Cast Remembered

I think that some reference to an actors departure could have been made in a humourous short sentence rather than something morbid. For example, Billy Hardcastle could have accidentally shot himself with his bow and arrow whilst working on a boomerang prototype arrow. Wesley could have disappeared whilst trying to renovate the Number 14 bus. Crusher could have left to go to a film studio for another production of Superman and Nora could have had the lead part in a remake of 'The Sound Of Music'. I'm sure that you can think up some funny departures. I bet that if our lost friends can see us they will be happy to be remembered with a smile.
Can you think of one? :redface2:
 
Sarkus said:
There is an episode in the Seymour years where Compo says he dated a Cyril once. I like to think it was a reference to Blamire!



Crusher's last appearance was in "Big Day at Dream Acres" and he didn't appear in the following series, with "Crums" airing a year later. Based on Bell's book, my guess would be that maybe he and Clarke thought Jonathan Linsley might return at some point and were keeping their options open for that to happen.



Edie makes a reference to him in Series 24, which was Thora Hird's final series. She doesn't say his name, but makes a passing reference to him along the lines of "mine was like that" with a little smile.

On a related note, I've always wondered if any effort was made to get any of the past cast members still alive to make at least cameo appearances in "A Small Funeral." Imagine if they had simply panned the church and some of them had been present. It would have been a very powerful scene. But Bell never really talks about that so who knows.
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The main point of Crusher's character was his size. Well, Jonathan Linsley had lost a lot of weight, so there wasn't any way he could appear as Crusher. But yes, he could have just been in the church during the funeral. Who knows why some of these decisions are made. Maybe it was the Suits.
 
I think Alan Bell worked on Andrew Wilde who worked on the series and was Brian's son to persuade his dad to come back for the funeral episode as Foggy but he couldn't be persuaded. I've read lots of things about Brian and the series and they all seem to depict him as a bit of a Prima donna which is nothing like his character in the show
 
Barrychuckle said:
I think Alan Bell worked on Andrew Wilde who worked on the series and was Brian's son to persuade his dad to come back for the funeral episode as Foggy but he couldn't be persuaded. I've read lots of things about Brian and the series and they all seem to depict him as a bit of a Prima donna which is nothing like his character in the show
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I hadn't heard that story but in his book Bell says Wilde agreed at one point in the early 2000s to make a guest appearance but quickly changed his mind. It's an odd thing for Bell to talk about because in the book his previous reference to Wilde is pretty negative pertaining to his departure and the circumstances around it. Bell doesn't bother to explain how he went from basically firing Wilde to wanting him to return as a guest star a few years later.
 
Adanor said:
The main point of Crusher's character was his size. Well, Jonathan Linsley had lost a lot of weight, so there wasn't any way he could appear as Crusher. But yes, he could have just been in the church during the funeral. Who knows why some of these decisions are made. Maybe it was the Suits.
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Yeah, I'm aware of Linsley's weight loss. Bell covers the whole thing in his book, for example. I just wonder if they never officially bothered writing Crusher out because they thought maybe Linsley's weight loss would be temporary and figured he might return. Or, since Bell talks about considering using a "fat suit" for Linsley (which Kathy Staff used for Nora), maybe he thought they could figure out a way to make that work.

As with a lot of things, unless some more people start talking (like Clarke writes a detailed memoir at some point or Tom Owen talks more about what his father's final days were like) we probably will never know the full story.
 
Sarkus said:
I hadn't heard that story but in his book Bell says Wilde agreed at one point in the early 2000s to make a guest appearance but quickly changed his mind. It's an odd thing for Bell to talk about because in the book his previous reference to Wilde is pretty negative pertaining to his departure and the circumstances around it. Bell doesn't bother to explain how he went from basically firing Wilde to wanting him to return as a guest star a few years later.
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From very briefly meeting Alan Bell I saw his passion for the series and I knew he recognised Brians amazing understated acting ability. So I'm surmising he put his own difficulties with Brian behind the greater good of the series and invited him back. I know we love the Foggy character but from the numerous reading I've done from those involved in the production I feel was he was extremely tallented but very difficult and often unpleasant to work with.
 
Barrychuckle said:
From very briefly meeting Alan Bell I saw his passion for the series and I knew he recognised Brians amazing understated acting ability. So I'm surmising he put his own difficulties with Brian behind the greater good of the series and invited him back. I know we love the Foggy character but from the numerous reading I've done from those involved in the production I feel was he was extremely tallented but very difficult and often unpleasant to work with.
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I read that Bill Owen could be hard work at times too.
 
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