Geoffrey Palmer (actor)

Geoffrey Dyson Palmer was born on 4 June 1927 in North Finchley, Middlesex.^[2] He was the son of Frederick Charles Palmer, who was a chartered surveyor, and Norah Gwendolen (née Robins).^[3] He attended Highgate School from September 1939 to December 1945.^[4] He served as a corporal instructor in small arms and field training in the Royal Marines during his national service from 1946 to 1948, following which he briefly worked as an unpaid trainee assistant stage manager.^[1]

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

Palmer's early television appearances included multiple roles in episodes of The Army Game (Granada Television), two episodes of The Baron and as a property agent in Cathy Come Home (1966). After a major break in John Osborne's West of Suez at the Royal Court with Ralph Richardson, he acted in major productions at the Royal Court and for the National Theatre Company and was directed by Laurence Olivier in J. B. Priestley's Eden End. Palmer found the play so dull, however, that he was deterred from a stage career.^[5]

Two BBC sitcom roles brought him attention in the 1970s: the hapless brother-in-law of Reggie Perrin in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976–79), and the phlegmatic dentist Ben Parkinson in Butterflies (1978–1983).^[2] He also played the two characters in the 1982 television film The Funny Side of Christmas.^[6]

In 1978, Palmer appeared as organized crimelord Simon Sinclair in London Weekend Television's hard-hitting police drama The Professionals, the episode entitled "Where the Jungle Ends".

Palmer played Doctor Price in the Fawlty Towers episode "The Kipper and the Corpse" (1979), determined to have breakfast amidst the confusion caused by the death of a guest and Fawlty's inept way of handling the emergency.^[2] In 1986, Palmer appeared as Donald Fairchild in the first series of an ITV sitcom, Executive Stress, alongside Penelope Keith. He later left, and was replaced by Peter Bowles.^[2]

Palmer later starred opposite Judi Dench for over a decade in another BBC sitcom, As Time Goes By (1992–2005). In 1997, he also appeared with Dench in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, in which he portrayed Admiral Roebuck to Dench's M, and Mrs Brown, playing Sir Henry Ponsonby to Dench's Queen Victoria.

Palmer's voice-over skills led to frequent work in commercials. Campaigns he was involved with include the 'Slam in the Lamb' ads for the Meat & Livestock Commission and the Audi commercials in which he was heard using the phrase "Vorsprung durch Technik". As a narrator, he worked on the BBC series' Grumpy Old Men and Grumpy Old Holidays, with Prunella Scales on Looking for Victoria in 2003, as well as narrating the audiobook version of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, released in 2005 as a podcast by Penguin Books.^[7] He narrated the documentary series Little England, and he continued to appear in productions written by Reggie Perrin creator David Nobbs, the last of these being the radio comedy The Maltby Collection broadcast from 2007.

In the 2006 DVD series The Compleat Angler, Palmer partnered Rae Borras in a series of episodes based on Izaak Walton's 1653 The Compleat Angler. In 2007, he recorded The Diary of a Nobody by George Grossmith and Weedon Grossmith as an online audiobook. In December 2007, Palmer appeared in the role of the Captain in "Voyage of the Damned", the Christmas special episode of the BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who;^[8] Palmer previously appeared in the classic era of the show in the Third Doctor serials Doctor Who and the Silurians (1970) (as Masters) and The Mutants (1972) (as the Administrator). In March 2009, he joined in a sketch with the two double acts Armstrong and Miller and Mitchell and Webb for Comic Relief. In 2011, he played the reactionary father-in-law of the eponymous clergyman of Rev. in its Christmas episode.

Palmer married Sally Green in 1963.^[9] They had a daughter, Harriet, and a son, Charles, a television director.^[10] Palmer was a longtime resident of Lee Common in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire,^[11] and enjoyed fly fishing in his spare time.^[1][9] At the time of his death, he resided in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire.^[2][12]

Palmer died peacefully at his home on 5 November 2020, aged 93.^{[2][13][14][15]}

In the New Year's Honours List published 31 December 2004 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to drama.^[16] A drawing of Palmer by Stuart Pearson Wright is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London.^[17]

Stage

More information Year, Title ...

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1952	It Won’t Be a Stylish Marriage	Tim Barton	Grand Theatre, Croydon
1954	Meet Mr Callaghan	Det-Insp Grindall CID	Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
	The Seven Year Itch	Richard Sherman	Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
1955	Sabrina Fair	David Larrabee	King's Theatre, Edinburgh, Grand Theatre, Blackpool, and other locations
1956	Albertine by Moonlight	Chauffeur	Prince of Wales Theatre, Cardiff, Cambridge Arts Theatre, and other locations
1963–1965	Difference of Opinion	Executive - Christopher Pollard (Chief Surveyor)	Garrick Theatre, London, Wimbledon Theatre, and other locations
1968	Let’s Get a Divorce	Henri des Prunelles	Theatre Royal, Windsor
1971–1972	West of Suez	Edward	Royal Court Theatre, London, Cambridge Theatre, London, and other locations
1972–1974	Private Lives	Victor	Queen's Theatre and Globe Theatre
1974	Eden End	Geoffrey Farrant	London and Richmond Theatre, London
1975–1976	On Approval	Richard Halton (Replacement)	Theatre Royal, Haymarket, Forum Theatre, Billingham, and other locations
1976–1977	Saint Joan	Earl of Warwick	The Old Vic and Theatre Royal, Bath
1977	The Case of the Oily Levantine		Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
1977–1978	Saint Joan		Bristol Hippodrome
1979–1980	Tishoo	Layborne	Wyndham's Theatre and Richmond Theatre
1984	A Friend Indeed	Sir John Holt	Theatre Royal, Windsor and Shaftesbury Theatre,
1986–1987	Kafka's Dick		Royal Court Theatre
1990	Piano	Porfiry	Cottesloe Theatre, National Theatre, London

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Radio

More information Year, Title ...

Year	Title	Role
2001–2002	At Home with the Snails
2002	Les Misérables	Inspector Javert
2005	The Man Who Was Thursday
2005–2006	High Table, Lower Orders
2007–2009	The Maltby Collection
2009	A Murder of Quality
	The Screwtape Letters	C. S. Lewis
2011–2012	North by Northamptonshire
2011	Two Pipe Problems: The Case of the Missing Meerschaum	Mortimer Tregennis

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Television

More information Year, Title ...

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1959–1960	The Army Game	Various	20 episodes
1959–1961	The Probation Officer		4 episodes
1959–1962	Garry Halliday
1960	Arthur's Treasured Volumes	Detective Inspector	Episode: "A Blow in Anger"
	The Strange World of Gurney Slade	Television Studio Floor Manager	Pilot
	Interpol Calling	Colonel (uncredited)	Episode: "Desert Hijack"
	St. Ives	Gautier	2 episodes
	Police Surgeon	Peter Hughes	Episode: "Smash But No Grab"
	The Odd Man trilogy	Constable Swift	4 episodes
1960–1963	Bootsie and Snudge	Various	13 episodes
1961	ITV Play of the Week	Peter	Episode: "Mrs. Skeffington"
1962–1965	The Avengers	Various	4 episodes, including "Propellant 23" and "Man with Two Shadows"
1962	Top Secret	Captain Felipe	Episode: "The Eagle of San Gualo"
	No Hiding Place	DS Walsh	Episode: "Epitah for Johnnie"
	BBC Sunday-Night Play	Dr. Morgan	Episode: "What's in It for Walter"
	Harpers West One	Harry Adams	1 episode
1963	The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theater	Dr. Tanfield	Episode: "Incident at Midnight"
	The Human Jungle	Williams	Episode: "The Vacant Chair"
	Suspense	Newspaper Reporter	Episode: "The Edge of Discovery"
	Drama 61-67	Basil Mallard	Episode: "Drama '63: A Well Dressed Man"
	Thirty-Minute Theatre	Mr. Mott	Episode: "The Simple Truth"
	The Saint	Pete Ferguson	Episode: "The Rough Diamonds"
1965	Gideon's Way	Jeff Grant	Episode: "The Alibi Man"
	Out of the Unknown	Chief Officer	Episode: "No Place Like Earth"
1965–1966	Pardon the Expression	Hotel Manager/Mr. Bentley	2 episodes
	Public Eye	Donald Halston/Dr. Pringle
1965–1971	Out of the Unknown	Various	3 episodes
1966	Armchair Theatre	Rankin	Episode: "The Battersea Miracle"
	The Baron	Anstruther	2 episodes
	The Man in Room 17	Ian McWatt	Episode: "Under Influence"
	Sergeant Cork	James Meredith	Episode: "The Case of a Lady's Good Name"
	Mystery and Imagination	Turner	Episode: "The Beckoning Shadow"
	The Wednesday Play	Property Agent	Episode: Cathy Come Home
	The Rat Catchers	Various	3 episodes
	ITV Sunday Night Theatre	Coroticus	Episode: "For Triumphant: St. Patrick"
1966–1969	Love Story	The Doctor/Oliver	2 episodes
1967	Emergency Ward 10	Gilbert Rockyer	Episode: "By the Mark Twelve"
	Mrs Thursday	Henry Baxter	Episode: "The Old School Tie Up"
	The Further Adventures of the Musketeers	Oliver Cromwell	2 episodes
	The Revenue Men	Bill Mitchell	Episode: "The Present"
1967–1968	The Troubleshooters	Jeremy Martin	2 episodes
	City '68	Robins	3 episodes
1967–1982	ITV Playhouse	Various	6 episodes
1968	Beggar My Neighbour	PC Stunt	Episode: "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie"
	Coronation Street	Superintendent Registrar	1 episode
	Best of Enemies	Johnson	Pilot
	George and the Dragon	PC Footer	Episode: "The Football Match"
1969	Z-Cars	Barney French	Episode: "Special Duty: Part 2"
	Detective	Chief Superintendent Smeed	Episode: "Hunt the Peacock"
	Paul Temple	DI Dean	Episode: "There Must Be a Mr. X"
1969–1971	The Expert	Carter/Assistant Chief Constable Rogers	3 episodes
	Me Mammy	Mr. Cleaver/Mr. Purdy	2 episodes
1970, 1972, 2007	Doctor Who	Various	Serials: "Doctor Who and the Silurians", "The Mutants" and "Voyage of the Damned"
1970	The Worker	Professor Robinson	Episode: "Now is the Time for All Left Legs"
	NBC Experiment in Television	Police Driver	Episode: "The Engagement"
	Ben Travers' Farces	Hugh Stafford/Sgt. Smithers	2 episodes
	Softly, Softly: Task Force	Professor Brett	Episode: "The Lie Direct"
1970–1972	Doomwatch	Major Simms/Chief Superintendent Mallory	2 episodes
1970–1976	BBC Play of the Month	Monteith/Graviter
1971	ITV Saturday Night Theatre	Mac	Episode: "The Shopper"
	Now Take My Wife	Don Maxwell	Episode: "The Singing Garbo"
1971–1976	Play for Today	Various	4 episodes
1972	The Shadow of the Tower	John Mayne	2 episodes
1972–1973	Colditz	Doc
1973	Six Days of Justice	Mr. Nicholas	Episode: "A Question of Discipline"
1974	The Liver Birds	Doctor	Episode: "Follow That Ring"
	The Prince of Denmark	Martin	1 episode
1975	Churchill's People	Samuel Partridge	Episode: "The Liberty Tree"
	Comedy Playhouse	Ralph	Episode: "Going, Going, Gone...Free?"
	Whodunnit?	Major Culbertson	Episode: "Fly Me, I'm Dead"
1975–1976	Angels	Lawrence Rutherford	3 episodes
1976–1978	Happy Ever After	Bob Holsgrove/Mr. Critchley	2 episodes
1976–1979	The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin	Jimmy Anderson
1976	Bill Brand	Malcolm Frear	4 episodes
1977	Van der Valk	Head of Faculty	Episode: "The Professor"
1978	Scorpion Tales	Arnold Sparrow	Episode: "The Ghost in the Pale Blue Dress"
	The Sweeney	Commander Watson	Episode: "Feet of Clay"
	Crown Court	Kenneth Eden	Serial: "A Man with Everything"
1978–1983	Butterflies	Ben Parkinson
	The Professionals	Sinclair/Avery	2 episodes
1979	Fawlty Towers	Dr. Price	Episode: "The Kipper and the Corpse"
	Bless Me, Father	Freddie Williams	Episode: "All at Sea"
1980	The Goodies	School Headmaster	Episode: "War Babies"
1981	Jackanory Playhouse	King	Episode: "The Toy Princess"
	BBC Television Shakespeare	Peter Quince	Episode: A Midsummer Night's Dream
1981–1983	The Last Song	Leo Bannister
1982	Whoops Apocalypse	Foreign Secretary	4 episodes
1982–1983	The Kenny Everett Television Show	Various	2 episodes
1983	Death of an Expert Witness	Dr. Edwin Lorrimer	Miniseries
1983	Waters of the Moon	Robert Lancaster
1984–1986	Fairly Secret Army	Major Harry Kitchener Wellington Truscott
1986	Executive Stress	Donald Fairchild	Season one
	Season's Greetings	Bernard	TV film
	Screen Two	The Angry Doctor	Episode: "The Insurance Man"
1986–1989	Hot Metal	Harold Stringer	7 episodes
1988	Christabel	Mr. Burton	Miniseries
1989	Blackadder Goes Forth	Field Marshal Douglas Haig	Episode: "Goodbyeee"
1990	Inspector Morse	Matthew Copley-Barnes	Episode: "The Infernal Serpent"
	Bergerac	Nigel Carter	Episode: "Roots of Evil"
1991	Screen One	Donleavy	Episode: "A Question of Attribution"
1992–2005	As Time Goes By	Lionel Hardcastle
1994	Alleyn Mysteries	Harold Cartell	Episode: "Hand in Glove"
1995–1998	Mr. Men and Little Miss	Narrator and Santa Claus
1996	The Legacy of Reginald Perrin	Jimmy Anderson	TV film
1998	Alice through the Looking Glass	White King
2001	The Savages	Donald
	The 1940s House	Narrator
2002	Stig of the Dump	Robert
2003	Absolute Power	Lord Harcourt	Episode: "Country Life"
	Looking for Victoria	Narrator	TV film
2003–2004, 2006	Grumpy Old Men
2004	He Knew He Was Right	Sir Marmaduke Rowley	TV film
2008	Ashes to Ashes	Lord Scarman	Episode 8
	The Long Walk to Finchley	John Crowder	TV film
2010	Grandpa in My Pocket	Grandad Gillbert	Episode: "Captain Dumbletwit's Toughest Mission Yet!"
2011	Agatha Christie's Poirot	Vice Admiral Hamling	Episode: "The Clocks"
	Rev	Martin	Christmas Special
2012	The Hollow Crown	Lord Chief Justice	Episode: Henry IV, Part II
2014	Royal Variety Performance	Announcer

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Film

More information Year, Title ...

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1962	A Prize of Arms	Cpl. Myers
1963	Incident at Midnight	Dr. Tanfield
1964	Ring of Spies	Police Officer	Uncredited
1966	Cast a Giant Shadow	David
1973	O Lucky Man!	Examinator Doctor/Basil Keyes
1976	The Battle of Billy's Pond	First Policeman
1980	The Outsider	Colonel Wyndham
1982	Mr. Kershaw's Dream System	Psychiatrist
1983	The Honorary Consul	Belfrage: British Ambassador
1985	A Zed & Two Noughts	Fallast
1986	Clockwise	Headmaster
1988	A Fish Called Wanda	Judge
	Hawks	SAAB Salesman
1994	The Madness of King George	Warren
1997	Mrs. Brown	Henry Ponsonby
	Tomorrow Never Dies	Admiral Roebuck
1998	Stiff Upper Lips	His Butler's Voice
1999	Anna and the King	Lord John Bradley
2000	Rat	The Doctor
2003	Peter Pan	Sir Edward Quiller Couch
2004	Piccadilly Jim	Bayliss
2009	The Pink Panther 2	Joubert
2011	W.E.	Stanley Baldwin
	Lost Christmas	Dr. Clarence
2012	Run for Your Wife	Man on Bus
	Bert and Dickie	Charles Burnell
2014	The Last Sparks of Sundown	Sir Buster Sparks	Voice
	Paddington	The Boss Geographer
2021	To Olivia	Geoffrey Fisher

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Recordings (spoken word)

More information Year, Title ...

Year	Title
1985	Welcome to the Pleasuredome (Fruitness Mix)
1989	The BFG
1990	Esio Trot
2005	A Christmas Carol
2007	The Diary of a Nobody

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