Tim Wylton

 

Tim Wylton:  

In some ways the epitome of the ubiquitous character actor, but Welsh-born Tim Wylton is a respected thesp with a long line of successes behind him. Often portraying a likeable duffer, Wylton's open expression and precise comedic timing has seen him appear in some large-scale productions.

'The Dustbinmen' L-R Tim Wylton, Trevor
Bannister, Bryan Pringle, Graham Haberfield

Starting out in the '60s with roles in various television plays, his first big break was as Eric in 'The Dustbinmen', a now largely forgotten Granada sitcom but one that was popular at the time. Apart from this regular role, he settled into a steady stream of small one-off parts through the late '60s and '70s, including 'The Strange Report', 'The Liver Birds', and the domestic bliss sitcom triumvirate of 'My Good Woman', 'Now, Take My Wife' and 'His and Hers'. He was also a regular stooge to veteran comedian Harry Worth in his series 'Half and Hour's Worth'.  

As postman Willy Nilly in 'Under Milk Wood (1972)

Around this time he also found himself in a pair of interesting feature films: the Richard Burton-helmed 'Under Milk Wood' (1972) and the school-drama oddity Melody (1971). And, although he never lost his knack for comedy, casting directors now started to find him invaluable for small but memorable drama roles, including 'The Strauss Family', 'Thriller', 'Special Branch', 'Telford's Change' and 'The Sweeney'.  

In 'The Colour of Blood', an episode of Brian Clemens'
popular 'Thriller' drama thread from the '70s

Into the '80s, and period drama became a bigger part of his skill set, with appearances in 'To Serve Them All My Days', 'The Citadel', and 'The Good Companions' while keeping his hand in with the comedies, such as 'Bit Of A Do', 'Cockles', Whoops Apocalypse' and  the previously discussed 'Mog' with Enn Reitel. Other popular shows that he appears would include: 'Juliet Bravo', 'Strangers' and 'Bulman', 'A Very Peculiar Practice', 'C.A.T.S Eyes', 'The Bretts' and the Peter Davison 'Campion' series.    

In David Nobbs' comedy of northern manners,
'A Bit Of A Do' 

In the later phases of his career he has done some good comedy: 'French & Saunders', 'Absolutely Fabulous', Haryy Enfield & Chums', and so on, while keeping his hand in with the likes of primetime stuff like 'Poirot', 'Lovejoy', 'Boon', 'Wycliffe', 'Cadfael', 'Rumpole Of The Bailey', 'A Touch Of Frost', and some fodder such as 'The Bill', 'Heartbeat', 'Doctors' and forays into soaps  - 'Coronation Street' and 'Emmerdale'. 

As Mr Gardiner in the 1995 BBC production of 'Pride
 and Prejudice' with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.

All in all, an interesting collection, so a salute is long overdue.   

Tim Wylton-imdb

Malcolm Storry

 

Malcolm Storry:  

Craggy 6'2" actor Malcolm Storry is something of a stayer. Since the '70s he has loomed over the cast of an impressive collection of popular TV shows and appeared on the big screen in some big films, yet his is another of those names you might find harder to recall.   

With Lynn Redgrave in the 1985 BBC
drama 'Death Of A Son'

His height makes him an imposing casting for a policeman, and he has played them in a wide range of settings; from the gas-lit streets of the Jeremy Brett 'Return Of Sherlock Holmes', to the more recent cases of 'Rumpole Of The Bailey'. 'The Singing Detective',  'The Chief' (with Tim Piggott-Smith), 'Inspector Morse', and the Bill Murray spy-comedy film, 'The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997).  

As the comically ruthless Peterson in the 
excellent 1987 series 'The Biederbecke Tapes' 

His comedy performances are also splendidly varied. He crops up in various roles in the David Jason vehicle 'A Sharp Intake Of Breath', and is the conventionally intimidating agent Peterson in 'The Biederbecke Tapes', failing to intimidate the show's cynical teacher duo. There was also the David Nobbs farce 'Dogfood Dan & The Carmarthen Cowboy' about truck driving pals unknowingly having affairs with each other's wives.    

With Peter Blake in 'Dogfood Dan & The
Carmarthen Cowboy' 

In the world of drama, he impresses in 'The Death Of A Son', 'Bread Or Blood', 'The Shadow Line', and is memorable in green wig and beard in the 1991 'Gawain & The Green Knight'. A lot of decent middle-brow stuff is also in there: 'Wycliffe' and 'Doc Martin' for example, depending on your tastes, and a ton of popular/populist shows from 'Pie In The Sky', 'Ruth Rendell Mysteries' and 'Midsomer Murders' to 'Boon' and 'The Professionals'. On the whole it's all quality stuff, recent primetime hits having included 'Father Brown' and 'Doc Martin'     

In 'Father Brown'

The big box office films he's been in: 'The Princess Bride' (1987), 'Last Of The Mohicans' (1992) and 'Firefox' (1987), and 'The Scarlet Letter' (1995) are probably not the best benchmarks of his career, in my opinion, but a wander through some of his TV outings cannot fail to entertain.     

Malcolm Storry-imdb

Daniel Moynihan

Daniel Moynihan:

† 1932 - March 30, 2020

Gaunt London-born actor Daniel Moynihan has something of the look of a British Harry Dean Stanton, and his cool, quizzical gaze has appeared in TV and film since the late '50s. Those early years were something of a flurry of activity, with roles in a string of crime dramas and television plays leading into some of the most popular shows of the early '60s. These included 'The Plane Makers', 'The Avengers' (two appearances in the early b&w seasons), 'Z Cars', 'The Strange Report' and 'Special Branch'.      

  

In the 1963 'Avengers' episode 'The Man With Two Shadows'

By the '70s and '80s he was attracting castings for roles that made more of his gravitas and severe appearance, not to mention his assured and maturing acting abilities. He crops up in 'Wings', 'Lytton's Diary', 'Spy Trap', 'General Hospital', 'Prince Regent', as well as a memorable episode of 'Yes, Minister', and in the BBC adaptation of 'The Diary Of Anne Frank'. 

TV Times magazine entry for the early-'70s
ATV series 'Crime Of Passion'

In 'The Famous Five', as the typical Enid Blyton policeman, happy to
let sensible middle class children help him find a dangerous criminal. 

In the historical drama 'Elizabeth' (1998) 

In more recent times, Daniel Moynihan appeared but infrequently, although he did a fair few stints on 'The Bill' as  a doctor. He seems to have quietly retired from the profession, making his most recent TV appearance in 2000 housewife heist series 'Daylight Robbery'.

Daniel Moynihan-imdb