| Tony Robinson | |
 Tony Robinson (left) with Mick Aston and Guy de la Bédoyère on a Time Team shoot in 2007
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| Born | 15 August 1946 Leytonstone, London, England |
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| Occupation | Actor, broadcaster and political campaigner |
| Children | Two (one son, one daughter) |
Tony Robinson (born 15 August 1946 in Leytonstone, London) is an English actor, broadcaster and political campaigner, best known for playing Baldrick in the BBC television series Blackadder, and for hosting Channel 4 programmes such as Time Team and The Worst Jobs in History. Michael (Mick Antony Aston (born July 1 1946) is a British Archaeologist. Guy Martyn Thorold Huchet de la Bédoyère is a British Historian, who has published widely on Roman Britain and other subjects and has appeared regularly Time Team is a British television series that has aired on Channel 4 since 1994 Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Leytonstone is an area of East London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. 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 An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works For the band see Broadcast (band Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or Video signals which transmit A political campaigner (or political activist) is someone (generally not a Politician) involved in Political campaigning that is Lobbying Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Leytonstone is an area of East London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. 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 An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works For the band see Broadcast (band Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or Video signals which transmit A political campaigner (or political activist) is someone (generally not a Politician) involved in Political campaigning that is Lobbying Sodoff Baldrick is the name of several Fictional characters featured in the television series Blackadder. Blackadder is the generic name that encompasses four series of an acclaimed BBC One historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began Time Team is a British television series that has aired on Channel 4 since 1994 The Worst Jobs in History is a Television series hosted by Tony Robinson on Channel 4. Robinson is also a member of the Labour Party and served on its National Executive Committee. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the UK Labour Party. He has written 16 children's books and is currently presenting his own 4-part series, 'Tony Robinson's Crime and Punishment on Channel 4. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began
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Early life
Born in Leytonstone, London, Robinson attended Wanstead High School in what is now the London Borough of Redbridge. Leytonstone is an area of East London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The London Borough of Redbridge ( is a London borough in north east London, England and forms part of Outer London. His first professional acting role came at the age of 12, as a member of Fagin's gang in the original production of the musical Oliver!, including a stint as the Artful Dodger when the boy playing the role didn't turn up. Oliver! is a British musical, with music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. [1] He then spent five years during which he appeared in a number of West End shows, in film, and on television.
At school, Robinson passed four O Levels (English Language, English Literature, History and Geography) and went on to study for A Levels, but decided to study at a drama school instead. Too young to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Robinson studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama. The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art ( RADA) in Bloomsbury, London, is generally regarded as one of the most prestigious Drama schools in the world The Central School of Speech and Drama was founded in 1906 by Elsie Fogerty to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young Actors and other students After leaving, he spent four years in repertory theatre[2]. For other meanings of repertory please see Repertory (disambiguation.
He won an Arts Council bursary to work as a director at the Midland Arts Theatre, Birmingham and founded the Avon Touring Company, a Bristol-based community theatre company, with writer David Illingworth[3].
He appeared in the 1974/75 season at Chichester Festival Theatre, as 'Angel Chicago' in the nativity musical Follow The Star. Chichester Festival Theatre, located in Chichester, England, was designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, and opened by its founder Leslie In the 1975 season, he appeared as Hovstad in Ibsen's Enemy of the People. The term enemy of the people is a fluid designation of political or class opponents of the group using the term In 1976, he appeared as Feste in Twelfth Night, and as Majorin in Monsieur Perrichon's Travels[4]. Twelfth Night Or What You Will is a Comedy by William Shakespeare, based on the Short story "Of Apolonius and Silla" by
In the early 1970s he starred in the children's educational programme Sam on Boff's Island, which was about a man who falls asleep while eating his breakfast cereal and ends up transported to an island which looks just like his cereal. Sam on Boff's Island was a British educational series made by the BBC and aimed at developing the reading skills of 6-8 year olds He also appeared in the award-winning Horizon documentary 'Joey', and in the title role in the BBC production of 'The Miracle of Brother Humphrey'. He also appeared in the film Branningan alongisde John Wayne [5]
He was also one of the Who Dares Wins team in the ground-breaking Channel 4 comedy/satirical show during the early/mid-1980s. For the Australian game show see Who Dares Wins (game show. For the UK game show see Who Dares Wins (UK game show.
Blackadder period (1983-1989)
Robinson came to prominence in 1983 for his role in the British historical sitcom Blackadder, as Edmund Blackadder's dogsbody Baldrick. Blackadder is the generic name that encompasses four series of an acclaimed BBC One historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments Edmund Blackadder is the single name given to a collection of Fictional characters who appear in the BBC mock-historical comedy series Blackadder This is an article about a military rank For the novel by Diana Wynne Jones, see Dogsbody (novel. Sodoff Baldrick is the name of several Fictional characters featured in the television series Blackadder. In the first series, broadcast as The Black Adder, he was quite astute, whilst his master was an idiot. Later series (Blackadder II, Blackadder the Third, Blackadder Goes Forth) moved the duo through history and switched the relationship: the Edmund of Blackadder II was an Elizabethan schemer, whereas Baldrick had devolved into an intellectually challenged buffoon whose catch phrase was "I have a cunning plan" (which he never did). A catch phrase (or catchphrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance
In addition to his acting on Blackadder, he also wrote and narrated several Jackanory-style children's programmes, encouraged by Richard Curtis. Jackanory is a long-running BBC Children's television series that was designed to stimulate an interest in reading. For the former state representative from Washington State see Richard Curtis (politician Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE (born [6] These programmes would see Robinson bounding about the place acting out all the parts. Programmes in this style included Tales From Fat Tulip's Garden (continued in Fat Tulip Too), Odysseus: The Greatest Hero of Them All (a retelling of the Iliad and the Odyssey), and Blood and Honey (tales from the Old Testament, filmed on location). Tales from Fat Tulip's Garden was a children's TV program in the mid 1980s starring Tony Robinson. grc-Latn Odysseus or la Ulysses ( Greek grc-Latn Odysseus; Latin: la Ulixes or more commonly Ulysses) oʊˈdɪsiəs The Iliad ( Greek: Ἰλιάς (Ancient Ιλιάδα (Modern is together with the Odyssey, one of two ancient The Odyssey ( Greek: Ὀδύσσεια or Odússeia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon.
In the late 1980s he created the children's comedy TV series Maid Marian and her Merry Men, a loose retelling of the legend of Robin Hood in which he appeared as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Maid Marian and her Merry Men is a UK Children's television series created and written by Tony Robinson and directed by David Bell Robin Hood is an archetypal figure in English folklore, whose story originates from medieval times but who remains significant in popular culture where Four series were broadcast on BBC1 during 1989-94. With its modern spin on ancient times, the hugely popular series was considered by many to be a junior equivalent of Blackadder.
Beyond Blackadder (1989 - present)
After Blackadder, Robinson became the narrator and one of the lead actors for the British animated series, Nellie the Elephant, based on a song of the same name. Blackadder is the generic name that encompasses four series of an acclaimed BBC One historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments Nellie the Elephant was a short-lived cartoon series created by Terry Ward on behalf of Film Fair in the United Kingdom that ran between 1989 and 1991 The series ran from 1989 to 1991 and was shown on Children's ITV. CITV (short for Children's ITV or Children's Independent Television) is the brand name used for the Majority of Children's television output
Robinson also presented the early-Saturday evening series Stay Tooned for BBC1, which featured a selection of classic Warner Brothers and MGM cartoons. Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and The series ran for several years.
In 1994, Robinson began presenting Time Team, a TV programme devoted to archaeological investigations limited to three days (the outcome is never guaranteed, varying from spectacular to disappointing). Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Time Team is a British television series that has aired on Channel 4 since 1994 As of 2006, the series has been re-commissioned through 2007, with Robinson being drafted in to present other history-based shows on Channel 4, including The Worst Jobs in History, researching and re-enacting some of the more horrible jobs of the past millennium. The Worst Jobs in History is a Television series hosted by Tony Robinson on Channel 4. He also took this show on tour around the country along with an autobiographical question and answer session. This first series was followed by The Worst Christmas Jobs in History in December 2005 and then a second series of The Worst Jobs in History on Channel 4 in April 2006.
In 1999, Robinson returned to star in a one-off Blackadder short film to celebrate the millennium, titled Blackadder: Back & Forth. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Blackadder Back & Forth ( 1999) is a 34 minute short film based on the BBC mock-historical comedy series Blackadder. This short film was shown in the Millennium Dome throughout 2000 and was later aired on BBC One in 2003. The Millennium Dome, often referred to simply as The Dome, is the original name of a large Dome -shaped building originally used to house 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.
Tony Robinson's Cunning Night Out, a largely improvised stage show, followed in early 2005 and included a mix of the many themes from his career for which Robinson is famous. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He also edited and presented The Real Da Vinci Code, a documentary for Channel 4's Weird World series which countered the claims made by Dan Brown in his novel The Da Vinci Code. Dan Brown (born June 22 1964 is an American Author of Thriller fiction, best known for the 2003 bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code The Da Vinci Code is a controversial mystery / detective Novel by US author Dan Brown, published in 2003 by Doubleday
In addition to telling his own stories, Tony narrated the abridged audio book versions of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. Terence David John Pratchett, OBE (born 28 April 1948 is an English fantasy, Science fiction, and children's author. Discworld is a comedic Fantasy Book series by the British author Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat Nigel Planer, Celia Imrie and Stephen Briggs narrated the unabridged versions. Nigel George Planer (born 22 February 1953 in London) is an English Actor, Novelist and Playwright. Celia Diana Savile Imrie (born 15 July 1952 is an Olivier Award-winning English actress. Stephen Briggs (1951&ndash is in his own words "a civil servant who dabbles in amateur dramatics" He also provided the voicing for several characters in the videogame Discworld. Discworld ( aka Discworld The Trouble With Dragons) is a graphic Adventure game developed by Teeny Weeny Games and Tony followed on this Discworld work by gratefully playing a role in the live action television dramatisation of Hogfather, broadcast on Sky over the Christmas season in 2006. Terry Pratchett's Hogfather is a two-part Television adaptation of the book of the same name by Terry Pratchett, produced by The Mob British Sky Broadcasting ( BSkyB — Sky Television and BSB) is a company that operates Sky Digital, a subscription television service in the
Robinson also presented Classic FM's Friendly Guide to Classical Music which aired on a Sunday at 4pm. Classic FM is one of the United Kingdom 's three Independent National Radio stations broadcasting classical music in a popular and accessible style The whole 16-episode series was repeated on 26 December 2006. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. His favourite piece is Finlandia by Jean Sibelius but his appreciation of music is broad. Finlandia Op 26 is a Symphonic poem by the Finnish Composer Jean Sibelius. He is quoted as saying "Well, today, my favourite piece is 'Finlandia', but tomorrow it’ll be something by The Killers".
Robinson has also recently (2007) narrated television advertisements for car manufacturer Honda, in the humorous style of Tales From Fat Tulip's Garden. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. () is a Multinational corporation, engine Manufacturer and engineering corporation headquartered in Japan. Tales from Fat Tulip's Garden was a children's TV program in the mid 1980s starring Tony Robinson. The advertisements feature plasticine cars with expressive faces (similar to Thomas the Tank Engine). Thomas the Tank Engine is a Fictional Anthropomorphic Tank locomotive created by the Rev He also did voiceovers for laundry product Vanish in 2007 and 2008. Laundry can be items of Clothing and other Textiles that require Washing the act of washing clothing and textiles
Recently he discovered his Jewish ancestry through his grandmother's surname 'Levy'. [7] Robinson is currently presenting another series of his own on Channel 4, Tony Robinson's Crime and Punishent, which started on Sunday 1st June 2008 and is made up of 4 different programs. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began
DVD and Live Tour
In the Spring of 2007 Tony visited 30 towns in the UK with his one man show A Cunning Night Out. The show was such a success that a recording was released on DVD in the autumn of 2007.
Politics and outside interests
Robinson and his former partner Mary Shepheard were active in Bristol Labour politics from the early 1980s.
From 1996 to 2000, he was vice-president of the actors' union Equity, helping with a huge restructuring programme which turned a £500,000 deficit into a small surplus. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Equity (formerly British Actors' Equity Association) is the Actors Trade union in the United Kingdom [8] Since leaving, he was elected to the Labour Party's National Executive Committee, a position he held from 2000 to 2004. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the UK Labour Party. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " [6]
He was also active in the "Make Poverty History" campaign during early 2005, in the lead-up to the G8 summit in Scotland, and is the patron for UK-based charity Street Child Africa. The Make Poverty History campaign (which is written as MAKE POVERTY' HISTORY') is a British and Irish coalition of Charities, religious Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain.
In 2006 he appeared in Tony Robinson: Me and My Mum, a documentary surrounding Tony's decision to put his mother into a nursing home, and the difficulty he had with doing so. It controversially showed his mother's death in the home. It also featured stories from other families in similar situations. It appeared as part of Channel 4's short season of programmes entitled The Trouble With Old People. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began
He previously supported Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and Stoke City F.C., but now supports Bristol City F.C.[9]
He also follows Spanish La Liga side Valencia CF, often spending his holidays in the country. Tottenham Hotspur, ˈtɒʔnəm is an English professional football club which currently plays in the Premier League. Stoke City Football Club is a football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol England, (the other being arch rivals Bristol Rovers) The Primera División of the es Liga de Fútbol Profesional ( Professional Football League) commonly known as La Liga or Valencia Club de Fútbol (also known as Valencia or Los Che) is a Spanish professional football club based in Valencia [10] He is honorary president of the Young Archaeologists' Club of the Council for British Archaeology. Established in 1944 the '''Council for British Archaeology''' (CBA is an educational charity working throughout the UK to involve people in archaeology and to promote [11]
Awards
In 1999 he was awarded an honorary Master of Arts by the University of Bristol for his services to drama and archaeology. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) A Master of Arts ( Latin: Magister Artium) is a Postgraduate academic Master's degree awarded by universities in a large the University (or derivatives but lower-case when referring to many universitiesor universities
In 2002 he was awarded an honorary Master of Arts by the University of East London. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. A Master of Arts ( Latin: Magister Artium) is a Postgraduate academic Master's degree awarded by universities in a large The University of East London ( UEL) is a British New University based on two campuses in East London. [12]
In 2005 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Open University for his contribution to the educational or cultural well-being of society[13] and an honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Exeter for his active involvement in politics. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Open University is also the name of other institutions See Distance education or the Open Universities category for a list Doctor of Laws ( Latin: Legum Doctor, LLD) is a Doctorate -level Academic degree in Law. The University of Exeter (usually abbreviated as Exon for post-nominals) is a University in the South West of [14]
In 2006 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Oxford Brookes University. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Oxford Brookes University is a public University in Oxford, England. [15]
Selected filmography
- Brannigan (1975) - Messenger
- Blackadder (1983–1989, 1999) - Baldrick
- Maid Marian and Her Merry Men (1989–1994) - Sheriff of Nottingham & creator/writer
- The Neverending Story III (1994) - Engywook (male gnome)
- Faeries (1999) - Broom (voice)
- Time Team (1994–present) - Presenter
- Britain's Real Monarch (2004) - Presenter
- Codex (2006–present) - Presenter
- Terry Pratchett's Hogfather (2006) - Vernon Crumley
References
- ^ Unofficial Tony Robinson Website : Biography
- ^ Chichester Festival Theatre programme 1976
- ^ Chichester Festival Theatre programme 1976
- ^ Chichester Festival Theatre programme 1976
- ^ Chichester Festival Theatre programme 1976
- ^ a b Tony Robinson's Cunning Plan : BBC News Online
- ^ The Daily Telegraph: 'Whoever would have thought that archives could be sexy?'
- ^ Absolute Speakers - Tony Robinson
- ^ Road to glory strewn with potholes
- ^ My Hols: Tony Robinson
- ^ Young Archaeologists' Club
- ^ Tony Robinson awarded honorary Master of Arts from UEL
- ^ Tony Robinson honoured by Open University
- ^ Doctorate for Time Team presenter
- ^ Honorary graduates for 2006
External links
- Tony Robinson's page in the Internet Movie Database
- The Unofficial website for Tony Robinson
- "Tony Robinson's cunning plan" - BBC News article dated Friday 26th May 2000
- Tony Robinson - Interviews in Sherwood
- Politics Isn't a Pop Concert - Tony Robinson
- "The Worst Jobs in History" (2004) Television Series
- "The Worst Christmas Jobs in History" (December 2005)
- [1] Interview with Robinson November 2005 about 'The Worst Children's Jobs in History': click link in left hand column
- "Time Team" - Television series. Blackadder is the generic name that encompasses four series of an acclaimed BBC One historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments Maid Marian and her Merry Men is a UK Children's television series created and written by Tony Robinson and directed by David Bell The NeverEnding Story III ( 1994) is the second sequel to the Fantasy film The NeverEnding Story. Faeries is a 1999 British Animated film directed by Gary Hurst and featuring the voices of Kate Winslet, Dougray Scott Time Team is a British television series that has aired on Channel 4 since 1994 Britain's Real Monarch was an historical documentary presented by Tony Robinson shown on Channel 4 on 3 January 2004 and again on 20 November 2004 Codex (first broadcast on 12 November 2006 is a Quiz show set inside the British Museum and presented by Tony Robinson. Terry Pratchett's Hogfather is a two-part Television adaptation of the book of the same name by Terry Pratchett, produced by The Mob
- Classic FM Friendly Guide to Classical Music Started September 2006
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Robinson, Tony |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Actor, broadcaster and political campaigner |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 15 August 1946 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Leytonstone, London, England |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
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