John Leeson:
"Affirmative, Master."
John Leeson is best known as the voice of K-9 in 'Doctor Who' (and latterly, 'The Sarah Jane Adventures'), although two other actors have stepped in on occasion to play the mechanical mutt.
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| Appearing in one of Timothy's dreams of escape from his mother in the tragicomic 'Sorry' with Ronnie Corbett |
Some still feel that the idea of a clunky fibreglass-shelled robo-rover - complete with vintage '70s computer font branding - could drag the nation's favourite sci fi serial perilously close to 'Metal Mickey' territory, yet he seems to be generally accepted by fans, even popping up to add some knowing nostalgia to the show in the David Tennant era.
Those who want to spot John Leeson when not acting through an electronic prop have a difficult task, but he has popped up in a few TV bit parts over the years, starting in the late '60s. As Victor, for example, Timothy's librarian mate in 'Sorry', and a smattering of background characters in anything from 'Take Three Girls', 'The Barretts Of Wimpole Street' and 'Vanity Fair', to 'Minder', 'Allo Allo', and 'Tucker's Luck'.
He made a convincing petty official and was quite likely to appear with a clipboard to infuriate and bewilder unwitting victims on 'Beadle's About'.
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| Checking Arthur's passport in a late episode of 'Minder' |
He's in feature films 'Tarka The Otter' (1979) and 'Whoops Apocalypse' (1988) was also the actor in an early version of the Bungle bearsuit in the children's TV show 'Rainbow' for a short while in 1972.
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| Leeson as the first, alarmed-looking, Bungle in 'Rainbow' |
John Leeson-imdb
I love this blog. As a 47 year old woman I grew up in the 70s and I'm always seeing recognisable actors and never know their names. Thank you so much for compiling it and keep doing it.
ReplyDeleteDid Leeson only last one just series with Rainbow and was replaced with Stanley "Road Rage" Bates in the second? Malcolm Lord was the Bungle in residence when I was the right age for the series, so I wouldn't know myself.
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying checking out this site every now and then, remembering old actors from the past. Keep up the good work.
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