Here Come the Double Deckers
Encyclopedia
Here Come the Double Deckers was a 17-part British children's TV series from 1970-71 revolving around the adventures of seven children whose den was an old red double-decker
London bus in an unused works (junk) yard.
, it was a children's comedy adventure sitcom
. The shows (without adverts) were about 21 minutes long.
The programme made its debut on September 12, 1970 at 10:30 am ET in the US on ABC
, and at 4:55 pm on 1 January 1971 in Britain on BBC One
. In the US, the series was rerun on Sunday mornings during the 1971-72 TV season on ABC from September 12, 1971 to September 3, 1972, in the same time slot.
Each week saw the gang in a separate adventure including episodes based around a runaway home made hovercraft
, a chocolate factory and invading 'Martian
s' with guns that shot out chocolate candy, a disastrous camping holiday, collecting tin foil for a guide dog
, becoming pop moguls with their protégé 'The Cool Cavalier' and a haunted stately home.
The cast were unknowns apart from Melvyn Hayes
, an established adult actor, and Gillian Bailey
, fairly experienced for a child actor. Bailey is now head of the drama department at Royal Holloway University
. Peter Firth
has gone on to a prominent acting career, appearing in Equus
, The Hunt for Red October
, Tess
, Pearl Harbor
and Spooks
. Co-star Brinsley Forde
later became the lead singer in Aswad.
The series was originally scheduled for 26 episodes, but production ceased after the 17th.
The entire series was released on 1 November 2010 on DVD in the UK.
in 1970 and re-issued as a CD in 2007 with liners notes by David Noades.
Here Come the Double Deckers!
Two-disc Region 2 DVD set containing all 17 episodes.
Special Feature:
appears as herself/Tiger in the comedy film Go for a Take
(1972), which was directed and co-written by Harry Booth. The film stars Reg Varney
and is set in a film studio. Evidently, Here Come the Double Deckers is one of the shows in production within the fiction of the film.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068500/. Unfortunately, the original stuffed tiger prop had been lost shortly after filming had been completed on the series, so a look-alike had to be used. Production was at Pinewood Studios and on location.
called The Magnificent Six and a Half
. The series was very similar to the Double Deckers, and essentially acted as a blueprint for the latter. Like the Double Deckers, "Six and a Half" centered around the adventures of seven children, who had similar personalities to the Double Deckers. Many of the crew members from "Six and a Half" also worked on the Double Deckers, including producer Roy Simpson, director and writer Harry Booth, writer Glyn Jones, and choreographer Arnold Taraborrelli (who designed the title cards for "Six and a Half"). In addtion, future Double Deckers Brinsley Forde
and Michael Audreson
were among the stars of "Six and a Half", and Melvyn Hayes
appeared in a few episodes. "Six and a Half" also featured several gags and plotlines that would later be reused in "Double Deckers".
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
London bus in an unused works (junk) yard.
The show
A co-production between British independent film company Century Films and American TV company 20th Century Fox20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
, it was a children's comedy adventure sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
. The shows (without adverts) were about 21 minutes long.
The programme made its debut on September 12, 1970 at 10:30 am ET in the US on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, and at 4:55 pm on 1 January 1971 in Britain on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. In the US, the series was rerun on Sunday mornings during the 1971-72 TV season on ABC from September 12, 1971 to September 3, 1972, in the same time slot.
Each week saw the gang in a separate adventure including episodes based around a runaway home made hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
, a chocolate factory and invading 'Martian
Martian
As an adjective, the term martian is used to describe anything pertaining to the planet Mars.However, a Martian is more usually a hypothetical or fictional native inhabitant of the planet Mars. Historically, life on Mars has often been hypothesized, although there is currently no solid evidence of...
s' with guns that shot out chocolate candy, a disastrous camping holiday, collecting tin foil for a guide dog
Guide dog
Guide dogs are assistance dogs trained to lead blind and visually impaired people around obstacles.Although the dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are partially color blind and are not capable of interpreting street signs...
, becoming pop moguls with their protégé 'The Cool Cavalier' and a haunted stately home.
The cast were unknowns apart from Melvyn Hayes
Melvyn Hayes
Melvyn Hayes is an English actor probably best known for playing the effeminate Gunner "Gloria" Beaumont in the 1970s BBC sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum,-Early life and career:...
, an established adult actor, and Gillian Bailey
Gillian Bailey
Gillian Bailey or Gilli Bush-Bailey is a British academic and former actress.She was mainly known as a child actor. Her best known role was Billie in Here Come the Double Deckers...
, fairly experienced for a child actor. Bailey is now head of the drama department at Royal Holloway University
Royal Holloway, University of London
Royal Holloway, University of London is a constituent college of the University of London. The college has three faculties, 18 academic departments, and about 8,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students from over 130 different countries...
. Peter Firth
Peter Firth
Peter Firth is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Sir Harry Pearce in the BBC show Spooks, of which he is the only actor to have starred in every episode of the show's 10 series lifespan...
has gone on to a prominent acting career, appearing in Equus
Equus (film)
Equus is a 1977 British-American drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Richard Burton. Peter Shaffer wrote the screenplay based on his play Equus...
, The Hunt for Red October
The Hunt for Red October (film)
The Hunt for Red October is a 1990 thriller film based on the novel of the same name by Tom Clancy. It was directed by John McTiernan and stars Sean Connery as Captain Marko Ramius and Alec Baldwin as Jack Ryan...
, Tess
Tess (film)
Tess is a 1980 romance film directed by Roman Polanski, an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's 1891 novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles. It tells the story of a strong-willed, young peasant girl who finds out she has title connections by way of her old aristocratic surname and who is raped by her wealthy...
, Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor (film)
Pearl Harbor is a 2001 American action drama war film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Randall Wallace, who wrote the screenplay...
and Spooks
Spooks
Spooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a...
. Co-star Brinsley Forde
Brinsley Forde
Brinsley Allan Forde is best known as the founding member of the reggae band, Aswad and as a child actor in the children's television series, Here Come the Double Deckers ....
later became the lead singer in Aswad.
The series was originally scheduled for 26 episodes, but production ceased after the 17th.
The entire series was released on 1 November 2010 on DVD in the UK.
Children
- Michael AudresonMichael AudresonMichael Audreson is a British actor.Born 1 August 1956 in England) he was a British child actor who appeared in many films and T.V. shows as a child in the 1960s. He appeared in 12 children's films called The Magnificent Six and a Half before playing the bespectacled "Brains" in Here Come the...
- Brains, a classic early TV portrayal of the geekGeekThe word geek is a slang term, with different meanings ranging from "a computer expert or enthusiast" to "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts", with a general pejorative meaning of "a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp[ecially] one who is perceived to...
type. - Gillian BaileyGillian BaileyGillian Bailey or Gilli Bush-Bailey is a British academic and former actress.She was mainly known as a child actor. Her best known role was Billie in Here Come the Double Deckers...
- Billie, the tomboyish mother of the group. - Bruce Clark - Sticks (the only American in this group)
- Peter FirthPeter FirthPeter Firth is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Sir Harry Pearce in the BBC show Spooks, of which he is the only actor to have starred in every episode of the show's 10 series lifespan...
- Scooper, the leader - Brinsley FordeBrinsley FordeBrinsley Allan Forde is best known as the founding member of the reggae band, Aswad and as a child actor in the children's television series, Here Come the Double Deckers ....
- Spring, the only black member of the gang. - Debbie RussDebbie RussDebbie Russ , is a British actress who was part of the cast on the UK television show Here Come the Double Deckers.She played 'Tiger', a role she reprised in the 1972 film Go for a Take....
- Tiger (who also had a stuffed tiger called "Tiger") - Douglas SimmondsDouglas SimmondsDouglas Simmonds , waa British child actor who played the part of Doughnut in the UK television show Here Come the Double Deckers....
- Doughnut, not the brightest member and constantly eating.
Guest stars
- Melvyn HayesMelvyn HayesMelvyn Hayes is an English actor probably best known for playing the effeminate Gunner "Gloria" Beaumont in the 1970s BBC sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum,-Early life and career:...
- Albert (All except episodes 4, 9, 12, 13 and 15 to 17). - Ivor SalterIvor SalterIvor Salter was an English actor who appeared in character roles in numerous United Kingdom television productions and films from the early 1950s until the 1980s....
was in many of the episodes, usually as a policeman (PC Williams?). - Julian OrchardJulian OrchardJulian Dean C. Orchard was an English comedy actor.-Biography:Orchard was educated at Shrewsbury School and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama...
, Jack HaigJack HaigJack Haig was a British actor who specialised in supporting roles, mainly in TV comedy.Haig was the son of music hall actors Bertha Baker and Charles Coppin, whose act went under the name "Haig and Esco". He was seen in a long list of British TV favourites: Hugh and I, Dad's Army, Are You Being...
, Roy Evans in episode 2. - Norman VaughanNorman VaughanNorman Vaughan may refer to:*Norman D. Vaughan , American dogsled driver and explorer*Norman Vaughan , British comedian...
in episode 3. - David LodgeDavid Lodge (actor)David William Frederick Lodge was a British character actor.Before turning to acting he worked as a circus clown...
, Bob ToddBob ToddBob Todd was an English comedy actor, mostly known for appearing as a straight man in the sketch shows of Benny Hill and Spike Milligan. For many years he lived in Tunbridge Wells, Kent....
, Liz FraserLiz FraserLiz Fraser is an English actress, mainly in comedy roles.- Life and career :Her birthdate is usually attributed as 1933, the year she gave when auditioning for her role in I'm All Right Jack, as the Boulting Brothers wanted someone younger for the part...
in episode 4. - Clive DunnClive DunnClive Robert Benjamin Dunn OBE is a retired English actor, comedian and author, best known for his role as Lance-Corporal Jack Jones in the BBC sitcom Dad's Army.-Early life:...
, Pat CoombsPat CoombsPat Coombs was an English actress. Coombs was considered one of Britain's great character actresses, specialising in the portrayal of the eternal downtrodden female — comically under the thumb of stronger personalities. She was known for many roles on radio, film and television sitcoms...
in episode 5. - Betty MarsdenBetty MarsdenBetty Marsden was an English comedy actress.Originally from Liverpool, she attended the Italia Conti Stage School and ENSA.In the radio series Beyond Our Ken, she played Fanny Haddock, a takeoff of Fanny Cradock...
, Hugh PaddickHugh PaddickHugh William Paddick was an English actor, whose most notable role was in the 1960s BBC radio show Round the Horne in sketches such as Charles and Fiona and Julian and Sandy...
, George WoodbridgeGeorge Woodbridge (actor)George Woodbridge was an English character actor in films and television from the 1930s to the 1970s...
in episode 6. - Anthony MayAnthony MayAnthony May is a British stage, television and film actor. He attended Ottershaw School, Surrey. May trained at R.A.D.A. from 1965 to 1967....
in episode 7. - Jane SeymourJane Seymour (actress)Jane Seymour, OBE is an English actress best known for her performances in the James Bond film Live and Let Die , East of Eden , Onassis: The Richest Man in the World , and the American television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman...
, Bunny May, Tim Barrett, George BensonGeorge Benson (actor)George Christopher Benson was a Welsh and English actor of both theatre and screen, whose career spanned from the 1930s to the late 1970s...
, Ruth KettlewellRuth KettlewellRuth Kettlewell was a noted English actress who, by her own admission, was a “character bag”: that is a recognisable face to regular TV watchers but not a household name.-Life to death of husband:...
in episode 8. - Frank ThorntonFrank ThorntonFrank Thornton is an English actor who is best known for playing Captain Peacock in Are You Being Served? and its sequel Grace & Favour and as Truly in Last of the Summer Wine.-Early life:...
, Michael Sharvell-MartinMichael Sharvell-MartinMichael Sharvell-Martin was a British television and stage actor.-Early life:He was born as Michael Ernest Martin in Herne Bay, Kent, and trained in stage management at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. His acting debut was in 1965 at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham...
in episode 9. - David HutchesonDavid Hutcheson-Selected filmography:* The Sky's the Limit * A Gentleman's Gentleman * The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp * Theatre Royal * School for Secrets * Sleeping Car to Trieste * Woman Hater...
, Jimmy GardnerJimmy Gardner (British actor)Edward Charles James "Jimmy" Gardner, DFM was a British actor. He is perhaps best known for having played Knight Bus driver Ernie Prang in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third film adaptation of the Harry Potter books. His first appearance was in The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb in 1964...
, Robin AskwithRobin AskwithRobin Askwith , is an English film actor, most famous for his role as Timmy Lea in the Confessions... sex comedies.-Confessions...:...
in episode 10. - Graham StarkGraham StarkGraham Stark is an English comedian, actor, writer and director.Stark was born in Wallasey on the Wirral in Cheshire, England. He first came to prominence on BBC Radio, making his debut in Happy Go Lucky and going on to Ray's A Laugh, Educating Archie and substitute on The Goon Show...
, Nora Nicholson, Nicholas PhippsNicholas PhippsNicholas Phipps was a British actor and screenwriter who appeared in more than thirty films during a career that lasted between 1938 and 1970. He was born in London in 1913. He made his screen debut in the 1938 television film Hands Across the Sea. He appeared mainly in British comedy films, often...
, Jennifer DanielJennifer DanielJennifer Daniel is a Welsh actress. Among her film and TV appearances are the Hammer horror films The Kiss of the Vampire and The Reptile .She was married to actor Dinsdale Landen from 1959 until his death in 2003....
in episode 11. - Sam KyddSam KyddSam Kydd was an Ulster-born English actor. An army officer's son, he was born in Belfast, but moved to London, England when he was a child. He was educated at Dunstable Grammar School in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England....
, Dervis Ward, John HorsleyJohn Horsley (actor)John L. Horsley is an English actor. He was born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England.He made his acting debut at the Theatre Royal in Bournemouth. His early career saw him playing a succession of doctors and policemen, the former on film in Hell Drivers , the latter on television in Big...
, Michael BrennanMichael Brennan (actor)Michael Brennan was an English film and television actor.Born in London, Brennan was married to actress Mary Hignett. He appeared in such films as Nicholas Nickleby, Thunderball, The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders, Tom Jones, and The 39 Steps...
in episode 12. - Julian Chagrin in episode 13.
- Pat CoombsPat CoombsPat Coombs was an English actress. Coombs was considered one of Britain's great character actresses, specialising in the portrayal of the eternal downtrodden female — comically under the thumb of stronger personalities. She was known for many roles on radio, film and television sitcoms...
, Derek RoyleDerek RoyleDerek Royle was a British actor born in London, United Kingdom. His face was probably better known than his name to British viewers, but he acted in films and TV from the mid-sixties until his death...
, Jack HaigJack HaigJack Haig was a British actor who specialised in supporting roles, mainly in TV comedy.Haig was the son of music hall actors Bertha Baker and Charles Coppin, whose act went under the name "Haig and Esco". He was seen in a long list of British TV favourites: Hugh and I, Dad's Army, Are You Being...
, Bob ToddBob ToddBob Todd was an English comedy actor, mostly known for appearing as a straight man in the sketch shows of Benny Hill and Spike Milligan. For many years he lived in Tunbridge Wells, Kent....
in episode 15. - Timothy BatesonTimothy BatesonTimothy Dingwall Bateson was a British actor. The son of Dingwall Bateson, a solicitor later knighted, he was educated at Uppingham School and Wadham College, Oxford....
, Ann LancasterAnn LancasterAnn Lancaster was a well-known character actress who appeared in many British films, television shows and in the theatre. She specialised in comic roles. She had a talent for voices and often used this on radio to portray children. She also used her talent to do voiceovers on television...
in episode 16. - Georgina Simpson, Brian Hayes, Damaris HaymanDamaris HaymanDamaris Hayman is an actress best known for character roles on television. She was educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College....
, John CliveJohn CliveJohn Clive , is an English author and actor. He is best known for his international best selling historical and social fiction, such as "KG200" and "Borossa"....
, Lucy GriffithsLucy Griffiths (actress born 1919)Lucy Griffiths was a British character actress whose work spanned from the early 1950s through to the early 1980s....
, Bryan HuntBryan HuntBryan Hunt is an American modernist sculptor who was born in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1947. He attended the University of South Florida in 1967, and worked at the Kennedy Space Center as an engineers aide 67-68. In 1968, he moved to Los Angeles to enroll in the Otis College of Art and Design,...
in episode 17.
Episodes
- Tiger Takes Off (Tiger accidentally goes for a trip on a hovercraft Brains created.)
- The Case of the Missing Doughnut (Doughnut eats an invisibility formula Brains invented.)
- Get a Movie On (The gang make a film to enter a contest.)
- Starstruck (The gang are chased by security around Elstree StudiosElstree Studios"Elstree Studios" refers to any of several film studios that were based in the towns of Borehamwood and Elstree in Hertfordshire, England, since film production begun in 1927.-Name:...
, as they look for a movie star's runaway dog.) - Happy Haunting (Albert takes the gang to a stately home for a day out.)
- Summer Camp (The gang camp in a field with a middle aged couple who get the worst of it.)
- The Pop Singer (The group try to launch The Cool Cavaliers pop career with a disco.)
- Scooper Strikes Out (Scooper is knocked out by a baseball and dreams he is with Alice in Wonderland.)
- Robbie the Robot (Brains invents a robot which is sent to rescue Tiger's tiger from a neighbour's garden, and later becomes the hit of the television show Inventors' Club.)
- The Go-Karters (A biker sabotages the gang's go-kart, as a result of which Spring ends up in court after a high speed police chase.)
- A Helping Hound (The gang unsuccessfully try to help a woman threatened with eviction to decorate her house, but help comes when Tiger receives a large cash reward for finding a lost dog.)
- Invaders from Space (Men in spacesuits are advertising a new sweet called Planet 7, but the gang think it is an alien invasion.)
- Barney (The gang befriend Barney, a one-man band who keeps getting moved on by the police.)
- Man's Best Friend (The gang put on a show with aluminium foil as an entry fee to buy a guide dogGuide dogGuide dogs are assistance dogs trained to lead blind and visually impaired people around obstacles.Although the dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are partially color blind and are not capable of interpreting street signs...
for the blind.) - United We Stand (The owner of the yard that the gang use wants to turn it into a car park, but the kids sabotage his meeting with the Mayor.)
- Up to Scratch (Billie has to look after a dog named Scratch which runs off after a man with a flea circus turns up.)
- A Hit for a Miss (The boys fall for substitute teacher Miss Petit, which makes Billie jealous, and help her put on a show for an old folks home.)
Original soundtrack
Music played a prominent part in the programme, with an original soundtrack sung by the cast and written by Harry Booth, Melvyn Hayes and Johnny Arthey. The music was composed and directed by Ivor Slaney. An 11-track album of this was issued on Capitol RecordsCapitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
in 1970 and re-issued as a CD in 2007 with liners notes by David Noades.
- It's a Day and a Half (from episode 5)
- To the Countryside (from episode 6)
- Good Day at Yellow Rock (from episode 3)
- With a Little Bit of Love (from episode 17)
- I Gotta Get Through (from episode 7, sung by Anthony May)
- Get On Board (Title song)
- Life Is a Wonderful Thing (from episode 7)
- Grannie's Rocking Chair (from episode 6)
- One Man Band (from episode 13)
- Welcome to the Party (from episode 8. Peter Firth [Scooper] was the only one of the gang singing in this. Jane Seymour, Melvyn Hayes and others cast members sang too.)
- Fat Ladies (from episode 17)
DVD release
All the episodes are presented as originally broadcast, but Happy Haunting contains the usual "See you next week" line instead of the trailer for Summer Camp.Here Come the Double Deckers!
- Label: Second Sight
- Release Date: 1 November 2010
- Catalogue N°: 2NDVD 3187
- Availability: Out now
Two-disc Region 2 DVD set containing all 17 episodes.
Special Feature:
- 'Double Decker Memories' featuring interviews with Brinsley Forde and Michael Audreson.
Go for a Take
Debbie RussDebbie Russ
Debbie Russ , is a British actress who was part of the cast on the UK television show Here Come the Double Deckers.She played 'Tiger', a role she reprised in the 1972 film Go for a Take....
appears as herself/Tiger in the comedy film Go for a Take
Go for a Take
Go for a Take is a 1972 British comedy film directed by Harry Booth and featuring Dennis Price, Bob Todd, Reg Varney, Norman Rossington, Sue Lloyd, and Anouska Hempel.-Cast:* Johnny Briggs ... Assistant Director* John Clive ... Hotel Waiter...
(1972), which was directed and co-written by Harry Booth. The film stars Reg Varney
Reg Varney
Reginald Alfred "Reg" Varney was an English actor, most notable for his role as Stan Butler in 1970s TV sitcom On the Buses.-Early life:...
and is set in a film studio. Evidently, Here Come the Double Deckers is one of the shows in production within the fiction of the film.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068500/. Unfortunately, the original stuffed tiger prop had been lost shortly after filming had been completed on the series, so a look-alike had to be used. Production was at Pinewood Studios and on location.
The Magnificent Six and a Half
Prior to "Here Come the Double Deckers", Century Films produced a film serial for the Children's Film FoundationChildren's Film Foundation
The Children's Film Foundation was a non-profit-making organisation which made films for children in the United Kingdom, typically running for about 55 minutes. It was founded in 1951. For 30 years it was subsidised by the Eady Levy - a tax on box office receipts, but this was abolished in 1985...
called The Magnificent Six and a Half
The Magnificent Six and a Half (serial)
The Magnificent Six and a Half was a British film series for the Children's Film Foundation. Based on Hal Roach's popular Our Gang series of shorts, "Six and a Half" followed a group of seven children on their fun misadventures. Created by Harry Booth and Roy Simpson, the series ran in theaters...
. The series was very similar to the Double Deckers, and essentially acted as a blueprint for the latter. Like the Double Deckers, "Six and a Half" centered around the adventures of seven children, who had similar personalities to the Double Deckers. Many of the crew members from "Six and a Half" also worked on the Double Deckers, including producer Roy Simpson, director and writer Harry Booth, writer Glyn Jones, and choreographer Arnold Taraborrelli (who designed the title cards for "Six and a Half"). In addtion, future Double Deckers Brinsley Forde
Brinsley Forde
Brinsley Allan Forde is best known as the founding member of the reggae band, Aswad and as a child actor in the children's television series, Here Come the Double Deckers ....
and Michael Audreson
Michael Audreson
Michael Audreson is a British actor.Born 1 August 1956 in England) he was a British child actor who appeared in many films and T.V. shows as a child in the 1960s. He appeared in 12 children's films called The Magnificent Six and a Half before playing the bespectacled "Brains" in Here Come the...
were among the stars of "Six and a Half", and Melvyn Hayes
Melvyn Hayes
Melvyn Hayes is an English actor probably best known for playing the effeminate Gunner "Gloria" Beaumont in the 1970s BBC sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum,-Early life and career:...
appeared in a few episodes. "Six and a Half" also featured several gags and plotlines that would later be reused in "Double Deckers".