Heartbeat - Night Mail - 11:15 am Wednesday, February 18 on ITV3

Eric Sykes (Actor) .. Mr Drinkwater

Born: May 04, 1923 in Oldham

Trivia: Married Edith Milbrandt in 1952. They had three daughters, Catherine, Susan and Julie, and a son, David.

Best Known For: His self-titled sitcom.

Early-life: Eric Sykes was born in Oldham on May 4, 1923. His mother died in childbirth, his father, a cotton-mill worker, remarried. He had an older brother and a younger half-brother. In his autobiography, Eric reveals how, as a child, he was "always hungry and always cold". He first became interested in entertainment as a career during his time in the Royal Air Force Special Liaison Unit during the Second World War, where he worked with Flight Lieutenant Bill Fraser. After demob, he moved to London and at the end of his first week, Eric bumped into Fraser, who was starring at the Playhouse Theatre and asked his old pal to write for him.

Career: Sykes provided scripts for Fraser and Frankie Howerd, before moving on to radio shows such as Educating Archie and Variety Bandbox. In 1955, he wrote and directed the spoof Pantomania, beginning his career in TV. By 1957 he was almost totally deaf, forcing him to lip-read his fellow actors so he didn't miss his cues. The 1960s saw him team up with Hattie Jacques for the first time since his radio days, and their comedy partnership lasted until her death in 1980. As well as his eponymous sitcom, Sykes other credits include silent comedy The Plank (which he also directed), Curry and Chips, and The 19th Hole, as well as various stage plays and such movies as Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, The Others, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He died on July 4, 2012, at the age of 89.

Quote: "I'm proud of being a vaudevillian, the last of my line. Entertainment is too aggressive these days, all 'in your face'."

David Calder (Actor) .. DI Ludlow

Joe McFadden (Actor) .. PC Joe Mason

Born: October 09, 1975 in Glasgow

Best Known For: Heartbeat and Holby City.

Early-life: Joseph McFadden was born in Glasgow on October 9, 1975. His school drama teacher saw his potential and recommended him for a small part in Taggart, which he played in 1988. He went on to have a recurring role in Take the High Road. He made his film debut in Small Faces (1996).

Career: McFadden increased his exposure with roles in three miniseries - The Crow Road, Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll and The Glass. His big break came in 2007 when he began playing PC Joe Mason in Heartbeat, a role he played for two years. During the same period, he had a recurring role in Casualty. His other TV credits include Cranford. In 2014, he joined the cast of Holby City, playing Raffaello Di Lucca.

Quote: "I'm lucky, I suppose, that I can still look quite young. But, in a way, it's a curse as well because for years I wasn't playing my age and was playing people younger."

Trivia: On the stage, he has appeared in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Rent and Rainbow Kiss.

Steven Blakeley (Actor) .. PC Geoff Younger

Mark Jordon (Actor) .. PC Phil Bellamy

Clare Wille (Actor) .. DS Rachel Dawson

William Simons (Actor) .. Alf Ventress

Gwen Taylor (Actor) .. Peggy Armstrong

David Lonsdale (Actor) .. David Stockwell

John Duttine (Actor) .. Sgt George Miller

Born: March 15, 1949 in Barnsley

Best Known For: The Day of the Triffids.

Early-life: Born March 15, 1949, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, but brought up in Bradford. On leaving school, he realised "acting was the only thing I did well," so moved to London at the age of 17. He enrolled at the Drama Centre, and following graduation, began landing roles on stage. His first professional job was playing a trio of characters in Hamlet at the Citizens Theatre Company in Glasgow.

Career: Further theatre work followed, until TV and films beckoned. Duttine's early small screen appearances came in Softly Softly, Z Cars, A Pin to See the Peepshow and The Nine Tailors. In 1977, he featured in two Coronation Street episodes and the acclaimed Spend Spend Spend. Bigger parts came in Jesus of Nazareth and The Mallens, before To Serve Them All My Days made him a star on both sides of the Atlantic. The Day of the Triffids, A Woman of Substance and Lame Ducks were also hits. Since then he's appeared in Ain't Misbehavin', Touching Evil, Out of the Blue, The Jury and Jane Hall's Big Bad Bus Ride. His recent work includes Heartbeat, Doc Martin, and The Paradise.

Quote: "I've got an instant retentive memory but it tends not to last longer than a day."

Trivia: Wed actress Mel Martin in 1998.

Tricia Penrose (Actor) .. Gina Bellamy

Derek Fowlds (Actor) .. Oscar Blaketon

Born: September 02, 1937 in London

Best Known For: Yes, Minister, Yes, Prime Minister and Heartbeat.

Early-life: Born in London on September 2, 1937, Derek left school at 15 and worked in a factory as an apprentice painter. It was during his national service that he was encouraged to take up acting. He went on to win a scholarship and grant for Rada.

Career: Fowlds made his stage debut in the West End in The Miracle Worker and continued to win stage work and small roles in films before he became known to millions as Mr Derek in children's series The Basil Brush Show, which ran from 1969 to 1973. His big break came in 1980 when he landed the role of Bernard Woolley in BBC sitcom Yes, Minister and its sequel Yes, Prime Minister. He went on to play Oscar Blaketon in long-running ITV police drama Heartbeat from 1992 until 2010.

Quote: "I'm still waiting to be discovered."

Trivia: He married Blue Peter presenter Lesley Judd in 1974. They divorced four years later.

Peter Benson (Actor) .. Bernie Scripps

Vanessa Hehir (Actor) .. Rosie Cartwright

Best Known For: Heartbeat and Waterloo Road.

Early-life: Vanessa was born in Manchester in 1981. She graduated from the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London in 2004. Her first TV credit was a guest role in Holby City.

Career: Hehir had a recurring role in Grease Monkeys but her first break came in 2004 when she was cast as Rosie Cartwright in rural drama Heartbeat. She stayed with the show until 2007. Since then, she has starred in Emmerdale, Hustle and Stella. In 2013, she joined the cast of Waterloo Road, playing Sue Spark.

Quote: "I've been very lucky with my career as I've loved all the jobs I've done."

Trivia: Hehir emigrated to Australia at the age of six.

Lisa Kay (Actor) .. Carol Cassidy

Anne Hornby (Actor) .. Mrs Brown

Mark Folan (Actor) .. Mr Brown (train driver)

Conor Ryan (Actor) .. Robber

Chris Lindon (Actor) .. Robber

Susan Wilkins (Writer)

Keith Richardson (Executive producer)

Adrian Bean (Director)

Archie Tait (Producer)

Heartbeat: Night Mail

11:15 am - 12:20 pm, Wednesday, February 18 on ITV3 (10)

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Night Mail
Season 17, Episode 3

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