Terence Sewards

Terence Sewards: 

Here's an actor that hasn't been seen on our screens for for a while. According to imdb, his last appearance was as long ago as 1984. His petulantly boyish looks led to a series of roles of the edgier villain or unstable henchman type, perhaps something in the manner of a Ronald Lacey.      

As a hippy would-be assassin in 'The Persuaders'

His movie credits include 'Where The Bullets Fly' (1966), Hammer horror 'The Mummy's Shroud' (1967), with Oliver Reed and Orson Welles in Michael Winner's star-studded oddity 'I'll Never Forget What's-'Is-Name' (1967), watchable favourites 'Hannibal Brooks' (1969), 'The Man Who Haunted Himself' (1970), and cultish fun 'Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter (1974).  He's also in the grindingly feeble sex-comedy 'The Bawdy Adventures Of Tom Jones' (1976), surely marking a low point for a cast including Trevor Howard, Geraldine McEwan, Terry-Thomas, Murray Melvin, Arthur Lowe and Michael Bates, although Nicky Henson and Joan Collins seem more at home.                    

About to hit the floor after receiving a mortal injury from
'Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter' (1974)

Television appearances include some ever-popular '60s and '70s franchises: 'The Avengers', 'Hadleigh', 'The Persuaders', 'Warship', 'Z-Cars' and 'The Sweeney'. He's also in the acclaimed Dennis Potter BBC Wednesday, Play 'The Beast With Two Backs'. For some reason he seemed to fade away from our screens in the '80s, and although he was describing himself as an actor/writer to Companies House in 1995, there's not much in the way of internet clues as to his later work. Still, let's salute him here.   

Trying to impress upon gentleman thief Giles (Shane Briant) the
consequences of failing to repay his debts, in 'The Sweeney'

Terence Sewards-imdb

Ellis Jones

Ellis Jones:

Here's a slightly elusive one. As an energetic and distinctively beaky young actor, Ellis pops up in a swathe of TV in the early '70s. These days he's a respected senior drama coach and creative bigwig at RADA, although he has continued to make sporadic appearances on our screens over the years.



In an episode of the BBC naval drama 'Warship'

With the late Ken Jones in an episode of Eric Chappell's
office sitcom, 'The Squirrels', from 1975

I particularly enjoyed his turn as the office ingénue in 'The Squirrels', an unfairly overlooked minor classic from the pen of 'Rising Damp' creator Eric Chappell. He also shows up in 'Warship', 'Z-Cars' and 'Doctor Who' (he is, in fact, the first person to appear in 'Doctor Who' in colour, in the opening Pertwee-era story, 'Spearhead from Space' in 1969) and a number of Shakespearean roles including the Fool in the Thames TV production of 'King Lear' with Patrick Magee, much shown in school English classes. 

In 'Spearhead from Space', the first Jon Pertwee story of 'Doctor Who'

In the 'Cadfael' mystery, 'A Morbid Taste For Bones'

So perhaps it's ironic that he's probably best remembered by many for playing the hapless Hal Adden (geddit) in 'Pardon My Genie' with Hugh Paddick as the crabby and obtuse spirit of the lamp, rather than for helping the acting careers of Tom Hiddleston, Ben Whishaw, Eve Best, Sally Hawkins, Gemma Arterton and Matthew Macfadyen, to name but a few.     

Ellis Jones-imdb

Robert East

Robert East:

A trim and businesslike character actor, probably still familiar to many as Edmund's elder brother, the smug Prince of Wales in the first incarnation of 'The Black Adder'. By that time (1983), Robert East had been seen in a fair number of television roles. He was in the BBC's 1972 adaptation of 'Emma' as the rakish Frank Churchill, and in 'Warship', 'Churchill's People', and 'Napoleon and Love'. A smattering of comedy parts includes; 'Dave Allen at Large', 'Moody & Pegg', 'Happy Ever After' and the long-lost Stephen Potter-inspired comedy 'One-Upmanship' with Richard Briers and Peter Jones.  

In the 'did you fart?' sketch from 'Dave Allen at Large'

As he matured in looks, casting directors found him a popular choice for more patrician characters, and he can be seen in 'Rumpole of the Bailey', 'Miss Marple' and 'London's Burning', while still handling a wide range of comedy from the sophisticated: 'Yes, Minister', 'Yes, Prime Minister' and the aforementioned 'The Black Adder', to the more infantile: 'The Kenny Everett Television Show', 'Rentaghost', and 'Allo Allo'.     

The steely face of the establishment, as Dolby in 'Spooks'

In recent years, the dull potage of potboiler cop and doctor drama series ('Heartbeat', 'Peak Practice', Holby City')has been peppered with tastier morsels such as the 2003 modernised version of 'Canterbury Tales' and the silly but entertaining secret service series 'Spooks', or 'MI-5' as it now calls itself.    


Robert East-imdb

Bryan Marshall

Bryan Marshall: 

† 19 May 1938 – 25 Jun 2019

Dependable, masculine character actor who crops up all over the cinema and TV of the '70s, equally adept at dashing and dastardly roles as hussars and henchmen, middle-management and mercenaries. 

In 'The Spy Who Loved Me' (1977)

His lengthy film CV includes 'Quatermass & The Pit' (1967), 'The Long Good Friday' (1980), 'The Spy Who Loved Me' (1977) and 'BMX Bandits' (1983). On TV, he graced 'The Frighteners', 'The Saint', 'Return Of The Saint', 'The Professionals', 'Warship', and... 'The Basil Brush Show'. 

In 'The Manipulators': a twisty turny episode of the
horror anthology series 'The Frighteners'  

Emigrated to Australia and appeared in 'Flying Doctors', 'Prisoner: Cell Block H', 'Neighbours' and Home & Away'. A true all-rounder.

In 'I Start Counting' (1969). The mournful kitchen-sink Lolita
drama featuring the teenage Jenny Agutter  

Bryan Marshall - imdb profile