Peter Duncan (actor)
Encyclopedia
Peter Duncan is a British actor and television presenter, best known as a former presenter of Blue Peter
and for his later family travel documentaries.
followed by two years at Sir Laurence Olivier
's National Theatre
. His notable television roles include work on Space 1999, King Cinder
, Play for Today
, Warship
, Oranges & Lemons, and season 2 of Survivors
. His roles in films include Kit Nubbles in Quilp, Kevin in Stardust
and a brief role in the film Flash Gordon
, with his character dying after a few minutes on screen.
Duncan played one of the leading roles, Jimmy Carter, in the 1977-1978 ITV
children's television series The Flockton Flyer
.
in 1980, and shortly afterwards it was revealed in a tabloid newspaper that Duncan had appeared nude in the British film The Lifetaker (1975). That he was ever a porn star has been refuted by the BBC in The Times.
He ran in the first London Marathon in 1981 (in 3 hours and 10 minutes) and ran again in the 1991 and 2001 events.
Unusually, Duncan had two periods with Blue Peter, being on the team from 1980 to 1984, and again from 1985 to 1986. During his stay with the programme, he became associated with the kind of daredevil stunts previously popularised by John Noakes
, and these continued in his own spin-off series, Duncan Dares. On 20 February 2007 Duncan was awarded the highest Blue Peter Award - The Gold Badge. This badge has been awarded in his role as Chief Scout of the UK.
, Me and My Girl
and The Card
for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. In the 1990s he appeared in numerous pantomimes, some of which he also produced through his company Gale Productions, including Robin Hood at the Lewisham (now Broadway) Theatre in South East London. Robin Hood also starred Sylvester McCoy
and featured songs by songwriter Laurence Mark Wythe
.
The first series, Travel Bug, charted a six month tour of the world. Filmed in 1999 when the children were aged 7 to 13, the series was shown on children's television on BBC1. The next series, Chinese Breakaway, charted the family's two month backpacking trip across China in 2002. The series was aired on Five and Sky Travel
. In the third series, Arthur's trip to India (also aired on Five), Duncan's 13 year old son was featured as the chief presenter. A one-off additional episode (Arthur's trip to Jordan) followed his son to the heart of the Middle East.
for The Scout Association
in the UK, for a five year tenure from 5 September 2004. There was some controversy over this appointment due to his only ever having been a Cub Scout before rejoining the organisation as an adult. The number of Scouts and volunteers rose during his leadership.
Peter Duncan's five year tenure ended in July 2009, when Bear Grylls
was officially made Chief Scout at Gilwell 24 2009. The handover event featured Duncan and was in front of a crowd of over 3,000 Explorer Scouts on 11 July 2009.
series The Games. He played Macduff in Macbeth
at Regents Park Theatre, London, and filmed a documentary about the Scouts climbing Everest. His one man show Daft and Dangerous appeared in the 2009 Edinburgh fringe.
In 2011 he took part in Total Wipeout: Celebrity Special Series 5 (BBC). He finished 2nd, missing out on the top spot by just 1 second to Marcus Patrick, 20 years his junior.
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
and for his later family travel documentaries.
Education
Duncan was a student at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, an independent stage school in London.Early career
Duncan's early career was as a stage actor, appearing as Jim Hawkins in Treasure IslandTreasure Island
Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of "pirates and buried gold". First published as a book on May 23, 1883, it was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881–82 under the title Treasure Island; or, the...
followed by two years at Sir Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
's National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
. His notable television roles include work on Space 1999, King Cinder
King Cinder
King Cinder is a six part British children's television serial made by the BBC in 1977. It was first shown between 2 November and 7 December 1977 on BBC1....
, Play for Today
Play for Today
Play for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted...
, Warship
Warship (TV series)
Warship was a popular British television drama series produced by the BBC between 1973 and 1977. It was also dubbed into Dutch and broadcast in the Netherlands as Alle hens...
, Oranges & Lemons, and season 2 of Survivors
Survivors
Survivors is a British post-apocalyptic fiction television series devised by Terry Nation and produced by Terence Dudley at the BBC from 1975 to 1977...
. His roles in films include Kit Nubbles in Quilp, Kevin in Stardust
Stardust (1974 film)
Stardust is a 1974 British film directed by Michael Apted and starring David Essex and Adam Faith. The film is the sequel to the 1973 film That'll Be The Day...
and a brief role in the film Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon (film)
Flash Gordon is a 1980 British/American science fiction film, based on the comic strip of the same name created by Alex Raymond. The film was directed by Mike Hodges and produced and presented by Dino De Laurentiis. It stars Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Topol, Max von Sydow, Timothy Dalton, Brian...
, with his character dying after a few minutes on screen.
Duncan played one of the leading roles, Jimmy Carter, in the 1977-1978 ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
children's television series The Flockton Flyer
The Flockton Flyer
The Flockton Flyer was a children's TV series made by Southern TV for the ITV network. There were two series, each of six episodes. Series 1 was first transmitted in spring, 1977 and Series 2 followed in early 1978. Programmes were shown at 4.45 pm on Monday afternoons...
.
Blue Peter
He joined Blue PeterBlue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
in 1980, and shortly afterwards it was revealed in a tabloid newspaper that Duncan had appeared nude in the British film The Lifetaker (1975). That he was ever a porn star has been refuted by the BBC in The Times.
He ran in the first London Marathon in 1981 (in 3 hours and 10 minutes) and ran again in the 1991 and 2001 events.
Unusually, Duncan had two periods with Blue Peter, being on the team from 1980 to 1984, and again from 1985 to 1986. During his stay with the programme, he became associated with the kind of daredevil stunts previously popularised by John Noakes
John Noakes
John Noakes is a British television presenter and personality, best known for co-presenting the BBC children's magazine programme Blue Peter in the 1960s and 1970s. He remains the show's longest-serving presenter, with a stint that lasted 12 years and 6 months...
, and these continued in his own spin-off series, Duncan Dares. On 20 February 2007 Duncan was awarded the highest Blue Peter Award - The Gold Badge. This badge has been awarded in his role as Chief Scout of the UK.
Return to the stage
After leaving Blue Peter permanently in 1986, he returned to the stage, most notably in the musicals BarnumBarnum (musical)
Barnum is a musical with a book by Mark Bramble, lyrics by Michael Stewart, and music by Cy Coleman. It is based on the life of showman P. T. Barnum, covering the period from 1835 through 1880 in America and major cities of the world where Barnum took his performing companies. The production...
, Me and My Girl
Me and My Girl
Me and My Girl is a musical with book and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose and music by Noel Gay. It takes place in the late 1930s in Hampshire, Mayfair, and Lambeth....
and The Card
The Card
The Card is a short comedic novel written by Arnold Bennett in 1911, . It was later made into a 1952 movie starring Alec Guinness and Petula Clark. It chronicles the rise of Edward Henry Machin from washerwoman's son to Mayor of Bursley...
for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. In the 1990s he appeared in numerous pantomimes, some of which he also produced through his company Gale Productions, including Robin Hood at the Lewisham (now Broadway) Theatre in South East London. Robin Hood also starred Sylvester McCoy
Sylvester McCoy
Sylvester McCoy is a Scottish actor. As a comic act and busker he appeared regularly on stage and on BBC Children's television in the 1970s and 80s, but is best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who from 1987 to...
and featured songs by songwriter Laurence Mark Wythe
Laurence Mark Wythe
Laurence Mark Wythe is an award winning English composer, lyricist and writer for West End and Off-Broadway musicals. He is principally known for the off-Broadway musical Tomorrow Morning and Through the Door seen in the West End at the Trafalgar Studios starring Julie Atherton...
.
Family travel documentaries
Between 1999 and 2005, Duncan filmed and produced three travelogue documentary series. Each series consisted of six episodes and featured his family embarking on backpacking trips around the world. The family also consists of Duncan's wife Annie, and their four children: Lucy, Katie, Georgia and Arthur.The first series, Travel Bug, charted a six month tour of the world. Filmed in 1999 when the children were aged 7 to 13, the series was shown on children's television on BBC1. The next series, Chinese Breakaway, charted the family's two month backpacking trip across China in 2002. The series was aired on Five and Sky Travel
Sky Travel
Sky Real Lives was an in-house channel from BSkyB that showed extensive programmes about travel, adverts for travel agencies and documentaries. The channels closed on 19 August 2010.-History:...
. In the third series, Arthur's trip to India (also aired on Five), Duncan's 13 year old son was featured as the chief presenter. A one-off additional episode (Arthur's trip to Jordan) followed his son to the heart of the Middle East.
Chief Scout
Duncan was appointed as the 9th Chief ScoutChief Scout (United Kingdom)
The Chief Scout is the head of The Scout Association. The post originated with the appointment of Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scout Movement, as Chief Scout. He was designated Chief Scout of the World in 1920 at the first World Scout Jamboree in Olympia, London...
for The Scout Association
The Scout Association
The Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognised Scouting association in the United Kingdom. Scouting began in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell. The Scout Association was formed under its previous name, The Boy Scout Association, in 1910 by the grant...
in the UK, for a five year tenure from 5 September 2004. There was some controversy over this appointment due to his only ever having been a Cub Scout before rejoining the organisation as an adult. The number of Scouts and volunteers rose during his leadership.
Peter Duncan's five year tenure ended in July 2009, when Bear Grylls
Bear Grylls
Edward Michael "Bear" Grylls is an English adventurer, writer and television presenter. He is best known for his television series Man vs. Wild, known as Born Survivor in the United Kingdom...
was officially made Chief Scout at Gilwell 24 2009. The handover event featured Duncan and was in front of a crowd of over 3,000 Explorer Scouts on 11 July 2009.
Most recently
More recently, he has written and directed Oxford Playhouse pantomimes. He took part in the Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
series The Games. He played Macduff in Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
at Regents Park Theatre, London, and filmed a documentary about the Scouts climbing Everest. His one man show Daft and Dangerous appeared in the 2009 Edinburgh fringe.
In 2011 he took part in Total Wipeout: Celebrity Special Series 5 (BBC). He finished 2nd, missing out on the top spot by just 1 second to Marcus Patrick, 20 years his junior.
External links
- Video showing Peter Duncan celebrating 100 years of Scouting
- Profile as a BBC presenter
- Video from the Gilwell 24 event showing the handover of the Chief Scout for the UK role , from Peter Duncan to Bear Grylls
- Duncan's personal website
- Official Scout association video covering Peter Duncan's time as the 9th Chief Scout