Peter Henry Benson obit

Heartbeat and Blackadder actor Peter Benson dies

 

He was not on the list.

Heartbeat actor Peter Benson, who played Bernie Scripps in the popular ITV series for 18 years, has died, his manager said.

Benson died aged 75 on Thursday after a short illness.

In the police drama set in the 1960s, he played a funeral director who got into disastrous money-making schemes. He appeared in all 18 series from 1992.

Benson also played Henry VII in BBC comedy Blackadder, and appeared more recently in hospital drama, Casualty.

As well as his TV work, he was also a skilled singer, dancer and theatre actor who portrayed the title role in Shakespeare's Henry VI in a BBC television adaption of the play in 1983.

Former Heartbeat co-star Steven Blakeley, who played PC Geoff Younger in the show, was among those to pay tribute.

There would "never be another like you - talented, kind and gentle in equal measure", said Blakeley.

Lisa Kay, who played the character of Emma Bryden, wrote on Twitter: "He was always a total gentleman and great fun to work with. He was dearly loved and shall be missed terribly by his Heartbeat family."

And Fiona Dolman, who played PC Mike Bradley's solicitor wife, Jackie, paid tribute to a "kind, funny, brilliant, gentle and deliciously sarcastic" man.

Heartbeat, which ran until 2010, was one of ITV's top-rated dramas in its heyday, drawing about 14 million viewers in the first series.

 

Actor

Casualty (1986)

Casualty

6.1

TV Series

Stan Law

Trevor Lambert

2011–2013

2 episodes

 

Nick Berry in Heartbeat (1992)

Heartbeat

6.9

TV Series

Bernie Scripps

1995–2009

235 episodes

 

Pigeon Post

Short

Taxi Driver

2006

 

The Royal (2003)

The Royal

7.5

TV Series

Bernie Scripps

2003

1 episode

 

David Jason in A Touch of Frost (1992)

A Touch of Frost

7.9

TV Series

Bernard

Bernard Elliott

1994–1999

2 episodes

 

John Gielgud, Helena Bonham Carter, Rutger Hauer, Sam Neill, Miranda Richardson, Martin Short, and Lena Headey in Merlin (1998)

Merlin

7.1

TV Mini Series

1st Architect

1998

2 episodes

 

Colin Blumenau, Nula Conwell, Peter Ellis, Trudie Goodwin, Jon Iles, Gary Olsen, Eric Richard, John Salthouse, Tony Scannell, Jeff Stewart, Mark Wingett, and Delia Swan in The Bill (1984)

The Bill

6.7

TV Series

'Eyes'

Don Letts

Johnny ...

1989–1996

5 episodes

 

The Chief (1990)

The Chief

7.0

TV Series

Arthur Dolland

1995

1 episode

 

Peak Practice (1993)

Peak Practice

6.4

TV Series

Terry Alston

1995

1 episode

 

Requiem Apache (1994)

Requiem Apache

8.3

TV Movie

Priest

1994

 

Peter Adamson, Jean Alexander, Johnny Briggs, Margot Bryant, and Doris Speed in Coronation Street (1960)

Coronation Street

5.6

TV Series

Mr. Murdoch

1994

2 episodes

 

Ewan McGregor in Scarlet and Black (1993)

Scarlet and Black

6.9

TV Series

Monsieur de Moirod

1993

1 episode

 

Ian McShane in Lovejoy (1986)

Lovejoy

7.8

TV Series

Peter Farquar

1993

1 episode

 

Paul Merton in Paul Merton: The Series (1991)

Paul Merton: The Series

7.7

TV Series

1993

1 episode

 

Rumpole of the Bailey (1978)

Rumpole of the Bailey

8.4

TV Series

Walter 'The Wally' Wilkinson

1992

1 episode

 

Nice Town (1992)

Nice Town

7.9

TV Mini Series

Gerald

1992

1 episode

 

Boys from the Bush (1991)

Boys from the Bush

8.2

TV Series

Albert

1992

3 episodes

 

Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie in Jeeves and Wooster (1990)

Jeeves and Wooster

8.5

TV Series

Mr. Rowbotham

1992

1 episode

 

Screen Two (1985)

Screen Two

6.3

TV Series

Dr. Gares

Peggram

1985–1992

2 episodes

 

Specials (1991)

Specials

TV Series

Piggott

1991

1 episode

 

The Sharp End

8.4

TV Mini Series

Henry Lomax

1991

1 episode

 

Perfect Scoundrels (1990)

Perfect Scoundrels

6.3

TV Series

Huber

1991

1 episode

 

Peter Davison, Carol Drinkwater, Robert Hardy, and Christopher Timothy in All Creatures Great and Small (1978)

All Creatures Great and Small

8.4

TV Series

Bernard Wain

1988–1990

2 episodes

 

Hit the Pitch

TV Movie

Hector

1989

 

Mr. Majeika (1988)

Mr. Majeika

7.4

TV Series

Dennis Potion (uncredited)

1988

1 episode

 

Eve Matheson and Benedict Taylor in Vanity Fair (1987)

Vanity Fair

8.0

TV Series

Rev. Binny

1987

1 episode

 

Edward Petherbridge in A Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery (1987)

A Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery

8.2

TV Series

Perkins

1987

3 episodes

 

Albion Market (1985)

Albion Market

5.3

TV Series

Larry Rigg

1985–1986

90 episodes

 

Summer Season (1985)

Summer Season

6.5

TV Series

Dad

1985

1 episode

 

Stephanie Cole in Tenko (1981)

Tenko

8.5

TV Series

Jim

1984

1 episode

 

Danger: Marmalade at Work (1984)

Danger: Marmalade at Work

7.3

TV Series

Captain Jitters

1984

1 episode

 

Events in a Museum

TV Movie

Timothy Leeward

1983

 

Rowan Atkinson in Blackadder (1982)

Blackadder

8.0

TV Series

Henry VII

1983

1 episode

 

Paul McGann, Colin Baker, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, William Hartnell, Sylvester McCoy, Jon Pertwee, and Patrick Troughton in Doctor Who (1963)

Doctor Who

8.4

TV Series

Bor

1983

3 episodes

 

Live from Pebble Mill

TV Series

Sniffer

1983

1 episode

 

Ron Cook in Richard III (1983)

Richard III

8.2

TV Movie

King Henry VI

1983

 

Brian Protheroe in The Third Part of Henry the Sixth (1983)

The Third Part of Henry the Sixth

8.0

TV Movie

Henry VI

1983

 

The Second Part of Henry the Sixth (1983)

The Second Part of Henry the Sixth

7.5

TV Movie

King Henry VI

1983

 

Brenda Blethyn in The First Part of Henry the Sixth (1983)

The First Part of Henry the Sixth

7.3

TV Movie

King Henry VI

1983

 

BBC2 Playhouse (1973)

BBC2 Playhouse

6.8

TV Series

Lenny

1982

1 episode

 

Adolfo Celi, Oliver Cotton, and Anne-Louise Lambert in The Borgias (1981)

The Borgias

7.4

TV Mini Series

Gaspare Pato

1981

5 episodes

 

Great Expectations (1981)

Great Expectations

6.9

TV Mini Series

Mr. Wopsle

1981

4 episodes

 

The Winter's Tale (1981)

The Winter's Tale

7.2

TV Movie

Clown's Servant

1981

 

The Little World of Don Camillo (1981)

The Little World of Don Camillo

7.8

TV Series

Straziami

1981

1 episode

 

Pippa Guard in Maria Marten or Murder in the Red Barn (1980)

Maria Marten or Murder in the Red Barn

TV Series

Jack Corder

1980

3 episodes

 

Hawk the Slayer (1980)

Hawk the Slayer

5.3

Black Wizard

1980

 

The Good Companions (1980)

The Good Companions

8.5

TV Mini Series

Willy

1980

1 episode

 

The Enigma Files (1980)

The Enigma Files

7.2

TV Series

Mr. Borrit

1980

1 episode

 

The BBC Television Shakespeare (1978)

The BBC Television Shakespeare

8.0

TV Series

Second Gravedigger

1980

1 episode

 

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (1980)

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

8.0

TV Movie

Second Gravedigger

1980

 

The Dybbuk

TV Movie

Berl

1980

 

Company and Co

5.4

TV Series

Nigel

1980

1 episode

 

Saint Joan

TV Movie

The Dauphin

1979

 

Tess (1979)

Tess

7.3

Religious Fanatic (uncredited)

1979

 

The Dancing Princesses (1978)

The Dancing Princesses

7.4

TV Movie

A Shoemaker

1978

 

Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland, and Lesley-Anne Down in The Great Train Robbery (1978)

The Great Train Robbery

6.9

Station Despatcher

1978

 

BBC2 Play of the Week (1977)

BBC2 Play of the Week

7.4

TV Series

Arnold

1978

1 episode

 

The Sailor's Return (1978)

The Sailor's Return

6.9

Charlie Nye

1978

 

Born and Bred (1978)

Born and Bred

7.1

TV Series

Spanish waiter

1978

1 episode

 

Tim Curry in Will Shakespeare (1978)

Will Shakespeare

7.6

TV Mini Series

Peter Phipps

1978

1 episode

 

Brian Cox in The Devil's Crown (1978)

The Devil's Crown

8.0

TV Series

Blondel

1978

3 episodes

 

The Shout (1978)

The Shout

6.6

Harry the Shepherd

1978

 

Esther Waters

7.2

TV Series

Patient

1977

1 episode

 

Trinity Tales (1975)

Trinity Tales

8.7

TV Series

Reuben

1975

3 episodes

 

Churchill's People (1974)

Churchill's People

5.6

TV Series

Robert Hooke, MA

1975

1 episode

 

Second City Firsts (1973)

Second City Firsts

5.8

TV Series

Mack

1975

1 episode

 

What Next? (1974)

What Next?

6.8

1974

 

Cry of the Banshee (1970)

Cry of the Banshee

5.5

Brander

1970

 

Putney Swope (1969)

Putney Swope

6.8

Mr. Jingle

1969