John Leeson

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. 

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'.

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.    

Leeson as the first, alarmed-looking, Bungle in 'Rainbow'

John Leeson-imdb

Annette Badland

Annette Badland: 

Versatile alumna of the E15 drama school, she's been quite a success on the serious stage, and her combination of bulky presence and basilisk gaze have led to a career on TV playing shrewd farmer's wives, social workers, cooks and nurses. Memorable in the Eccleston/Piper-era 'Doctor Who' as Slitheen-in-disguise Margaret Blaine, she has endured a long period of bit-parts to get there. She was a regular in 'Bergerac' in the early '80s as Barney Crozier's formidable secretary, Charlotte, and stuck with the dire 'hairdresser drama' 'Cutting It' for its long run. She was also in the late-'90s series 'Holding On' which was considered quite cutting edge at the time. 

As Charlotte the secretary in 'Bergerac'

In 'Doctor Who'

Her other regular work seems to be in kids TV – not perhaps the best arena in which to break out of the bonds of typecasting: See 'The Queen's Nose', 'The Worst Witch', 'Wizards vs Aliens', 'The Sparticle Mystery', etc...   


As Sadie in 'Little Voice' (1998)

Movie work includes Michael Palin's intended, Griselda Fishfinger, in 'Jabberwocky (1977), '24:7' (1992), 'Little Voice (1998), 'Beuatiful People' (1999), the grim clubbing comedy 'Club Le Monde' (2002). She is also in the Johnny Depp 'Charlie & The Chocolate Factory' (2005) playing… 'Jolly Woman'. Such is the lot of the character actor.   



Annette Badland - imdb profile