English comedian and actor (1940?2020)
Timothy Julian Brooke-Taylor
OBE
(17 July 1940 – 12 April 2020)
[1]
was an English comedian and actor, best known as a member of
The Goodies
.
He became active in performing in comedy sketches while at the
University of Cambridge
and became president of the
Footlights
, touring internationally with its revue in 1964. Becoming more widely known to the public for his work on
BBC Radio
with
I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again
, he moved into television with
At Last the 1948 Show
, working together with old Cambridge friends
John Cleese
and
Graham Chapman
. With
Graeme Garden
and
Bill Oddie
, he starred in
The Goodies
(1970?1982), picking up international recognition in
Australia
,
Canada
and
New Zealand
. He appeared as an actor in various
sitcoms
and was a panellist on BBC Radio's
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue
for almost 50 years.
Early life and education
[
edit
]
Timothy Julian Brooke-Taylor was born on 17 July 1940 in
Buxton
, Derbyshire, England, son of Edward Brooke-Taylor, a solicitor and games teacher and international
lacrosse
player and Rachel,
[2]
[3]
daughter of
Francis Pawson
, a
parson
who played
centre forward
for the English football team in the 1880s.
[4]
He was expelled from primary school at the early age of five and a half.
[5]
Brooke-Taylor was then schooled at Thorn Leigh Pre-Preparatory School, Holm Leigh Preparatory School (where he won a cup for his prowess as a bowler in the school
cricket
team) and
Winchester College
which he left with seven
O-levels
and two A-levels in English and history.
[
citation needed
]
After teaching for a year at
Lockers Park School
, a preparatory school in
Hemel Hempstead
and a term back at Holm Leigh School as a teacher, he studied at
Pembroke College, Cambridge
. There he read economics and politics before changing to read law and mixed with other budding comedians, including
John Cleese
,
Graham Chapman
,
Bill Oddie
,
Graeme Garden
and
Jonathan Lynn
in the
Cambridge University Footlights Club
(of which Brooke-Taylor became president in 1963).
[6]
The Footlights Club revue,
A Clump of Plinths
, was so successful during its
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
run that the show was renamed as
Cambridge Circus
and transferred to the
West End
in London before being taken to both New Zealand and
Broadway
in the United States in September 1964.
[6]
Brooke-Taylor was also active in the Pembroke College drama society, the
Pembroke Players
.
Career
[
edit
]
Brooke-Taylor moved swiftly into
BBC Radio
with the fast-paced comedy show
I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again
which he performed in and co-wrote.
[6]
As the screeching eccentric Lady Constance de Coverlet, he could be relied upon to generate the loudest audience response of many programmes in this long-running series merely with her unlikely
catchphrase
"Did somebody call?" uttered after a comic and transparent feed-line, as their adventure story reached its climax or
cliffhanger
ending. Other members of
I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again
were
John Cleese
,
Bill Oddie
,
Graeme Garden
,
David Hatch
and
Jo Kendall
.
[6]
In the mid-1960s Brooke-Taylor performed in the television series
On the Braden Beat
with Canadian
Bernard Braden
,
[8]
taking over the slot recently vacated by
Peter Cook
in his guise as
E. L. Wisty
. Brooke-Taylor played a reactionary
City
gent who believed he was the soul of tolerance.
[9]
In 1967 Brooke-Taylor became a writer/performer on the television comedy series
At Last the 1948 Show
, with
John Cleese
,
Graham Chapman
and
Marty Feldman
.
[6]
The "
Four Yorkshiremen
" sketch was co-written by the four writers and performers of the series.
[10]
The sketch appears on the DVD of
At Last the 1948 Show
. Footage of Brooke-Taylor and Cleese from
At Last the 1948 Show
was shown on the documentary special
Monty Python: Almost the Truth (Lawyers Cut)
. The sketch has since become known for its satirical depiction of
Britain's class system
and
North-South divide
.
Brooke-Taylor also took part in
David Frost
's pilot programme
How to Irritate People
in 1968, designed to sell what would later be recognised as the
Monty Python
style of comedy to the American market.
[11]
[12]
Many of the sketches were later revived in the Monty Python TV series, such as the job interview sketch in which Brooke-Taylor played a nervous interviewee tormented by interviewer John Cleese. The programme was also the first collaboration between Cleese and
Michael Palin
. One of the sketches referred to Cleese's character dating a promiscuous woman named "Christine Wheadon", which was the name of Brooke-Taylor's wife.
Also in 1968 Brooke-Taylor made an unexpected and uninvited guest appearance in an episode of
Do Not Adjust Your Set
, filling in for Michael Palin who was ill that week. The episode he was in still survives and has been included in DVD compilation sets.
In 1968?69 Brooke-Taylor was also a cast member and writer on the television comedy series
Marty
starring
Marty Feldman
, with
John Junkin
and
Roland MacLeod
.
[6]
A compilation of the two series of
Marty
has been released on a BBC DVD entitled
The Best of Marty Feldman
. During this period Brooke-Taylor appeared as two characters in the film
One Man Band
directed by
Orson Welles
; however, the project was never completed and remains unreleased.
[13]
[14]
At around the same time, Brooke-Taylor made two series of
Broaden Your Mind
with Garden (and Oddie joining for the second series).
[6]
Describing itself as "An Encyclopedia of the Air", the show was a string of comedy sketches (often lifted from
I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again
), linked (loosely) by a weekly running theme.
[
citation needed
]
The success of
Broaden Your Mind
led to the commissioning of
The Goodies
, also with Oddie and Garden. First transmitted on
BBC2
in November 1970,
The Goodies
was a television success, broadcast for over a decade by both the BBC and (in its final year) by
ITV
contractor
London Weekend Television
, spawning many spin-off books and successful records.
During the run of
The Goodies
, Brooke-Taylor took part in the BBC radio series
Hello Cheeky
, a bawdy
stand-up comedy
show also starring
Barry Cryer
and
John Junkin
. The series transferred to television briefly, produced for ITV by the commercial franchise
Yorkshire Television
.
[6]
He appeared on television in
British sitcoms
, including
You Must Be the Husband
with
Diane Keen
,
His and Hers
with
Madeline Smith
and
Me and My Girl
with
Richard O'Sullivan
. He also starred in the Radio 4 comedy series
Tell Me Where It Hurts
in 1979.
[15]
Brooke-Taylor also appeared regularly in advertisements, including the Christmas commercials for the Brentford Nylons chain of fabric stores and in a
public information film
for the now-defunct
E111
form, since replaced by the
European Health Insurance Card
.
In 1971 he played the short, uncredited role of a computer scientist in the film
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
; his scene was the final one filmed for the movie. After
The Goodies
on UK television, Brooke-Taylor also worked again with Garden and Oddie on the television
animated
comedy series
Bananaman
, in which Brooke-Taylor was the narrator, as well as voicing the characters of King Zorg of the Nurks, Eddie the Gent, Auntie and Appleman.
[16]
[17]
He also lent his voice to the children's TV series
Gideon
.
Brooke-Taylor appeared in
Amnesty International
shows: in
A Poke in the Eye (With a Sharp Stick)
he, Oddie and Garden, sang their hit song "
Funky Gibbon
",
[18]
whilst in
The Secret Policeman's Other Ball
he took part in the sketches "Top of the Form" (with Cleese, Chapman,
John Bird
,
John Fortune
,
Rowan Atkinson
and
Griff Rhys Jones
), and "Cha Cha Cha" (with Cleese and Chapman). Brooke-Taylor, Garden and Oddie also appeared on
Top of the Pops
to perform "Funky Gibbon".
[1]
Garden joined Brooke-Taylor in the theatre production of
The Unvarnished Truth
.
Other BBC radio programmes in which Brooke-Taylor played a part include the self-styled "antidote to panel games"
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue
, which started in 1972; he took part regularly for over 40 years.
[19]
On 18 February 1981, Brooke-Taylor, was the subject of
Thames Television
's
This Is Your Life
.
In 1997 he appeared in a special episode of
One Foot in the Grave
.
In 1998 Brooke-Taylor appeared as a guest in one episode of the political satire game show
If I Ruled the World
.
[20]
In 2004, Brooke-Taylor and Garden were co-presenters of
Channel 4
's daytime game show,
Beat the Nation
, in which they indulged in typical game show "banter", but took the quiz itself seriously. He appeared on stage in Australia and England, usually as a
middle class
Englishman. In the early 1980s, he branched out into
pantomime
as
the Dame
in
Dick Whittington
. He was also the author (and co-author) of several humorous books, based mainly on his radio and television work, and the sports of golf and
cricket
. His interest in golf came to the fore when he took part in the
Pro-Celebrity Golf
television series (opposite
Bruce Forsyth
), and appeared in the premiere episode of the BBC's golf-based game show
Full Swing
.
In 2008, Brooke-Taylor was heard in the
Doctor Who
audio story
The Zygon Who Fell To Earth
, made by
Big Finish Productions
.
Paul McGann
played the
Eighth Doctor
and Brooke-Taylor played the part of Mims, a
Zygon
taking the shape of a human Brooke-Taylor made his final public appearance when he attended the Bristol slapstick festival in January 2020.
Lord Rector of the University of St Andrews
[
edit
]
Brooke-Taylor was elected Lord
Rector
by the students of the
University of St Andrews
and held office between 1979 and 1982.
[21]
In this role he represented the students, chaired the University Court and presided over the
General Council
in the absence of the
Chancellor
.
[22]
[23]
At his installation he arrived by helicopter, rode a motorbike and was hauled in an open carriage as part of The Drag.
[24]
[22]
His installation speech included a mother-in-law joke in Latin and a suggestion his successor should be a woman; he was succeeded by
Katherine Whitehorn
who was elected unopposed as the university's first female rector in 1982.
[25]
[26]
Brooke-Taylor is remembered as an effective Rector who visited the town frequently, took the role seriously, wore a
Saltire
waistcoat while there and is said to have remarked that St Andrews was "the happiest university" he had been to.
[24]
[27]
Personal life and death
[
edit
]
Brooke-Taylor married Christine Wheadon in 1968 and they had two sons, Ben and Edward.
[28]
[29]
He lived in
Cookham Dean
, Berkshire and was involved in local events. A keen golfer, he was a member of Temple Golf Club.
[30]
[31]
He was appointed
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
(OBE) in the
2011 Birthday Honours
for services to light entertainment.
[32]
[33]
[34]
[35]
[36]
Brooke-Taylor died of complications from
COVID-19
on 12 April 2020, aged 79,
[1]
[37]
in Cookham, Berkshire.
[38]
In tribute to Brooke-Taylor, the flag of his
alma mater
,
Pembroke College, Cambridge
, was lowered to
half-mast
the following day.
[39]
Filmography
[
edit
]
Film
[
edit
]
Television
[
edit
]
Radio
[
edit
]
Bibliography
[
edit
]
As sole author
As co-author
- Brooke-Taylor also co-wrote the following books with the other members of
The Goodies
:
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
"Tim Brooke-Taylor dies with coronavirus, aged 79"
.
BBC News
. 12 April 2020
. Retrieved
12 April
2020
.
- ^
"Remembering Tim Brooke-Taylor, the comedy star equally at home with the witty and the zany"
.
The Independent
. 21 April 2020.
Archived
from the original on 7 May 2022.
- ^
"The Stage - Obituaries - Tim Brooke-Taylor"
. Archived from
the original
on 9 August 2020
. Retrieved
22 June
2020
.
- ^
The Goodie Life
Archived
22 February 2012 at the
Wayback Machine
Retrieved 12 February 2010
- ^
"Goody! Tim Brooke-Taylor heads for Great Yorkshire Fringe"
.
Yorkshire Post
. 2015
. Retrieved
26 December
2018
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
From Fringe to Flying Circus
? 'Celebrating a Unique Generation of Comedy 1960?1980' ? Roger Wilmut, Eyre Methuen Ltd, 1980.
- ^
Brown, Mark (12 April 2020).
"
'Funny, sociable, generous': comedians pay tribute to Tim Brooke-Taylor"
.
The Guardian
– via www.theguardian.com.
- ^
Roberts, Jem (2 September 2010).
The Fully Authorised History of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue: The Clue Bible from Footlights to Mornington Crescent
. Random House. p. 119.
ISBN
9781407087801
– via Google Books.
- ^
Bright, Morris; Ross, Robert (2001).
Fawlty Towers: fully booked
. BBC. p. 60.
ISBN
978-0-563-53439-6
. Retrieved
29 September
2010
.
- ^
"Tags: John Cleese | Dangerous Minds"
.
dangerousminds.net
.
- ^
"Some of the Corpses Are Amusing"
.
sotcaa.org
.
- ^
"Obituary: Tim Brooke-Taylor"
.
BBC News
. 12 April 2020.
- ^
"Orson Welles: The One-Man Band"
– via www.imdb.com.
- ^
Arnold, Steve (2005).
"Tell Me Where It Hurts"
.
British Comedy Website
. Retrieved
9 January
2022
.
- ^
"Bananaman cast and crew credits"
.
British Comedy Guide
.
- ^
"Tim Brooke-Taylor ? UKGameshows"
.
www.ukgameshows.com
. Retrieved
29 July
2018
.
- ^
"The Official Goodies Rule - OK! Fan Club Website - Articles/Guides"
.
www.goodiesruleok.com
.
- ^
Roberts, Jem (2 September 2010).
The Fully Authorised History of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue: The Clue Bible from Footlights to Mornington Crescent
. Random House.
ISBN
9781407087801
– via Google Books.
- ^
"If I Ruled the World (TV Series 1998? ) - IMDb"
– via www.imdb.com.
- ^
"Previous Rectors"
.
www.yourunion.net
. University of St Andrews Students' Association
. Retrieved
13 April
2020
.
- ^
a
b
"History of the Rector"
.
www.yourunion.net
. University of St Andrews Students' Association
. Retrieved
13 April
2020
.
- ^
"Rector"
.
www.st-andrews.ac.uk
. Retrieved
13 April
2020
.
- ^
a
b
St Andrews Special Collections (13 April 2018).
"Cricketer, Comedians, and Campaigners: Rectors, 1967-1993"
.
Echoes from the Vault
. Retrieved
13 April
2020
.
- ^
Twiss, Greg; Chennell, Paul (1982).
Famous Rectors of St Andrews
. Alvie Publications, St Andrews.
ASIN
B000M773CY
.
- ^
"New St Andrews halls to be named after female pioneers"
.
news.st-andrews.ac.uk
. 15 August 2018
. Retrieved
13 April
2020
.
- ^
"Tim Brooke-Taylor from the University Photography Collection"
.
collections.st-andrews.ac.uk
. Special Collections | University of St Andrews
. Retrieved
13 April
2020
.
- ^
"
Who's Who on Television
" ? Independent Television Books, London, England (1985).
ISBN
0-907965-31-8
- ^
Who's Who on Television
? Independent Television Books, London, England (1988).
ISBN
0-907965-49-0
- ^
"Goodies star heralds in era of stamps and cider at Cookham pub"
.
Bucks Free Press
. 11 August 2009.
- ^
"Tim Brooke Taylor dies - ending a comedy career spanning almost 60 years"
.
Royal Borough Observer
. 14 April 2020.
- ^
"No. 59808"
.
The London Gazette
(Supplement). 11 June 2011. p. 12.
- ^
"OBEs all round..."
Chortle
. 11 June 2011.
- ^
"BBC News ? Today ? Graeme Garden 'thought OBE letter was a bill'
"
. 11 June 2011.
- ^
"Birthday Honours List 2011 in pictures"
.
The Telegraph
. 11 June 2011. Archived from
the original
on 10 April 2016.
- ^
"Goodies pair 'thrilled' with OBEs"
.
BelfastTelegraph.co.uk
.
- ^
"Tim Brooke-Taylor dead: Comedian and actor dies aged 79 after contracting coronavirus"
.
Evening Standard
. Retrieved
1 May
2022
.
- ^
"Tim Brooke-Taylor"
.
The
Emmys
website
.
Television Academy
. Retrieved
1 May
2022
.
- ^
"A Cambridge Diary"
.
www.facebook.com
. Retrieved
17 April
2020
.
- ^
a
b
"Tim Brooke-Taylor"
. British Film Institute. Archived from
the original
on 8 July 2019
. Retrieved
12 April
2020
.
- ^
"Qd - The Master Game - UKGameshows"
.
www.ukgameshows.com
.
External links
[
edit
]
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