Biographies

Bob Monkhouse

Bob Monkhouse

Bob Monkhouse

One of British TV's most popular performers with a career that spanned over fifty years and included work as a cartoonist, comedian, actor, writer and TV presenter who was once billed as Britain's answer to Bob Hope.

Dudley Moore

Dudley Moore

Dudley Moore

Dudley Moore was an exceptional entertainer who had the ability to act, sing, play the piano, compose his own music and - most importantly, make people laugh. A leading figure in the satire boom that swept Britain in the 1960s, his all-round body of work left behind a lasting legacy.

Agnes Moorehead

Agnes Moorehead

Agnes Moorehead

Best known as the flamboyant Endora in Bewitched, Agnes Moorehead was far more than a sitcom sorceress. Did you know she was Orson Welles’ muse, a four-time Oscar nominee, and radio’s reigning queen of suspense?

Morecambe and Wise

Morecambe and Wise

Morecambe and Wise

Eric and Ernie spent over thirty years together perfecting their act, and their act was as near perfect as any comedian or double act has ever achieved. In the BBC's 1996 anniversary poll, viewers voted Morecambe and Wise as 'The Best Light Entertainment Performers of All Time'.

Peggy Mount

Peggy Mount

Peggy Mount

To many people, the name Peggy Mount will immediately conjure up an image of the ultimate battleaxe; a loud booming voice, a more than ample figure, a caricature in the best seaside postcard tradition. Yet behind this public image lay a very private person.

Brian Murphy

Brian Murphy

Brian Murphy

Television Heaven pays tribute to one of Britain's most prolific character actors who starred in three of the country’s best loved sitcoms

Barbara Murray

Barbara Murray

Barbara Murray

Cool elegance and quiet strength defined Barbara Murray, the British actress whose performances graced stage and screen for over five decades—from post-war dramas to television classics, she remained a compelling, unassuming presence

Sydney Newman

Sydney Newman

Sydney Newman

When Sydney Newman came to England from his native Canada in 1958, no one could have predicted that he would become one of the most influential programme makers of the 1960's

Dandy Nichols

Dandy Nichols

Dandy Nichols

'One of the best and most subtle scene stealers in the business. She could fascinate just by making the most fleeting adjustment to her spectacles or the most furtive sideways glance.'

Warren Oates

Warren Oates

Warren Oates

We remember the prolific actor who never quite achieved the status of a Hollywood A-lister. Warren Oates, despite rarely occupying the centre stage, left a lasting impact on American cinema

Des O'Connor

Des O'Connor

Des O'Connor

There are very few stars from television’s golden age who instantly put a smile on your face. As talented as the likes of Bob Monkhouse and Bruce Forsyth were, one person probably eclipsed them...

Kate O'Mara

Kate O'Mara

Kate O'Mara

Versatile British actress whose commanding presence and flair for the dramatic left an indelible mark on film, stage and television, with a career spanning several decades

Glyn Owen

Glyn Owen

Glyn Owen

We remember the prolific stage and screen actor who became a household name in the UK in the 1980s when he appeared as the boozy Jack Rolfe in Howards' Way, the series dubbed by the British press as the 'boating and bonking' serial

Geoffrey Palmer actor

Geoffrey Palmer

Geoffrey Palmer actor

Geoffrey Palmer perfected the art of keeping a sullen look and yet maximising laughter in gentle comedies like Butterflies and As Time Goes By, in the chaos of Fawlty Towers or in joining a new breed of comedians in a cameo on Blackadder Goes Forth

Val Parnell

Val Parnell

Val Parnell

By the late 1940s Val Parnell had established himself as one of Britain's foremost theatre managers and impresarios. Through his association with Lew Grade he was also instrumental in the popularisation of television following the launch of ITV in 1955.

Nicholas Parsons

Nicholas Parsons

Nicholas Parsons

In a remarkably long career, Nicholas Parsons was also one half of a hugely successful comedy double act, held down an extended run in West End theatre, and was a successful host on both radio and television.

Lance Percival

Lance Percival

Lance Percival

To the world, he was the Calypso Crusader, the lyrical lark who sang news headlines with the zest of a rum-soaked parrot, his eyes twinkling like disco balls, reflecting the neon glow of the That Was The Week That Was sign. Let's look back on the career of Lance Percival

Jon Pertwee

Jon Pertwee

Jon Pertwee

“I’m a great believer in all things being possible. I shouldn’t be in the least bit disconcerted if I came face to face with a bug-eyed monster from outer space.”

Ingrid Pitt

Ingrid Pitt

Ingrid Pitt

Born in Poland during World War II and sent to a concentration camp from where she escaped, Ingrid Pitt rose from an early life marked by hardship and courage to become a cult figure in the horror movie genre. Her legacy endures through her captivating screen presence

Donald Pleasence

Donald Pleasence

Donald Pleasence

Television Heaven remembers and pays tribute to a versatile British actor who captivated audiences with his intense performances and distinctive voice

Pete Postlethwaite

Pete Postlethwaite

Pete Postlethwaite

A remarkably versatile British actor whose unconventional appearance belied a profound talent. Acclaimed on stage and screen, Pete Postlethwaite brought emotional depth and authenticity to roles across comedy, tragedy, and political drama

Dennis Potter Biography

Dennis Potter

Dennis Potter Biography

His daring narratives and innovative storytelling techniques continue to influence playwrights and screenwriters across the globe. A look back on the life and notable works of Dennis Potter

Bryan Pringle

Bryan Pringle

Bryan Pringle

Bryan Pringle's craggy, down-to-earth looks made him a perfect character actor.

Beryl Reid

Beryl Reid

Beryl Reid

She began her career as a comedienne but her legacy endures as a gifted and much loved character actress who left an indelible mark on stage, screen, and radio. Television Heaven remembers the star whose career spanned music hall and Broadway

Ian Richardson

Ian Richardson

Ian Richardson

Despite portraying the 'very English' Tory politician Francis Urquhart in the BBC's House of Cards, Ian Richardson, a leading stage actor, well known for his Shakespearean works, started out with a Scottish accent, having been born and brought up in Edinburgh

Diana Rigg

Diana Rigg

Diana Rigg

“She was a beautiful kind and generous human being that enhanced the lives of all that knew her as well as a great actress.”

Cardew Robinson

Cardew Robinson

Cardew Robinson

Cardew Robinson, whose career was rooted in the music hall and Gang Shows, became a familiar voice on radio and a familiar face on television from the 1950s until the 1990s

Jack Rosenthal

Jack Rosenthal

Jack Rosenthal

Rosenthal left behind a legacy of a vast catalogue of plays, films and television series that include some of the finest dramas ever broadcast on television.

Norman Rossington

Norman Rossington

Norman Rossington

A versatile performer who could play comedy, drama and musical theatre, the stocky and curly-haired British character actor Norman Rossington was a staple on British television for over 40 years