Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em - Frank and Marvin - 8:25 pm Thursday, December 18 on That's TV

Michael Crawford (Actor) .. Frank Spencer

Born: January 19, 1942 in Salisbury

Best Known For: Frank Spencer and Phantom of the Opera.

Early-life: Michael Patrick Smith was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire on January 19, 1942. He was the result of a short-lived relationship his mother had following the death of her first husband, a Battle of Britain pilot. In 1945, his mother married a grocer and Crawford took his surname, Ingram. His first professional job was alternating the part of a boy soprano with fellow future star David Hemmings in Benjamin Britten's Let's Make an Opera, but had to change his name because there was already a radio announcer called Michael Ingram. He chose Crawford after the biscuit company.

Career: Crawford began appearing on radio and in Children's Film Foundation movies. At 19 he starred alongside Steve McQueen in The War Lover (1962). The Knack (1965), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966) and Hello Dolly! (1969) followed, the latter directed by his hero, Gene Kelly. Despite these successes, he was out of work for 18 months during the early 1970s. In 1973, he landed the role of Frank Spencer in BBC sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, which made him a household name. Since then he's largely concentrated on musical theatre, appearing in such acclaimed shows as Phantom of the Opera, Barnum, EFX and The Wizard of Oz. He has also released a number of albums.

Quote: "I've made mistakes in my life. When you grow up you feel very guilty about mistakes."

Trivia: Crawford was awarded a CBE in 2014 for services to charity.

Michele Dotrice (Actor) .. Betty Spencer

Christopher Timothy (Actor) .. Holiday Camp Entertainer

Born: October 14, 1940 in Bala, north Wales

Best Known For: Being James Herriot in All Creatures Great and Small.

Early-life: Born 14 October, 1940 in Bala, north Wales, the son of Andrew Timothy, an Army chaplain-turned-BBC announcer who was also the straightman on The Goon Show. He was brought up in Shrewsbury, bitten by the acting bug at an early age, and encouraged to take it up professionally by his father. Timothy trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama, and claims he smelled of chips throughout his course due to a part-time job in a transport cafe.

Career: Parts in the films Othello (1965) and The Virgin Soldiers (1968) were followed by TV shows UFO, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and Van der Valk. In 1978, he landed the role of James Herriot in All Creatures Great and Small, becoming one of the most popular actors on British TV. The series returned in the early Nineties but Timothy later blamed it for typecasting him. He has narrated the hit docusoap Vets in Practice and can be seen in the BBC's daytime medical drama, Doctors, in which he plays Dr Brendan 'Mac' Maguire. He's also directed some episodes of the show and an edition of The Afternoon Play.

Quote: "One of my favourite pastimes is watching good actors, working with them is even better. And to work with them as a team is a joy."

Trivia: He has appeared as a guest on Radio 4's Just a Minute.

Pamela Binns (Actor) .. Expectant Mother

Julia Breck (Actor) .. Expectant Mother

Anthony Woodruff (Actor) .. Dr Smedley

Sydney Tafler (Actor) .. Holiday Camp Manager

Art Day (Actor) .. Pianist

Raymond Allen (Writer)

Michael Mills (Producer)

Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em: Frank and Marvin

8:25 pm - 9:05 pm, Today on That's TV (56)

About this Broadcast

Frank and Marvin
Season 2, Episode 4

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