Biographies

As the writer of one of Britain's all-time favourite sitcoms, John Sullivan joined a unique group of scriptwriters, whose names became almost as well-known as their television creations.

The very best comedy has always sported an essential core of warm humanity. For decades of British television viewers no one conveyed that warmth or humanity more successfully than the great Eric Sykes.

"You see, I think acting is magic. If I tell you all about myself it will spoil it. It's like a conjuror showing you how he does his tricks. If you can see how it's being done it takes away all the magic."

In a country famed for its literary giants, Stanley Unwin stands out alone as a man recognised and lauded for his oratory, not because he was an exceptional speaker of the English language, but because he invented his own language, "Unwinese."

Best known for her role as Ethel Mertz on the American sitcom classic 'I Love Lucy', Vivian Vance first had to win over the show's star first and then work with an actor who despised her. Mike Spadoni looks back on the career of an actress who was "second banana to none."

For years television viewers in the UK would tune in to hear Kent Walton's opening line "Greetings, grapple fans" as he introduced Saturday afternoon wrestling as part of ITV's long running World of Sport programme.

He was the man who began a sentence with a rather disinterested "Can I help you?", would listen to you explain your predicament and then frustrate you with an equally dispassionate "I'm awfully sorry, there's absolutely nothing I can do to help you."

The ITV weatherman who changed how weather forecasts were presented. Come rain or come shine, there was never a dull moment with Laurie West.

The term ‘national treasure’ has become as overused as any of its predecessors like ‘legendary’ and the oft-coined ‘there will never be another.’ But in the late Dame June Whitfield, it’s safe to say that the term was fully merited.

Mike and Bernie Winters were gifted and appealing professionals whose canny brand of rough and smooth comedy routines added much welcomed laughter to the nation's television screens.