Barry Jackson obituary
He was not on the list.
The actor Barry Jackson, who has died aged 75, was a staple of British television for more than 50 years but it was not until he was in his 60s that he earned a degree of stardom, thanks to his portrayal of the pathologist Dr George Bullard in 76 episodes (1997-2011) of the popular mystery series Midsomer Murders.
Bullard, the friend of local inspector Tom Barnaby (John Nettles), is called in whenever a murder victim is found, which happens in each feature-length episode. "It's always good when I get more to say than 'He died at 11pm'," Jackson remarked. "I try to be as real as possible, though I call the show pantomime crime, not true crime. That's its appeal – everyone gets bludgeoned to death but there's something quite old-fashioned and harmless about it."
From the plots of Midsomer Murders, you would think that middle-English villages were exceedingly dangerous places, populated to a large degree by homicidal psychopaths. In 2008, Jackson, in the guise of Bullard, hosted a tongue-in-cheek documentary called Surviving Midsomer: An Insider's Guide, detailing dangerous English places and events, such as the woods and village fetes, to avoid.
Jackson was born in Birmingham. His father worked as a metal pattern-maker for the British Motor Corporation at Longbridge. Despite having no theatrical background, his parents named him after Sir Barry Jackson, the locally born theatre director and founder of the Birmingham Repertory theatre. He worked at the old Rep in 1954, aged 16, as a stagehand when Sir Barry was still there. "I don't think he quite approved of another Barry Jackson working there," he later recalled.
Jackson went to King Edward VI Five Ways grammar school and to rid him of his Brummie accent, his parents sent him for elocution lessons. Aged nine, he did radio broadcasts for Children's Hour from the Broad Street studios and, as soon as he got his O-levels, he moved to London to become an actor.
At the age of 22, Jackson began his long career on television in the role of the Earl of Surrey in the BBC's prestigious An Age of Kings (1960), the cycle of Shakespeare's English history plays. He continued in a number of sword-carrying parts for a few years. Not getting very far as a performer, Jackson, who had also studied and taught martial arts, became a fight director and stuntman under the name Jack Barry. In this guise he worked on nine episodes of the adventure series Adam Adamant Lives! (1966), starring Gerald Harper as the swashbuckling Edwardian gentleman-hero returning from the dead into the swinging 60s.
He gave up stunt work in 1970 but came out of retirement in 1985 to do a film with Liam Neeson, Malcolm McDowell and Edward Woodward, called Arthur the King. "It was rubbish," he commented.
As an actor, Jackson began slowly but surely to get better roles on television in the 70s, such as Detective Sergeant Bickford in several episodes of the police drama Z Cars (1971). He also had parts in Ken Loach's Cathy Come Home (1966), as a rent collector, and in the first series of Doctor Who (1965), returning in 1979 in The Armageddon Factor as Drax, a time-travelling companion of Tom Baker (the fourth Doctor).
At the same time, he appeared in a few feature films, mainly in uniform, as a "Brummie gunner" in The Bofors Gun (1968); in David Lean's Ryan's Daughter (1970); in Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon (1975); and as an RAF pilot in Aces High (1976). Jackson's sole leading role was in the low-budget bittersweet comedy Mister Love (1985), set in Southport. Jackson is charming as the mild-mannered, middle-aged council gardener who has a surprisingly lively love life.
By way of Crown Court (1973), Hard Cases (1988-89) and Three Seven Eleven (1993) on television, Jackson arrived at Midsomer Murders in 1997 and remained until 2011, when he was replaced by a new forensic scientist, Tamzin Malleson. On leaving the show, Jackson expressed his view that it was getting too saucy.
Jackson is survived by his third wife, Denise, and six children, Aubrey, Kate, Anna, Lucy, Kirsten and Andy.
Actor (147 credits)
2012 The Wedding Video
Des
2005-2012 Doctors (TV Series)
Harry Newell / George Arnett / Gordon Alexander / ...
- A Broad Church (2012) ... Harry Newell
- Martha Loves George (2010) ... George Arnett
- Amnesiac (2007) ... Gordon Alexander
- The Girl Who Came Back (2005) ... Robert Ellen
2011 Foster
Tom Jenkins
1997-2011 Midsomer Murders (TV Series)
Dr. George Bullard
- The Oblong Murders (2011) ... Dr. George Bullard
- Echoes of the Dead (2011) ... Dr. George Bullard
- Dark Secrets (2011) ... Dr. George Bullard
- Death in the Slow Lane (2011) ... Dr. George Bullard
- Fit for Murder (2011) ... Dr. George Bullard
2009 Toscanini in His Own Words (TV Movie)
Arturo Toscanini
2008 Section 44 (Short)
Interrogator 1
1994-2006 Heartbeat (TV Series)
Jim Hobson / Eli Parker / Harold Jenkins
- Risky Business (2006) ... Jim Hobson
- The Dear Departed (2004) ... Eli Parker
- Trouble in Mind (1994) ... Harold Jenkins
2005 Derailed (TV Movie)
Denman Groves
2004 Wimbledon
Danny Oldham
2004 Holby City (TV Series)
Ken Jones
- Letting Go (2004) ... Ken Jones
1991-2003 The Bill (TV Series)
Gordon Peploe / John Attard / Richard Baines / ...
- 151: Hallmark Moment (2003) ... Gordon Peploe
- The Jury's Out (2001) ... John Attard
- Butting In (1996) ... Richard Baines
- The Greater Good (1991) ... Ralf Morgan
2003 Thursday the 12th (TV Movie)
Constituency Secretary
1994-2002 A Touch of Frost (TV Series)
Walter / Walter Peters
- Mistaken Identity: Part 2 (2002) ... Walter
- Mistaken Identity: Part 1 (2002) ... Walter
- Nothing to Hide (1994) ... Walter Peters
2002 Micawber (TV Series)
Vicar
- Micawber and the Aristocracy (2002) ... Vicar
1997-2001 Bernard's Watch (TV Series)
Grandad / Grandad Beasley
- A Pool Time (2001) ... Grandad
- A Worrying Time (2001) ... Grandad
- Running on Time (2001) ... Grandad
- Doing Time (2001) ... Grandad
- Alien Times (2001) ... Grandad
2001 The Fourth Angel
Tarnowner
1998 Birds of a Feather (TV Series)
George
- Nuptials (1998) ... George
1998 Kavanagh QC (TV Series)
Depp
- Briefs Trooping Gaily (1998) ... Depp
1997 Wokenwell (TV Series)
Lennie Crowe
- Episode #1.6 (1997) ... Lennie Crowe
1997 Backup (TV Series)
Doctor Flynn
- Touched (1997) ... Doctor Flynn
1997 Silent Witness (TV Series)
Terence Cross
- Blood, Sweat and Tears: Part 2 (1997) ... Terence Cross
- Blood, Sweat and Tears: Part 1 (1997) ... Terence Cross
1996 Ellington (TV Series)
Sam Goodwin
- Matchmaker (1996) ... Sam Goodwin
1995 Peak Practice (TV Series)
Gordon Wright
- Fighting Chance (1995) ... Gordon Wright
1994 Wycliffe (TV Series)
Alexander Greaves
- The Pea Green Boat (1994) ... Alexander Greaves
1993-1994 Three Seven Eleven (TV Series)
Alfred Bayfield / Grandad Bayfield
- Episode #2.10 (1994) ... Alfred Bayfield
- Episode #2.5 (1994) ... Alfred Bayfield
- Episode #2.4 (1994) ... Alfred Bayfield
- Episode #2.3 (1994) ... Alfred Bayfield
- Episode #2.2 (1994) ... Grandad Bayfield
1984-1994 Minder (TV Series)
Brian / Mournful
- The Great Depression of 1994 (1994) ... Brian
- If Money Be the Food of Love, Play On (1984) ... Mournful
1994 The Chief (TV Series)
Cmdr. Jim Keegan
- Episode #4.1 (1994) ... Cmdr. Jim Keegan
1993 Bad Company (TV Movie)
Douglas Draycott Q.C.
1992 Growing Rich (TV Movie)
Alan
1992 Kinsey (TV Series)
Councillor Sutton
- The Waste Watchers (1992) ... Councillor Sutton
1992 Growing Rich (TV Series)
Alan
- Episode #1.6 (1992) ... Alan
- Episode #1.5 (1992) ... Alan
- Episode #1.4 (1992) ... Alan
- Episode #1.3 (1992) ... Alan
- Episode #1.2 (1992) ... Alan
1991 Stay Lucky (TV Series)
Detective Inspector Dove
- Poetic Justice (1991) ... Detective Inspector Dove
1991 Palmer (TV Movie)
Donald
1990 The Tale of Little Pig Robinson (TV Movie)
Stumpy
1990 Casualty (TV Series)
Prison Officer Barratt
- A Will to Die (1990) ... Prison Officer Barratt
1990 Bergerac (TV Series)
DCI Kinsey
- My Name's Sergeant Bergerac (1990) ... DCI Kinsey
1990 Little Sir Nicholas (TV Series)
Nolan
- Episode #1.1 (1990) ... Nolan
1989 Screen One (TV Series)
Ted Sangster
- Blore M.P. (1989) ... Ted Sangster
1980-1989 All Creatures Great and Small (TV Series)
Mr Dowson / Ken Billings
- Blood and Water (1989) ... Mr Dowson
- Matters of Life and Death (1980) ... Ken Billings
1988-1989 Hard Cases (TV Series)
Jack Seymour
- Episode #2.7 (1989) ... Jack Seymour
- Episode #2.6 (1989) ... Jack Seymour
- Episode #2.5 (1989) ... Jack Seymour
- Episode #2.4 (1989) ... Jack Seymour
- Episode #2.3 (1989) ... Jack Seymour
1989 Screenplay (TV Series)
Otto Hansen
- The Act (1989) ... Otto Hansen
1987 Our Geoff (TV Movie)
Bryan
1987 1914 All Out (TV Movie)
Arthur Hayworth
1987 Fortunes of War (TV Mini Series)
McCann
- The Balkans: September 1939 (1987) ... McCann
1986 The Great Paper Chase (TV Movie)
Hitchen
1986 Lovejoy (TV Series)
Inspector Maslow
- The Firefly Cage (1986) ... Inspector Maslow
1985 Mr. Love
Donald Lovelace
1985 Them and Us (TV Series)
Clerk of Court
- Wagging It (1985) ... Clerk of Court
- Cannibal (1985) ... Clerk of Court
- Caesar's Snarl (1985) ... Clerk of Court
- Firebug (1985) ... Clerk of Court
- Flash-Point (1985) ... Clerk of Court
1984 The Shooting Party
Weir
1983 Pride of our Alley (TV Movie)
Archie Pitt
1983 Androcles and the Lion (TV Movie)
The Editor
1982 Schoolgirl Chums (TV Movie)
Colonel Dayne / The Chauffeur
1982 The Gentle Touch (TV Series)
Moodie
- The Meat Rack (1982) ... Moodie
1982 Into the Labyrinth (TV Series)
Bedivere
- Excalibur (1982) ... Bedivere
1982 BBC2 Playhouse (TV Series)
Neil
- Chains (1982) ... Neil
1982 Horace (TV Series)
Horace
- Horace and the Great Outdoors (1982) ... Horace
- Horace Steps Out (1982) ... Horace
- Horace Finds a Friend (1982) ... Horace
- Horace Takes Charge (1982) ... Horace
- Horace Picks a Winner (1982) ... Horace
1981 Smuggler (TV Mini Series)
Taggart
- In at the Death (1981) ... Taggart
1981 The Crucible (TV Movie)
Ezekiel Cheever
1981 Cribb (TV Series)
Matthew Scott
- The Last Trumpet (1981) ... Matthew Scott
1981 The Bunker (TV Movie)
Krebs
1981 The Good Companions (TV Mini Series)
Monte Mortimer
- Salvage Work (1981) ... Monte Mortimer
1980 Enemy at the Door (TV Series)
Det. Sgt. Corbett
- Post Mortem (1980) ... Det. Sgt. Corbett
1979 Premiere (TV Series)
SS officer
- Over There (1979) ... SS officer
1979 Churchill and the Generals (TV Movie)
Clement Attlee
1979 Turning Year Tales (TV Series)
Jackie's Dad
- The Essay (1979) ... Jackie's Dad
1965-1979 Doctor Who (TV Series)
Drax / Jeff Garvey / Ascaris
- The Armageddon Factor: Part Six (1979) ... Drax
- The Armageddon Factor: Part Five (1979) ... Drax
- Mission to the Unknown (1965) ... Jeff Garvey
- The Exploding Planet (1965) ... Jeff Garvey
- All Roads Lead to Rome (1965) ... Ascaris
1968-1979 BBC Play of the Month (TV Series)
Andrei / Burglar / Gai / ...
- Marya (1979) ... Andrei
- Heartbreak House (1977) ... Burglar
- The Love Girl and the Innocent (1973) ... Gai
- The Parachute (1968) ... Koepfer
1978 Anne Hughes' Diary (TV Movie)
John Hughes
1978 The Sailor's Return
Carrier
1978 Coronation Street (TV Series)
Mr. Garfield
- Episode #1.1846 (1978) ... Mr. Garfield
- Episode #1.1845 (1978) ... Mr. Garfield
- Episode #1.1844 (1978) ... Mr. Garfield
- Episode #1.1843 (1978) ... Mr. Garfield
1976-1978 The Onedin Line (TV Series)
Avery / Cringle
- Stand by to Go About (1978) ... Avery
- A Clear Conscience (1976) ... Cringle
1978 ITV Playhouse (TV Series)
Barry Kelly
- Forty Weeks (1978) ... Barry Kelly
1978 The Professionals (TV Series)
Bob
- Stake Out (1978) ... Bob
1978 Life at Stake (TV Series)
Robert
- Mayday for Pisces III (1978) ... Robert
1978 Blake's 7 (TV Series)
Dr. Kendall
- Mission to Destiny (1978) ... Dr. Kendall
1973-1977 Crown Court (TV Series)
Edward Bennington / William Truscott / Brian Steerforth / ...
- An Upward Fall: Part 1 (1977) ... Brian Steerforth
- Ends and Means: Part 1 (1976) ... Det. Insp. Pritchard
- No Smoke Without Fire: Part 3 (1973) ... Edward Bennington
- No Smoke Without Fire: Part 2 (1973) ... Edward Bennington
- No Smoke Without Fire: Part 1 (1973) ... Edward Bennington
1977 Secret Army (TV Series)
Lock-Keeper
- Identity in Doubt (1977) ... Lock-Keeper
1977 The Mackinnons (TV Series)
Charlie Fletcher
- In the Public Interest (1977) ... Charlie Fletcher
1977 The Glitterball
Mr. Fielding
1976 The Morning Spider (Short)
Caterpillar
1976 The New Avengers (TV Series)
John Cledge
- To Catch a Rat (1976) ... John Cledge
1976 Victorian Scandals (TV Series)
George Lewis
- The Fruits of Philosophy (1976) ... George Lewis
1976 Aces High
Joyce
1975-1976 Poldark (TV Series)
Charlie Kempthorne
- Episode #1.14 (1976) ... Charlie Kempthorne
- Episode #1.13 (1975) ... Charlie Kempthorne
1975 Barry Lyndon
British Soldier
1975 Moll Flanders (TV Movie)
William Stubbs
1975 Oil Strike North (TV Series)
Tom Lawler
- Workhorse (1975) ... Tom Lawler
1975 Churchill's People (TV Series)
George Loveless
- True Patriots All (1975) ... George Loveless
1962-1975 Z Cars (TV Series)
Det. Sgt. Bickford / Reg Henshaw / Boyce / ...
- Snouts (1975) ... Boyce
- Prevention: Part 2 (1971) ... Det. Sgt. Bickford
- Prevention: Part 1 (1971) ... Det. Sgt. Bickford
- Calling the Tune: Part 2 (1967) ... Reg Henshaw
- Calling the Tune: Part 1 (1967) ... Reg Henshaw
1974 South Riding (TV Mini Series)
Stanley Dollan
- The Number of Our Days (1974) ... Stanley Dollan
1974 Armchair Cinema (TV Series)
Morton
- Regan (1974) ... Morton
1967-1974 Dixon of Dock Green (TV Series)
Joe / Bobby Brown / Roy Sharp
- A Sense of Guilt (1974) ... Joe
- Bobby (1969) ... Bobby Brown
- Six Till Two (1967) ... Roy Sharp
1974 The Magical World of Disney (TV Series)
Wheeler
- Diamonds on Wheels: Part 3 (1974) ... Wheeler
- Diamonds on Wheels: Part 2 (1974) ... Wheeler
- Diamonds on Wheels: Part 1 (1974) ... Wheeler
1974 Orson Welles' Great Mysteries (TV Series)
Gurney
- Ice Storm (1974) ... Gurney
1973 The Adventures of Black Beauty (TV Series)
Ben Potter
- Pocket Money (1973) ... Ben Potter
1969-1973 Softly Softly: Task Force (TV Series)
Bertie Cooper / Frank Mason / Outwood
- No Way (1973) ... Bertie Cooper
- The Easy Job (1972) ... Frank Mason
- Exercise (1969) ... Outwood
1973 Diamonds on Wheels (TV Movie)
Wheeler
1973 New Scotland Yard (TV Series)
Micky Green
- Where's Harry? (1973) ... Micky Green
1973 Armchair 30 (TV Series)
The waiter
- Miss Fanshaw's Story (1973) ... The waiter
1973 Special Branch (TV Series)
Workman
- A Copper Called Craven (1973) ... Workman
1972 Harriet's Back in Town (TV Series)
Roy Smart
- Episode #1.10 (1972) ... Roy Smart
- Episode #1.9 (1972) ... Roy Smart
- Episode #1.8 (1972) ... Roy Smart
- Episode #1.7 (1972) ... Roy Smart
1972 The Frighteners (TV Series)
Driver
- You Remind Me of Someone (1972) ... Driver
1972 Man at the Top (TV Series)
Ron Dickinson
- All Very Hush, Hush (1972) ... Ron Dickinson
1972 Doomwatch (TV Series)
Dr. McEwan
- Hair Trigger (1972) ... Dr. McEwan
1972 Spy Trap (TV Series)
Nicky
- The Executioner: Part 4 (1972) ... Nicky
- The Executioner: Part 3 (1972) ... Nicky
- The Executioner: Part 2 (1972) ... Nicky
- The Executioner: Part 1 (1972) ... Nicky
1972 Horace (TV Movie)
Horace
1972 Suspicion (TV Series)
Nobby
- Nobby's Turn (1972) ... Nobby
1971 Mogul (TV Series)
Ted Lacock
- We and Them (1971) ... Ted Lacock
1971 A Family at War (TV Series)
Charles Gould
- The Lucky Ones (1971) ... Charles Gould
1968-1971 Public Eye (TV Series)
Stock / Tom Pedmore
- John VII. Verse 24 (1971) ... Stock
- There's No Future in Monkey Business (1968) ... Tom Pedmore
1971 Scene (TV Series)
- Clean Sweep (1971)
1971 Paul Temple (TV Series)
Stephen Lamb
- Night Train (1971) ... Stephen Lamb
1971 Long Ago, Tomorrow
Bill
1970 Ryan's Daughter
Corporal
1969/I Alfred the Great
Wulfstan
1966-1969 The Wednesday Play (TV Series)
Cossack / John Black / Rent Collector
- Sling Your Hook (1969) ... Cossack
- Mrs. Lawrence Will Look After It (1968) ... John Black
- Cathy Come Home (1966) ... Rent Collector
1968 Tom Grattan's War (TV Series)
Peter Schindler
- The Secret Boat (1968) ... Peter Schindler
- The Prisoner (1968) ... Peter Schindler
1968 The Bofors Gun
Shone
1967 Thirty-Minute Theatre (TV Series)
Ed
- The Metal Martyr (1967) ... Ed
1967 Inheritance (TV Series)
Warden
- Of Eros and of Dust (1967) ... Warden
1967 Boy Meets Girl (TV Series)
Andrei / Sid
- The Young Visitors (1967) ... Andrei
- The Raging Moon (1967) ... Sid
1967 Kenilworth (TV Mini Series)
Wayland Smith
- The Wrath of Lions (1967) ... Wayland Smith
- The Tide Turns (1967) ... Wayland Smith
- The Black Arts (1967) ... Wayland Smith
1967 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (TV Series)
Ted Barton
- The Croxley Master (1967) ... Ted Barton
1966 Softly Softly (TV Series)
Gilbert
- The Jackpot (1966) ... Gilbert
1966 Four People (TV Mini Series)
Prisoner #1
- St. Paul (1966) ... Prisoner #1
1966 Adam Adamant Lives! (TV Series)
Guard / Victor / 1st. Samurai / ...
- Ticket to Terror (1966) ... Guard (as Jack Barry)
- Beauty Is an Ugly Word (1966) ... Victor
- More Deadly Than the Sword (1966) ... 1st. Samurai (as Jack Barry)
- Death Has a Thousand Faces (1966) ... Executioner (uncredited)
1966 Armchair Theatre (TV Series)
Sid
- The Signal Box of Grandpa Hudson (1966) ... Sid
1966 The Witness (TV Movie)
Jean Nalliers
1966 Thirteen Against Fate (TV Series)
Jean Nalliers
- The Witness (1966) ... Jean Nalliers
1964-1966 Theatre 625 (TV Series)
Terry Poulter
- Focus (1966) ... (as Jack Barry)
- Portraits from the North: Bruno (1965) ... Terry Poulter
- Parade's End #3: A Man Could Stand Up (1964) ... (as Jack Barry)
1965 Strangler's Web
Morton Bray
1965 The Mask of Janus (TV Series)
Werner
- And the Fish Are Biting (1965) ... Werner
1965 The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre (TV Series)
Morton Bray
- Strangler's Web (1965) ... Morton Bray
1964 Catch Hand (TV Series)
David Johnson
- It's Only Bricks and Mortar (1964) ... David Johnson
1964 Festival (TV Series)
Herbert
- Trevor (1964) ... Herbert
1963 The Spread of the Eagle (TV Mini Series)
Soldier / Menecrates / Plebeian / ...
- Part Nine: The Monument (1963) ... Soldier
- Part Eight: The Alliance (1963)
- Part Seven: The Serpent (1963) ... Menecrates
- Part Six: The Revenge (1963) ... Soldier
- Part Five: The Fifteenth (1963) ... Plebeian
1963 The Desperate People (TV Series)
Andy Wilson
- Episode #1.6 (1963) ... Andy Wilson
- Episode #1.3 (1963) ... Andy Wilson
- Episode #1.1 (1963) ... Andy Wilson
1962 The Badger Game (TV Movie)
Tracey
1962 The Primitives
Messenger
1962 Television Club (TV Series)
Reporter
- The Wade Family: Stockford Evening Post (1962) ... Reporter
1961 A for Andromeda (TV Series)
1st Sentry / Sentry
- The Last Mystery (1961) ... 1st Sentry
- The Face of the Tiger (1961) ... Sentry
1961 Jack's Horrible Luck (TV Movie)
Billy
1961 On the Boundary (TV Movie)
Billy Wrentham
1961 People of Nowhere (TV Movie)
First German
1961 Girl on a Roof (TV Movie)
Reporter
1960 An Age of Kings (TV Mini Series)
Earl of Surrey / Michael
- Part Fifteen: The Boar Hunt (1960) ... Earl of Surrey
- Part Thirteen: The Sun in Splendour (1960)
- Part Twelve: The Morning's War (1960)
- Part Eleven: The Rabble from Kent (1960) ... Michael
- Part Nine: The Red Rose and the White (1960)
1960 BBC Sunday-Night Play (TV Series)
- Twentieth Century Theatre: The Insect Play (1960)
