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Geoffrey Hayes dies aged 76

Star of Rainbow and Z Cars (October 2018)

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WH
Whataday Founding member
Quote:
Geoffrey Hayes, who hosted the long-running children’s programme Rainbow, has died at the age of 76.

The actor and TV presenter’s manager, Phil Dale, said in a statement to the Press Association: “It is with great sadness that the family announce that Geoffrey passed away in hospital with his wife, Sarah, and son, Tom, by his side.”

Hayes was best known as the host of Thames Television’s Rainbow, and for his role as DC Scatliff in the BBC series Z Cars.

Dale said: “The family would like to express their thanks to the many fans over the years as it always gave Geoffrey so much pleasure to know that he and his Rainbow team had given so much fun to TV and theatre audiences over the years.

“There will be no further comment at the moment and it would be appreciated if the privacy of Geoffrey’s family is respected at this most difficult time.”



Very sad news. The first programme I ever watched as a child, and the first VHS I ever owned (which got played so many times I'm amazed it didn't wear out).

And by all accounts a very nice chap too.
AR
Argybargy
Oh no Sad Another part of my childhood gone.

I remember seeing him on an edition of Pointless Celebrities a couple of years ago and he didn't look too well even then.

RIP Geoffrey. I grew up watching Rainbow. Your smile and enthusiasm will always be remembered.
TROGGLES, Roger Mellie and DE88 gave kudos
LL
London Lite Founding member
Geoffrey also was in Z-Cars.

Last edited by London Lite on 1 October 2018 5:24pm
JV
James Vertigan Founding member
Can’t believe we’ve lost the presenters of two ITV 12:10pm kids programmes in a matter of days - John Cunliffe and now Geoffrey Hayes!
DE88, watchingtv and The TV-Fan gave kudos
JA
JAS84
Cunliffe's Rosie and Jim didn't air at 12:10pm - it was a 90s show, so it's timeslot would've been around 3:30.
:-(
A former member
Not true, it started in 1990 and did go out at 12.10 slot.
BH
BillyH Founding member
It could have done, the midday children's slot carried on into 1993 (I just about remember it aged 4!) and the Geoffrey-era Rainbow is one of my earliest TV memories, along with Playbox and Allsorts. Sad to hear this news.
JA
JAS84
Huh... I assumed that slot went away in 1988 when This Morning launched.

And of course, it is sad to hear this news. I did have one of the VHS tapes, but I don't remember watching Rainbow as it aired. I definitely remember Rosie and Jim having the later timeslot - the first show on the CITV afternoon block. But that show did run for a decade, so I must be thinking of later in the 90s.
WH
Whataday Founding member
BillyH posted:
It could have done, the midday children's slot carried on into 1993 (I just about remember it aged 4!) and the Geoffrey-era Rainbow is one of my earliest TV memories, along with Playbox and Allsorts. Sad to hear this news.


I think The Riddlers started in that slot too.
FA
fanoftv
Indeed the programmes including Rosie & Jim (popular with many adults interested in the canals too), The Riddlers and even Tots TV air in the 12:10 slot before being reformatted to fit a 10 minute slot in the afternoons. From what I remember didn’t This Morning begin at 10:20 and finish at 12:10?


As for Geoffrey Hayes, and John Cunliffe for that matter, talented broadcasters who were able to entertain the youngest of kids, and for that reason we all look back on them fondly.
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JM
JamesM0984
The 12.10 slot changed to 15.30 in September 1993, with two 10 minute shows instead of one long one. Rainbow and Rosie and Jim were definitely 12.10 shows. Generally it was Rainbow Monday and Friday, with Rod Jane and Freddy on Tuesday, Allsorts on Wednesday and Puddle Lane on Thursday. At some point Playbox took over Mondays.

Home and Away followed at 12.30, but the Gulf War pushed that back to 13.20. IIRC the 12.10 slot was also taken up by news at that point - I remember mum taping Rod Jane and Freddy which we LOVED as kids, only for ITN to be on.

Rainbow was swiftly axed after Thames lost the franchise, new episodes were shown up to the end of 1991 I think, but through 1992 repeats were run before it came off entirely.
Last edited by JamesM0984 on 1 October 2018 8:49pm
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
Think we said before Geoffrey found it hard to adapt to life after Rainbow and struggled to find more acting work, he was effectively typecast as the guardian or whatever the situation was in the Rainbow house of the bear, the hippo and the zip.

There was a wonderful internet page up a long while ago that somebody wrote as a piece of satire on the setup of Rainbow which I've never been able to find again even in the Wayback Machine, I'm sure it was linked from the Rainbow fan sites which have all disappeared as well for some reason.

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