John Nettleton

John Nettleton: 

† Feb  5 1929 – July 12 2023

A stalwart interpreter for the viewing public of the blandly powerful faces of the establishment, John Nettleton is probably most associated with the role of Sir Arnold Robinson, the civil service grandee in 'Yes Minister', and he appeared as a Tory MP in the equally satirical (if rather broader) political comedy 'The New Statesman'. 

In 'The Avengers' episode, 'The See-Through Man'

Among his well-remembered roles in television are those in 'The Avengers' ('The See-Through Man', in the Diana Rigg era, and 'The Rotters' with Linda Thorson), and in several other cult adventure properties of the time such as 'The Champions', 'Department S' and later 'The Protectors'. 'Doctor Who' fans may remeber him as the Reverend Ernest Matthews in the 1989 story Ghost Light, while mystery TV obsessives might cite his turns in 'The Rivals Of Sherlock Holmes', 'Tales Of The Unexpected', 'Haunted', 'Shadows' and 'Out Of The Unknown. He also graced popular favourites from 'Minder' and 'The Professionals' to 'Rumpole Of The Bailey' and 'The Adventures Of Black Beauty'. And let us not forget the authoritative voiceovers for Valerie Singleton's 'Blue Peter: Special Assignment' historical and factual programmes.

With Celia Imrie in a religious skit on
'Victoria Wood: As Seen On TV' 

In middlebrow TV drama, he brought his patrician demeanour to the screen many times and can be seen as Francis Bacon in 'Elizabeth R', 'The Country Wife' , 'Brideshead Revisited', 'The Flame Trees of Thika', 'The Citadel', 'Martin Luther, Heretic', 'Longitude' and 'Kingdom'. Other smaller comedy turns, which rather pale beside his 'Yes, Minister' years, include 'Please Sir!', 'If It Moves File It', 'Doctor at Large' and 'Brass'. 

Production still from the ABC series 'Haunted' from 1968

Born in 1929, John Nettleton is now into his 90s and, I hope, enjoying a pleasant retirement.
[edit 12/7/23 - John Nettleton has sadly passed on since this salute was first uploaded. Guardian obit is here]
   

John Nettleton-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

Jeffrey Segal

Jeffrey Segal:

† Aug 1 1920 – Feb 5 2015

A true veteran actor, born in 1920, who made his film debut in the sympathetic British version of 'Jew Suss' (1934) with Conrad Veidt. Now generally sullied and overshadowed by the antisemitic version made by the Nazis in 1940, it was London-born Jeffrey Segal's only appearance until the late '50s when he began to act for television.  

Not convinced by Commander Straker's accounts in 'UFO'

By the mid-'60s he'd been seen in such popular shows as 'Emergency-Ward 10', 'No Hiding Place', the BBC adaptation of 'Barnaby Rudge', 'The Forsyte Saga', 'Softly Softly' and a single episode of 'Coronation Street'.

As the '60s turned into the '70s, more favoured names of British television were added to his CV; 'Callan', 'UFO', The Power Game', 'Dad's Army', 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum', Are You Being Served?, 'The Sweeney', 'Fawlty Towers' (in 'Gourmet Night' with the horrible kid who wants proper salad cream) and my old favourite 'The Flaxborough Chronicles: Murder Most English'. 

Another dissatisfied customer in 'Are You Being Served?' 

With the '80s came a stint as the Meaker's unfortunate neighbour, Mr Perkins, in the kids' series 'Rentaghost', plus a smattering of period dramas and a roll-call of primetime favourites, including 'Bergerac', 'Minder', Terry & June', and 'Yes Minister', which sounds like a typical '80s evening avoiding homework to those of my generation.  

'A collar stud? I thought they went out with Clement Attlee…'
With George Cole in an episode of 'Minder'.

His most recent outing was in 'Jonathan Creek' in 2003, but I trust he is enjoying a well-deserved retirement after a very long and interesting career. 

As a boy in the British film of 'Jew Süss' (1934)

In 'Dad's Army', as the man from the Ministry, come to
see a demonstration of the Big Wheel secret weapon.

Jeffrey Segal - imdb

Jonathan Lynn

Jonathan Lynn:

A versatile humourist and yet another alumnus of the Cambridge Footlights in the golden days of the early-'60s , he's now better known as a writer and director than as an actor – his satirical 'Yes, Minister' (with co-writer Antony Jay) eclipsing his earlier workaday efforts with 'On The Buses', the Robin Nedwell 'Doctor...' series, and 'Nearest & Dearest'. His directorial talents have been employed at home and in Hollywood, on films including 'Nuns On The Run' (1990), 'The Whole Nine Yards' (2000), 'My Cousin Vinny' (1992) with Joe Pesci, and the ill-starred 'Sgt Bilko' (1996) with Steve Martin in the Phil Silvers role. 

He is also a first cousin of the neurologist Oliver Sacks, author of 'Awakenings' and 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat'.

As an actor, you might remember his cheeky, newborn chick features from TV gems like 'The Knowledge', 'Bar Mitzvah Boy', 'The Liver Birds' and 'Colditz'. Or perhaps as the window cleaner who gets the wrong idea when Barbara suggests 'some other way to pay' in 'The Good Life' (pictured above, considering the possibilities). Or movie bit parts in 'Prudence & The Pill' (1968), 'Breaking Glass' (1980) and 'The House That Dripped Blood' (1971). Or you might not.

Jonathan Lynn - imdb profile

Jeremy Lloyd

Jeremy Lloyd: 

† July 22 1930 – December 23 2014

Definitive upper-class twit and lecherous toff in British cinema of the '60s, he sadly abandoned acting in the '70s in favour of writing and producing TV shows like 'Are You Being Served?', 'Allo Allo' and 'Hi-De-Hi'. See him at his best in 'Smashing Time', 'School For Scoundrels', 'The Magic Christian' and 'Salt & Pepper' (as one Lord Ponsonby, naturally). He'd make a good sinister MI5 type these days.

But here's possibly his most obscure screen appearance (with thanks to punk potentate and beat-group aficionado Richard Huggins): Sabotaging The Tornados in the film 'Just For Fun' (1963).

Jeremy Lloyd - imdb profile