Sally James
Encyclopedia
Sally James was a presenter on the ITV
Saturday morning children's show Tiswas
from 1977 until it ended in 1982.
Before this success, she was an actress on such television shows as The Two Ronnies
, Crown Court
, Father Dear Father, Dixon of Dock Green
, Curry & Chips and The Protectors
. Film roles included The Railway Children
and the Glam Rock
movie Never Too Young To Rock. Richard Marson's book celebrating fifty years of Blue Peter
comments that James was considered as a possible replacement for Lesley Judd
in the 1970s.
She now runs a business selling school uniform
s in Cobham
, Surrey
, using her married name of Sally Smith, and had a programme on BBC WM
on Saturday mornings from 6 - 9am until the Summer of 2005 when the show was taken over by Les Ross
.
James was born in Chiswick
, but moved to Hinchley Wood
, Surrey
when she was seven years old. Her father, Bert Cann, was a stills photographer, working for a movie company. He happened to be photographing a film called To Sir, With Love, starring Lulu, when Sally’s acting ambitions stirred into life. Through her father, she persuaded the producer to give her a part in the film’s schoolroom scenes. There followed parts in such long-running TV series as Dixon of Dock Green
and The Saint
, and the part of a schoolteacher’s wife in a twice-weekly Yorkshire Television
soap called Castlehaven.
London Weekend Television hired James for a Saturday morning children’s show, Saturday Scene, transmitted in the LWT region only from 1973 to 1977. In the mid-70s Birmingham’s ATV
studios launched Tiswas
, fronted by Chris Tarrant
. In 1977 the TISWAS team decided it would be a great idea to have a bright, bouncy, sexy girl on the show, and invited Sally, through her agent, to go to Birmingham to meet them all.
She currently presents for Film24.
James and her family, who live near Effingham
, have retained a very close friendship with Chris and his former wife, Ingrid Tarrant, who live in nearby Esher
. She is married to agent and entrepreneur Mike Smith, currently closely involved in the resurgence of the Leatherhead
Theatre. They have been married for over 25 years, have three boys.
Some 25 years after Tiswas ended, James presented a reunion show along with fellow presenter Chris Tarrant
, (Tiswas Reunited) on ITV
on 16 June 2007. Lasting 90 minutes, the show featured contributions from celebrities who enjoyed the show as children, and appearances by people who had been on the show.
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...
Saturday morning children's show Tiswas
Tiswas
Tiswas was a Saturday morning children's British television series which ran from 5 January 1974 to 3 April 1982 and was produced for the ITV network by ATV Network Limited....
from 1977 until it ended in 1982.
Before this success, she was an actress on such television shows as The Two Ronnies
The Two Ronnies
The Two Ronnies is a British sketch show that aired on BBC1 from 1971 to 1987. It featured the double act of Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett, the "Two Ronnies" of the title.-Origins:...
, Crown Court
Crown Court (TV series)
Crown Court was an afternoon television courtroom drama produced by Granada Television for the ITV network that ran from 1972, when the Crown Court system replaced Assize courts and Quarter sessions in the legal system of England and Wales, to 1984....
, Father Dear Father, Dixon of Dock Green
Dixon of Dock Green
Dixon of Dock Green was a popular BBC television series that ran from 1955 to 1976, and later a radio series. Despite being a drama series, it was initially produced by the BBC's light entertainment department.-Overview:...
, Curry & Chips and The Protectors
The Protectors
The Protectors is a British television series, an action thriller created by Gerry Anderson. It is Anderson's second TV series using live actors as opposed to electronic marionettes, and also his second to be firmly set in the present day...
. Film roles included The Railway Children
The Railway Children (film)
The Railway Children is a 1970 British drama film based on the novel of the same name by E. Nesbit. The film was directed by Lionel Jeffries, and stars Dinah Sheridan, Jenny Agutter , Sally Thomsett and Bernard Cribbins in leading roles...
and the Glam Rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
movie Never Too Young To Rock. Richard Marson's book celebrating fifty years of Blue Peter
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...
comments that James was considered as a possible replacement for Lesley Judd
Lesley Judd
Lesley Judd is an English dancer and TV presenter, best known as a long-serving host of the BBC children's programme Blue Peter. She was educated at the independent Royal Ballet School...
in the 1970s.
She now runs a business selling school uniform
School uniform
A school uniform is an outfit—a set of standardized clothes—worn primarily for an educational institution. They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries . When used, they form the basis of a school's dress code.Traditionally school uniforms have been largely subdued and...
s in Cobham
Cobham, Surrey
Cobham is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England, about south-west of central London and north of Leatherhead. Elmbridge has been acclaimed by the Daily Mail as the best place to live in the UK, and Cobham is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, using her married name of Sally Smith, and had a programme on BBC WM
BBC WM
BBC WM is the BBC Local Radio service for the West Midlands, South Staffordshire, north Worcestershire and north Warwickshire, operated by BBC Birmingham. Launched on 9 November 1970 as BBC Radio Birmingham, it broadcasts from central Birmingham on 95.6 FM, DAB and on the internet...
on Saturday mornings from 6 - 9am until the Summer of 2005 when the show was taken over by Les Ross
Les Ross
Les Ross MBE is a British disc jockey and long established personality in the West Midlands.-Early life and career:...
.
James was born in Chiswick
Chiswick
Chiswick is a large suburb of west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located on a meander of the River Thames, west of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, with...
, but moved to Hinchley Wood
Hinchley Wood
Hinchley Wood is a residential community approximately south-west of London, England. At the 2001 census it consisted of 1,429 households with a population of 3,674. It developed largely because of the railway line which passes through the area, and many of its residents are commuters to London. ...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
when she was seven years old. Her father, Bert Cann, was a stills photographer, working for a movie company. He happened to be photographing a film called To Sir, With Love, starring Lulu, when Sally’s acting ambitions stirred into life. Through her father, she persuaded the producer to give her a part in the film’s schoolroom scenes. There followed parts in such long-running TV series as Dixon of Dock Green
Dixon of Dock Green
Dixon of Dock Green was a popular BBC television series that ran from 1955 to 1976, and later a radio series. Despite being a drama series, it was initially produced by the BBC's light entertainment department.-Overview:...
and The Saint
The Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
, and the part of a schoolteacher’s wife in a twice-weekly Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
soap called Castlehaven.
London Weekend Television hired James for a Saturday morning children’s show, Saturday Scene, transmitted in the LWT region only from 1973 to 1977. In the mid-70s Birmingham’s ATV
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
studios launched Tiswas
Tiswas
Tiswas was a Saturday morning children's British television series which ran from 5 January 1974 to 3 April 1982 and was produced for the ITV network by ATV Network Limited....
, fronted by Chris Tarrant
Chris Tarrant
Christopher John "Chris" Tarrant, OBE is an English radio and television broadcaster, now best known for hosting the first version of the television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in the United Kingdom and later Ireland, as the two national versions of the show merged in 2002.Chris...
. In 1977 the TISWAS team decided it would be a great idea to have a bright, bouncy, sexy girl on the show, and invited Sally, through her agent, to go to Birmingham to meet them all.
She currently presents for Film24.
James and her family, who live near Effingham
Effingham
Effingham is an English village in the Borough of Guildford in Surrey, bordering Mole Valley. There is a railway station at Effingham Junction , at the point where a branch of the Sutton & Mole Valley Line joins the New Guildford Line - these are both routes between London Waterloo and Guildford.-...
, have retained a very close friendship with Chris and his former wife, Ingrid Tarrant, who live in nearby Esher
Esher
Esher is a town in the Surrey borough of Elmbridge in South East England near the River Mole. It is a very prosperous part of the Greater London Urban Area, largely suburban in character, and is situated 14.1 miles south west of Charing Cross....
. She is married to agent and entrepreneur Mike Smith, currently closely involved in the resurgence of the Leatherhead
Leatherhead
Leatherhead is a town in the County of Surrey, England, on the River Mole, part of Mole Valley district. It is thought to be of Saxon origin...
Theatre. They have been married for over 25 years, have three boys.
Some 25 years after Tiswas ended, James presented a reunion show along with fellow presenter Chris Tarrant
Chris Tarrant
Christopher John "Chris" Tarrant, OBE is an English radio and television broadcaster, now best known for hosting the first version of the television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in the United Kingdom and later Ireland, as the two national versions of the show merged in 2002.Chris...
, (Tiswas Reunited) on 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...
on 16 June 2007. Lasting 90 minutes, the show featured contributions from celebrities who enjoyed the show as children, and appearances by people who had been on the show.