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: Maynard's big break came in 1951 when he worked with comedy actor Terry Scott at Butlins in Skegness. Maynard began getting work on radio shows for the BBC and it was at this time he changed his name. His first TV appearance came in 1953 when he performed on Henry Hall's Face the Music. In 1955, he partnered with Terry Scott again on popular comedy TV series Great Scott, It's Maynard! He then switched to acting and was soon starring in the West End in You Too Can Have a Body. He continued to have success on the stage throughout the 1960s but by the end of the decade he was forced to return to doing stand-up in working men's clubs to earn a living. An offer to play a part in the film version of Till Death Us Do Part (1969) came out of the blue and this led to work on the big screen in the Carry On films and the Confessions Of movies, and on the small screen in popular sitcoms Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt, Selwyn, and The Gaffer. In 1992, he landed the role of Greengrass in Heartbeat, a part he would play on the series until 2000 when he was forced to retire temporarily from acting after suffering a number of strokes. He returned to the Greengrass character in 2003 in Heartbeat spin-off The Royal.