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Yes he was.

After that I don't remember seeing him on TV again for a decade until he turned up as Jack Harkness. Then he's never been off the screen since.

As his Wikipedia page points out, he certainly kept himself busy in between. As mentioned, he was appearing in the West End during the first series of Live and Kicking, I remember he was doing Hair. He also did The Movie Game for a couple of years as well.

I'm also reminded from it that he appeared in an American drama called Central Park West (I remember that was on Sky One and the Radio Times pointed out he was in it) which was supposed to be a long runner but got axed after a single season. And there was plenty more stage work as well, it says here he was nominated for an Olivier Award in this era as well.

It's true that he became much more prominent again after he appeared on Doctor Who, but actors do say that a load of work comes in bunches, because if casting directors don't see you, they forget all about you, and then when you get one job you're on their radar again. I do like him, I know he's an acquired taste and I wasn't crazy about him on Live and Kicking but he's clearly a lovely bloke.

It's funny because for 12 years he was the forgotten man of Live and Kicking - he would rarely get mentioned in reference to the series at all, and generally the only clip you'd see of him was the start of the first show. Funnily enough post Doctor Who his role in the first series became a lot more prominent...

(and whilst we're on the subject, Russell T Davies based the look of the cat people in the episode "Gridlock" - specifically Ardal o'Hanlon's character - on Ratz from L&K, specifically a cat with flying goggles. Clearly that first series had quite an impact on him...)

BBC Wales, Christmas Day 1984, with an ident I’ve not seen before. An ident where there is not a Snowman, Snow-woman or Snow-person in sight.



The subsequent junction on the next clip also has a festive clock.

Makes you wonder if he intentionally sought out John because of his work on L&K,

and here is part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUNZoTPw81g

Of course the nations needed their own Christmas symbols because they wouldn't have access to the network ones.

Thanks for this.

I must say it was a little surprise when I found those clips on Betamax (what a *wonderful* format for finding old continuity on!). I actually let out a little excited “wow!” (yes, I’m that sad!) when I found that ident as it’s probably the only clip of it out there! Reminds me of when I found some Christmas BBC1 Scotland and STV idents a few years ago from 1986 or 1987.

There’s *LOADS* of stuff still to come!

Is your channel name a reference to The Secret Life of Machines?

Blimey, you’re sharp! Yes it is 🙂

My favourite episode of a great series. That phrase is imprinted on my brain

A fairly insignificant junction here but it made me realise how little Granada continuity I've seen. Some regions seem over represented online - the South West for example, but despite the fairly high population of the North West either no-one recorded or kept anything