Spencer Banks

Spencer Banks:  

Very much in demand in his youth during the '70s, when he took the role of Simon in the mind-expanding young-person's drama 'Timeslip', Spencer Banks also appeared in the folk-horror 'Penda's Fen', a 'Play For Today' from 1974 which now rubs shoulders with 'The Wicker Man' (1973) and 'Children Of The Stones' as a classic of the genre. With his shock of red hair and expressive, sometimes awkward, features and manner, he was a natural for the role of the loner or outsider. 

In the witness box in an episode of 'Crown Court' 

With Spud, played by Mike Grady, in 'Tightrope'

Beyond these, he can also be seen in good quality fare from throughout that decade including 'Tightrope', 'Lord Peter Wimsey' with Ian Carmichael, 'Village Hall', 'Churchill's People', Dennis Potter's 'Pennies from Heaven', 'The Georgian House' and 'Minder'. In addition, he had a short spell in the popular (with older ladies) teatime soap opera 'Crossroads' which was probably a biggish deal at the time. 

In yet another children's time-travel mystery
serial, this time HTV's 'The Georgian House'

By the early '80s and beyond, pickings seem to have got a little slimmer, though he pops up as a copper in 'Shine On Harvey Moon'. There are a few decade-apart roles including 'Doctors' on TV and the straight to DVD 'Amityville Playhouse' (2015). Whether he was just too much a face of the '70s, or his moment simply passed, it seems he retired from seriously pursuing an acting career. Nowadays he is a much sought-after guest at cult TV conventions, but I can't help but hope that some interesting part is still in his future timeline.

Bonus content:
For a full-on '70s time capsule, I point you to this splendidly mundane oddity:
'Living At Thamesmead' (1974)
      

Spencer Banks-imdb

Tony Caunter

Tony Caunter:
† 22 September 1937 – 13 October 2025

Broad and brawny actor, now most familiar as Roy Evans in 'EastEnders' - the genial car salesman who stepped into the shoes of his rogueish counterpart Frank Butcher (Mike Reid) - in fact Tony Caunter has played his small part in some of the best of British cinema and television.

Tony Caunter in 'The Likely Lads': a classic tragicomic moment. Terry reluctantly
joins the Army to stick with his mate Bob, who is sent home because of his flat feet.    

You could, for example, have seen him in a host of cult classics, from 'The Avengers', 'The Saint' and 'The Champions' in the '60s, through to 'The Professionals', 'The Sweeney' and 'Minder', not to mention fanboy favourites like 'Catweazle', 'Blakes 7', and of course 'Doctor Who' (in three stories: 'The Crusade', 'Colony in Space' and 'Enlightenment') .

As Kenneth Cope's exasperated site manager in 'Catweazle'.
'He that moves the Wogle Stone, all alone shall moan and groan.'  

He's in some well-regarded drama, including 'Pennies From Heaven',  as well as more humdrum stuff  such as 'London's Burning', 'Home to Roost', 'Queenie's Castle', 'Howards' Way', 'Lovejoy', 'May to December', 'Boon', 'Heartbeat', 'Z-Cars',  'Juliet Bravo', 'Holby City', 'The Main Chance', and the short-lived BBC seaside family-feud 'Westbeach'.

Keeping an eye on Harry Palmer in 'The Ipcress File' (1965)

In the cinema, he crops up in the harrowing military prison drama 'The Hill' (1965) with Sean Connery and Ian Hendry, and has an appropriately blink-and-you'll-miss-it role as a surveillance man in 'The Ipcress File' (1965). All pretty cosy compared with life in Albert Square with Pat Butcher and family.

'EastEnders' with Pam St Clement.

Tony Caunter - imdb

Kenneth Colley

Kenneth Colley:

† Dec 7 1937 - Jun 30 2025 

A rather serious, flinty-looking character actor, verging on the hangdog at times, Ken Colley has been a highly accomplished TV and film fixture for three decades, without ever quite becoming a celebrity. His roles in big films include 'The Empire Strikes Back' (1980) and 'Return of the Jedi' (1983), Ken Russell's 'The Devils' (1971), 'Mahler' (1974) and 'Lisztomania' (1975). He was the contract killer in Ari Karausmaki's 'I Hired a Contract Killer' (1990), and he appears in the Slade movie 'Flame' 1975'. It's also him in the middle distance as the hardly-audible Jesus in 'The Life of Brian', surely one of the classic bit-part credits of all time.     

In the surprisingly gritty Slade rock saga, 'Flame' (1975) 

Getting his collar felt by Patrick Mower in 'Special Branch' in 1974

His impressive TV resumé includes some brilliant and varied work. In the '60s he went from
'The Avengers' - to playing Hitler in an 'Omnibus' special - to fronting children's programme 'Look and Read' as the quietly likeable Mr Moon. By the '70s he was to be spotted in 'The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes', 'The Sweeney', 'The Protectors',  'Ripping Yarns' and 'Arthur of the Britons', as well as paying the mortgage with the odd 'Crown Court', 'Z-Cars', 'Hazell' and 'Target'. And that's him as the haunted derelict accordion man in Dennis Potter's 'Pennies from Heaven'. 

Bringing information to the cunning and unscrupulous private detective,
Dorrington (Peter Vaughan) in 'The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes'

In more recent years, there are fewer highlights, perhaps, beyond the mini-series 'I Remember Nelson', ironically now little-remembered, in which he played the great hero of Trafalgar. For the most part it's a lot of 'Holby City', 'Midsomer Murders', 'Peak Practice', etc, and a stint on 'EastEnders'.

Here's an interesting oddity though, Ray Davies of the Kinks puts his nostalgic daydreamer's view of London on to celluloid as the director of this hour-long movie: 'Return to Waterloo' (1984). Clichéd to the point of self-parody, but Ken Colley is good.

Kenneth Colley-imdb