Biographies

Her warm smile, likeable personality and natural comic timing makes her one of Britain’s best loved modern-day television actresses

The founding fathers of British situation comedy. "Without them all our lives would have been filled with a lot less laughter."

We remember Harold Goodwin who belonged to a distinguished and well-loved line of British character actors who played working-class figures in many wartime and postwar films

The annals of British television history boast a handful of giants whose impact upon the medium has conferred upon them the status of legends. However, towering above them all is a single larger than life figure.

An often underappreciated yet vital component to the success and memory of any TV series or film is its music. In the field of classic British telefantasy there has arguably been no finer exponent than Barry Gray.

For a star so loved by the public, the speed of Larry Grayson’s rise to prime-time stardom was almost immediately matched by his disappearance from the television screens. We pay an affectionate tribute to a "funny, lovely, gentle man."

Having kick-started Morecambe and Wise's television career in the 1960s, Sid Green and Dick Hills created the catch-phrases "the one with the short fat hairy legs", "the one with the glasses" and "get out of that!" But following Eric's heart attack in 1968, get out of that is exactly what Sid and Dick did.

British actor Richard Griffiths was known for his portrayals of Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films, Uncle Monty in Withnail and I, and Henry Crabbe in Pie in the Sky. But before he became a star, he had brutal start to life...

An unsung master of comic creations, Deryck Guyler became a radio star almost overnight in 1946, before finding a whole new audience on television over 20 years later

Boasting a career spanning more than five decades, Irene Handl captivated audiences with her impeccable comedic timing and remarkable versatility brought to life by the witty and eccentric characters that became her trademark

When it comes to the history of the television cartoon series you need look no further than Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera. Creating countless cartoon characters and collecting seven Oscars, eight Emmys and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hanna-Barbera were the masters of their craft

"I think I represent a cross between the Wizard of Oz and Father Christmas." - William Hartnell speaking to The Daily Express on being Doctor Who.

The brief career of an actress whose beauty and talent, coupled with the tragic circumstances of her life, have made her a memorable figure in the history of British film and television

Peter Hawkins’ face may not have been well known, but to several generations of television watchers, young and old, his voice was as familiar as that of one of our own family.

Patricia Hayes was another of those actors who were the unsung heroes of television. The actors who were ever-present and we took to our hearts, but seldom, if ever, received star billing

The Arthur Haynes show was essential viewing in the early days of ITV. A favourite of millions but for too long overlooked Television Heaven takes a look back at his career and the impact he had on television comedy.

James Hayter had over 150 screen appearances and enjoyed an extensive range of stage performances in a long and distiguished career. Yet it was a series of TV commercials, for which you only heard his voice, that made him instantly recognisable

A prolific composer who left an indelible mark on British television, enriching our viewing experience with his musical prowess, Ronnie Hazlehurst wrote some of the most iconic theme tunes that are still warmly remembered today

In his lifetime Nat Hiken was known as the 'King of the Half Hour' and was rewarded with eight Emmy Awards. But in later years his contribution to television has been forgotten far too easily. It is time to look back and remember one of the giants of the small screen.

With the passing of Benny Hill, the world of comedy lost one of its greatest clowns. He broke the language barrier in much the same way as his idols; Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin and his impact on a generation can easily be compared with these masters of mirth.

From an impoverished and painful beginning, she rose to become a hugely talented actress whose resilience, generosity and kindness was much admired by her contemporaries

In a career that spanned 80 years Dame Thora Hird appeared in countless stage productions, more than 100 films, some of television's best-known comedies, and prestigious award winning dramas.

Bob Hope was a one-of-a-kind entertainer. Vaudeville, stage, film, radio and television-he did it all. Friend to presidents, pal to soldiers in battle, master of the quick one-liners. His performances won him the admiration of such comedians as WC Fields, Charlie Chaplin and Woody Allen.

With his trademark "oohs" and "aahs", Frankie Howerd rose to the very pinnacle of comedic success in the United Kingdom and in spite of a few ups and downs managed to stay there for almost fifty years.

“He was funny, kind, encouraging and extremely down to earth - what he wanted most was simply to make people laugh.”

Rod Hull and Emu was an act loved equally by children and adults. But when his career turned sour, Hull came to dislike the puppet that had bought him fame and fortune, and eventually his riches would disappear altogether.

Russell Hunter enjoyed a long and varied career in theatre, film and television but a generation of fans best remembers him for his role as Lonely, the timid and smelly small-time thief and burglar and the only 'friend' of the cynical and lonely assassin Callan

Although she presented an imposing figure on screen Hattie Jacques managed to play a diverse range of roles when she may so easily have become typecast. Eric Sykes summed her up perfectly when he said, "She was one of the best comedy actresses we have ever had and a very lovely lady."

With his battered features, wicked leer and possibly the most recognisable laugh in show business, Sid James appeared to the world as a streetwise Cockney ex-heavyweight boxer. But Sid was no more an East End boy than he was a fighter.

Critic, journalist, broadcaster, writer and raconteur - Clive James achieved mainstream success in the UK with a series of shows that highlighted his acerbic wit and self deprecating sense of humour