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ACAPULCO H.E.A.T./SYN/1993-94 & 96
*(Catherine Oxenberg) Ashley Hunter-Coddington, a former British agent and
member of a multi-national group of special agents working for H.E.A.T.--Hemisphere
Emergency Action Team.
THE ADVENTURES OF FU MANCHU/SYN/1955-56
*(Lester Matthews) Sir Dennis Nayland-Smith, a determined Scotland Yard
Detective who foiled the evil schemes of Dr. Fu Manchu. Filmed in England.
THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD/CBS/1955-58
*(Richard Greene) Sir Robin of Lochley, aka "Robin Hood," legendary 12th century
English hero and freedom fighter of Sherwood Forest who robbed from the rich and
gave to the poor on the syndicated adventure THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN
HOOD/CBS/1955-58. Nobleman Sir Robin of Locksley spoke out against the tyranny
of King John who had usurped the powers of the English throne while the true
king, his brother King Richard, was in the Holy Lands fighting the Crusades. For
his action, Sir Robin of Locksley's properties and lands were confiscated and he
was declared an outlaw of the Crown. With the aid of his "merry men," Robin Hood
battled the Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Wheatley) and all forces that stood in
the way of restoring King Richard to the throne of England. Robin's band of
merry men included Alexander Gauge as Friar Tuck; Archie Duncan/Rufus Cruikshank
as Little John; and Paul Eddington/Ronald Howard as Will Scarlet. The legend of
Robin Hood appears in Langland's Piers Plowman and in many other English
ballads. Twenty-five years later Mel Brooks created a wild, irreverent spoof of
this legendary hero with his sitcom WHEN THINGS WERE ROTTEN/ABC/1975 starring
Dick Gautier as Robin Hood. ROBIN OF SHERWOOD/SHO/1984-86 featured a reworked
Robin Hood legend (filmed in Britain) starring Michael Praed (and later Jason
Connery), as the rugged swashbuckling medieval hero. A revised version of the
Robin Hood legend MAID MARIAN AND HER MERRY MEN/BBC/1989-94 starred Kate
Lonergan as Maid Marian and Wayne Morris as Robin of Kensington. This time
around Robin was a cowardly tailor from Kensington, and Marian was the brains
behind the Merry Men. In May, 1991 the FOX Network aired Robin Hood, a spirited
movie presentation with Patrick Bergin as the legendary English outlaw. In the
summer of 1991, actor Kevin Kostner starred in the theatrical release Robin
Hood: The Prince of Thieves which debuted in theaters nationwide. This
adventurous adaptation had Robin Hood bathing nude in a Sherwood Forest pond and
a feisty Maid Marion kneeing an attacker in the groin. And still another remake
starred Matthew Porretta [and later John Bradley] in TNT Network's first
original television series THE NEW ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD/TNT/1997-98.
THE ADVENTURES OF SHIRLEY HOLMES, DETECTIVE/SYN/YTV/FFC/1997-2000
*(Meredith Henderson) Shirley Holmes, the 12-year-old great grand-niece of world
famous sleuth Sherlock Holmes who moves from England to Redington, Manitoba,
Canada when her British diplomat father is posted to a Canadian embassy. Shirley
attended Sussex Academy and pursued an avocation in criminology. Also featured
were Elizabeth Shepherd as Shirley's grandmother Peggy Holmes; Chris Humphreys
as Peggy's son and Shirley's dad, Robert Holmes; The series was based on the
Sherlock Holmes character created by author Arthur Conan Doyle.
THE ADVENTURES OF SIR FRANCIS DRAKE/NBC/1962
*(Terence Morgan) Sir Francis Drake, 16th century seaman, pirate and explorer
working for Queen Elizabeth I (Jean Kent). Filmed in England. Also featured were
Jean Kent as Queen Elizabeth I; Richard Warner as Walsingham; Patrick McLaughlen
as Richard Trevelyan; Ewan Roberts as Earl of Lennox; and Michael Crawford as
John Drake.
ALL CREATURES GREAT & SMALL/BBC/1978-90
*(Christopher Timothy) Dr. James Herriot, a veterinarian living in the rural
village in Yorkshire Dales in northeast England from the 1930s to 1950s Also
featured were Robert Hardy as Dr. Siegfried Farnon, Herriot's mentor; Peter
Davidson as Tristan Farmon, Siegried's younger brother; and Carol Drinkwater and
Lynda Bellingham as Herriot's wife, Helen. The series was produced in England
and broadcast in America on both PBS and A&E channels.
THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW/CBS/1960-68
**(Bernard Fox) Malcolm Merriweather, a prim and proper but very friendly
Englishman touring America on bicycle. He once served as a butler for Colonel
Chumley for eleven years and a valet for the Coldstream Guards. He hails from
Heckmondwike, England. His mother was born two blocks from Piccadilly Circus.
Malcolm visits Mayberry, North Carolina three times while bicycling across
America. On episode No. 89 "Andy's English Valet" Macolm runs up a $40 fine
after colliding with a local truck and Andy allows him to work off the damage as
a handyman at his house. On episode No. 124 "The Return of Malcolm Merriweather"
Malcolm puts his valet experience to work at Andy's house and he does such a
good job that Andy's Aunt Bee feels she is no longer needed. The last appearance
of Malcolm occured on episode No. 164 "Malcolm at the Crossroads." Malcolm
returns to town on his bicycle and takes a cross-walking job recently held by
wild mountain man Ernest T. Bass. Malcolm likes to cook and keep falcons.
ANYTHING BUT LOVE/ABC/1989-92
**(Joseph Maher) Brian Allquist, an elegant but sarcastic Englishman who
critiqued television programs for a weekly Chicago magazine. His character left
the series in the second season.
ARE YOU BEING SERVED?/BBC/1973-83
*(Frank Thornton) Captain Peacock, the pompous British supervisor who regulated
that activities in the men's and women's clothing floor of the London-based
Grace Brothers Department Store. Other cast included Molly Sugden as Mrs.
Slocombe, the head of the Ladie's Fashion section whose hair color (green,
purple, etc. ) changed from day to day; Wendy Richards as her assistant Miss
Brahms; Nicholas Smith as Mr. Rumbold, the elderly head of the men's clothing
section; Arthur Brough as Mr. Grainger, a men's clothing associate; Trevor
Bannister as Mr. Lucas, a men's clothing associate; Mr. Humphries, a gay men's
clothing associate; and Harold Bennett as the ancient-yet-frisky "Young" Mr.
Grace, the store's owner. These zany Brit characters reprised their roles in
GRACE AND FAVOUR/BBC/1992 this time trying to run a country hotel after they
discover that the late Mr. Grace used their pension funds from the store to buy
a rural establishment. Both series were aired nationally on PBS stations and
gained quite a following.
THE AVENGERS(THE NEW AVENGERS)/ABC/1966-69/CBS/1978
*(Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg) Jonathan Steed and his female partner Emma Peel,
two special espionage agents working for the British government. Linda Thorson
as Tara King, replaced Diana Rigg during the 1968-69 season. The series was
revived as THE NEW AVENGERS/CBS/1978 and starred Patrick Macnee as John Steed;
Joanna Lumley as Purdy and Gareth Hunt as Mike Gambit. Actually, the program
began in 1961 as an adventure about John Steed searching for the killer of a
man's wife. He was later teamed with Honor Blackman as Cathy Gale, an
independent investigator with a penchant for leather and motorcycles. By 1966,
John Steed worked for the government as a spy. Filmed in England.
BATMAN/ABC/1966-68
**(Alan Napier) Alfred Pennyworth, a British butler in the employ of Gotham City
millionaire Bruce Wayne. Alfred was the only one who knew that his employer and
his ward, Dick Grayson were in reality the crime fighting dynamic duo known as
Batman and Robin. Later in the series Alfred learned the identity of the super
heroine Batgirl and kept that little secret under raps as well. Alan Napier had
spent his acting career portraying members of the Royal court (kings, prime
ministers, etc.) in his native England. It wasn't until he came to America that
he ever played a butler (the role of Alfred being his first). Efrem Zimbalist,
Jr provided the voice of Alfred in the cartoon series BATMAN-THE ANIMATED
SERIES/FOX/1992-93.
THE BEATLES/ABC/1965-69
*(The Beatles) The Beatles - a.k.a. "the Fab Four," a popular rock and roll
group from England featured in this Saturday morning cartoon series. The Beatles
included John Lennon, Paul McCarthy, George Harrison, and Richard Starkey aka
Ringo. The Beatles voices were provided by Paul Frees (John & George) and Lance
Percival (Paul & Ringo).
THE BENNY HILL SHOW/SYN/1979-89
*(Benny Hill) Benny Hill, a popular pudgy-faced British comic who goofed around
in a variety of sometimes ribald, low-brow comedy skits featuring scantily clad
females. Despite his lecherous activities and leering ways, Hill's naughty
behavior never got nasty and was done in fun. Other cast included Henry McGee,
Bob Todd, Jackie Wright and Nichjolas Parsons.
BLACKADDER/BBC/1983-89
*(Rowan Atkinson) Edmund, (the Black Adder), a lazy, British schemer who
manipulates his way to power in roles that spanned from the period 1485 through
the Elizabethan times. Other cast included Tony Robinson as Balrick; Brian
Blessed as Henry VII; Miranda Richardson as Queen Elizabeth 1; Stephen Fry as
Lord Welchett; Patsy Byrne as Nursie; Hugh Laurie as George; Tim McInnerny as
Lord Percy, and Helen Atkinson-Wood as Mrs. Miggins. The BLACK ADDER II/BBC/1986
episodes are set in the reign of Elizabeth I with Atkinson playing the great
grandson of the original Edmund; in the BLACK ADDER THE THIRD episodes Atkinson
plays Edmund Blackadder Esq. the butler to the Prince of Wales during the late
eighteenth century; and on BLACKADDER GOES FORTH/BBC/1989. Atkinson plays
Captain Blackadder on the Western Front of 1917. An additional BLACKADDER
CHRISTMAS CAROL/BBC/1988 special had Atkinson playing Ebenezer Blackadder.
Blackadder was first seen in the U.S. on the Arts & Entertainment cable channel
in 1986 where it won a Cable Ace award for comedy series. Since then it's also
been shown on Comedy Central, and local PBS affiliates.
BLANSKY'S BEAUTIES/ABC/1977
**(Elaine Bolton) Bridget Muldoon, a proper British girl working as one the "Blansky's
Beauties" showgirls featured at the Oasis Hotel in Las Vegas.
BONANZA/NBC/1959-73
*(Lorne Greene) Ben Cartwright, three time widower who lived with his three sons
(one from each marriage) on the Panderosa ranch outside Virginia City in Nevada
in the 1880s. His sons included Hoss (Dan Blocker) whose mother Inger was
Scandinavian; Little Joe (Michael Landon ) whose mother Marie was French Cajun;
and Adam (Pernell Roberts) whose mother Elizabeth was from New England. Once
Hoss asked Ben "Pa, we have any relatives in England?" Ben replied "Maybe, the
name goes way back.
BOSTON COMMON/NBC/1996-97
**(Roger Rees) Harrison Cross, the newly elected head of Randolph Harrington
College in Boston. Harrison is snotty, presumptuous, progressive and doesn't
mind cutting student services to save the college money, no matter how much his
staff, especially the school's student liaison complained. Harrison pretends to
be from a fashionable section of Hyde Park in London, but in reality he is just
a poor Cockney gent who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks (British white
garbage). To get an education, Harrison worked in a mill to pay for college
expenses at Oxford. When Boyd, the school's student liaison accidentally
discovered Cross's secret past, he forced Harrison to sing a verse of "Henry
VIII" ("I'm Henry the VIII, I am...") as a provision to keep silent on the
matter. Unfortunately, Harrison's wife Lucy Cross (whom Harrison kept hidden
away in a Boston apartment out of embarrassment) spilled the beans about their
Cockney beginnings during an interview with the local press.
THE BUCCANEERS/CBS/1956-57
*(Robert Shaw) Captain Dan Tempest, a former pirate living in the West Indies of
1720 who sailed the blue waters of the Caribbean in his ship, The Sultana. Peter
Hammond appeared as Lt. Beamish, the newly appointed British governor of New
Providence Island. Captain Dan's crew included Paul Hansard as Taffy; Brian
Rawlinson as Gaff; Hugh David as Benjy; Alex Mango as Van Bruch; and Wilfrid
Downing as Dickon, the cabin boy. The series was filmed entirely in England.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER/WB/1997-2003
*(Anthony Stewart Head/costar) Giles, a high school librarian of British descent
who guided a 16-year-old teenager in her efforts to fight supernatural creatures
in the small California town of Sunnydale." Giles, a former museum curator in
Britain, was an expert in ancient mythological monsters, including vampires.
James Marsters also appeared as William the Bloody a.k.a. "Spike" (because he
liked to torture his victims with railroad spikes), an evil punk-rocker-like
vampire with a British accent.
BUTTERFLIES/BBC/1980-81
*(Wendy Craig) Ria Parkinson, a British housewife in her forties (going through
midlife crisis) who considers having an affair with a recently divorced man
named Leonard Dunn (played by Bruce Montague). Ria's family members included
Geoffrey Palmer as inattentive husband, Ben, a dentist who collected
butterflies; Andre Hall as Russell, their teenage son; and Nicholas Lyndhurst as
Adam, their other teenager. This series was broadcast throughout America on the
PBS stations.
CHINA SMITH (THE AFFAIRS OF CHINA SMITH)/SYN/1952 & 1954-55
*(Douglas Dumbrille) Inspector Hobson, a British police officer assigned to
Singapore who interacted with a slick soldier of fortune called China Smith.
THE COLBYS/ABC/1985-87
**(Stephanie Beacham) Sable Scott Colby, the English cousin of Alexis Carrington
Colby (Joan Collins) and wife of corporate magnate Jason Colby. Also featured
were Katherine Ross as Francesca, Sable's sister.
COLONEL MARCH OF SCOTLAND YARD/SYN/1953-54
*(Boris Karloff) Colonel March, an intrepid, one-eyed Scotland Yard inspector
based in London who worked as the head of Department D-3, the office of Queen's
complaint's. Colonel March wore a black eye patch over his left eye.
COLONEL HUMPHREY FLACK(THE FABULOUS FRAUD)/DUM/1953-54
*(Alan Mowbray) Col. Humphrey Flack, a witty, portly British military officer
who spent his retirement years traveling the globe and outwitting swindlers and
conmen who preyed upon the poor (while keeping a percentage of the profits for
expenses, don't you know). Frank Jenks also appeared as Uthas P. (Patsy) Garvey,
the sidekick of this elderly modern-day Robin Hood. In 1958 a filmed version of
this series (originally aired live on the Dumont Network) was created for
syndication. The later version was titled COLONEL FLACK (aka THE FABULOUS
FRAUD). The idea for the series was based on stories written by Everett Rhodes
Castle that appeared in the Saturday Evening Post magazine.
COVINGTON CROSS/ABC/1992
*(Nigel Terry) Sir Thomas Gray, twelfth-century Lord who shared his castle with
four sibling. The family was a medieval Cartwright clan (a la "Bonanza") who
often got involved in the social problems of the people in the nearby English
countryside during the year 1350 A.D. Sir Thomas' grown children included
Jonathan Firth as his son Richard, a knight; Glenn Quinn as his son Cedric, a
knight; Tim Killick as young son Armus, an aspiring knight; and Ione Skye as
Eleanor, the Lord's only but spirited, feminist daughter. Also featured were
Cherie Lunghi as Lady Elizabeth, a local landowner and love of Sir Thomas' life;
James Faulkner as the evil Sir John Mullens; and Paul Brooke as the Friar. The
series was filmed in Kent, England at Allington Castle and Penshurst Place.
CROSSBOW/CBN/1986-89
*(Will Lyman) William Tell, the historical Swiss freedom fighter was relocated
to medieval England for his thirty minute British adventure series. Also
featured was David Barry Gray as his son Matthew Tell; and Jeremy Clyde as
Governor Gessler. The series was called WILLIAM TELL in England.
COWBOY IN AFRICA/ABC/1967-68
**(Ronald Howard) Wing Commander Howard Hayes, an English landowner who
owned/operated a game ranch in the heart of Kenya, Africa with the help of his
American foreman, the world champion rodeo cowboy, Jim Sinclair. The program was
filmed at Africa, U.S.A. near Los Angeles.
DAKTARI/CBS/1966-69
**(Hedley Mattingly) District Officer Hedley, a British game warden who
interacted with American veterinarian who worked at the Wamaru Study Center for
Animals in Africa.
DANGER MAN/SYN/CBS/1961
*(Patrick McGoohan) John Drake, an international security investigator who
worked with governments of the world in affiliation with NATO. The John
Drake-like character later resurfaces in SECRET AGENT/SYN/CBS/1965. Both series
produced in England.
THE DAVID FROST SHOW/SYN/1969-72
*(David Frost) British writer, satirist who hosted this syndicated talk show
where he (with clip board in hand) interviewed vis-a-vis such celebrities as
Billy Graham, Burt Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor and The Rolling Stones. He
concurrently hosted a similar talk show in Britain which necessitated him flying
back and forth from American and England. He was fond of saying the words
"Marvelous," "Terrific," and "Smashing".
THE DAVID NIVEN SHOW/NBC/1959
*(David Niven) David Niven, British host of this dramatic anthology series which
ran during the summer of 1959.
DEAR JOHN/NBC/1988-92
**(Jane Carr) Louise Mercer, a counselor with a British accent working as a
group leader for a singles support group (the One-to-One Club) that met every
Friday night at 9PM at the Rego Park Community Center in Manhattan. Seemingly
obsessed with the intimate problems of her self-help group, she often asked
"Could it be something...sexual?" Louse was born in Cheshire, England. She now
lives in apartment 5G in Manhattan. Her family included her ex-husband and her
never-seen son Nigel. Louise spent time in a mental hospital recovering from her
broken marriage. Some notable facts about this over-sexed Brit: She is a former
Miss Cheshire beauty pageant winner and is a close friend with the Queen of
England.
DEMPSEY AND MAKEPEACE/LWT/1985-86
*(Glynis Barber/costar) Det. Sgt. Harriet "Harry" Makepeace, a British
policewoman working with an elite Scotland Yard undercover unit. in London,
England. Harry (actually Lady Harriet, a member of English royalty) was paired
with Lt. James Dempsey, a streetwise American cop from New York City who got
transferred out of the U.S. for his own protection.
DEPARTMENT S/ATV/1970-71
*(Peter Wyngarde) Jason King, British mystery writer who teamed with special
Interpol operatives Stewart Sullivan (Joel Fabiani) and Rosemary Nicols as (Annabell
Hurst) to investigate cases for Department S. The team reported to Sir Curtis
Seretse (played by Alaba Peters). The series changed its title to JASON KING in
its second year.
DICK AND THE DUCHESS/CBS/1957-58
*(Hazel Court) Jane Starrett, an English duchess living in London with her
American husband Dick, an insurance investigator for a multinational company.
Michael Shepley also appeared as Inspector Stark, from Scotland Yard.
DIANA/NBC/1973-74
*(Diana Rigg) Dianna Smythe, an English divorcee who relocated to New York City
to begin her life over as a fashion illustrator at Buckley's Department Store on
Fifth Avenue.
DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE/LWT/1970-73
*(Barry Evans) Dr. Michael Upton, madcap medical student constantly in trouble
at St. Swithin's Teaching Hospital in London. Other cast included Robin Nedwell
as Dr. Duncan Waring; Geoffrey Davies as Dr. Dick Stuart-Clark; Ernest Clark as
Professor Geoffrey Loftus; the anatomy instructor and the medical student's
nemesis; Ralph Michael as The Dean; George Layton as Paul Collier; Martin Shaw
as Huw Evans; Simon Cuff as Dave Briddock; Jonathan Lynn as Danny Hooley;
Richard O'Sullivan as Dr. Bingham and Donna Reading, Sammie Winmill, Siobhan
Quinlan, Madeline Smith as the many duty hospital nurses. The success of this
series spawned DOCTOR AT SEA/LWT/1974; DOCTOR AT LARGE/LWT/1974; and DOCTOR ON
THE GO/LWT/1975. The series was based on the books of Richard Gordon, whose
memories of medical school in London inspired DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE, its sequels
and the many theatrical films starring Dirk Bogarde. This British export was
aired in America and became very popular for several season.
THE DREW CAREY SHOW/ABC/1995-2004
**(Craig Ferguson) Mr. Nigel Wick, a pompous, unfeeling supervisor of British
descent working in a Cleveland Department Store. Later in the series, he entered
a clinic to battle his drug addiction. During his childhood Nigel lived in a
coldwater flat in East London with an alcoholic mother. He mused about all the
men that visited his mother saying "They all can't be uncles."
DUNDEE AND THE CULHANE/CBS/1967
*(John Mills) Dundee, a British barrister based in Sausalito, California who
traveled the West of the late 19th century helping clients, assited by a younger
American apprentice, The Culhane.
EASTENDERS/BBC/1985+
*Den and Angie Watts, the owners of the Queen Victoria Pub (aka "The Vic")
located in Walford E20 (in the East end of London), where all of the local
neighbors Albert Square mingled and shared their successes and problems on the
popular British soap opera. The initial focus of the series was the Fowler
family and their day-to-day struggles with unemployment, overcrowded living
conditions, teenage pregnancy, mental breakdown, etc. This British import first
aired nationally on the PBS networks in 1988 and later on the BBC Cable channel.
The Vic was previously run by the womanizing Den Watts, his vixen wife, Angie;
then by Frank and Pat Harris; Eddie Royle, and Sharon Watts (Den & Angie's
daughter). Another popular British working class pub was the Rover's Bar located
at No. 11 Coronation Street in Weatherfield, England on the soap opera
CORONATION STREET/GRA/1960+.
EDWARD & MRS. SIMPSON/SYN/1980 (Miniseries)
*(Edward Fox) King Edward VIII, the English monarch who abdicated his throne to
marry Wallis Warfield Simpson, ("The woman I love.") an American socialite whom
Edward married in 1937. Also featured was Marius Goring as King George V,
Edward's father; and Peggy Ashcroft as Edward's mother, Queen Mary.
EDWARD THE KING/SYN/1979 (Miniseries)
*(Timothy West) King Edward VII, the son and successor of Queen Victoria
(Annette Crosbie). Charles Sturridge played the role of Edward in his teenage
years. Also seen were Robert Hardy as Prince Albert; Edward's father; Deborah
Grant and Helen Ryan as Edward's Danish wife, Alexandra and John Gielgud as
Benjamin Disraeli, British statesman and 1st earl of Beaconsfield.
ER/NBC/1994-2009
**(Alex Kingston) Dr. Elizabeth Corday, a spirited surgeon from England working
in the emergency room at Cook County General Hospital. She was romantically
involved with Dr. Peter Benton, an African-American coworker and then married
Dr. Mark Greene who later died from brain tumor complications. They had a child.
Alex Kingston grew up on the outskirts of London, England. She researched her
role as Dr. Corday by spending time with surgeons in a London hospital.
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