Derek Martin

Derek Martin:  

If you watch 'EastEnders', you'll recognise Derek Martin as lovelorn cabbie Charlie Slater who was finally killed off in 2016, after 700+ episodes and even a spin-off, 'Slaters In Detention'. And if you don't watch 'EastEnders', you'll recognise him from dozens of cop series, gangster dramas and comedies, stretching back to the '60s.

Cutting up rough in an episode of 'The Professionals'

Despite having little formal drama training, Londoner Derek Martin has been ubiquitous in no-nonsense roles across British television for decades. Leaving his job at Smithfield meat market and starting as a stuntman and extra, he soon proved to be more than capable with dialogue and gradually built a reputation as reliable casting for heavies, coppers, soldiers and security guards. 

An uncredited appearance in the 'Doctor Who'
adventure 'The Claws Of Axos' from 1971

In 'The Curse Of Fendahl', a classic Tom Baker 'Who' from 1977 

An idea of this trajectory can be seen from his long involvement with 'Doctor Who'. Cast in no fewer than nine adventures from 1965 onwards, he was an uncredited extra until 1977's 'The Curse Of Fendahl'. A conscious decision to move away from stunt work and into speaking roles paid off after much effort and application. The long upwards haul included appearances in 'No Hiding Place', 'Adam Adamant Lives!', 'Z-Cars', 'Softly Softly', 'Terry & June', 'Hart To Hart' (an episode shot in London), 'Target', 'Shoestring', 'Private Schultz', 'Minder' and 'Angels'.        

As a redcap in an episode of 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum'
with the late Windsor Davies and Donald Hewlett  

As the bent copper DI Lyall in 'Law & Order' 

Big breaks came in the form of 'Law & Order' in 1978, a gritty police corruption drama featuring his soon-to-be 'EastEnders' colleague Peter Dean. He also played David Yip's guvnor DCI Berwick in 'The Chinese Detective' and Janet McTeer's cynical deputy in the prison drama 'The Governor'. 

A TV stalwart and deserving of a salute.

Derek Martin-imdb 

Alan David

Alan David:

A dour bollard of an actor with hidden depths. This trim, ascetic-looking Welshman has had a long career in television, but I first remember him in 'The Squirrels', an office sitcom created by 'Rising Damp' writer Eric Chappell (although some episodes were written by Phil Redmond and others by Kenneth Cope). He played the unlikeable Harry, a snarky expert at office politics, forever putting one over on his fellow workers, Ken Jones, Bernard Hepton and Patsy Rowlands among them.    

'The Squirrels'

Giving a medical opinion to Trevor Eve in 'Shoestring'

Other TV work includes a full house of  'Coronation Street', 'EastEnders' and 'Emmerdale', 'A Perfect State', the Boycie and Marlene spin-off 'The Green Green Grass', and the '60s-set 'Foxy Lady' as a chauvinist foil to Diane Keen's lady reporter. To that you can add 'Bulman', 'Inspector Morse' and 'Cracker' as well as the Eccleston-era 'Doctor Who' story 'The Unquiet Dead', a Dickensian spooker written by Mark Gatiss. 
 
Did I mention 'The Sweeney' and 'Minder'? No need really, but of course he was in both.

In 'The Painted Veil (2006)

As Clement Atlee in the time-travel
dram-com 'Goodnight Sweetheart'

He's been in a few films (see imdb link below), but perhaps has a stronger liking for the stage. He was in the 2009 West End hit 'Jerusalem' with Mark Rylance, and has previously appeared in RSC productions of 'Coriolanus' and 'Richard II'. He also took part in the legendary 1970 art/theatre happening 'Come Together' at the Royal Court Theatre with the Alberts and performed with the Ken Campbell Roadshow.

 

In 'Inspector Morse'

   
Alan David-imdb

Diane Keen

Diane Keen: 

Lovely lovely Diane Keen. During the '70s she was a regular presence on television screens, playing attractive women in roles that ranged from the demure to the dubious. Making her debut in the long-lost sci-fi mod pic 'Popdown' (1967) and the ever-present 'Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush', but she soon graduated out of the miniskirt moppet casting pool and into some more serious productions, including Fay Weldon's Wednesday Play 'Fall Of The Goat', and quality output like 'Budgie', 'Fall of Eagles', and the 1975 series of 'The Legend of Robin Hood (with 'Blake's Seven's Avon, Paul Darrow, as the Sheriff of Nottingham). She was also in the rather exhausting kids' drama 'The Feathered Serpent' as an Aztec queen. She went on to star in wholesome sitcoms like 'Rings On Their Fingers', 'The Cuckoo Waltz' and 'You Must Be The Husband'. As the '70s became the '80s she matured prettily into roles in 'The Shillingbury Tales', 'Ruth Rendell Mysteries', 'Oxbridge Blues' and 'Foxy Lady' before finding a nice regular slot in the long-running 'Doctors'.

In the meantime there were a couple of cinema parts, in the movie of 'Sweeney!' (1977) and 'Silver Dream Racer' (1980), but nothing big. 

One minor hiccup was caused by the generally harmless (it's got Christopher Biggins in it) British soft-core movie 'The Sex Thief' (1974). Never too shy about doing topless scenes, she did a stirling job in this limp effort, which duly slipped into obscurity. Unfortunately, the film was later 'beefed up' by a foreign producer with hard-core scenes spliced in, making Ms Keen's role appear decidedly spicier. It probably only cemented her place as '70s ITV sex-symbol.                         

Diane Keen - imdb profile