James Bolam
Encyclopedia
James Christopher Bolam, MBE
(born 16 June 1935) is a British
actor
, best known for his roles as Jack Ford in When the Boat Comes In
, Trevor Chaplin in The Beiderbecke Trilogy
, Terry Collier in The Likely Lads
and its sequel Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
, Roy Figgis in Only When I Laugh
, Dr Arthur Gilder in Born and Bred
, Jack Halford in New Tricks and the title character of Grandpa in the children's BBC
programme Grandpa in My Pocket
.
, England
, UK. His father, Robert Alfred Bolam, was from Northumberland
and his mother, Marion Alice Durey, from County Durham
.
in Derby
. He was formally trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama
in London, and first appeared on screens in the early 1960s, initially in popular TV shows such as Z-Cars
and the gritty northern films A Kind of Loving
and The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
. He appeared along with John Thaw
in the 1967 Granada TV serial, Inheritance
.
The Likely Lads
made Bolam a star during its 1964 to 1966 run. Bolam himself adapted the shows for BBC radio soon afterwards, and then went on to appear in films such as O Lucky Man!
, Otley
and Half a Sixpence
before the "Lads" returned, in colour, in 1973. Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
ran for two series, in 1973 and 1974. These were repeated in late 1974, and a new episode, a 45-minute Christmas special, was broadcast on Christmas Eve that year.
In 1975 Bolam appeared alongside the original cast in a further BBC Radio
series adapted from the 1973 TV series and in 1976 there was a further reunion in a feature film spin-off from the series, simply entitled The Likely Lads. Bolam's co-star Rodney Bewes
revealed in 2005 that the two actors had not spoken since the film had been made, a period of over thirty years. The rift, according to Bewes, developed through his telling a journalist that when Bolam's wife had revealed that she was pregnant, Bolam was so startled that the car he was driving swerved alarmingly.
Bolam has never commented on what caused the rift, but he is known for being guarded about his private life. He once commented: "I'm having a man fix the track rods on my car. I don't want to know anything about him. Why should he want to know anything about me?".
In 1976, Bolam made a return to straight drama as Jack Ford in the BBC Television
series When the Boat Comes In
, which ran until 1981. Since then he has gone on to become one of the highest-paid stars on British TV, mostly in comedies, appearing in shows such as Only When I Laugh
(as Roy Figgis), The Beiderbecke Affair
(as Trevor Chaplin), The Beiderbecke Tapes
, Andy Capp
(in the title role), The Beiderbecke Connection
, Second Thoughts (as Bill MacGregor), Midsomer Murders
, Pay and Display
, Dalziel and Pascoe
, Close and True, Born and Bred
(as Dr. Arthur Gilder), and New Tricks (as Jack Halford).
In 1978 he played Willie Garvin
in a BBC World Service
radio adaptation of the Modesty Blaise
book Last Day in Limbo
. In 1982 he provided the voice for The Tod in the animated film version of The Plague Dogs
, and in the year 2000, he played Sir Archibald Flint in the Doctor Who
audio play The Spectre of Lanyon Moor
.
In 2002 he also played the serial killer
Harold Shipman
, in Shipman
, the ITV adaptation of Brian Masters
' book on the case, Prescription for Murder. He portrayed Harold Wilson
, the former Prime Minister
, in the 2006 BBC
documentary The Plot Against Harold Wilson.
He appeared in Frank Loesser
's musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
at the Chichester Festival Theatre
during the 2005 summer season. He is currently playing Grandpa in the Cbeebies show Grandpa In My Pocket
.
In 2009 he played Ken Lewis, CEO of the Bank of America
, in the television dramatisation The Last Days of Lehman Brothers
.
His appearances on the London stage
include Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell
by Keith Waterhouse
and Ben Elton
´s play, Gasping.
Bolam was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.
It was announced on 20 September 2011 that Bolam had quit the role of Jack Halford in New Tricks, just days after two more series were commissioned.
, West Sussex
with his wife, the actress Susan Jameson
(who co-starred with him in the TV series When the Boat Comes In
and the current series New Tricks and Grandpa In My Pocket
). They have a daughter, Lucy. Bolam plays the violin with a local amateur orchestra; is a member of a barber shop choir, singing baritone; and is a playing member of West Sussex Golf Club at Pulborough.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 16 June 1935) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, best known for his roles as Jack Ford in When the Boat Comes In
When the Boat Comes In
When the Boat Comes In is a British television period-drama produced by the BBC between 1976 and 1981.The series stars James Bolam as Jack Ford, a First World War veteran who returns to his poverty-stricken town of Gallowshield in the North East of England in the 1920s.The memorable traditional...
, Trevor Chaplin in The Beiderbecke Trilogy
The Beiderbecke Trilogy
The Beiderbecke Trilogy refers to three television serials written by Alan Plater and made by Yorkshire Television for the ITV network in the United Kingdom between 1984 and 1988. Each serial centres around schoolteachers Trevor Chaplin and Jill Swinburne who work at a rundown comprehensive...
, Terry Collier in The Likely Lads
The Likely Lads
The Likely Lads was a black-and-white British sitcom created and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and produced by Dick Clement. Twenty episodes were broadcast by the BBC, in three series, between 16 December 1964 and 23 July 1966...
and its sequel Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? is a 1970s British sitcom broadcast between 9 January 1973 and 9 April 1974 on BBC1. It is the colour sequel to the mid-1960s hit The Likely Lads. It was created and written, as was its predecessor, by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais...
, Roy Figgis in Only When I Laugh
Only When I Laugh (TV series)
Only When I Laugh is a British television sitcom made by Yorkshire Television for ITV between 29 October 1979 and 16 December 1982. It was set in the ward of an NHS hospital. The title is the answer to the question, "Does it hurt?"...
, Dr Arthur Gilder in Born and Bred
Born and Bred
Born and Bred is a light-hearted British drama series that aired on BBC One from 2002 to 2005. Created by Chris Chibnall and Nigel McCrery, Born and Breds cast was led by James Bolam and Michael French, who play a father and son who run a cottage hospital in Ormston, a fictional Lancashire village...
, Jack Halford in New Tricks and the title character of Grandpa in the children's BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
programme Grandpa in My Pocket
Grandpa In My Pocket
Grandpa In My Pocket is a comedy drama series commissioned by Michael Carrington for CBeebies, the BBC's dedicated pre-school and nursery channel targeting children under the age of 6 years. The programme stars James Bolam, Jay Ruckley, Josie Cable, Zara Ramm and Sam Ellis...
.
Early life
Bolam was born in Sunderland, County DurhamCounty Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, UK. His father, Robert Alfred Bolam, was from Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
and his mother, Marion Alice Durey, from County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
.
Career
After attending Bede Grammar School, Sunderland, Bolam attended Bemrose SchoolBemrose School
Bemrose School , was a grammar school for boys in Derby, England, until 1975, when it became a comprehensive. It became comprehensive in 1989. There were a few difficult years as the school worked to establish itself as an all ability school for Derby. It became a Foundation School and then a...
in Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
. He was formally trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama
Central School of Speech and Drama
The Central School of Speech and Drama was founded in London in 1906 by Elsie Fogerty to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students...
in London, and first appeared on screens in the early 1960s, initially in popular TV shows such as Z-Cars
Z-Cars
Z-Cars is a British television drama series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby in the outskirts of Liverpool in Merseyside. Produced by the BBC, it debuted in January 1962 and ran until September 1978.-Origins:The series was developed by...
and the gritty northern films A Kind of Loving
A Kind of Loving (film)
A Kind of Loving is a 1962 British drama film directed by John Schlesinger, based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Stan Barstow. It stars Alan Bates and June Ritchie as two lovers in 1960s West Yorkshire. The photography was by Denys Coop, and the music by Ron Grainer...
and The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (film)
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner is a 1962 film, based on the short story of the same name.The screenplay, like the short story, was written by Alan Sillitoe....
. He appeared along with John Thaw
John Thaw
John Edward Thaw, CBE was an English actor, who appeared in a range of television, stage and cinema roles, his most popular being police and legal dramas such as Redcap, The Sweeney, Inspector Morse and Kavanagh QC.-Early life:Thaw came from a working class background, having been born in Gorton,...
in the 1967 Granada TV serial, Inheritance
Inheritance (TV series)
Inheritance was a 1967 Granada produced ITV drama based on a 1932 novel by Phyllis Bentley.The ten-part period drama revolved around the fortunes of the Oldroyds, a Yorkshire mill owning family from 1812 to 1965. The early part of the series featured the Luddite riots involving the burning of mills...
.
The Likely Lads
The Likely Lads
The Likely Lads was a black-and-white British sitcom created and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and produced by Dick Clement. Twenty episodes were broadcast by the BBC, in three series, between 16 December 1964 and 23 July 1966...
made Bolam a star during its 1964 to 1966 run. Bolam himself adapted the shows for BBC radio soon afterwards, and then went on to appear in films such as O Lucky Man!
O Lucky Man!
O Lucky Man! is a 1973 British comedy-drama fantasy film, intended as an allegory on life in a capitalist society. Directed by Lindsay Anderson, it stars Malcolm McDowell as Mick Travis, whom McDowell had first played as a disaffected public schoolboy in his first film performance in Anderson's...
, Otley
Otley (film)
Otley is a 1968 British comedy thriller film.-Outline:Gerald Arthur Otley , a hapless and light-fingered antiques dealer, is mistaken for a spy and grows into the part - to such an extent that the real spy falls in love with him...
and Half a Sixpence
Half a Sixpence
Half a Sixpence is a musical comedy written as a vehicle for British pop star Tommy Steele.It is based on H.G. Wells's novel Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul...
before the "Lads" returned, in colour, in 1973. Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? is a 1970s British sitcom broadcast between 9 January 1973 and 9 April 1974 on BBC1. It is the colour sequel to the mid-1960s hit The Likely Lads. It was created and written, as was its predecessor, by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais...
ran for two series, in 1973 and 1974. These were repeated in late 1974, and a new episode, a 45-minute Christmas special, was broadcast on Christmas Eve that year.
In 1975 Bolam appeared alongside the original cast in a further BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
series adapted from the 1973 TV series and in 1976 there was a further reunion in a feature film spin-off from the series, simply entitled The Likely Lads. Bolam's co-star Rodney Bewes
Rodney Bewes
Rodney Bewes is an English television actor and writer who is best known for playing Bob Ferris in the BBC television sitcom The Likely Lads and its colour sequel Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? , and in the various radio series based on them , and in the big screen film The Likely Lads...
revealed in 2005 that the two actors had not spoken since the film had been made, a period of over thirty years. The rift, according to Bewes, developed through his telling a journalist that when Bolam's wife had revealed that she was pregnant, Bolam was so startled that the car he was driving swerved alarmingly.
Bolam has never commented on what caused the rift, but he is known for being guarded about his private life. He once commented: "I'm having a man fix the track rods on my car. I don't want to know anything about him. Why should he want to know anything about me?".
In 1976, Bolam made a return to straight drama as Jack Ford in the BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
series When the Boat Comes In
When the Boat Comes In
When the Boat Comes In is a British television period-drama produced by the BBC between 1976 and 1981.The series stars James Bolam as Jack Ford, a First World War veteran who returns to his poverty-stricken town of Gallowshield in the North East of England in the 1920s.The memorable traditional...
, which ran until 1981. Since then he has gone on to become one of the highest-paid stars on British TV, mostly in comedies, appearing in shows such as Only When I Laugh
Only When I Laugh (TV series)
Only When I Laugh is a British television sitcom made by Yorkshire Television for ITV between 29 October 1979 and 16 December 1982. It was set in the ward of an NHS hospital. The title is the answer to the question, "Does it hurt?"...
(as Roy Figgis), The Beiderbecke Affair
The Beiderbecke Affair
The Beiderbecke Affair is a television series produced in the UK by ITV during 1985, written by the prolific Alan Plater, whose lengthy credits to British Television since the 1960s included the preceding 4 part mini series Get Lost! for ITV in 1981...
(as Trevor Chaplin), The Beiderbecke Tapes
The Beiderbecke Tapes
The Beiderbecke Tapes is a two-part British television drama serial written by Alan Plater and broadcast in 1987. It is the second serial in The Beiderbecke Trilogy and stars James Bolam and Barbara Flynn as schoolteachers Trevor Chaplin and Jill Swinburne...
, Andy Capp
Andy Capp (TV series)
Andy Capp is a British sitcom based on the cartoon Andy Capp. It starred James Bolam and ran for one series in 1988. It was written by Keith Waterhouse. Unusually for a sitcom, there was no studio audience during the filming of Andy Capp...
(in the title role), The Beiderbecke Connection
The Beiderbecke Connection
The Beiderbecke Connection is a four part British television serial written by Alan Plater and broadcast in 1988. It is the third and final part of The Beiderbecke Trilogy and stars James Bolam and Barbara Flynn as schoolteachers Trevor Chaplin and Jill Swinburne...
, Second Thoughts (as Bill MacGregor), Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
, Pay and Display
Pay And Display (TV series)
Pay And Display is a short-lived British sitcom starring James Bolam that lasted only one series. It was written by Dominic English.-Cast:*James Bolam - Sydney Street*Matt Bardock - Danny Weir*Diana Weston - Miss Cummings*Pearce Quigley - Adolf...
, Dalziel and Pascoe
Dalziel and Pascoe (BBC TV series)
Dalziel and Pascoe is a popular British television crime drama based on the Dalziel and Pascoe books by Reginald Hill, which was first broadcast in March 1996. It is set in Yorkshire, and is about two detectives...
, Close and True, Born and Bred
Born and Bred
Born and Bred is a light-hearted British drama series that aired on BBC One from 2002 to 2005. Created by Chris Chibnall and Nigel McCrery, Born and Breds cast was led by James Bolam and Michael French, who play a father and son who run a cottage hospital in Ormston, a fictional Lancashire village...
(as Dr. Arthur Gilder), and New Tricks (as Jack Halford).
In 1978 he played Willie Garvin
Willie Garvin
Willie Garvin is a character in the long-running British comic strip series Modesty Blaise, as well as a series of novels based upon the strip. The character was created by Peter O'Donnell in 1963 and, alongside Modesty Blaise, made his first appearance in the story La Machine, appearing for the...
in a BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
radio adaptation of the Modesty Blaise
Modesty Blaise
Modesty Blaise is a British comic strip featuring a fictional character of the same name, created by Peter O'Donnell and Jim Holdaway in 1963. The strip follows the adventures of Modesty Blaise, an exceptional young woman with many talents and a criminal past, and her trusty sidekick Willie Garvin...
book Last Day in Limbo
Last Day in Limbo
Last Day in Limbo is the title of the eighth novel chronicling the adventures of crime lord-turned-secret agent Modesty Blaise. The novel was first published in 1976 and was written by Peter O'Donnell, who had created the character for a comic strip in the early 1960s...
. In 1982 he provided the voice for The Tod in the animated film version of The Plague Dogs
The Plague Dogs (film)
The Plague Dogs is a 1982 animated film based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Richard Adams. The film was written-for-screen, directed and produced by Martin Rosen, who also directed Watership Down, the film version of another novel by Adams, produced by Nepenthe Productions and released by...
, and in the year 2000, he played Sir Archibald Flint in the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
audio play The Spectre of Lanyon Moor
The Spectre of Lanyon Moor
The Spectre of Lanyon Moor is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Plot:The Sixth Doctor and Evelyn team up with the Brigadier to defeat an ancient evil in Cornwall....
.
In 2002 he also played the serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Harold Shipman
Harold Shipman
Harold Fredrick Shipman was an English doctor and one of the most prolific serial killers in recorded history with 218 murders being positively ascribed to him....
, in Shipman
Shipman (television film)
Shipman is a 2002 ITV television drama film, about the life and crimes of serial killer Harold Shipman. The film was directed by Roger Bamford and written by Michael Eaton.-Cast:*James Bolam as Harold Shipman...
, the ITV adaptation of Brian Masters
Brian Masters
Brian Masters is British writer best known for his biographies of mass murderers. He has also written about the British aristocracy and worked as a translator....
' book on the case, Prescription for Murder. He portrayed Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
, the former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, in the 2006 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
documentary The Plot Against Harold Wilson.
He appeared in Frank Loesser
Frank Loesser
Frank Henry Loesser was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and scores to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for...
's musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, based on Shepherd Mead's 1952 book of the same name....
at the Chichester Festival Theatre
Chichester Festival Theatre
Chichester Festival Theatre, located in Chichester, England, was designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, and opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Martin in 1962. Subsequently the smaller and more intimate Minerva Theatre was built nearby in 1989....
during the 2005 summer season. He is currently playing Grandpa in the Cbeebies show Grandpa In My Pocket
Grandpa In My Pocket
Grandpa In My Pocket is a comedy drama series commissioned by Michael Carrington for CBeebies, the BBC's dedicated pre-school and nursery channel targeting children under the age of 6 years. The programme stars James Bolam, Jay Ruckley, Josie Cable, Zara Ramm and Sam Ellis...
.
In 2009 he played Ken Lewis, CEO of the Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
, in the television dramatisation The Last Days of Lehman Brothers
The Last Days of Lehman Brothers
The Last Days of Lehman Brothers is a British television film, first broadcast on BBC Two and BBC HD on Wednesday 9 September 2009. Filmed in London, it was written by Craig Warner and directed by Michael Samuels...
.
His appearances on the London stage
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
include Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell
Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell
Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell is a play by Keith Waterhouse about real-life journalist Jeffrey Bernard. Bernard was still alive at the time the play was first performed in the West End in 1989.Bernard wrote the "Low Life" column in The Spectator...
by Keith Waterhouse
Keith Waterhouse
Keith Spencer Waterhouse CBE was a novelist, newspaper columnist, and the writer of many television series.-Biography:Keith Waterhouse was born in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
and Ben Elton
Ben Elton
Benjamin Charles "Ben" Elton is an English comedian, author, playwright and director. He was a leading figure in the British alternative comedy movement of the 1980s, as a writer on such cult series as The Young Ones and Blackadder, as well as also a successful stand-up comedian on stage and TV....
´s play, Gasping.
Bolam was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.
It was announced on 20 September 2011 that Bolam had quit the role of Jack Halford in New Tricks, just days after two more series were commissioned.
Personal life
Bolam lives in Wisborough GreenWisborough Green
Wisborough Green is a village and civil parish in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England miles west of Billingshurst on the A272.Newbridge where the A272 crosses the River Arun mile east of the village was the highest point of the Arun navigation, and the southern end of the Wey and Arun...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
with his wife, the actress Susan Jameson
Susan Jameson
Susan Jameson is an English actress who is best known for her television work.Jameson was born in Barnt Green, Worcestershire, England, UK. She is married to actor James Bolam with whom she has a daughter, Lucy...
(who co-starred with him in the TV series When the Boat Comes In
When the Boat Comes In
When the Boat Comes In is a British television period-drama produced by the BBC between 1976 and 1981.The series stars James Bolam as Jack Ford, a First World War veteran who returns to his poverty-stricken town of Gallowshield in the North East of England in the 1920s.The memorable traditional...
and the current series New Tricks and Grandpa In My Pocket
Grandpa In My Pocket
Grandpa In My Pocket is a comedy drama series commissioned by Michael Carrington for CBeebies, the BBC's dedicated pre-school and nursery channel targeting children under the age of 6 years. The programme stars James Bolam, Jay Ruckley, Josie Cable, Zara Ramm and Sam Ellis...
). They have a daughter, Lucy. Bolam plays the violin with a local amateur orchestra; is a member of a barber shop choir, singing baritone; and is a playing member of West Sussex Golf Club at Pulborough.
Selected Filmography
- The KitchenThe Kitchen (film)The Kitchen is a 1961 British drama film directed by James Hill and starring Carl Möhner, Mary Yeomans, Brian Phelan, Tom Bell, Eric Pohlmann and James Bolam. The film follows an ensemble of the staff in a cafe's kitchen during the course of one busy morning...
(1961) - A Kind of LovingA Kind of Loving (film)A Kind of Loving is a 1962 British drama film directed by John Schlesinger, based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Stan Barstow. It stars Alan Bates and June Ritchie as two lovers in 1960s West Yorkshire. The photography was by Denys Coop, and the music by Ron Grainer...
(1962) - H.M.S. Defiant (1962)
- The Loneliness of the Long Distance RunnerThe Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (film)The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner is a 1962 film, based on the short story of the same name.The screenplay, like the short story, was written by Alan Sillitoe....
(1962) - Murder Most FoulMurder Most FoulMurder Most Foul is the third of four films made by MGM loosely based on novels by Agatha Christie and starring Margaret Rutherford as Miss Jane Marple, Bud Tingwell as Inspector Craddock, and Stringer Davis as Mr Stringer. The story is ostensibly based on the novel Mrs McGinty's Dead, but notably...
(1964) - The Likely LadsThe Likely LadsThe Likely Lads was a black-and-white British sitcom created and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and produced by Dick Clement. Twenty episodes were broadcast by the BBC, in three series, between 16 December 1964 and 23 July 1966...
(1964-1966) - Half a SixpenceHalf a Sixpence (film)Half a Sixpence is a 1967 British musical film directed by George Sidney and choreographed by Gillian Lynne. The screenplay by Beverley Cross is adapted from his book for the stage musical of the same name, which was based on Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul, a 1905 novel by H.G. Wells...
(1967) - OtleyOtley (film)Otley is a 1968 British comedy thriller film.-Outline:Gerald Arthur Otley , a hapless and light-fingered antiques dealer, is mistaken for a spy and grows into the part - to such an extent that the real spy falls in love with him...
(1968) - Crucible of TerrorCrucible of TerrorCrucible of Terror is a 1971 British horror film directed by Ted Hooker and starring Mike Raven, Mary Maude and James Bolam. Its plot involves a mad sculptor killing women to use as models for his statues.-Synopsis:...
(1971) - Straight on Till MorningStraight on Till MorningStraight on Till Morning is a 1972 British thriller film directed by Peter Collinson and starring Rita Tushingham, Shane Briant, James Bolam, Katya Wyeth and John Clive. A reserved young woman finds herself attracted to a handsome stranger, unaware of his psychotic tendencies...
(1972) - O Lucky Man!O Lucky Man!O Lucky Man! is a 1973 British comedy-drama fantasy film, intended as an allegory on life in a capitalist society. Directed by Lindsay Anderson, it stars Malcolm McDowell as Mick Travis, whom McDowell had first played as a disaffected public schoolboy in his first film performance in Anderson's...
(1973) - Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? is a 1970s British sitcom broadcast between 9 January 1973 and 9 April 1974 on BBC1. It is the colour sequel to the mid-1960s hit The Likely Lads. It was created and written, as was its predecessor, by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais...
(1973-1974) - In CelebrationIn CelebrationIn Celebration is a 1975 film directed by Lindsay Anderson. It is based in the 1969 stage production of the same name by David Storey which was also directed by Anderson. The movie was meant to be shown theatrically with tickets sold in advance....
(1975) - The Likely LadsThe Likely Lads (film)The Likely Lads is a 1976 British comedy film directed by Michael Tuchner, starring James Bolam and Rodney Bewes. It's a spin-off from the popular 1960s British television series The Likely Lads, from which it takes its title, though in fact it's closer in tone to the more recent sequel series...
(1976) - When the Boat Comes InWhen the Boat Comes InWhen the Boat Comes In is a British television period-drama produced by the BBC between 1976 and 1981.The series stars James Bolam as Jack Ford, a First World War veteran who returns to his poverty-stricken town of Gallowshield in the North East of England in the 1920s.The memorable traditional...
(1976-1981) - Only When I LaughOnly When I Laugh (TV series)Only When I Laugh is a British television sitcom made by Yorkshire Television for ITV between 29 October 1979 and 16 December 1982. It was set in the ward of an NHS hospital. The title is the answer to the question, "Does it hurt?"...
(1979-1982) - Al-Mas' Ala Al-KubraAl-Mas' Ala Al-KubraAl-Mas'ala Al-Kubra is a 1983 Iraqi movie focusing on the formation of Iraq out of Mesopotamia in the aftermath of the First World War....
(1983) - The Beiderbecke AffairThe Beiderbecke AffairThe Beiderbecke Affair is a television series produced in the UK by ITV during 1985, written by the prolific Alan Plater, whose lengthy credits to British Television since the 1960s included the preceding 4 part mini series Get Lost! for ITV in 1981...
(1985) - The Beiderbecke TapesThe Beiderbecke TapesThe Beiderbecke Tapes is a two-part British television drama serial written by Alan Plater and broadcast in 1987. It is the second serial in The Beiderbecke Trilogy and stars James Bolam and Barbara Flynn as schoolteachers Trevor Chaplin and Jill Swinburne...
(1987) - Andy CappAndy Capp (TV series)Andy Capp is a British sitcom based on the cartoon Andy Capp. It starred James Bolam and ran for one series in 1988. It was written by Keith Waterhouse. Unusually for a sitcom, there was no studio audience during the filming of Andy Capp...
(1988) - The Beiderbecke ConnectionThe Beiderbecke ConnectionThe Beiderbecke Connection is a four part British television serial written by Alan Plater and broadcast in 1988. It is the third and final part of The Beiderbecke Trilogy and stars James Bolam and Barbara Flynn as schoolteachers Trevor Chaplin and Jill Swinburne...
(1988) - Second Thoughts (1991-1994)
- Seaview NightsSeaview NightsSeaview Knights is a 1994 British comedy film directed by Richard Kurti and starring James Bolam, Sarah Alexander and Clive Darby. King Arthur and the knights of the round table wake up to find themselves in modern Blackpool.-Cast:...
(1994) - Clockwork MiceClockwork MiceClockwork Mice is a 1995 British drama film directed by Vadim Jean and starring Ian Hart, Catherine Russell and James Bolam.-Cast:* Ian Hart ... Steve* Catherine Russell ... Polly* Rúaidhrí Conroy ... Conrad* Art Malik ... Laney...
(1996) - Stella Does TricksStella Does TricksStella Does Tricks is a 1996 film about a young Glaswegian girl Stella, played by Kelly Macdonald, working as a prostitute in London.The film was the first feature film directed by Coky Giedroyc, inspired her previous work making documentaries about homeless people in Glasgow, Manchester, and...
(1996) - The Barber (1997)
- The Island on Bird StreetThe Island on Bird StreetThe Island on Bird Street is a 1985 semi-autobiographical children's book by Israeli author Uri Orlev, which tells the story of a young boy, Alex, and his struggle to survive alone in a ghetto during World War II...
(1997) - The Missing PostmanThe Missing PostmanThe Missing Postman is a two-part comedy drama originally broadcast on BBC One on the consecutive evenings of 29 March and 30 March 1997. Adapted from the Mark Wallington novel, it received the award for Best BBC Comedy Drama at the British Comedy Awards in 1997.-Synopsis:When Clive Peacock is...
(1997) - The End of the AffairThe End of the Affair (1999 film)Michael Nyman would later use "Diary of Love" to open and close his solo album, The Piano Sings . As with many of Nyman's 1990s scores, he incorporates material from his String Quartet No.3, which was in turn based on a choral piece titled Out of the Ruins.-Track listing:#Diary of Hate 2:38#Henry...
(1999) - Close and True (2000)
- It Was an AccidentIt Was an AccidentIt Was an Accident is a 2000 British comedy film directed by Metin Hüseyin and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Max Beesley and James Bolam. An ex-convict, trying to go straight, accidentally gets mixed up in a fresh series of crimes.-Cast:...
(2000) - Born and BredBorn and BredBorn and Bred is a light-hearted British drama series that aired on BBC One from 2002 to 2005. Created by Chris Chibnall and Nigel McCrery, Born and Breds cast was led by James Bolam and Michael French, who play a father and son who run a cottage hospital in Ormston, a fictional Lancashire village...
(2002-2004) - To Kill a KingTo Kill a KingTo Kill a King is a UK 2003 English Civil War film directed by Mike Barker, starring Tim Roth and Dougray Scott. It relates the relationship between Oliver Cromwell and Thomas Fairfax in the post-war period from 1648 until the former's death, in 1658. It deals with the corruption of Parliament...
(2003) - New Tricks (2003-2011)
- Grandpa in My PocketGrandpa In My PocketGrandpa In My Pocket is a comedy drama series commissioned by Michael Carrington for CBeebies, the BBC's dedicated pre-school and nursery channel targeting children under the age of 6 years. The programme stars James Bolam, Jay Ruckley, Josie Cable, Zara Ramm and Sam Ellis...
(2009) - The Last Days of Lehman BrothersThe Last Days of Lehman BrothersThe Last Days of Lehman Brothers is a British television film, first broadcast on BBC Two and BBC HD on Wednesday 9 September 2009. Filmed in London, it was written by Craig Warner and directed by Michael Samuels...
(2009)