Christopher Blake

The British actor and screenwriter Christopher Blake enjoyed a prolific career in television, film and theatre although he will be best remembered for starring in two sitcoms: Mixed Blessings and That's My Boy. His life was cut tragically short in 2004, at the age of 55 years.

Born Peter Ronald Gray on 23 August 1949 in Chingford (then Essex, now part of East London), he was the eldest of three boys to father Charles (a plasterer by trade) and mother Elizabeth (a dressmaker and housewife). The family emigrated to Australia on a government assisted migration scheme (Ten Pound Poms as those who took up the option were known) where he began his education only to have it interrupted in 1961 when the family returned to England, only to leave again shortly afterwards and finally return in 1966.

He attended Fitzherbert Secondary Modern School in Brighton, Sussex and tried his luck at acting, taking a job as an odd job man at a newly formed experimental theatre, The Brighton Combination. In 1969, he was accepted by the Central School of Speech and Drama, changing his name to Christopher Blake, because there was already an actor registered with Equity as Peter Gray.

Christopher made his screen debut in a Netherlands/Belgium co-production Because of the Cats, which starred a mainly British cast that included Bryan Marshall, Edward Judd and George Baker. It was also the film debut of the Dutch born actress Sylvia Kristel. His small screen debut was the following year (1974) in a Yorkshire Television Production titled Death or Glory Boy.

There followed over 20 years of regular employment in theatre, film and television, during which time he played a number of parts. In 1975, he appeared in his first continuing role as Gilbert Blythe in the BBC miniseries, Anne of Avonlea, a sequel to Lucy Maud Montgomery's 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables. In 1977 he appeared as the would-be writer Edward Richardson in the critically panned LWT series Love for Lydia before landing the role that would bring him to the attention of the British public.

The sitcom Mixed Blessings was ground-breaking as it was the first sitcom centred round an interracial couple. Thomas Simpson (Blake) and Susan Lambert (Muriel Odunton), two recently graduated university students have fallen in love and want to live together. Mixed Blessings has been accused by some critics of being cringingly full of ‘racial stereotypes’. In Love Thy Neighbour, the protagonists drew their laughs from racial insults but in Mixed Blessings tried (but often failed) to avoid such conflicts. However, it ran for three series and was sold abroad, including to the West Indies, and while its execution may be found wanting, this is mainly in hindsight.

On stage, Christopher enjoyed a wide range of roles moving easily between farce and drama, playing the eponymous Alfie, Milo in Sleuth and George in Same Time Next Year.

In 1981, Christopher landed his next memorable role as Dr. Robert 'Shane' Price in the sitcom That's My Boy. The star of the show was Mollie Sugden as a mother reunited with the son she gave up for adoption as a baby. The show ran for five series. His next role was a more serious one, playing Tim Derby in Brookside and later in his career he took to scriptwriting, becoming a regular writer on Channel 5's Family Affairs and contributed to Sky One's Dream Team. His last two completed scripts were for David Jason's series A Touch of Frost.

In 1997, Christopher met actress and theatre producer Victoria Little. They purchased a house in Spain and were undertaking renovations there when he was diagnosed with a rare form on Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He passed away on 11 December 2004 leaving his wife and three children.

A keen cricketer (he was a member of the Lord's Taverners X1 and William Franklyn's team, the Sargentmen, which raised money for the Malcolm Sargent Cancer Fund for Children) and described by friends as possessing of an easy charm that earned him a wide circle of friends, Christopher had faced his debilitating illness with fortitude and without any trace of fear or self-pity. His talent shone brightly and his ability to bring characters to life with warmth and authenticity endeared him to audiences far and wide. Beyond his on-screen presence, Christopher's contributions as a screenwriter showcased his versatility and creativity, leaving an indelible mark on the industry.