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

Kenneth Cope

Kenneth Cope:

† Apr 14 1931 – Sep 11 2024

'Jeff! Wake up, Jeff!'

I'm including Kenneth Cope on here, although I'm aware that to a lot of TV viewers who are British and over 40, he's probably a bit of a star. For you youngsters and non-UK types, lovable rogues are a speciality of this popular Liverpudlian actor. His knack for combining cheeky confidence and nervous agitation has stood him in good stead in roles that have made him a UK cult favourite and a primetime perennial. Playing the ghostly Marty Hopkirk in the unique '60s detective show 'Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)' imprinted his face on the British psyche forever – an immaculate mod-suited spirit with childish emotions tempered by deadpan humour. He was the perfect foil to hard-boiled, two-fisted investigator Jeff Randall, as played by the late Mike Pratt.   

                   



As superstitious property developer Jack Victor in 'Catweazle'

Before that, he'd made a bit of a splash as the likeable petty villain Jed Stone in 'Coronation Street' in the very early days of the series, appearing first in 1961 and making comebacks in 1966 and 2008. That was followed by a period on the legendary satirical series 'That Was The Week That Was', which further ensured his '60s credentials. Other cult TV connections are 'Catweazle' ('Touch not the Wogle Stone...'), 'Doctor Who' (Tom Baker era story 'Warrior's Gate'), and two episodes of 'The Avengers' in 1967 and '68. The '80s and beyond  saw him much in demand for the likes of 'Minder', 'Bergerac', 'Lovejoy' etc, and a stint on 'Brookside'.   



In the Small Faces pop/crime caper 'Dateline Diamonds' (1965) 

 

As shop steward Vic Spanner in 'Carry On at Your Convenience' (1971)

In 'Miss Marple Investigates'

His movie roles include a bunch of late-'50s teen b-pictures and swinging '60s efforts where his Beatle-esque accent (often accompanied by a Beatle-esque wig) was a bonus. See for example: 'Naked Fury' (1959), the Tony Newley vehicle 'The Lady Is A Square' (1959), 'Jungle Street' (1960), 'The Criminal' (1960) with Stanley Baker, Joseph Losey's 'The Damned' (1963), and playing the Small Faces' manager in the pirate radio heist movie 'Dateline Diamonds' (1965). Later would come a string of 'Carry Ons' ('...Dick','... Matron' and '...At Your Convenience'), and the inevitable saucy comedies 'She'll Follow You Anywhere' (1971), 'Rentadick (1972) and the movie version of 'George and Mildred' (1975). 



Kenneth Cope-imdb