| John Leeson | |
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| Born | John Francis Christopher Ducker March 1943 Leicester, England |
John Leeson (born March 1943 in Leicester, England) is a British actor who although having had a varied stage and television career spanning forty years including both work in repertory and West End productions including "Plaza Suite" (1969); "Flint" (1970) and "Don't Start Without Me" (1971) and character work across a wide range of 1970s television sitcoms including "Dad's Army", is best known for having played the voice of K-9 on the television series Doctor Who from 1977 to 1979, and again in the 1980–1981 season. Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works K-9, or K9, is the name of several fictional Robotic dogs in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. He was also seen on-screen as the character Dugeen during the serial The Power of Kroll. The Power of Kroll is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in
Tom Baker detested the character of K-9, but luckily got on very well with Leeson (when Leeson appeared on Tom Baker's edition of This Is Your Life in 2000, Leeson entered on all fours) Leeson however became frustrated himself with the limitations of the character, and left the programme after the conclusion of the 16th season in 1978. Thomas Stewart "Tom" Baker (born 20 January 1934 is an English Actor. This Is Your Life was a television documentary series hosted by its producer Ralph Edwards. David Brierly took over for four stories (one of which was never completed due to a BBC strike) the following year. David Brierly (1935 – 10 June 2008) also known as David Brierley, was an English actor Strike action, often simply called a strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal by Employees to perform work. When John Nathan-Turner took over as producer of the series for season 18 in 1980, he tempted Leeson back, with the promise that the character would be 'killed off' that year. John Nathan-Turner (born Jonathan Turner; August 12, 1947 &ndash May 1, 2002) was the ninth producer of the long-running Although the character was, eventually, not killed off, merely written out, Leeson agreed to return.
Leeson also agreed to return to voice K-9 in K-9 and Company (1981), a spin-off from Doctor Who which was not picked up after the airing of its pilot episode. He also voiced K-9 for the 20th anniversary episode of Doctor Who, The Five Doctors, though it was little more than a cameo appearance. The Five Doctors is a special feature-length episode of the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, produced He has also reprised K-9's voice in two BBV and several Big Finish audio dramas including Zagreus and the Gallifrey series. Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays (released straight to Compact disc and Zagreus is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British Science fiction Television series Gallifrey is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and is the homeworld He also voiced K-9 for its return in the 2006 Doctor Who episode "School Reunion", then its cameo in the pilot episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures. " School Reunion " is the third episode in the second series of the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who. The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British Science fiction Television series produced by BBC Wales for CBBC, created Leeson has most recently voiced K-9 in a Doctor Who-themed episode of The Weakest Link. The Weakest Link is a television Game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August, 2000
Leeson's vocal contributions to Doctor Who can also be heard as other characters in the serials The Invisible Enemy and Remembrance of the Daleks. The Invisible Enemy is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast Remembrance of the Daleks is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast Leeson has also compiled an entertaining one-man show "A Dog's Life", directed by Richard Fawkes.
Other credits include appearances in Blake's 7 (in the season A episode Mission to Destiny and the season B episode Gambit), Jigsaw in which he played the giant Biggum, who was so tall only his feet were seen and his voice heard!) , Sorry!, 'Allo 'Allo! and Bungle in the children's television series Rainbow. Blake's 7 is a British Science fiction television series made by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC for their BBC 1 channel A gambit is a Chess opening in which the first player risks or sacrifices material usually a pawn, with the hope of achieving a resulting advantageous Jigsaw was a Children's BBC game show which was broadcast from 16 July, 1979 until 15 June, 1984. Sorry! is a British sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1981 to 1988 'Allo 'Allo! was a long-running British sitcom broadcast on BBC1 from 1982 to 1992 comprising eighty-five episodes Rainbow was a British Children's television series, created by Pamela Lonsdale, which ran twice weekly at 1210 on Tuesdays and Fridays on John has also read extensively for the audio tape charity Calibre Library, and is also the narrator/character voices behind The Space Gypsy Adventures on Children's UK hospital radio. The Space Gypsy Adventures are a set of stories first broadcast on British Hospital Radio in 1986 and first published as a cartoon strip in The West Cumberland Times Hospital radio is a form of audio Broadcasting produced specifically for the in-patients of Hospitals It is primarily found in the United Kingdom.
Away from stage and screen he was regularly heard as continuity announcer on Channel 4 when his rich warm tones proved a distinct contrast to the K9 voice. A lively interest in both classical music and particularly wine, led him to develop a longstanding parallel career as a wine educator. In his birth name he is an accredited tutor for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, and he lectures widely in wine both on land and in cruises at sea.
He also sits regularly in court as a local Justice of the Peace.
External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Leeson, John |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Ducker, John Francis Christopher (birth name) |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | English actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 1943 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Leicester, Leicestershire, England |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
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