Liz Crowther

Liz Crowther:

Daughter of the late TV personality and presenter Leslie Crowther - but not the one that married Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy - Liz Crowther is an actress, albeit one who has generally concentrated on the stage. She has been a member of the RSC and involved with several theatre projects over the years, but has still found time to appear in a number of TV series.

In 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe', a 1967 production
over ten episodes, almost all of which are now lost.

As a child she appeared as Lucy in the 1967 ITV production of 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' and the completely lost 'Queen Street Gang', but after studying drama in London and Paris she embarked on a career focused on the stage. She has nevertheless been seen in a number of very popular shows, including some longer stints as a main character. For example, she was Annie Hart, the matriarch in Channel 5's attempt to take on the soap opera market, although her character was written out in a reboot by notorious soap hatchet-man Brian Park.   

In the 1983 BBC production of 'Mansfield Park', playing Julia Bertram

As Sergeant Jane Kendall in 'The Bill'

She was also a regular in 'The Bill', 'London's Burning', 'Growing Pains', 'Doctors' and 'Shoestring', as well as making many other one-off drama appearances in the likes of 'Miss Marple', 'Lewis', 'The Cost Of Loving', 'A Year In Provence', 'Bergerac', 'Holby City' and  'EastEnders'.   

As annoying English neighbour Jill, in 'French Fields'

In a comedy vein, you'll see her in 'The Comic Strip presents: Funseekers', 'French Fields', and the flop supermarket sitcom 'Tripper's Day' with Leonard Rossiter, which became the even floppier 'Slinger's Day' with Bruce Forsyth after Rossiter's death.  

'Growing Pains' with Ray Brooks

Definitely a familiar face, perhaps all the more so for the faint family resemblance to her late father, and a talented actor who deserves to be better recognised. 

Liz Crowther-imdb       

Paul Bown

Paul Bown: 

Chirpy sort of actor, with that Stan Laurel-esque flick-switch between his happy face and his sad face. He got a start in acting during the '80s, with connections to comedy theatre bods like Mel Smith and Bob Goody. His first parts were in films: a fairly substantial one in 'Morons from Outer Space' (1985), then 'The Assam Garden (1985) and the unappealing Clive Barker horror 'Underworld' (1985).      

In 'Morons from Outer Space' (1985)

This led to a primetime regular-guy role as Malcolm in the moderately popular '80s sitcom 'Watching' opposite Liza Tarbuck and Emma Wray. He also starred in the nostalgic AA-patrolman comedy 'The Last Salute' which failed entirely to catch on, despite ticking a lot of 'Hi-De-Hi', 'Heartbeat' and 'Darling Buds of May' boxes.

Since then he seems to have tiptoed around the perifery of TV with small roles in drama serials, the usual cop and hospital series and a couple of sitcoms: 'The Green Green Grass' and 'My Family'.

As Colin Cakeworthy in 'The Green Green Grass'

He also appears fleetingly as Brighton & Hove Albion chairman Mike Bamber in 'The Damned United' (2009), who briefly secures the services of Brian Clough. Although he looks like a shoo-in when they come to cast 'The Michael Parkinson Story'.

In 'The Damned United' 2009

 

 And here's a tasty little morsel of '80s nostalgia. Click here.
  
Paul Bown-imdb