IMDB

Actor

1926-03-11 · Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, UK · Male

11 series in the catalog

Derek Benfield (11 March 1926 – 10 March 2009) was a British playwright and actor.

He was born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, and educated at Bingley Grammar School. He was the author of the stage farce Running Riot and played Patricia Routledge's character's husband in Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (1996–1998).

Arguably, Benfield's best known character portrayal was as transport company foreman Bill Riley in the UK television series from the early 1970s, The Brothers. Before this, he starred as Frank Skinner in the 1970 cult sci-fi series broadcast on UK ITV, Timeslip. Some of his other television roles included Walter Greenhalgh in Coronation Street (1961–1969), Albert the Clerk in Rumpole of the Bailey (1978–80), and characters in Breakaway (1980) and First of the Summer Wine (1988).

His film credits include small roles in Crossplot (1969), I Don't Want to Be Born (1975) and Lifeforce (1985). His plays included the farces Post Horn Gallop and Wild Goose Chase, both about the fictional exploits of the eccentric Lord and Lady Elrood and visitors to their castle.

He also appeared with Colin Baker as John Hallam in the Doctor Who audio play Catch-1782 produced by Big Finish Productions.

Plays

The Young in Heart, 1953

The Way the Wind Blows, 1954

Champagne for Breakfast, 1954

Wild Goose Chase, 1955

Running Riot, 1958

Out of Thin Air, 1961

Fish out of Water, 1963

Down to Brass Tacks, 1964

Third Party Risk, 1964

The Party, 1964

Post Horn Gallop, 1965

Murder for the Asking, 1967

Off the Hook, 1970

A Bird in the Hand, 1973

Panic Stations, 1975

Caught on the Hop, 1979

Beyond a Joke, 1980

In for the Kill, 1981

Look Who's Talking, 1984

Touch and Go, 1984

Flying Feathers, 1987

Bedside Manners, 1990

Toe in the Water, 1991

Don't Lose the Place, 1992

Anyone for Breakfast?, 1994

Up and Running, 1995

A Fly in the Ointment, 1996

Two and Two Together, 1999

Second Time Around, 2000?

Funny Business, 2005

In at the Deep End, 2005

Over My Dead Body, 2005?

First Things First, 2007

Personal life

Benfield was married to actress Susan Lyle Grant from 1953 until his death in 2009. Together, they had two children, Jamie Benfield and Kate Plantin. He also had two grandchildren.

Death

Benfield died of stomach cancer on 10 March 2009 at the age of 82, on the day before his 83rd birthday.

Obituary in The Independent

http://www.timeslip.org.uk/whoswho/derekbenfield.php Archived 15 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine