turned-criminologist Edwin Oldenshaw solved difficult police cases through theory and discussions with his assistants. The novelty of the series was that Oldenshaw and his colleagues never needed to leave their office in order to resolve cases, preferring to spend their time playing the Japanese board game of Go. They simply provided their prognosis and left the police to do the cleaning up. Different directors were often appointed to film the Room 17 and outside-world scenes independently, to maintain a sense of distance between the two worlds.
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Title: Gideon's Way
Character: Smith
Released: March 18, 1965
Type: TV
Gideon's Way is a British television crime series made by ITC Entertainment in 1964/65, based on the novels by John Creasey. The series was made at Elstree in twin production with The Saint TV series. It starred Liverpudlian John Gregson in the title role as Commander George Gideon of Scotland Yard, with Alexander Davion as his assistant, Detective Chief Inspector David Keen, Reginald Jessup as Det. Superintendent LeMaitre, Ian Rossiter as Detective Chief Superintendent Joe Bell and Basil Dignam as Commissioner Scott-Marle. The show did not acknowledge any help from Scotland Yard, any other police force or advisor. Daphne Anderson starred as his wife, Kate with Giles Watling as young son, Malcolm, Richard James as older son, Matthew who seemed to have a lot of new girlfriends and Andrea Allan as daughter, Pru. Unusually for police stories, Gideon was shown as a family man at home though urgent phone calls from his bosses tend to disrupt family plans too often. However, he did admit in "State Visit" that his wife had walked out on him for a while years ago when he put the job first and her second. They live in an expensive detached house in Chelsea.
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Rattle of a Simple Man
Title: Rattle of a Simple Man
Character: George (organiser)
Released: December 20, 1964
Type: Movie
Percy Winthram is a naive young man who still lives at home with his mum. In London for the Cup Final with his friends, he finds himself in a Soho strip club, where he meets blonde hostess Cyrenne. Accepting a bet from friend Ginger, he accompanies Cyrenne back to her flat, and a boast-worthy night of lust seems to be on the cards. However, drained of beer and bravado, Percy's innocence and vulnerability become all too evident.
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Title: Redcap
Released: October 17, 1964
Type: TV
Redcap is a British television series produced by ABC Weekend Television and broadcast on the ITV network. It starred John Thaw as Sergeant John Mann, a member of the Special Investigation Branch of the Royal Military Police and ran for two series and 26 episodes between 1964 and 1966, being about 50 minutes in a 60 minute time slot. Surprisingly for a 1960s ABC Weekend Television programme, 23 of the 26 episodes still exist.
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The Count of Monte Cristo
Title: The Count of Monte Cristo
Character: Gaspard Caderousse
Released: October 4, 1964
Type: Movie
A TV adaptation of the classic Alexandre Dumas novel. Edmond Dantes is falsely accused by those jealous of his good fortune, and is sentenced to spend the rest of his life in the notorious island prison, Chateau d'If. While imprisoned, he meets the Abbé Faria, a fellow prisoner whom everyone believes to be mad. The Abbé tells Edmond of a fantastic treasure hidden away on a tiny island, that only he knows the location of. After many years in prison, the old Abbé dies, and Edmond escapes disguised as the dead body. Now free, Edmond must find the treasure the Abbé told him of, so he can use the new-found wealth to exact revenge on those who have wronged him.
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The Bone Yard
Title: The Bone Yard
Character: Sergeant Strickland
Released: September 30, 1964
Type: Movie
Extraordinary things happen at an ordinary police station.
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Title: Sherlock Holmes
Released: May 17, 1964
Type: TV
Sherlock Holmes is a series of Sherlock Holmes adaptations produced by British television company BBC between 1965 and 1968. This was the second screen adaption of Sherlock Holmes for BBC Television.
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Children of the Damned
Title: Children of the Damned
Released: January 10, 1964
Type: Movie
Six children are found spread through out the world that not only have enormous intelligence, but identical intelligence and have a strange bond to each other.
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The Bargee
Title: The Bargee
Character: Bargee
Released: January 1, 1964
Type: Movie
After a lock-keeper entrusts his daughter to a canal Casanova, he is shocked to learn that she is pregnant. He then refuses to open his locks - causing barges to pile up in every direction until the guilty party confesses.
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Title: Doctor Who
Character: Richard Mace
Released: November 23, 1963
Type: TV
The adventures of The Doctor, a time-traveling humanoid alien known as a Time Lord. He explores the universe in his TARDIS, a sentient time-traveling spaceship. Its exterior appears as a blue British police box, which was a common sight in Britain in 1963 when the series first aired. Along with a succession of companions, The Doctor faces a variety of foes while working to save civilizations, help ordinary people, and right many wrongs.
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What a Crazy World
Title: What a Crazy World
Character: Percy
Released: July 2, 1963
Type: Movie
Unemployed East End lad Alf Hitchens has an on-off relationship with his girlfriend Marilyn and a dream of hitting the big time in the music business. Cheerful pop musical with a working-class background which uses a number of genuine London locations.
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A Prize of Arms
Title: A Prize of Arms
Character: Orford
Released: December 11, 1962
Type: Movie
A criminal gang sets out to pull off the heist of a large army payroll.
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Title: The Saint
Character: Harry
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 Saint
Character: Smith
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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You in Your Small Corner
Title: You in Your Small Corner
Character: Georgie
Released: June 5, 1962
Type: Movie
Barry Reckord adapted his stage play for TV and his brother Lloyd plays the central character – a Jamaican new to London. When he begins a relationship with a white woman, he finds himself in conflict with his mother, who has great expectations for him. The very early intimate portrayal of this interracial relationship broke new ground, and is believed to feature one of the world's first examples of an interracial kiss on TV.
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Title: Studio Four
Character: Humphrey Place
Released: January 22, 1962
Type: TV
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Title: Z-Cars
Released: January 2, 1962
Type: TV
Z-Cars or Z Cars is a British television drama series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, Merseyside. Produced by the BBC, it debuted in January 1962 and ran until September 1978.
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Lunch Hour
Title: Lunch Hour
Character: Harris
Released: January 1, 1962
Type: Movie
A young female designer is on the brink of an affair with a married male executive at the company where she works. The film tells the story of their illicit lunch hour rendezvous.
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Danger! Men Working
Title: Danger! Men Working
Character: Second Labourer
Released: May 7, 1961
Type: Movie
In Ulster, Major Trumbull is put in charge of overseeing the completion of a hospital on time. As the pressure increases, he replaces well-liked foreman Desmond Doherty with brash Scanling, which angers the men.
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Title: The Avengers
Character: Henry Farrow
Released: January 7, 1961
Type: TV
The Avengers is a British television series created in the 1960s. It initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed. Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants. His most famous assistants were intelligent, stylish and assertive women: Cathy Gale, Emma Peel and Tara King. Later episodes increasingly incorporated elements of science fiction and fantasy, parody and British eccentricity.
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Title: The Avengers
Character: Cavell
Released: January 7, 1961
Type: TV
The Avengers is a British television series created in the 1960s. It initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed. Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants. His most famous assistants were intelligent, stylish and assertive women: Cathy Gale, Emma Peel and Tara King. Later episodes increasingly incorporated elements of science fiction and fantasy, parody and British eccentricity.
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Title: No Hiding Place
Released: September 16, 1959
Type: TV
No Hiding Place is a British television series that was produced at Wembley Studios by Associated-Rediffusion for the ITV network between 16 September 1959 and 22 June 1967. It was the sequel to the series Murder Bag and Crime Sheet, all starring Raymond Francis as Detective Superintendent, later Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Lockhart.
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The Saint and the Brave Goose
Title: The Saint and the Brave Goose
Character: Beeky
Released: December 31, 1969
Type: Movie
A two-part episode of the 1978 TV series "The Return of the Saint," edited together and released as a feature.