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The Last Farewell 2009 – Part Two

The Last Farewell 2009 – Part Two

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Polydor/Universal2009 was an absolutely horrendous year for stars of the big and small screen departing this earth. In this second and final roll call list of honour ATV Network salutes those who left us – whether in front of the camera, in music or behind the scenes in production – who have contributed to the UK entertainment world. If we have in error missed anyone from our list we firstly apologise for that, and secondly salute them with the due respect deserved.
2009 was an absolutely horrendous year for stars of the big and small screen departing this earth. In this second and final roll call list of honour ATV Network salutes those who left us – whether in front of the camera, in music or behind the scenes in production – who have contributed to the UK entertainment world. If we have in error missed anyone from our list we firstly apologise for that, and secondly salute them with the due respect deserved.
 Stephen Gately - gone, but the music lives on
 

Stephen Gately – Actor, singer and television presenter.
 
We started part one with the King of Pop Michael Jackson, a death aged 50 which shocked the world. Part two begins with another pop star, who’s death, aged just 33, shocked the nation and beyond. Stephen Gately was an all-round entertainer in the vain of the likes of Bruce Forsyth. Gately could sing, dance, act and present. Born in 1976 in a working class area of Dublin Stephen had always been interested in ‘the arts’ and worked hard to ‘become something’. A few small movie parts followed, but it was to be his singing that made him a household name. In 1993 pop group Boyzone were put together by X Factor judge Louis Walsh. Stephen was selected as co-lead singer after his forth audition. Other lead singer Ronan Keating was picked along with backing vocalists and dancers, Mike Graham, Shane Lynch and Keith Duffy.
 
 
Boyzone, inspired by Manchester’s Take That, would become the best selling boy band of the 1990s, in singles terms, and a huge following of loyal fans made sure the boys were in demand. World tours and sell out arena shows placed them at the top of their game. But at their peak Keating, Gately and Graham decided to take a year out to try some solo work in 2000. Ronan and Stephen both having initial big successes. However Gately found the traveling alone tough, and didn’t enjoy being a solo artist. Keating on the other hand had such success it would take seven years ultimately for Boyzone to re-unite once more.
 
 
In 1999 Stephen was pushed into announcing in The Sun that he had a boyfriend, and was very happy. While Gately had worried it would end his pop career it actually had a positive effect ‘gaining a new gay audience’ for the group. Speaking to GayTimes in 2004, Keating commented:
 
“Boyzone actually gained fans and respect when Stephen came out, because it made us more than just another boy band. And there was no way he could have gone on living a lie. It was very hard for him, and he was very upset at the time, but he was the first person in any boy band to come out and that was very brave.”
 
 The following edition of The Sun newspaper was filled with supportive messages from his many female fans – Gately had always commanded the most fan mail from his mainly young girl audience – who accepted him for who he was, and Boyzone carried on regardless. No doubt the tabloids disappointed they didn’t have another celebrity downfall on their hands to sell more papers with. In the late 1990s he also forfilled three of his main aims; he met his hero, Michael Jackson, he recorded a song for a Disney movie and also voiced a cartoon character in ITV’s remake of rabbit-based story, Watership Down.
With Boyzone on its extended break Stephen Gately moved into television and theatre work, presenting and appearing in several programmes including famously ITV’s Dancing On Ice competition and as a regular presenter on Film24. He also in 2008 made his lead role debut in feature film, Credo – a horror flick. But it was the theatre which during his boy band-free years Gately would be his most successful. He starred as the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the prestigious London Palladium, as well as taking the lead in Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. Other roles include playing Jesus in Godspell and The Scarecrow in an adaptation of The Wizard Of Oz.
 
 
But Gately was always at his happiest when he was performing as Boyzone. In November 2007 the boyz were back; performing live on BBC One’s Children In Need, Gately clearly ecstatic at the reunion. A successful arena tour followed in 2008 and two new singles were released, with one peaking at number 5 in the UK charts. Again another tour in the summer of 2009 proved successful, with plans for a new album to be released in 2010. Stephen’s last official appearance was at the ITV screened Pride Of Britain awards, he died five days later while on holiday with his husband Andrew Cowles. However he musically hasn’t taken his last curtain call just yet, the Boyzone album will be released this year – with tracks Stephen recorded prior to his holiday included.
 
 
Boyzone music may not be revolutionary, it may not be ‘hip’ or ‘with it’ to some. But music shouldn’t always have to be trendy. I’d rather have a Boyzone song over three minutes of supposed trendy screaming. Boyzone knew their market, and their audience loved their music. The demise of Stephen is the closest to ATV Network of all the star deaths in 2009, with staff here having worked with his relations in previous jobs and some of us having, at other media outlets, crossed paths with him. It is true what they say; he was a gentleman, a kind and thoughtful person. And for that alone in this industry he’ll be greatly missed, people like Gately are all too rare.

In brief
 
 
Patrick McGoohan – Actor, writer and producer. Most famous for his ATV Network-ITC produced dramas on ITV during the 1960s including Danger Man and The Prisoner. The latter show Patrick produced and directed as well as wrote some of the seventeen episodes as well.

 
Brittany Murphy – Actress and Singer. She had her big Hollywood break aged just 14 in the TV series Drexell’s Class. Murphy is however best known for roles in movies 8 Mile, Clueless, Girl Interrupted and Sin City. She also provided the voice of Luanne in over 230 episodes of animated television series King Of The Hill.

 
Robert Sidney Baker – Film and television producer. Produced a significant number of programmes for the ITC production arm of ATV Network in the 1960s and 70s including The Barron, The Saint and The Return Of The Saint.

 
Margo Johns – Actress. Starred in a number of movies including Konga, but also ventured into television roles with apperances in the BBC’s police drama Dixon Of Dock Green, sitcom Yes, Minister and ATV Network’s hospital serial Emergency Ward 10.

 
Peter John Denyer – Actor, writer and director.
Peter will be mainly remembered by those of a certain age for his role in London Weekend Television’s popular school-set sitcom, Please Sir! playing pupil Dennis Dunstable. Denyer was in his 20s when offered the part. He continued to play the character in LWT’s later spin-off from the series, The Fenn Street Gang. Later in the decade he returned to ITV screens in the Maureen Lipman lead sitcom, Agony – where he played one half of a gay couple.
 
 
Other television appearances include drama in Dixon Of Dock Green, soap opera Emmerdale and moody comedy, Dear John. Peter moved into theatre shows in his later years, writing, producing and directing productions.

 
Pearl Hackney – actress. Appeared in Granada Television’s long running hit-serial Coronation Street as well as other notable television appearances in shows such as BBC serial Angels, drama All Creatures Great and Small, Thames Television’s Minder drama alongside George Cole and Yorkshire TV’s sitcom starring Mollie Sugden, That’s My Boy.

 
John Madocks – Media Executive.  A former director of  ATV Network and later Central TV in Birmingham. He was also a board member of London Midland British Rail. His RAF career gained him an MBE and later CBE. He also became the High Sheriff and Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Nottingham.
ITC-ATV
 
Troy Kennedy Martin – Writer.
 
Scottish born Troy is best known as the creator and screenwriter of the long running BBC Television police drama, Z Cars.  Joining the corporation in 1958, he wrote his first of five plays for the broadcaster, Incident at Echo Six. By 1961 Kennedy Martin had progressed from one-off dramas into series format productions. The first, Storyboard, lead onto police drama, The Interrogator.
 
 
A year after his first venture into police serial, he co-created what would become one of the BBC’s longest running crime-based serials – Z Cars. Set in the fictional town of ‘Newtown’ the series has been deemed revolutionary for its more gritty portrayal of how the British police force operate.  This more realistic vision of the boys in blue – which up until 1962 had never been seen on UK television – didn’t go down too well with senior members of the police authority. In the 1970s and 80s he worked on many film and television series including The Italian Job and Reilly, Ace Of Spies.

In brief
 
Felix Bowness – Actor. Best remembered for his long-running role in BBC holiday camp sitcom Hi-De-Hi, where he played jockey, Fred Quilly. While the show ended, the majority of the main cast re-united in two further sitcoms, Oh Doctor Beeching! set around a train station and in spoof of the Upstairs Downstairs style period dramas You Rang M’Lord? Other credits include Are You Being Served?, Dad’s Army, Porridge and The Liver Birds.

 
Larry Simon Gelbart – Writer. Most famous in the UK for his part  in the creation and writing of the early series of wartime comedy drama, M*A*S*H.  Other notable work include the movie Tootsie.

 
Iain Cuthbertson – Actor. His most memorable television role was as the criminal businessman Charlie Endell in Budgie alongside Adam Faith for LWT. He reprised the role in its sequel Charles Endell, Esq in 1979. Many other television appearances over his long career, but notably as Garron in the sci-fi family series, Doctor Who. Appearing in the story, The Ribos Operation.

 
Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell – Actor. Australian born Charles moved to England in 1956. Most famous in the UK for his long-running role on ATV Network produced twice-weekly serial Emergency Ward 10 from 1957 until the mid-60s as Alan Dawson. He continued his work for ITV providing voices for the ATV-ITC produced puppet series’ Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet. He returned to Australia in 1973 and made many parts his own in numerous television dramas. These include Homicide, The Sullivans and Neighbours.
 
Keith Spencer Waterhouse – Writer. His credits, many with life-long friend and collaborator Willis Hall, include satires such as That Was The Week That Was, BBC-3 and The Frost Report during the 1960s. Television series such as drama Budgie, Southern TV’s comedy Worzel Gummidge, and an adaption of the newspaper comic strip Andy Capp.

 
Al Martino – Singer and actor. Famous in recent times for his role as singer Johnny Fontane in The Godfather and the spin-offs. Notably Al was the first pop artist to top the UK Singles charts when they began in 1952. ‘Here In My Heart’ remained in the number one spot for nine weeks.

 
Wendy Richard – Actress.
 
ATV - Harpers West One, 1961One of Wendy’s earliest television roles was on the short-lived Anglia soap, Weavers Green. The serial ran in 1966 and was basically an earlier version of Emmerdale Farm but set in East Anglia’s fictional village of Weavers Green. Playing the character Joyce Harker, a regular on the BBC serial The Newcomers, began her long career with the BBC that spanned well over 40 years. This innovative series was set in a ‘new-town’ akin to the likes of Milton Keynes or Washington Tyneside, which saw families moving into the modern complex of the 1960s concrete vision of the future.
 
 

In the late 60s and early 70s she guest-starred in many popular television shows of the time such as The Likely Lads, On The Buses, Up Pompeii, Bless This House, Please Sir, Fenn Street Gang, Dixon of Dock Green, Z-Cars and Dad’s Army. The actress also appeared in small roles in several Carry On films during the early 1970s. She had originally appeared in the 1970 Christmas television special, Carry On Again Christmas for Thames TV. Proving popular with cast and producers this guest spot lead to further roles in the film franchise. In 1972 Richards had a small role in Carry On Matron and then in 1973 a bigger role in Carry On Girls.

 

 

In 1972 she played her most famous comic role, Miss Shirley Brahms in BBC department store sitcom, Are You Being Served? Which ran for 13-years. She also reprised the role in Grace and Favour, the 1990s spin-off now set in a country house.

 

Mollie Sugden starred alongside the actress in Are You Being Served?  and Grace and Favour said at the time of Wendy’s death: “How can I express my grief on hearing of the loss of Wendy. She has been part of my life for so long, almost like one of the family. Many happy memories. Although she had no children of her own, she instinctively knew about little boys and my two idolised her. She was the daughter I never had and I shall never stop missing her.

“She lives on in the hearts of so many people who were entertained by her talent and warmed by her charm.”

 

 

But, arguably, her most famous part – which reached her biggest audience – was that of Pauline Fowler in the soap opera EastEnders. Launching in 1985 Richard would remain with the show for 21-years, with her final appearance at Christmas 2006 pulling in the viewers one last time to see how Pauline would leave. Other roles followed including a guest stint in ITV’s sitcom Benidorm.

In brief
 
Victor Mizzy – Composer. Most famous for devising the theme tune to The Addams Family comedy series.

 
Clinton Ford – Singer. Popular artist of the 1950s and 60s appearing in theatre and television across the UK. Had a number one hit with ‘Old Shep’, however he didn’t make his fortune from the record – he donated all the profits to the Battersea Dogs’ Home.
 
Alick Rowe – Writer. He wrote numerous radio plays for the BBC, but his most famous television writing would be that of the first series of the BBC sci-fi drama, The Tripods. Other TV credits include The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Two People, and A Sort of Innocence.

 
Sadie Corré – Actress and dancer. A long theatre and variety career peaked when she moved into movies. She appeared as a Transylvanian in the cult Rocky Horror Picture Show, featured as an Ewok in Return of the Jedi and had a small role in Chitty Chitty, Bang Bang. In television she donned a costume once more, appearing in children’s series, The Wombles.

 
Laurie Rowley – Writer. Starting his comedy writing career at BBC Radio 2 on The News Huddlines, fronted by jokester Roy Hudd he moved onto television with The Two Ronnies. This lead to writing sketches for the BBC Two series, Not The Nine O’Clock News. He also worked for ITV writing skits for Spitting Image and Hale and Pace.

 
Bobby Knoxall  – Comedian. A mainstay stand up on Tyne Tees Television’s local comedy slot What Fettle and live entertainment and chat show, Friday Live!, during the 1970s and 80s he also had a successful cabaret career starring alongside Johnny Mathis, Roy Orbison, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.
 
Harry Towb – Actor. Starred in numerous theatre roles, but reached television audiences in shows such as EastEnders, Doctor Who, The Bill, Heartbeat and The Avengers.

 
Harry Alan Towers – Producer and writer. He produced over a hundred feature films and continued to write and produce well into his eighties. Starting in radio broadcasting as writer he sold many of his radio plays to Radio Luxembourg. With the arrival of ITV in 1955 he switched to television writing for many of the independent companies – including ATV Network – with dramas written for slots such as Armchair Theatre and the ITV Playhouse.
 
 
In the 1960s Towers progressed once more; this time into feature films including adapting Agatha Christie and Edgar Wallace works for the big screen.

 

Diane Holland – Actress.

 

ATV Network - 1966Diane is probably best remembered for her role in the 1980s comedy series Hi-He-Hi. In the popular comedy, set in a 1950s holiday site, she played condescending and snobby dance instructor Yvonne Stewart-Hardgreaves. Her character had once been a ballroom dancing champion but was reduced to working at a holiday camp which was the source of many a joke within the series.

 

  

From 1965 to 1972 she was a regular cast member of the Birmingham produced four-days-a-week soap opera Crossroads. Holland played Sarah Maynard in the ATV Network motel-based saga, suffering as the wife of Doctor Brian, who was slightly suspicious to the fact he may have been having affairs with his female patients.

 

 

Other roles include a guest appearance in the Anglia series Tales of the Unexpected, historical drama Poldark and Jersey based drama Bergerac. Other comedy roles included guest appearances in Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, Sykes and Grace and Favour. The actress appeared in a 2001 episode of BBC drama Casualty where she played terminally ill patient Wendy Atkinson, the episode won much praise from critics.

  

Her agent, Bo Keller, described the actress as “extremely kind hearted” and “had a very dry sense of humour”.

In brief

 

Gordon Waller – Singer. Best known as one half of the singing duo Peter and Gordon alongside actress Jane Asher’s brother Peter. Their biggest hit came with ‘A World Without Love’ in 1964. At the time of their pop success Jane was dating Beatles’ co-lead singer Paul McCartney, and so un-needed potential Beatles’ tracks were given to Peter and Gordon instead. Peter Asher and Gordon Waller went their separate ways in 1968. Waller tried a solo career, and took to stage and cabaret work. In 2008 Peter and Gordon re-united for a couple of special live appearances in the USA.

 

Donald MacCormick – broadcaster. Working for Grampian – now STV North – in 1967 as a news reporter he switched to London in 1975 to work on various BBC projects. He was one of the first co-presenters of BBC Two news review show Newsnight alongside Peter Snow and John Tusa. He also went on to chair political debate series Question Time for BBC One and long running financial slot The Money Programme.

 

In the 1990s he switched back to ITV, this time London Weekend Television’s political department before returning to his native Scotland presenting political specials for STV.


Lorena Gale – Actress, director and writer. Gale starred in many US-Canadian productions including The X Files, Stargate SG-1, Smallville and maybe most famously as Priestess Elosha in the remake of Battlestar Galactica.

 

Colin Bean – Actor. Best known for his long running appearances in Dad’s Army. He starred in 76 of the 80 episodes of the wartime-set sitcom. Other roles include parts in Hi-De-Hi and Are You Being Served?

 

Edmund Purdom – Actor and director. Starred in a number of MGM and 20th Century Fox motion pictures during the 1950s and 60s. Also had a successful stage career.

 

Kathleen Byron – Actress. A successful stage career lead her into television work. Notibly a stint on Yorkshire Television soap Emmerdale back in 1979 and a guest part in BBC wartime drama Secret Army. She also starred in the lavish ATV Network production of Edward The Seventh as Queen Louise of Denmark.

 

David Wheatley – Director.  Worked for Tyne Tees Television and Zeneth North on their many adaptations of the Catherine Cookson period dramas. He also worked for the BBC in their documentary division, notably on Omnibus. He also produced for ITV series such as Fat Friends and drama Dalziel and Pascoe for the BBC.

 

Danny La Rue – entertainer

A all singing, all dancing female impersonator whos long career peaked in the 1970s with many television specials and appearances.

 

Among his star impersonations were Zsa Zsa Gabour, Margaret Thatcher, Elizabeth Taylor and Marlene Dietrich. In 1968 he hosted his own television series in drag; A Night Out With Danny La Rue for London Weekend Television. It was the first of many, including later hosting Christmas specials for the network.

 

In 1968 his version of ‘On Mother Kelly’s Doorstep’ reached number 33 in the UK singles chart; La Rue later adopted the song as his theme tune. Other television appearances include on Dusty Springfield’s music and variety series, The Frankie Howerd Show, Blackpool Bonanza and more recently a cameo in the Mr Bean television series.

 

He also had a varied career in theatre, mainly in pantomime as the dame, but also in the role of Dolly Levi in the musical Hello Dolly!

 

In brief

 

Jade Goody – reality contestant. Best known for taking part in Channel 4 reality series Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother. Built a career about being famous for famous sake, devoid of any actual talent for television. However she became loved for her personality and equally derided for being ‘thick’. Chat show host Michael Parkinson suggested she was an example of what had gone wrong with Britain.

 

John Cater – Actor.  A long and varied career including appearances in Doctor Who, Z Cars, Danger Man, Follyfoot, Softly Softly, Inspector Morse, Lovejoy and Doctors.

 

John Franklyn-Robbins –  Actor. Credits include I, Claudius, Doctor Who, Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Merchant of Venice.

 

Natasha Richardson – Actress. The daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and director Tony Richardson she followed into her parents career path with a successful theatre career including as Sally Bowles in musical Cabaret. Movies include roles in Maid In Manhattan, The Parent Trap and Patty Hearst.

Farrah Fawcett – Actress.

 

Became a household name in 1976 as Jill Munroe in the detective series, Charlie’s Angles. A series which catapulted her into many other roles and huge popularity.

 

She’s been a ‘television face’ since the 1960s appearing in numerous commercials and occasional guest spots in shows such as sitcom, I Dream Of Jeannie in 1969.  But it was Charlie’s Angles that she’ll be fondly remembered for.

 

Commenting to US magazine TV Guide in 1977: “When the show was number three, I thought it was our acting. When we got to be number one, I decided it could only be because none of us wears a bra”

 

The show was a hit across many countries and Fawcett ventured into movies. She would be nominated for four Emmy Awards for her acting as well as six Golden Globe submissions. In later years she guest appeared once more in television productions including Ally McBeal and Spin City. With her charm, convincing acting and natural beauty Farrah became a  phenomenon, a brand in her own right. She released beauty products endorsed with her stamp. A wide appeal from young boys to women who wanted to be just like her. And while she did so much more than just a female-lead detective series, she’ll remain one of the leading symbols of 1970s television.

 
Anthony Finigan – Actor and director.  Notable work includes for ABC Television (latterly Thames TV) in London directing on shows such as Armchair Theatre. In the sixties he relocated to Northern Ireland working for UTV. In 1977 he left broadcasting to return to the stage as an actor.
 
 
Film roles followed including parts in the remake of Oliver Twist in 1997 and Closing The Ring last year.

 

Francis Essex – Producer and writer.

He worked as a entertainment producer for the BBC in the 1950s before switching to ATV Network in 1960 as a senior producer. In 1965 he relocated North of the Border to become Controller of Programmes at Scottish Television before returning to the ATV Network as Production Controller in 1969.

 

Sticking with ATV at Elstree – now home to BBC EastEnders – he progressed to the board of directors at the company in 1976 and took on the title of Director of Production until 1981 when ATV Network ceased as an ITV broadcaster.

 
Joan Turner – Singer and comic. In the 1960s and 70s she was one of the highest earning female celebrities in Britain. She hosted her own television series, Joan Turner Unlimited while making many guest appearances – including on popular variety show, Sunday Night at the London Palladium, as well as headlining the 1963 Royal Variety Performance.
 
 
However deemed ‘difficult’ to work with her career floundered somewhat. In the 1990s she tried to revive it, appearing in EastEnders and Brookside. However a drink problem brought her revival to a sudden end when Mersey Television – makers of Brookside for Channel 4 – sacked her.

 

Timothy Brinton – Presenter. Worked for the BBC Television service as an announcer and newseader in the 1950s before switching to commercial television in 1959. Joining ITN he was a senior newscaster with the ITV network until 1962. Moving to BBC Radio until 1965, he later took a career change into politics. In 1977 he returned to broadcasting to take part in the spoof documentary Alternative 3 a supposed investigation into Britain’s contemporary “brain drain.”
 
 
Alternative 3 uncovered a plan to make the moon and Mars habitable in the event of climate change and a terminal environmental catastrophe on Earth.

 
John Mayhew – Musician. The third drummer in the pop/rock group Genesis. Joining the band in 1969 he was replaced in 1970 by Phil Collins.

 
Timothy Grundy – Radio broadcaster and television presenter. Starting as a teaboy at Manchester’s Piccadilly Radio in 1975 he progressed to host of the breakfast show before finally becoming the stations programme controller. Grundy also worked as a presenter for numerous Sky channels, notably The Discovery Channel. Radio however is where he was most renowned. He launched Reading 107fm in 2002 working as breakfast host and programme controller.

 

Sarah Roache – Actress. More famous as the wife of Coronation Street actor William. She appeared alongside her husband on the serial as a judge and also surprised him with a This Is Your Life in 1985 to mark the shows 25th anniversary.

 

Terence Edmond – Actor. Most famous for playing PC Ian Sweet in nearly 80 episodes of BBC crime series Z Cars between 1962 and 1964. He then spent many years working for BBC Radio 4 in their various drama productions.

 
Derek Benfield – Writer and actor. Possibly most likely to be remembered in recent times as the husband of Hetty Wainthropp in the detective series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates. Other roles include Frank Skinner in ATV Network’s sci-fi series Timeslip, Albert the Clerk in Rumpole of the Bailey and a long running role in Granada Television’s Coronation Street between 1961 and 1969.

 
Martin Jackson – Media Executive. He was a founding member of the Broadcasting Press Guild and a regular face on ITV in the 1970s as one of the many rotating judges on ATV Network’s talent show, New Faces. In the 1980s he helped found the new TVS service for the ITV South region. This was a controversial change in companies which saw Television South replace the long-running Southern Television in the region. He also featured occasionally on BBC Four’s News Quiz slot and wrote newspaper articles for numerous publications.

 

 

Part One can be found here

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