Heartbeat (characters and cast)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article details the characters and cast of the UK TV drama series Heartbeat.
Within each category, characters are listed in order of first appearance. Only regular and recurring characters are included. Each episode typically also features half a dozen or more actors whose characters appear in that episode only.
Contents |
[edit] Police
[edit] Aidensfield village bobbies
- Nick Berry as PC Nick Rowan, later Sgt (1992–1998). Newly arrived from London to become Police Constable for Aidensfield, Nick was good natured and, after some initial hostility, became very popular with the people of Aidensfield. Nick was very happily married to Dr. Kate Rowan, with whom he had a daughter, Katie. He was affected deeply by Kate's subsequent death from leukaemia. About two years later, Nick met school teacher Jo Weston, and they started courting and later married. Several months after his wedding with Jo, Sgt. Rowan accepted an offer to join the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and left Aidensfield, with Jo and Katie, to go to Canada.
- Jason Durr as PC Mike Bradley, later acting DC (1997–2003). An upstanding if somewhat wooden character, sometimes transforming into a square-jawed action hero, to be found grappling with armed villains, dragging survivors from collapsing quarry workings, jumping onto the roofs of moving trains etc. Like Nick Rowan he had previously worked for the London Metropolitan Police. He married solicitor Jackie Lambert, but the pair later divorced as a result of her infidelity. Bradley then started dating Dr. Tricia Summerbee, and they were on the point of becoming engaged when she died tragically in a horse riding accident. Dr. Summerbee's death hit him very hard.
- James Carlton as PC Steve Crane (2003–2004). During an investigation into the disappearance of a six year old girl, Steve found himself alone on a bridge with the girl and her father (who had arranged for his daughter's kidnapping). During the ensuing struggle between Steve and the father, Steve fell off the bridge (presumably pushed), and, in spite of all the efforts to save him, he plummeted to his death.
- Jonathan Kerrigan as PC Rob Walker (2004–). The latest Aidensfield bobby, almost identical in character to his predecessor Mike Bradley. He had a tough upbringing (his father is in prison for theft), but his personality does not particularly reflect this. He began an affair with Dr Helen Trent after she separated from her husband. Subsequently Helen's divorce was finalised, and the two married in an episode first broadcast in June 2006. Helen died just weeks later, at the end of the 15th series.
[edit] Ashfordly police sergeants
- Derek Fowlds as Sgt Oscar Blaketon, now retired (1992–). A crotchety sergeant with a particular loathing for Claude Greengrass, whom he was perpertually trying to put behind bars. Often appearing cynical, suspicious and bad-tempered, he has, however, mellowed somewhat with age, and his softer side is occasionally apparent, being at various times a voice of wisdom or shoulder to cry on for younger policemen facing moral dilemmas or personal traumas. After a near-fatal heart attack forced him to retire from the police force, Blaketon became proprietor of Aidensfield post office and general stores, and later owner of the Aidensfield Arms (pub), where he is now usually to be seen serving behind the bar with landlady and licensee Gina Ward. Blaketon was once married, but divorced some years before the series began. He has a son called Graham who is rarely mentioned but has appeared in a few episodes. Blaketon is also a local councillor and, since retirement, an occasional private detective.
- Philip Franks as Sgt Raymond Craddock (1998–2002). A decent but rather vain and pompous Welshman. Noted for his sarcasm, he delivered some of the more amusing lines in the show to date. His favourite hobby is ballroom dancing. Newly reconciled with previously estranged wife Penny, he left Ashfordly, and the series, when he gained promotion.
- Georgie Glen as Sgt Jennifer Nokes (2000-2001, 2003-2004, 2005). A female stand-in sergeant who fancies PC Bellamy and other young officers. Originally came on stage when Sgt Craddock wanted to keep some holiday.
- Duncan Bell as Sgt Dennis Merton (2002–2004). A strait-laced and honourable Scotsman to whom the men were loyal. Merton had previously worked for the CID but was demoted to uniformed sergeant and transferred to Ashfordly after punching a fellow officer during an argument. He married the much younger pharmacist Jenny Latimer. He eventually left the series to move nearer to the hospital where Jenny was being treated after her mental breakdown.
- John Duttine as Sgt George Miller (2005–). Blunt Yorkshireman. Moved to the Ashfordly job from the York police force, and still lives in York. Has a wife and children who are referred to occasionally but not so far seen.
[edit] Other Ashfordly police
- William Simons as PC Alf Ventress (1992–). Likeable, soft-spoken Yorkshireman. Famed for his encyclopedic local knowledge, his smoking habit, and his occasional lapses (sleeping on the job) and eccentricities (penchant for hard-boiled eggs). His wife, "Mrs Ventress", is regularly referred to by name but has never appeared in person. In his younger years Ventress had a gambling problem, but that is now under control. He is now retired from active police duty, but remains working in a civilian capacity at Ashfordly police station.
- Mark Jordon as PC Phil Bellamy (1992–). Phil is a pleasant, laid-back and somewhat goofy bloke with a good heart and a great sense of humour. He has had a thing for Gina ever since she arrived in Aidensfield, but she kept turning him down for years before finally warming up to him. Phil and Gina were planning to get married, but when their baby died Gina called off the engagement and Phil was left alone again. In the 2006 series, Phil married Debbie Black, a single mother with three children, whom he met while investigating a burglary at her house. Debbie later left him to join her first husband in South Africa.
- Ryan Early as PC Tom Nicholson (2001–2002). Keen but blunder-prone probationary PC. He met an early end when he was shot dead during a struggle with a gunman on the run from an armed robbery, having previously voluntarily offered himself as a hostage in exchange for the injured Bellamy.
- Steven Blakeley as PC Geoff Younger (2004–). Fresh-faced bumbling rookie cop.
- Clare Wille as Detective Sgt Rachel Dawson (October 2006–). CID sergeant who transferred to the Ashfordly area from Middlesbrough, where some years previously she had had an affair with PC Rob Walker.
[edit] Medical staff
[edit] Aidensfield doctors
- Frank Middlemass as Dr. Alex Ferrenby (1992–1993). Kindly, traditional, old-fashioned country doctor. Suffered a brain haemorrhage (possibly brought on by a head injury he received when attacked during a burglary at his surgery), which led to him becoming disorientated, falling into a river and drowning while fishing.
- Niamh Cusack as Dr. Kate Rowan (1992–1995). Married to PC Nick Rowan, she moved with him from London to Aidensfield when he was made Police Constable for the area (Kate had some previous connection with the area, the nature of which was not made completely clear). A kind and caring person, tempered with occasional streaks of coyness and obstinacy, Kate expected to find a position practising medicine alongside Aidensfield's resident doctor, Dr. Ferrenby. Dr Ferrenby was not initially encouraging to Kate because he doubted that the locals would accept a female doctor. However, he later accepted her as his junior partner, including giving Kate a brass plaque with her name on it (to be added beneath the plague bearing Dr. Ferrenby's name at the medical practice). Kate took over the practice completely following Dr. Ferrenby's death. Although Kate and Nick were delighted when Kate found that she was pregnant, Kate was horrified to discover, during the pregnancy, that she was suffering from leukaemia, and she kept the information about her illness a secret from Nick and the townspeople. Kate also refused potentially life-saving medication because she was worried about its possible adverse effect on her unborn baby. Due to her sacrifice, she died, from the leukaemia, shortly after giving birth to her and Nick's daughter Katie. (When Katie was a pre-schooler, she was taken, by her father, Sgt. Nick Rowan, and her step-mother, Jo, to Canada with them, when her father joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.)
- David Michaels as Dr. Neil Bolton (1997–1999). Died trying to save a child from a house fire, leaving his pregnant wife Maggie to bring up their son.
- Clare Calbraith as Dr. Tricia Summerbee (2000–2002). A very caring and compassionate doctor who had suffered from a heart condition since childhood. Her relationship with PC Mike Bradley began when she showed sympathy over the break-up of his marriage. She and PC Bradley were about to become engaged when her accidental involvement in one of the cases that he was working on as a DC led her to attempt to assist him and the police on horseback. She fell off the horse and died from her injuries.
- Aislín McGuckin as Dr. Liz Merrick (2003–2004). Of Aidensfield's six doctors to date, she is the only one to survive her time in the district. She married Lord Ashfordly's estate manager Ben Norton and moved with him to Kenya.
- Sophie Ward as Dr. Helen Walker, formerly Helen Trent (2004–2006). Another in the long line of caring medical characters. Classy Helen is noted for her flowing golden tresses and her soft, posh voice. Helen moved to the area with her oily husband Matthew (Trent), but they soon separated and she embarked upon an affair with PC Rob Walker while awaiting a divorce but still in fact married. Subsquently Helen's divorce was finalised and the two were married. She was killed in an explosion at the Aidensfield police house at the end of the 15th series (July 2006). The explosion resulted from a homemade bomb planted by a disturbed schoolboy as revenge for the death of his dog during a police chase accident.
[edit] Other medical staff
- Kazia Pelka as Maggie Bolton (1995–2001). Caring district nurse. Married to Dr Neil Bolton, with whom she had a son, Sam, born after his death. Left the series after accepting a hospital job.
- Sarah Tansey as Jenny Merton, formerly Jenny Latimer (2001–2004). Pharmacist who joined the series when she moved from a hospital job to help out at Dr Summerbee's Aidensfield surgey. She later married Sgt Merton. She left the series when she suffered a mental breakdown and was taken into care.
- Lisa Kay as Nurse Carol Cassidy (October 2006–). Nurse Carol was abandoned by her parents as a baby and grew up in an orphanage. She has lived in Aidensfield for the past two years with her fiancé Frank, a naval officer, and took over the Aidensfield Surgery after the sudden death of Dr. Helen Trent.
[edit] "Lovable rogue" lineage
- Bill Maynard as Claude Jeremiah Greengrass (1992–2000). Dishevelled and curmudgeonly yet lovable old rogue, always getting into scrapes. He apparently had some sort of farm or smallholding, but seemed to spend little time working this, preferring instead to poach game from Lord Ashfordly's estate and engage in dubious dealings with local low-life. Although he often had troubles with the police, he did come to have a (slightly grudging) respect for Nick Rowan. He has a brother called Cyril who has appeared a couple of times. He left the series to join his sister[?] in the Caribbean (this was due to Maynard's illness). The character later appeared in the spin-off, The Royal.
- Geoffrey Hughes as Vernon Scripps (2001–2005). Small-time businessman and entrepreneur, and half brother to Bernie Scripps (though the two are entirely dissimilar in both appearance and nature). A rotund, colourful, larger-than-life character, he replaced Claude Greengrass as the author of the hare-brained schemes which drive the show's various sub-plots. He landed a windfall by discovering very valuable modern art, and seemed set for life. But he agreed to insure an oil tanker, which was lost at sea, so Vernon lost all the money he had gained. He was devastated, but it didn't take long before he began with his get-rich-quick schemes again. Vernon finally quit the series in dramatic style – faking his own suicide to escape the taxman. Though the taxman himself was in fact a con artist.
- Gwen Taylor as Peggy Armstrong (2005–). David Stockwell's aunt (known as "Aunt Peggy"). Indomitable old battleaxe, created in the Claude Greengrass / Vernon Scripps tradition to dream up colourful wheezes and bully David Stockwell. She arrived in Aidensfield out of the blue and promptly proceeded to impose herself on David, moving in with him and ordering him about.
[edit] Other regular characters
- Stuart Golland as George Ward, publican (1992–1996). Landlord of the Aidensfield Arms.
- Tricia Penrose as Georgina ("Gina") Ward (1993–). Spirited Liverpudlian, landlady of the Aidensfield Arms. The tearaway niece of publican George Ward, Gina was sent to Ashfordly by her parents to straighten her life out and to assist her ailing uncle with running the pub. Much to her own surprise, Gina found the pace of life in Ashfordly to her liking and rapidly dropped her previous rebellious ways. She became the licensee of the pub after the death of her uncle. Gina is unlucky in love, and has had a string of failed romances. She was once engaged to PC Phil Bellamy and fell pregnant to him. She gave birth to a premature baby boy named Daniel who died in infancy, and their engagement was then broken off. Gina and Phil remain on good terms – even if they are sometimes a little awkward in each other's company. During the most recent series Bellamy married, and Gina had a steady boyfriend in Jack Hollins, however both of these relationships have now ended and there are continuing hints that the pair might eventually reunite.
- Alice Jones as Katie Rowan (1995–1998). Daughter of PC Nick Rowan and the late Dr Kate Rowan.
- Anne Stallybrass as Eileen Reynolds, Kate Rowan's aunt (1995–1998). Visited Nick and Kate Rowan, in order to give Kate a legacy from her uncle (Eileen's late husband). After Kate died from leukaemia, Eileen returned to Aidensfield to assist Nick Rowan in the rearing of Katie, Nick's and Kate's daughter. Eileen then stayed on after the marriage of Nick and Jo Weston to continue to assist with Katie. Eileen left Aidensfield after rekindling a Second World War romance with a Frenchman.
- Peter Benson as Bernard ("Bernie") Scripps (1995–). Proprietor of Aidensfield Garage, mechanic, taxi operator and undertaker, though he appears to be some way past retirement age. A melancholy, tall and gaunt individual, he is often roped (reluctantly) into madcap escapades by Claude Greengrass and (later) his half-brother Vernon Scripps.
- Juliette Gruber as Jo Rowan (née Weston) (1995–1998). Teacher. Left the series with her husband, Sgt Nick Rowan, to go to Canada where she continued her career as a teacher.
- David Lonsdale as David Stockwell (first appeared as a one-off character in 1994, regular 1996–). Village buffoon. Clumsy, slow-witted, easily-led and uneducated, but with the proverbial "heart of gold". Whipping boy first to Claude Greengrass, then Vernon Scripps, then Peggy Armstrong. David earns a living of sorts by doing odd jobs such as making deliveries, digging graves, gardening, and driving a taxi (originally for Vernon Scripps, though since the latter's departure from the series David is now apparently self-employed as a taxi driver, with his base being Bernie's garage). David originally "worked" for and lived with Claude Greengrass, and he took on Greengrass' house when the latter emigrated. Later Vernon Scripps moved in with David, until he too left the series. David's latest "house guest" is his aunt Peggy (Armstrong), who took it upon herself to move in with him. For many years David was accompanied by a lurcher dog called Alfred (q.v.). Alfred's death upset David greatly, but the grief was lessened by Peggy's gift of a new dog "Deefer" (from "D for dog").
- Arbel Jones as Mary Ward (1998–1999). Gina Ward's aunt. She arrived in Aidensfield to help out Gina with running the Aidensfield Arms.
- Fiona Dolman as Jackie Bradley (née Lambert) (1999–2001). Smart, hard-working and successful solicitor, often acting on behalf of individuals under arrest. She met PC Mike Bradley through her work, and they married, rather in haste. Jackie always seemed slightly ambiguous about the relationship, and she felt "suffocated" in the isolated rural community. Conflicts of interest also arose from her position defending criminals arrested by her husband. She later started an affair with one of her clients, whom she had known only a matter of weeks. Following this, she and Mike Bradley divorced and she left the series.
- Martin Ledwith as Andy Ryan (1999–2000). Chunky smooth-talking itinerant Irish professional diver who became romantically involved with Gina Ward. Gina dumped him when it transpired that he was also keeping a wife and family.
- Oliver Pyrah (1999–2000) and Callum Sheard (2000–2001) as baby Sam Bolton, son of Nurse Maggie Bolton and Dr Neil Bolton.
- Vanessa Hehir as Rosemary ("Rosie") Cartwright (2004–). Mechanic, works for Bernie Scripps at Aidensfield Garage. Daughter of a local farmer. Implausibly young and pretty to be getting her nails dirty in Bernie's workshop.
- Murray Head as Jack Hollins (2005–6). A liberal and somewhat intellectual artist and art teacher. After meeting Gina Ward in the Aidensfield Arms, Jack persuaded her to attend his art classes. Claiming to have recognised some talent, he continued to encourage her artistic aspirations and the two eventually became romantically involved – despite Jack being some years her senior. They fell out after he attempted to exhibit a nude portrait of her against her wishes (the painting was eventually burned by Gina and Rosie), and it is unlikely that he will return.
- Josefina Gabrielle as Debbie Bellamy, formerly Debbie Black (2005–6). Wife of PC Phil Bellamy, and mother of Jane, Susan and PJ Black. Debbie suffered from incipient alcoholism. Her marriage to Phil eventually proved to be bigamous; Barry Black, her previous husband and father of her children had moved to South Africa to escape debt, and not died in a motorcycle accident as she had claimed. At the end of the 15th series, Barry turned up in Aidensfield to take Debbie and her children with him to start a new life in South Africa.
- Lauren Drummond as Jane Black (2005–6). Teenage stepdaughter of PC Phil Bellamy.
- Gabriella Dixon as Susan Black (2005–6). 11-year-old daughter of Debbie Bellamy, sister of Jane and PJ Black and step-daughter of PC Phil Bellamy.
- Callum Sheard as PJ Black (2005–2006). Son of Debbie Bellamy and step-son of PC Phil Bellamy.
[edit] Recurring characters
- Jack Deam as Alan Maskell (1992). Local tearaway lad, engaged and later married to Sandra Murray. PC Nick Rowan went out of his way to help Alan – providing references for a bank loan to start a motor repair business, and then supporting him when falsely accused of being an accessory to car theft.
- Eileen O'Brien as Susan Maskell (credited as "Mrs Maskell") (1992). Mother of Alan Maskell. Careworn housewife, overburdened with children.
- Barrie Rutter as Walter Maskell (credited as "Mr Maskell") (1992). Boorish husband of Susan Maskell and father of Alan Maskell.
- Suzanne Hitchmough as Sandra Maskell, formerly Sandra Murray (1992). Girlfriend, later wife of Alan Maskell. She became pregnant soon after the marriage but lost the baby to a miscarriage.
- Rupert Vansittart as Lord Ashfordly (1992–). Minor aristocrat. A "get off my land" character, his seat is Ashfordly Hall, an old country house surrounded by a large estate. Despite occasional complaints of lack of funds, he must have a bob or two since he employs numerous maids, housekeepers, gamekeepers, gardeners, chauffeurs etc. His first name is Charles and he appears to be a bachelor, though he has at least one son called Rupert (who appeared in at least one early episode as an unpleasant young toff). He also has a sister called Patricia ("Patty") who has appeared a few times. He seems to get burgled in almost every other episode but still has no concept of home security. One of his most amusing incidents was when he was sold some magic mushrooms and ran around Aidensfield with a shotgun!
- Successively, "Tramp", "Rosie" and "Boots" as Alfred (1992–2005). A lurcher dog, originally belonging to Claude Greengrass and inherited by David Stockwell when Greengrass left the series. He became David's constant companion and appeared in numerous episodes. After a long and happy life, Alfred finally died of heart failure in an episode first broadcast on October 30th 2005.
- Elizabeth Bennett as Joyce Jowett. Local councillor. A formidable and opinionated lady who likes to have her own way. She insists on being addressed as "Councillor Jowett", as she very firmly tells anyone who dares to call her "Mrs. Jowett"!
- Richard Lintern as Ben Norton (2004). Lord Ashfordly's estate manager.
- Simon Molloy as DI Shiner, a keen CID boss.
- Emily Wright as Various
- Lisa-Marie Boucher – regular extra.
[edit] Guest stars
Over the years, a number of well-known guest stars have made one-off appearances in Heartbeat, either in cameo roles or more substantial single-episode parts. These include David Essex (who played a traveller, or tinker), Charlotte Church, Gary Barlow, David Dickinson, Lulu and George Cole.
Guest stars planned for series 16 include Lancashire-born impressionist Jon Culshaw, former top umpire Dickie Bird, and cricket legends Ray Illingworth and Brian Close.
