Biographies

Ronnie Corbett achieved such fame as one of the Two Ronnies that his solo career was often eclipsed. But his status as a national treasure and a much-loved household name was as much down to his own talent as that of his comedy partner. Brian Slade looks back on a remarkable career.

A much loved character actor, best remembered for his booming voice and Welsh accent, Windsor Davies - who was actually born in East London, became one of the best known faces on British television, starring in two of the top sitcoms of the 1970s and 80s.

Once described as the best-loved fat man in Britain Les Dawson won his place in the national heart not for his corpulence but for his comedy which was unique-and for many years ahead of its time.

Described variously as the 'last great music-hall entertainer', 'the clown prince of comedy' and 'the squire of Knotty Ash', Ken Dodd tickled the British public for over 60 years. His live shows were legendary...and long! - "This isn't television, missus," he'd say, "you can't turn me off."

Charlie Drake delighted audiences with his slapstick comic antics in stage variety shows and on television for more than 50 years, often playing a downtrodden "everyman," who failed at everything he tried. Not so in real life.

Throughout his life Paul Eddington battled with a crippling disease. But as one of the leading stars in two of the nation's favourite comedies, it didn't stop him from cementing his place in the hearts and minds of the British public.

His private life was littered with failed marriages and affairs and his shows are hardly seen any more, but Dick Emery was watched by millions of viewers every week

John Esmonde and Bob Larbey have unquestionably been responsible for some of British comedy's best loved programmes. From the comfort of suburbia in The Good Life to the darker world of Mulberry, the writers have given us some of the most memorable characters on television.

Terence Feely was, without doubt, one of the most prolific scriptwriters of that dubiously tagged "Golden Age" of British television.

Voted BBC TV Personality of the Year in 1991, awarded an OBE in 1998, CBE in 2006 and a BAFTA fellowship in 2008, Bruce Forsyth was associated with some of the most successful shows in television history. The secret of his success lay in a winning combination of innate talent and a natural rapport with audiences.