Career: TV roles came in the early 1970s, in shows such as The Sweeney, Within These Walls and Z Cars. Her first regular part was in General Hospital. Bellingham appeared in Confessions of a Driving Instructor (her debut film), The Fuzz and Mackenzie, while maintaining a stage career, but became famous thanks to a series of stock cube adverts, and capitalised on her mumsie image by playing Helen Herriot in All Creatures Great and Small. She went on to star in the likes of Second Thoughts, Faith in the Future, Martin Chuzzlewit, My Uncle Silas, At Home with the Braithwaites, Odd Socks, The All Star Comedy Show and The Bill. She starred alongside Liza Tarbuck in Bonkers and appeared as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing. After losing a battle with colorectal cancer, Bellingham died on October 19th, 2014, at the age of 66.

Career: Bolam appeared on stage alongside Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud, then followed it up with films The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner and A Kind of Loving, before being cast as cynical Terry Collier in The Likely Lads in 1964. He agreed to reprise the role in Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? nine years later. James went on to star in When the Boat Comes In, Only When I Laugh and Alan Plater's Beiderbecke trilogy. He has also appeared in Clockwork Mice, The End of the Affair, Born and Bred, Grandpa in My Pocket, To Kill a King and controversial feature-length drama Shipman, about serial killer doctor Harold Shipman. He starred in New Tricks between 2003 and 2012 and continues to appear on stage.

Career: She moved into comedy with a starring role in Absolutely Fabulous in 1992, and followed up this near-iconic role with parts in Martin Chuzzlewit, Kenneth Branagh's movie In the Bleak Midwinter and Lydia Bennet in the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. In 2000, she had the major vocal role in Nick Park's animated caper Chicken Run, and she landed another significant part when she became the female lead in Jonathan Creek. Since then, she has favoured classic roles, winning rave reviews in Cranford and Lark Rise to Candleford.