Derek Fowlds

Derek James Fowlds[1] (2 September 1937 – 17 January 2020) was an English actor, known for his appearances in popular TV series including The Basil Brush Show, Yes Minister and Heartbeat.

Derek Fowlds
Fowlds in 1974
Born
Derek James Fowlds

(1937-09-02)2 September 1937
Wandsworth, London, England
Died17 January 2020(2020-01-17) (aged 82)
Bath, Somerset, England
OccupationActor, presenter
Years active1962–2020
Spouse(s)
Wendy Tory
​
​
(m. 1963; div. 1973)​

​
​
(m. 1974; div. 1978)​
Partner(s)Jo Lindsay (1976-2012; her death)
Children2

Early life

Fowlds was born in Wandsworth, London, the son of Ketha Muriel (née Treacher) and James Witney Fowlds,[2] a salesman. Fowlds attended Ashlyns School, a former Secondary Modern School in the historic town of Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire.[3]

Career

After amateur acting, Fowlds trained at RADA and made his debut on the West End stage in The Miracle Worker. He appeared in various film roles, including Tamahine (1963), East of Sudan (1964), Hotel Paradiso (1966), Frankenstein Created Woman (1967), The Smashing Bird I Used to Know (1969), Tower of Evil (1972) and Mistress Pamela (1974), prior to becoming familiar to British television child viewers as “Mr. Derek” in the children's series The Basil Brush Show, replacing Rodney Bewes as presenter.[1]

He played the role of Lord Randolph Churchill in the ATV series Edward the Seventh (1975). In Yes Minister and its sequel Yes, Prime Minister he played the naïve and callow Bernard Woolley alongside Paul Eddington's Jim Hacker and Nigel Hawthorne's Sir Humphrey Appleby.[1]

From 1983 to 1985, Fowlds played the lead role in the sitcom Affairs of the Heart. He featured in a more sinister role in the 1990 political thriller Die Kinder. Fowlds then played old and curmudgeonly Oscar Blaketon in the long-running Yorkshire Television police drama nostalgia series Heartbeat set in the sixties for its entire eighteen-year run beginning in 1992. The character first appeared as the local police sergeant, then retired from the force and ran the post office before becoming a publican.[1]

Personal life and death

Fowlds married, and later divorced, Wendy Tory and later wed the Blue Peter presenter and dancer Lesley Judd. His partner of 36 years, Jo Lindsay, died in 2012. He was the father of two sons including the actor Jeremy Fowlds. His autobiography A Part Worth Playing was published in 2015.

He died at Royal United Hospital in Bath on 17 January 2020 at age 82, from complications of heart failure and sepsis, which had followed pneumonia.[4][5][1] His funeral took place at St Katharine's Church in Holt, Wiltshire on 17 February 2020; Basil Brush was among the mourners and recited a self-written poem during the service.[6]

Filmography
YearTitle[7][8]RoleNotes
1962The Loneliness of the Long Distance RunnerBorstal InmateUncredited[9]
1962We Joined the NavyThe Midshipman / Carson
1963Doctor in DistressMedical Student Gillibrand
1963TamahineBash
1964Hot Enough for JuneSun Bathing Man
1964East of SudanMurchison
1965Gideon's WayTim ColesEpisode 26: "The Nightlifers"
1966Hotel ParadisoMaxime
1967Frankenstein Created WomanJohann
1967The SolarnautsTempoPilot: "Cloud of Death"
1969The Smashing Bird I Used to KnowGeoffrey
1969–1973The Basil Brush ShowMr Derek64 episodes
1972Tower of EvilDan
1973Mistress PamelaSir Percy
1974ThrillerDickySeries 3, Episode 3: "Death to Sister Mary"
1975Edward the SeventhLord Randolph ChurchillEpisode: "Dearest Prince"
1976The Copter KidsCaptain Peters
1978Robin's NestRicky HartSeries 2, Episode 2: "The Candidate"
1979My Son, My SonNewbiggen1 episode
1980–1984Yes MinisterBernard Woolley22 episodes
1982MinderMeadhurstEpisode: "Dead Men Do Tell Tales"
1983–1985Affairs of the HeartPeter Bonamy7 episodes
1986–1988Yes, Prime MinisterBernard Woolley16 episodes
1988Inspector MorseKurt Friedman / Michael RobsonEpisode: "The Settling of the Sun"
1990Die KinderCrombie6 episodes
1992Over the HillDutch
1992–1994Firm FriendsJohn Gutteridge8 episodes
1992–2010HeartbeatSgt. Oscar Blaketon342 episodes
2001Lily Savage's Blankety BlankHimself[10]1 episode
2012Run for Your WifeMan in hat

References
  1. Anthony Hayward (17 January 2020). "Derek Fowlds obituary | Television & radio". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  2. "Derek Fowlds Biography (1937-)". www.filmreference.com.
  3. Who's Who on Television. Publisher: ITV Books Ltd./Michael Joseph Ltd. Published: 1985. Retrieved: 27 January 2013.
  4. "Derek Fowlds: Yes Minister and Heartbeat actor dies aged 82 – BBC News". BBC News. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  5. "Derek Fowlds: Yes Minister and Heartbeat actor dies aged 82". Sky News. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  6. "Basil Brush funeral tribute to 'dearest friend'". BBC News: Wiltshire. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  7. "Derek Fowlds". BFI.
  8. "Search for releases". bbfc.co.uk. British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  9. Sale, Jonathan (20 August 1998). "Education: Passed/Failed Derek Fowlds". The Independent. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  10. Lily Savage's Blankety Blank. 20 May 2001. ITV.
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