Career: At 16, Waterman returned to Britain and concentrated on stage work until an acclaimed performance in 1968's Up the Junction led to more film roles. Low-budget movies (such as Scars of Dracula) and TV shows (including Colditz) followed until, in 1974, he co-starred with John Thaw in Regan, the pilot episode of iconic series The Sweeney, which became a major TV hit. A 10-year stint in comedy drama Minder followed. Other projects include TV shows On the Up, Stay Lucky, and Circles of Deceit. He's also worked on the stage, most notably in Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell, and My Fair Lady. As Gerry Standing, in BBC drama New Tricks, he has introduced himself to a new generation of fans.

Career: Thaw's first professional job came at the Liverpool Playhouse. His film debut came in 1962's The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, which starred Courteney. Thaw worked extensively on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre, and early TV roles came in Z Cars and Redcap. But it was The Sweeney, alongside Dennis Waterman, that made him a household name thanks to its uncompromising style. He switched to comedy with Home to Roost, but it was playing Inspector Morse that made him a national treasure. Almost everything he touched then turned to gold; he starred in top-rated dramas such as Kavanagh QC, Goodnight Mister Tom and Buried Treasure. He died in 2002 following a battle with cancer of the oesophagus.

Career: After the Second World War, Eric and Ernie teamed up again and performed as Morecambe and Wise on the stage and radio, and landed a contract with the BBC in 1954 to make the TV show Running Wild. Their first foray into television was a disaster, so they returned to the stage to develop their act. In 1961, they had more success on ITV with Two of a Kind. In 1968, Morecambe suffered a heart attack. After leaving hospital, he vowed to give up smoking and reduce his heavy workload. After moving to the BBC, Morecambe and Wise did annual Christmas shows between 1968 and 1977. Written by Eddie Braben, they were extremely popular, with the 1977 show having an estimated audience of 28 million. In January 1978, the pair left the BBC for ITV. A year later, Morecambe suffered a second heart attack and required heart-bypass surgery. Morecambe and Wise's final TV show together was the 1983 Christmas special for ITV. A year later, Morecambe took part in a show hosted by his close friend and comedian Stan Stennett at the Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury. After leaving the stage, he collapsed and suffered a third heart attack. He died five and a half hours later at Cheltenham General Hospital on May 28, 1984. He was 58.

Career: After the Second World War, Eric and Ernie teamed up again and performed on the stage and radio. They made the leap to TV in 1954 with the disastrous BBC series Running Wild. In 1961, they had more success on ITV with Two of a Kind. They transferred to the BBC in 1968 and returned to ITV in 1978. Their Christmas specials were extremely popular, with the 1977 show having an estimated audience of 28 million. Morecambe and Wise's final TV show together was the 1983 Christmas special for ITV. After Morecambe's death from a third heart attack in May 1984, Wise spent a lot of time at his holiday home in Florida. He appeared occasionally on TV, had a gardening column in the News of the World and starred in several West End plays. After suffering a second stroke in August 1995, he announced his retirement from show business on November 27, 1995, his 70th birthday. In 1998, he suffered two heart attacks within a week while on holiday. In January 1999, he had a triple heart bypass in Florida. He died from heart failure and a chest infection at the Nuffield Hospital, Wexham, on the morning of March 21, 1999. He was 73.