George Sewell

• Name — George Sewell • Born — 31 August 1924 • Birthplace — Hoxton, London, England • Died — 2 April 2007 • Place of death — London, England • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1963–2006 • Children — 1

The son of a Hoxton printer and a florist, Sewell left school at the age of 14 and worked briefly in the printing trade before switching to building work, specifically the repair of bomb-damaged houses. He then trained as a Royal Air Force pilot, though too late to see action during the Second World War. Following his demob, Sewell joined the Merchant Navy. He worked for the Cunard Line as an oil trimmer in the engine rooms of the and during their Atlantic crossings to New York. He worked as a street photographer, assisted a French roller-skating team, and was drummer and assistant road manager of a rumba band. He also travelled Europe as a motor coach courier for a holiday company.

Sewell had not considered acting until, aged 35, he met the actor Dudley Sutton by chance in a pub. Sutton recommended that Sewell audition for a production by Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop of Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be. Sewell made his acting debut as a policeman in the show both at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East and in the West End. He went on to star in two other Littlewood productions, Sparrers Can't Sing (1962) and as Field Marshal Haig in Oh, What a Lovely War! (1963), which later opened in Paris and on Broadway.

For many years, Sewell was the gritty face of crime and law enforcement in a huge array of television series. Amongst his early roles, he was the tallyman in the television play Up The Junction (1965), a criminal who runs off with a teenage girl in Softly, Softly (1966), a hard-nosed building engineer in The Power Game (1965–66), a cowardly informer in Man in a Suitcase (1967), and a seedy private eye in Spindoe (1968). In 1969 he played escaped convict Jansen in the Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) episode "Vendetta for a Dead Man". In 1970, he played Colonel Alec Freeman in Gerry Anderson's live-action science-fiction drama UFO. Also in 1970 he played resistance leader Pierre Allard in three episodes of the ITV series Manhunt – 14 (“One Way Home”), 17 (“The Ugly Side of War”) and 22 (“Intent to Steal”), which were filmed in 1969 and aired in January 1970. He appeared in a 1971 episode of Public Eye (“Come Into the Garden, Rose”) as Harry Brierly. In 1973, Euston Films re-invigorated the TV series Special Branch, formerly a videotaped series starring Derren Nesbitt. Sewell was brought in to play lead character DCI Alan Craven. The show ran for two seasons with Sewell, and served as a stylistic forerunner of crime drama The Sweeney (in which Sewell also appeared, this time as a villain). Sewell parodied this role as Supt Frank Cottam in the Jasper Carrott/Robert Powell comedy, The Detectives. He played a Detective Baker who turned out to be a burglar in the Rising Damp episode “The Prowler”. He played Ray Walker in Heartbeat (series 9 episode 20).

Later television appearances include Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979), in which he played Mendel, and the Doctor Who story Remembrance of the Daleks (1988), in which he played builder's merchant and fascist leader Ratcliffe. He appeared frequently in films, notably This Sporting Life (1963), Poor Cow (1967) and Get Carter (1971). He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1973 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews while filming scenes for the TV series Special Branch.

His brother, Danny Sewell, a former boxer, also became an actor. George Sewell died from cancer on 2 April 2007 at the age of 82.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1965 — 3 Clear Sundays — Johnny May • 1965-1967 — Z-Cars — Det. Insp. Brogan/Joe Carter/Harris — 9 episodes • 1969 — The Expert — Louis Scammell — Episode: Protection • Public Eye — Jakeman — Episode: "Welcome to Brighton?" • 1970 — Dr. Finlay's Casebook — Duncan Bradley — Episode: "A Good Prospect" • Manhunt — Pierre Allard — 3 episodes • Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) — Eric Jansen — Episode: "Vendetta for a Dead Man" • 1970-1971 — Paul Temple — Sammy Carson — 11 episodes • UFO — Col. Alec Freeman — 17 episodes • 1971 — Public Eye — Harry Brierly — Episode: "Come Into the Garden Rose" • 1972 — Home and Away — Winslow Scott — 7 episodes • Man at the Top — Henry Webster — 2 episodes • 1973-1974 — Special Branch — Det. Chief Insp. Alan Craven — 26 episodes • 1975 — Churchill's People — Colonel Michelburn — Episode: "The Derry Boys" • The Main Chance — Henry Kenton — Episode: "Survival" • Rising Damp — Baker — Episode: "The Prowler" • Some Mothers Do 'Ave' Em — Wheeler — Episode: "Learning to Drive" • 1977 — Don't Forget to Write! — Pierre — Episode: "Going Up in the World" • 1978 — The Sweeney — Vic Tolman — Episode: "Bait" • 1979 — Running Blind — Slade — 3 episodes • Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy — Mendel — 7 episodes • 1980 — The Gentle Touch — Dave Connally — 3 episodes • 1982 — The Chinese Detective — Jack Longmann — Episode: "Wheels Between Wheels" • Minder — Frank — Episode: "Rembrandt Doesn't Live Here Any More" • 1982-1983 — Andy Robson — Peter Mueller — 6 episodes • 1984 — Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense — Det. Inspector Grant — Episode: Mark of the Devil • 1985 — Bleak House — Ironmaster Rouncewell — 2 episodes • Bulman — Harry Scroop — Episode: "The Name of the Game" • C.A.T.S. Eyes — Charlie Hammond — Episode: "Love Byte" • 1987-1990 — Home James! — Robert Palmer — 25 episodes • 1988 — Doctor Who — George Ratcliffe — Serial: "Remembrance of the Daleks" • 1993 — The Upper Hand — George Carver — Episode: "Minder" • 1993-1997 — The Detectives — Superintendent Cottam — 29 episodes • 1994-2005 — The Bill — Ron Davies/ Bill Pavey/ Ex DSC Charles Bennett — 3 episodes • 2000 — Heartbeat — Ray Walker — Episode: "Against the Odds" • 2000-2002 — Harry and the Wrinklies — 'Huggy' Bear — 8 episodes • 2006 — Casualty — George Barron — Episode: "Needle" (final role)