Oscar Blaketon, played by Derek Fowlds Food and Wine Awards in October 2003; he had agreed to present the awards, but found himself (or maybe his alter ego ) winning an prize as well! Oscar Blaketon of the Aidensfield Arms, seen (left) with Elaine Lemm, Food and Wine Editor of Yorkshire Life , and Peter Bourhill, was presented with the award for Pub Landlord of the Year 2003 - "and we hope," says Yorkshire Life , "it will soon take pride of place behind the bar of the Aidensfield Arms." Derek Fowlds has played the role of Oscar Blaketon, one of the characters from the original novels on which Heartbeat is based, since the first series in 1991. He gave this interview as the tenth series was about to be broadcast. "The offer of the role came as a bit of a surprise", he recalls. "I'd been getting back into drama again after my years in Yes Minister and had been in a film in Australia with Olympia Dukakis and then I'd been in Yorkshire for the first time in my life doing The Darling Buds of May .

The scripts came for this new series Heartbeat and I read them thinking 'God, I'm a bit old to play Nick Rowan ', the one Southern character in the piece. When I found out they wanted me to do the sergeant I wondered why - as there must have been many wonderful Yorkshire actors who could have done it. I nearly talked myself out of a job but I'm glad I didn't as nine years on I'm still here." Derek had a very clear idea from the start how to approach the role. "I based him on my drill instructor, because I was in the RAF for national service", he says. "I just cut my hair shorter, slicked it back and shouted a lot and Oscar was born." Looking back on the last nine series Derek can't recall when they knew they were on to a long running hit. "It started off as six months work," he remembers. "About halfway through the first series noises were being made that we had a hit on our hands. Not only did they do a second series they did a second and third series back to back. And it took off." Over the years Blaketon has had several major life changes. "He had to take early retirement from the force" says Derek.

"He didn't want to but he had a heart attack and that was that. He then took over the post office for a year which he disliked and then he came into some money and bought the pub and he's been running it ever since." Rhea comments on ex-Sergeant Blaketon...: "Derek Fowlds portrayed Sergeant Blaketon exactly as I imagined him. The police service had lots of men like Blaketon, good, solid and dependable characters who ran their little police stations with fierce efficiency but who, under a tough exterior, possessed warmth, generosity and kindness. Now, I get calls from serving policemen who wish their sergeants were as reliable and inspiring as Blaketon!" ...and his successor at the police station: "There was a time it seemed impossible that anyone could replace the bluff Sergeant Blaketon but, according to the last episode of series 7, Sergeant Craddock seems to establish himself as a major player in Ashfordly Police Station. Although he makes sure Bellamy parades on time, Bradley does not wear white socks with his uniform and Ventress doesn't smoke in the office, he does emerge as a most interesting fellow.

He adds a new dimension to the work of the constables of the North York Moors..." Derek doesn't think it's the end of the line for Oscar however. "I don't think he's finally settled", he comments. "He really misses the police station and longs to get more involved again with the police. Although I love him I think he's quite sad. He has very little in his life at the moment. He hasn't seen his son for four years - he doesn't know where his wife is and there certainly hasn't been a woman in his life for some time. This compounds his need to get back in to the business of solving crimes. Even though he is involved with the community as a local councillor I think he'd love to set up his own private detective agency. Once a copper always a copper." There are moments in the new series when Oscar helps solve one or two crimes. "I do get a bit of snooping in," he laughs. "I help Ventress out and help to solve the case of Jackie's stalker. I also have a nasty moment when I'm threatened at gun point by a rather unpleasant journalist". Oscar certainly doesn't have much time for his successor Sergeant Craddock. "He thinks he's a wimp!".

He does like to go back and visit his 'boys'. "Oscar thinks Bellamy should be a sarge by now," says Derek. "And he thinks poor old Ventress should have packed it in years ago. He told him the other day that he thinks that post office is still up for sale". When asked if there's any romance in store for Oscar this series Derek sighs wistfully. "If only..." he comments. "I think he looks for it every day in the pub. A blast from the past does crop up this series in the form of Ursula played by the wonderful Sharon Maughan. She doesn't hold a candle for Oscar unfortunately but another resident and she's back for revenge. But he's been remarkably short of female company - he just plays his Shirley Bassey records and gets on with it." Like many of the regular cast Derek finds it hard to define what it is that makes Heartbeat so enduringly popular. "I've been asked this hundreds of times and can never really put my finger on it." he says. "It's a phenomenon really and the root of its success has to be nostalgia.

It's the only show that takes place in the wonderful decade of the sixties - and it captures those years so wonderfully with the vintage cars, the fashions and of course the music of the era. It's also probably one of the only programmes on telly where you can sit down with the whole family because the fans of Heartbeat are aged right the way from 5 to 85. How many programmes can cover that age range?" When asked which is his favourite Heartbeat moment, Derek is very quick to respond. "Undoubtedly when Oscar had an affair with a Detective Sergeant's wife in Whitby", he grins. "He got into a lot of hot water on that occasion but thankfully his old pal Ventress managed to get him off the hook." Derek Fowlds is one of Britain's most popular television actors. His credits include Inspector Morse Derek Fowlds - TV.com Derek Fowlds 9/2/1937, Balham, London, England, UK Birth Name EDIT Trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in England, and graduated with an Honors Diploma. Lifelong fan of Chelsea Football Club, England.

Derek Fowlds plays Oscar Blaketon There was a surprise for Derek Fowlds at the Yorkshire Life Food and Wine Awards in October 2003; he had agreed… more Credits S 18: Ep 24 Sweet Sorrow 9/12/10 S 18: Ep 23 Pass the Parcel 9/5/10 S 18: Ep 22 The Open Door 8/29/10 S 18: Ep 21 My One and Only 8/22/10 S 18: Ep 20 Jobs for the Boys 8/15/10 S 15: Ep 0 Heartbeat Christmas Album 12/18/05 S 6: Ep 17 Charity Begins at Home 12/29/96 S 6: Ep 16 Old Friends 12/22/96 S 6: Ep 15 Bygones Be Bygones 12/15/96 S 6: Ep 14 The Best Laid Plans 12/8/96 S 14: Ep 1

7 The Long View 4/3/05 S 7: Ep 14 Substitute 11/30/97 S 7: Ep 13 Peace and Quiet 11/23/97 S 7: Ep 12 Affairs of the Heart 11/16/97 S 7: Ep 11 What the Butler Saw 11/9/97 S 7: Ep 10 Playing with Trains 11/2/97 S 6: Ep 2 Old Colonials 9/8/96 S 3: Ep 10 Bringing It All Back Home 12/5/93 S 2: Ep 8 The Tangled Web 1/28/88 S 2: Ep 7 The National Education Service 1/8/88 S 2: Ep 6 A Patron of the Arts 1/1/88 S 2: Ep 5 Power To The People 12/31/87 S 2: Ep 4 A Conflict of Interest 12/24/87 S 1: Ep 7 Episode 6 8

/26/85 S 1: Ep 6 Episode 5 8/19/85 S 1: Ep 5 Episode 4 8/12/85 S 1: Ep 4 Episode 3 8/5/85 S 1: Ep 3 Episode 2 7/29/85 S 3: Ep 9 Party Games 12/17/84 S 3: Ep 8 Short Episode 1/4/84 S 3: Ep 7 The Middle Class Rip Off 12/23/82 S 3: Ep 6 The Whiskey Priest 12/16/82 S 3: Ep 5 The Bed Of Nails 12/9/82 S 12: Ep 28 Tuesday 2nd June 6/2/09 S 1: Ep 1 Episode 1 12/22/03 S 2: Ep 1 All at Sea 5/25/03 S 4: Ep 4 Derek Fowlds and Tricia Penrose 3/22/00 S 

1: Ep 3 Modern Times 4/7/99 S 33: Ep 26 Derek Fowlds 3/31/93 S 5: Ep 8 27th February 1993 2/27/93 S 2: Ep 7 Sacrifice 6/4/91 S 2: Ep 6 Fall 5/28/91 S 2: Ep 1 Jo 4/23/91 S 1: Ep 10 Sanctuary 5/8/90 S 1: Ep 6 Possessions 4/10/90 S 2: Ep 3 Secrets 5/7/91 S 2: Ep 3 The Carpetbaggers 4/20/91 S 4: Ep 4 The Little Rascals 2/6/91 S 6: Ep 11 Best Left Buried 12/4/90 S 2: Ep 3 The Settling of the Sun 3/15/88 S 3: Ep 1 Dead Men Do Tell Tales 1/13/82

 S 2: Ep 1 Mad Hatter's Holiday 3/29/81 S 2: Ep 4 Friends in High Places 1/30/79 S 6: Ep 43 Kiss And Tell : Part 1 11/1/77 S 1: Ep 7 Dearest Prince 5/13/75 S 3: Ep 3 Death to Sister Mary 6/15/74 S 2: Ep 2 Look Before You Leap 1/14/71 S 7: Ep 25 The Cheap Departed 8/24/69 S 1: Ep 1 Turbot on Ice 5/20/69 S 7: Ep 2 View By Appointment 5/3/68 S 6: Ep 8 The Old Campaigner 6/30/67 S 2: Ep 8 The Goddess of Love 5/27/66 S 2: Ep 10 The Husband 7/25/65 S 1: Ep 12 The Nightlifers 1/9/65 S 3: Ep 8

 An Audience With Bruce Forsyth 2/1/97 Become a contributor Important: You must only upload images which you have created yourself or that you are expressly authorised or licensed to upload.

By clicking "Publish", you are confirming that the image fully complies with TV.com’s Terms of Use and that you own all rights to the image or have authorization to upload it. Please read the following before uploading Do not upload anything which you do not own or are fully licensed to upload. The images should not contain any sexually explicit content, race hatred material or other offensive symbols or images. Remember: Abuse of the TV.com image system may result in you being banned from uploading images or from the entire site – so, play nice and respect the rules! Choose background: Where are they now... Yes Minister's Derek Fowlds | Life | Life & Style | Daily Express LIFE Where are they now...? Yes Minister's Derek Fowlds ACTOR Derek is best known for playing Bernard Woolley in Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister from 1980-88, and Oscar Blaketon in Heartbeat from 1992-2010.

04:00, Sun, Nov 22, 2015 | UPDATED: 10:22, Sun, Nov 22, 2015 GETTY Derek Fowlds in Yes Minister Father-of-two Derek, 78, lives alone near Bath after the death of his long-term partner, Jo, three years ago. “I got the acting bug at school, but I was also into scouting, football and cricket. I left school at 15 to become an apprentice printer and joined the company’s drama group, but it was just a hobby. It was during my national service in Malta, when I was 18, that I joined an RAF theatre group and began to think of acting professionally. “One of the sergeants said he was going to RADA after national service and I asked how I could go there, too. I made a pact with my mother that if I won a scholarship, I could become an actor; otherwise I’d go back to printing. I started at RADA in 1960 and was there with Edward Fox, Tom Courtenay, John Hurt and Ian McShane.

REX Derek Fowlds now “I started out in West End plays and my first big break was The Miracle Worker with Anna Massey in 1961. I worked with Alastair Sim and Laurence Harvey and I went from play to play, then I started to get gigs on TV and juggled both. When The Basil Brush Show came up, I didn’t think I wanted to work with a puppet, but I went to the audition and this fox jumped on my shoulder and said, ‘Hello, Mr Derek.’ “Although I loved working with Ivan Owen, who operated Basil, I never intended to do more than one series. But by then I had two small boys with my then wife and during the second series I became charmed by Basil, so I stayed for eight series and two Royal Variety Performances. “I was offered Yes Minister in 1979 and it was a huge hit. The scripts were brilliant, and Paul Eddington and Nigel Hawthorne and I became close friends and had so many laughs. We used to film before a live audience on a Sunday evening, which was nerve-wracking.

GETTY Derek Fowlds at a Yes Minister gala night in 2010 We used to film before a live audience on a Sunday evening, which was nerve-wracking Derek Fowlds “Around that time, my agent sent me a script for Heartbeat. I’d never played a northerner on TV before, but based Oscar on my corporal in the RAF. I greased my hair back and was horrible and shouted a lot. Nick Berry [who played Nick Rowan] and I decided it wouldn’t be a success, but it was and I ended up staying for 18 series. We had glorious parties up in Yorkshire during filming and I’m still good friends with cast members Tricia Penrose, Bill Simons and Peter Benson. “The last few years have been sad in many ways. My partner, Jo, was diagnosed with cancer in 2010 and she’d always been there for me, so I didn’t work for the two years before she passed away in March 2012. We’d been together for 36 years and she made me laugh every day. Then I lost my sister, so it’s been pretty tough.

GETTY Derek with Heartbeat cast in 1996 “I’ve had a role in Casualty and last year a friend gave me a Dictaphone to tell stories into so I could write my autobiography, which I’ve done. “My sons Jamie, 51, and Jeremy, 47, are a great help, and I’ve got two wonderful grandsons – Jacob, 25, and Marlon, six. A few months ago Marlon said to me, ‘When I’m a man, you’ll be dead, won’t you?’ I laughed and said, ‘Well, it’s a possibility, but you’ll have a book to read about me.’” Derek’s autobiography A Part Worth Playing is available from fantomfilms.co.uk. Related articles F*ck Yeah Minister, Interview: Derek Fowlds F*ck Yeah Minister Interview: Derek Fowlds As bluff, gruff Oscar in Heartbeat, Derek Fowlds is no one’s idea of a ladies’ man. But, he tells Maureen Paton, he is on such good terms with his first wife that she blessed his romance with her closest friend He was raised in an all-female environment, and is happiest in the company of women.

Which is probably why Derek Fowlds still has such a good relationship with his first wife that she gave her blessing to his relationship with her best friend. “Jo was Wendy’s best mate and I had always got on well with her,” explains the Heartbeat star. “Wendy and I were divorced in 1973, but I met up with Jo again when I went to pick the kids up from Wendy’s. We got talking and went out together. It was August 15, 1976, and I’ve celebrated the anniversary ever since.” Both Derek and Jo had been married before, in his case twice. On the rebound from his divorce from Wendy, he was briefly married to former Blue Peter presenter Lesley Judd. Lesley walked out after two months, telling Derek she didn’t think things were going to work. Now, Derek, 61, is shying away from marrying a third time, even though he and Jo have been together for 22 years. “Jo and I have talked about marriage, but this is the most rewarding and fulfilling relationship I’ve ever had, so I’m frightened to spoil it,” he admits superstitiously.

“Wendy has now retired to Ireland with her new man, but she gave Jo and me her blessing. We have stayed friends. She said, `I love you, Derek but we should never have married. But we got two lovely boys out of it’.” Derek’s sons are Jamie, 33, a cameraman, and Jeremy, 30. Jo, 55, is a retired schoolteacher with three grown-up children of her own and has a no-nonsense approach to life that keeps Derek’s feet firmly on the ground. “She thinks actors are a bunch of wallies,” he says. “She makes me laugh every day. She has a wonderfully cynical sense of humour. She took early retirement at 50 and has gone back into the profession to teach travellers’ kids on-site.” Since he was a young boy, family has always meant a lot to Derek who is now a grandfather to eight-year-old Jacob, by his son Jamie. “My dear mum died five years ago. It was quite traumatic,” he says. “She was an incredible woman. Dad was a ship’s steward who got cancer while he was in the Army. He died when he was only 41.

I have one sister Babs, a retired midwife, who’s three years older than me, so I was brought up with women. Mum became our father figure when she went out to work to keep us, while our gran became the mother figure.” And, after playing retired station sergeant Oscar Blaketon in the popular TV drama set in the 1960s, now in its eighth series, Heartbeat has become almost a second family to Derek. Though it’s one tie he might be about to sever. Derek had hinted he may quit the role he’s made his own for the past six years. Since Blaketon was retired from the force to run Aidensfield’s post office, Derek has felt frustrated by his character’s storylines. But the show’s producers persuaded him to stay - at least for one more series. “Don’t get me wrong,” he says, “I love Heartbeat, it’s like a family to me. But I don’t see the point of being in it if they are not going to write for me. I don’t have enough lines in this series - so far they’ve done very little with me.

I’d like to bring Blaketon’s estranged wife Joan and son Graham back into the series. It’s a problem now that Blaketon is no longer in the cop-shop. I don’t think they know what to do with him.” For almost three decades, Derek Fowlds has appeared regularly on our TV screens. In the 1970s, “Mr Derek” was forever being upstaged by a stuffed fox named Basil Brush. Then in the 1980s Derek, a secondary modern school drop-out, achieved fame playing an Oxford educated politician - appearing as Jim Hacker’s pedantic private secretary Bernard Woolley in the comedy series Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister. As the 1990s dawned, Londoner Derek showed his ability to reinvent himself again, as the pig-headed and interfering Oscar in Heartbeat. There’s no denying that leaving the show would be tough. For Derek, Heartbeat has become “a way of life” since he signed up for the first series in 1992. It has paid for his home near Bath. “When I got Heartbeat, I thought, `I’ve got the down-payment on the house’.

With every new series, we’ve done something to the property - it’s become the house that Heartbeat built,” he says. “It’s been a wonderfully secure six years, but I’d like to be in the big pond again. I managed to fit in a short film last year, After Celia. I play an old recluse who is brought back to life by a 23-year-old girl - an experience I found very tough.” He would also miss his screen alter ego, the cranky Oscar Blaketon. “I’ve had lots of letters from coppers who say, `We had one just like him in our station’. I based him on my old drill instructor Corporal Maund from my square-bashing National Service days. I thought, `I’ll get my own back on you’. "I even wanted to play Oscar as a transvestite. He had a very theatrical mother - hence the name Oscar - and I always felt he had a secret in the closet and was Olivia at the weekend. But because Heartbeat is a family show, they wouldn’t let me show his transvestite side. "In a way I don’t want to leave Heartbeat, yet I keep thinking, `I’ve got to do something different’.

I’ve got itchy feet. It’s the longest I’ve ever played the one role.” Derek still misses his Yes Minister co-stars, particularly the late Paul Eddington, and has followed the careers of the others. “It’s great that Nigel Hawthorne has become a big movie star now - I’d love to be in a film with Nigel,” he says. “And wouldn’t Oscar Blaketon be envious…” COPYRIGHT 1999 MGN LTD Derek Fowlds (Actor) - Pics, Videos, Dating, & News Derek Fowlds Male Born Sep 2, 1937 Derek Fowlds is an English actor, known for playing Bernard Woolley in popular British television comedies Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister and Oscar Blaketon in the long-running ITV police drama Heartbeat. related links The Diary: Jonathan Lynn Financial Times Google News - Aug 19, 2011 'The big problem for me, personally, when I came to direct the play was putting the performances of the original cast Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne and <mark>Derek Fowlds</mark> right out of my mind.

I&#39;m proud to say I never said, âPaul/Nigel would have done it' Anglicanos Que Vuelven 1 El Gambito Del Obispo Periodista Digital Google News - May 26, 2011 'Los papeles principales se asignaron a los magnÃ­ficos actores Nigel Hawthorne, Paul Eddington y <mark>Derek Fowlds</mark>. Sirviendo a las similitudes que arriba cito les selecciono un fragmento del episodio âEl gambito del Obispoâ. El Primer Ministro estÃ¡ en su' Men Behaving Really, Really, Badly: Don't Let The Bastards Grind You Down: How ... Daily Mail Google News - May 05, 2011 'O&#39;Toole may have made Lawrence Of Arabia and Alan Bates starred in Zorba The Greek. Terence Stamp was in Billy Budd, Michael Caine co-starred in Zulu with Stanley Baker and Sean Connery was the definitive James Bond.

&#39;And I,&#39; said <mark>Derek Fowlds</mark>,' Reviews: Yes, Prime Minister (Waterside) Leighton Buzzard Today Google News - Apr 26, 2011 'It didn&#39;t have the quiet finesse of <mark>Derek Fowlds</mark>&#39; TV character and, at times, the actor looked so pained he appeared to be chewing on a wasp. As a satire and an educated comedy it got my vote. I thought it was one of the funniest comedies I&#39;ve seen in' Derek Fowlds Profile - Metacritic Derek Fowlds Biography: Trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in England, and graduated with an Honors Diploma. Lifelong fan of Chelsea Football Club, England. Derek Fowlds plays Oscar Blaketon There was a surprise for Derek Fowlds at the Yorkshire Life Food and Wine Awards in October 2003; he had agreed to present the awards, but found himself (or maybe his alter ego) winning an prize as well!

Oscar Blaketon of the Aidensfield Arms, seen (left) with Elaine Lemm, Food and Wine Editor of Yorkshire Life, and Peter Bourhill, was presented with the award for Pub Landlord of the Year 2003 - "and we hope," says Yorkshire Life, "it will soon take pride of place behind the bar of the Aidensfield Arms." Derek Fowlds has played the role of Oscar Blaketon, one of the characters from the original novels on which Heartbeat is based, since the first series in 1991. He gave this interview as the tenth series was about to be broadcast. Derek Fowlds is one of Britain's most popular televisionTrained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in England, and graduated with an Honors Diploma. Lifelong fan of Chelsea Football Club, England. Derek Fowlds plays Oscar Blaketon There was a surprise for Derek Fowlds at the Yorkshire Life Food and Wine Awards in October 2003; he had agreed to present the awards, but found himself (or maybe his alter ego) winning an prize as well!

Oscar Blaketon of the Aidensfield Arms, seen (left) with Elaine Lemm, Food and Wine Editor of Yorkshire Life, and Peter Bourhill, was presented with the award for Pub Landlord of the Year 2003 - "and we hope," says Yorkshire Life, "it will soon take pride of place behind the bar of the Aidensfield Arms." Derek Fowlds has played the role of Oscar Blaketon, one of the characters from the original novels on which Heartbeat is based, since the first series in 1991. He gave this interview as the tenth series was about to be broadcast. Derek Fowlds is one of Britain's most popular television actors. His credits include Inspector Morse, The Darling Buds of May, Perfect Scoundrels, Rules of Engagement and Bernard Wooley in Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister, a series which was included last year on the BFI list of the top one hundred programmes ever made. Derek doesn't think it's the end of the line for Oscar however. "I don't think he's finally settled", he comments. "He really misses the police station and longs to get more involved again with the police.

Although I love him I think he's quite sad. He has very little in his life at the moment. He hasn't seen his son for four years - he doesn't know where his wife is and there certainly hasn't been a woman in his life for some time. This compounds his need to get back in to the business of solving crimes. Even though he is involved with the community as a local councillor I think he'd love to set up his own private detective agency. Once a copper always a copper." There are moments in the new series when Oscar helps solve one or two crimes. "I do get a bit of snooping in," he laughs. "I help Ventress out and help to solve the case of Jackie's stalker. I also have a nasty moment when I'm threatened at gun point by a rather unpleasant journalist". Oscar certainly doesn't have much time for his successor Sergeant Craddock. "He thinks he's a wimp!". He does like to go back and visit his 'boys'. "Oscar thinks Bellamy should be a sarge by now," says Derek. "And he thinks poor old Ventress should have packed it in years ago. He told him the other day that he thinks that post office is still up for sale".

When asked if there's any romance in store for Oscar this series Derek sighs wistfully. "If only..." he comments. "I think he looks for it every day in the pub. A blast from the past does crop up this series in the form of Ursula played by the wonderful Sharon Maughan. She doesn't hold a candle for Oscar unfortunately but another resident and she's back for revenge. But he's been remarkably short of female company - he just plays his Shirley Bassey records and gets on with it." Like many of the regular cast Derek finds it hard to define what it is that makes Heartbeat so enduringly popular. "I've been asked this hundreds of times and can never really put my finger on it." he says. "It's a phenomenon really and the root of its success has to be nostalgia. It's the only show that takes place in the wonderful decade of the sixties - and it captures those years so wonderfully with the vintage cars, the fashions and of course the music of the era. It's also probably one of the only programmes on telly where you can sit down with the whole family because the fans of Heartbeat are aged right the way from 5 to 85.

How many programmes can cover that age range?" When asked which is his favourite Heartbeat moment, Derek is very quick to respond. "Undoubtedly when Oscar had an affair with a Detective Sergeant's wife in Whitby", he grins. "He got into a lot of hot water on that occasion but thankfully his old pal Ventress managed to get him off the hook." "The offer of the role came as a bit of a surprise", he recalls. "I'd been getting back into drama again after my years in Yes Minister and had been in a film in Australia with Olympia Dukakis and then I'd been in Yorkshire for the first time in my life doing The Darling Buds of May. The scripts came for this new series Heartbeat and I read them thinking 'God, I'm a bit old to play Nick Rowan', the one Southern character in the piece. When I found out they wanted me to do the sergeant I wondered why - as there must have been many wonderful Yorkshire actors who could have done it. I nearly talked myself out of a job but I'm glad I didn't as nine years on I'm still here." Derek had a very clear idea from the start how to approach the role.

"I based him on my drill instructor, because I was in the RAF for national service", he says. "I just cut my hair shorter, slicked it back and shouted a lot and Oscar was born." Looking back on the last nine series Derek can't recall when they knew they were on to a long running hit. "It started off as six months work," he remembers. "About halfway through the first series noises were being made that we had a hit on our hands. Not only did they do a second series they did a second and third series back to back. And it took off." Over the years Blaketon has had several major life changes. "He had to take early retirement from the force" says Derek. "He didn't want to but he had a heart attack and that was that. He then took over the post office for a year which he disliked and then he came into some money and bought the pub and he's been running it ever since." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rhea comments on ex-Sergeant Blaketon...: "Derek Fowlds portrayed Sergeant Blaketon exactly as I imagined him.

The police service had lots of men like Blaketon, good, solid and dependable characters who ran their little police stations with fierce efficiency but who, under a tough exterior, possessed warmth, generosity and kindness. Now, I get calls from serving policemen who wish their sergeants were as reliable and inspiring as Blaketon!" ...and his successor at the police station: "There was a time it seemed impossible that anyone could replace the bluff Sergeant Blaketon but, according to the last episode of series 7, Sergeant Craddock seems to establish himself as a major player in Ashfordly Police Station. Although he makes sure Bellamy parades on time, Bradley does not wear white socks with his uniform and Ventress doesn't smoke in the office, he does emerge as a most interesting fellow. He adds a new dimension to the work of the constables of the North York Moo… Expand Sir Antony Jay A tribute by Jonathan Lynn Tony Jay, my writing partner on YES MINISTER and YES, PRIME MINISTER, died yesterday. By chance, my wife Rita and I we...nt to visit him on Saturday and saw him before he was taken to the hospital for what turned out to be the last time.

He was in pain but when he saw me he smiled and immediately offered me a drink - as he always did. Rita told him that we loved him and he smiled, and then he lapsed into unconsciousness. I am profoundly sad. Tony was a genuinely original thinker, and a very funny writer. His father, Ernest Jay was a character actor, best known for playing Dennis the Dachshund on LARRY THE LAMB IN TOYTOWN on the BBC’s Home Service and Tony’s first job as a teenager was as an ASM with his father on a Shakespearean theatrical tour during the war. A classicist, he took First at Cambridge, remained fluent in Latin and Greek his whole life, and joined the BBC. As a TV producer, first on TONIGHT with Cliff Michelmore, and later as Head of BBC Talks and Features Department, his influence was enormous: THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS was produced in his department and later he created the format for David Frost's next show THE FROST REPORT - he planned the first 13 episodes, in which John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett were teamed and all became TV stars as a result.

Almost uniquely, he had a foot in two different worlds: TV news and serious political activity - and show business! He worked on budget speeches and party conference speeches for Geoffrey Howe, Nigel Lawson and Margaret Thatcher, not to add jokes but to help shape and communicate their message, and he received a knighthood after turning around Thatcher’s third and last election campaign with a significant party political broadcast. He produced the Milton Friedman series FREE TO CHOOSE, and became converted to neo-liberal economics. I didn’t share his political views and I also feared that these activities would become known while we wrote YES MINISTER and YES, PRIME MINISTER, which might have given the public the impression that it was a conservative programme. It wasn’t, and fortunately this didn’t happen. YES, MINISTER was about government, not politics. Certainly not about party politics. Interestingly, it seemed to reinforce the views of whoever was watching: Tories thought it was a Tory show, Labour voters thought it was Labour. In fact, it was neither - it was, as Rupert Murdoch falsely claimed later about Fox News, fair and balanced. Tony was a fascinating paradox: though part of the establishment, he remained an iconoclast who was willing to make a joke about almost anything.

On leaving the BBC he wrote two influential books on management, MANAGEMENT AND MACHIAVELLI (a big best-seller) and CORPORATION MAN. On THE FROST PROGRAMME (ITV) he guided David Frost on how to conduct important and difficult interviews, such as the famous one with George Brown, the Foreign Secretary. He edited the first full-length documentary about the Queen and the Royal Family and was intensely proud of the CVO that he was given afterwards. He was a member of the Annan Committee on Broadcasting and drafted the final report which profoundly criticized the BBC. Then, going into business, he showed himself to be a true entrepreneur. He started the management training film company Video Arts with several partners, including John Cleese. Spotting a gap in the market - he realised that training films, traditionally rather boring, would be much more fun to watch if they showed the audience how not to do a job - he put up the money for the first film himself. The company grew rapidly under his chairmanship and was sold 17 years later for many millions of pounds. I met him when he started Video Arts: I had known Cleese at Cambridge and he asked me to act in the film for a deferred payment.

Never expecting to be paid, I did it for fun and was astonished a few months later to receive the deferment and an offer to act in two more such films. After that, when Cleese withdrew somewhat, to work on FAWLTY TOWERS, Tony asked me write training films, sometimes with him, sometimes just briefed by him. In all, I think I wrote or contributed to about 20 of them. It was around then that he had the idea for a comedy show about the Civil Service and asked me if I'd like to write it. I wasn't keen at first because I was busy as the Artistic Director of the Cambridge Theatre Company and I needed the income from the training films to support my theatre work. But three years later I was looking for something new to write and we started researching the idea. We worked together on and off, from the early 1970s until four years ago when illness overtook him. In all that time we never had an angry word. It was, in my opinion, a perfect partnership and it changed my life. He regarded himself as the keeper of Sir Humphrey’s soul, and me as the keeper of Jim Hacker’s.

Certain jobs were always left to me: first draft scripts were invariably too long and he couldn’t (or wouldn’t) cut them; smiling, he quoted Pontius Pilate: “I have written what I have written.” Later, when approached about becoming Chairman of the BBC, he opted instead for retirement to a converted barn in Somerset where his adored wife Jill could have an organic farm. He gave his polite attention to everyone he met including our sheepdog, named Humphrey because we thought he was sound. He was a loyal, affectionate and very British friend. I have hugged many men over the years but I tried it only once with Tony and he was startled and uncomfortable. Manly handshakes were the right way to express warmth. But he hugged Rita a lot. I learned more from him than I could ever explain. He was erudite, witty, full of funny thoughts and new ideas, and utterly easy to work with. His death is, for me, the end of an era. For me and Rita it is also the loss of a very dear and loyal friend. We will miss him a lot, and we send our condolences to Jill and their splendid and talented children and grandchildren.

· August 21, 2016 · Our latest feature length show is now available in two parts, allowing for a coffee break between the two! Derek Fowlds is one of Britain's best loved actors, ...with a career spanning over 60+ years. He is known by a whole generation of children as 'Mr Derek' from The Basil Brush Show, then as Bernard Woolley, Principal Private Secretary to the Minister for Administrative Affairs in Yes, Minister/Yes, Prime Minister, and as Oscar Blaketon, in ITV’s Sunday night family drama, Heartbeat (throughout its eighteen year run) - as well as a distinguished career in theatre and British film. Listen to his story in this two part, feature length addition of SNS Online - fully illustrated/free download. EXTRAORDINARY LIVES. ONLINE. View Basket £0.00 Derek Fowlds Derek Fowlds (born 2 September 1937) is an English actor, known for playing Bernard Woolley in popular British television comedies Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister and Oscar Blaketon in the long-running ITV police drama Heartbeat.

Fowlds was born in Wandsworth, London, the son of Ketha Muriel (née Treacher) and James Witney Fowlds, a salesman. Fowlds was educated at Ashlyns School, a former Secondary Modern School in the historic town of Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire. After amateur acting, Fowlds trained at RADA and made his debut on the West End stage in The Miracle Worker. He appeared in various film roles, including Tamahine (1963), East of Sudan (1964), Hotel Paradiso (1966), Frankenstein Created Woman (1967), The Smashing Bird I Used to Know (1969), Tower of Evil (1972) and Mistress Pamela (1974), prior to becoming familiar to British television viewers as 'Mr. Derek' in the children's series The Basil Brush Show, replacing Rodney Bewes as presenter. Perhaps his most famous role was that of Bernard Woolley in Yes Minister and its sequel Yes, Prime Minister alongside Paul Eddington and Nigel Hawthorne.

From 1983–1985, Fowlds played the lead role in the sitcom Affairs of the Heart. He featured in a more sinister role in the 1990 political thriller Die Kinder. Fowlds then played Oscar Blaketon in the long running ITV police drama nostalgia series Heartbeat for its entire run. The character first appeared as the local police sergeant, then retired from the force and ran the post office before becoming a publican. Fowlds was previously married to actress Adrienne Corri and Blue Peter presenter and dancer Lesley Judd. He is the father of actor Jeremy Fowlds. Collectables Signed By Derek Fowlds £20.00 Oscar Blaketon | Heartbeat Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit A crotchety sergeant with a particular loathing for Claude Greengrass , whom he was perpetually trying to put behind bars. Often appearing cynical, suspicious and bad-tempered and very serious and hard, he has mellowed somewhat with age. His softer side is occasionally apparent, and at various times he has been a voice of wisdom or shoulder to cry on for younger policemen facing moral dilemmas or personal traumas.

After a near-fatal heart attack in Series Seven which forced his retirement from the police force, Blaketon became proprietor of the Aidensfield Post Office but that did not last long because the writers found this difficult to tie in to the plots. After only a year, he was brought back to the centre of the stories by being made owner of the Aidensfield Arms , which he bought after discovering that he owned some valuable share warrants, and 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 appeared in several early episodes but has thereafter rarely been mentioned. Blaketon is also a local councillor and, since retirement, an occasional private investigator, sometimes working in this capacity with Ventress . Blaketon first appeared in the episode Changing Places , already in uniform, where he told Nick that there was work to be done and gave him his first introduction to Greengrass. He informed Nick that Greengrass had no respect for law and order. Nick immediately saw that Blaketon had a thing about Greengrass, although Ventress saw that it was more of an obsession.

In the episode The Frighteners, Blaketon adopted a kitten called Heathcliff, after he turned out to be not so hard on it in the first place and changed his mind after he ordered it put down. In Manoeuvres in the Dark, Oscar decided to organise a gournment night involving coppers only, since Greengrass was against inviting policeman to his. Oscar ended up with food and no guests and Claude had guests and no food. Blaketon joked that the frogs legs had done a runner. He then revealed that he was now owner of the Aidensfield Arms. Blaketon also appeared to be friends with Henry Tomkinson , Jackie Bradley's uncle, where they often played golf together as shown in the episode Testament and suggested that he should retire like him. He didn't believe that Henry could just knock a young boy off his bike and leave him there. Oscar was going to be godfather to Phil and Gina's baby boy in Daniel, but Daniel died in two days before they could ask. During the last episode, whilst feeding his adventurous side, Blaketon was impaled onto a pitchfork. The finale ended without the audience knowing whether Blaketon died or not.

He and Alf had planned to go and revisit many places they'd been to during the war, but it was obviously not what he had in mind. He also made an appearance in spin-off series The Royal. He also helped David into getting his money back, after he'd been conned by Martin Featherstone in Friends Like You. He also said goodbye to Nick, Jo and Katie when they later moved to Canada in Local Knowledge. He attended Nick and Jo's wedding in Affairs of the Heart. the episode Little Angel, Blaketon had another heart attack when caught up in the search for a young girl that resulted in the death of PC Steve Crane. In the following episode, Oscar was seen recovering in hospital when he discovered that it was PC Rob Walker who was the new village bobby as he'd once given his father a false alibi. In series nine, Oscar ended up collapsing behind the bar because of an Asian flu that started spreading through the area. In the final episode, Ventress said that Oscar was stubborn and that he wouldn't go until he was ready. The Aidensfield Arms regulars hailed Oscar a hero as his life hung in the balance.

Personality and appearance Edit In the earlier series Oscar was shown to be a typical, hard-nosed copper and was often cynical and suspicious of nearly everyone who came in through The Railway Arms. However, he did began to mellow and show his softer side, especially after his retirement - which he took particularly hard. He also doesn't want to admit that he is wrong either. Relationships George Ward Georgina "Gina" Ward When Oscar bought the Aidensfield Arms he got on Gina's nerves mostly because he acted as if he was still running Ashfordly Police Station. Soon Oscar learnt to become more relaxed and the pair warmed to each other. Oscar has a soft sensitive side and sometimes sympathised with Gina if she had any problems and it didn't take long for the two to become very good friends. Gina gave birth to a boy named Daniel in the episode Daniel, but he died prematurely and she and Phil broke off their engagement. Gina and Phil were thinking of asking Oscar to be godfather. When Phil and Gina finally married, Oscar was there as a witness. He also became a father figure to Gina after her husband PC Phil Bellamy died while on duty .

Gina didn't seem to be very happy as he appeared to think that something would happen to her second baby like it did with Daniel. Eventually Gina's baby was born healthily and he was named Philip Oscar Bellamy, and was born on Oscar's birthday. Gina was furious to think that Oscar thought she was a marriage wrecker when he thought there was something occurring between her and PC Don Wetherby. This was because he visited her regularly on business related to the Police Widows' Fund but things did not happen between them. In Sweet Sorrow, Gina raised a toast to Oscar along with the other regulars as his life hung in the balance. Mary Ward Edit Oscar always thought Joyce Jowett could be a pain when she wanted to and that she was very good at throwing her weight around on the council. One time when Mrs Jowett came to see Oscar he asked Gina 'What have I done to deserve her?' "Loveable rogue" lineage Edit During his time as Police Sergeant he and Greengrass had numerous run-ins usually ending with Claude somehow managing to escape prosecution. Oscar very much despised Claude and was often quoted that rule number one was 'Never believe a word Claude Jeremiah Greengrass says'.

Claude obviously very much despised Blaketon in the same way. However when he went to work at the Aidensfield Arms Oscar did become more relaxed as Greengrass was a regular. There was one moment where Oscar did help Claude and David when David was conned out of his money by shopkeeper Martin Featherstone; yet when David suggested that Oscar might be able to help them you can imagine what Claude's reaction was like! Eventually, Claude emigrated to the Caribbean to join his sister on a cruise and Oscar didn't have to worry about the latter getting up to no good. Vernon Scripps Yet he still had to put up with Vernon Scripps, who went through the same daft schemes as Claude did. Vernon appeared out of the blue in the episode Safe House , before leaving the series in style by evading the taxman and faking his own death. Peggy Armstrong Edit Oscar's interests include sports such as golf, cricket and ocaisionally fishing. Oscar has been a member of the Golf Club for many years and participated in many cricket activities too. Blaketon had a couple of favourite foods these where quite simply, Chocolate Digestives and Cream Cakes!

Vehicles Edit During his time in the police force Sgt. Blaketon would often be seen driving in a Ford Popular/Anglia 100E Patrol Car however did also use the black Ford Anglia Patrol Car as well. After retiring Oscar's main motor was a blue Morris Minor Traveller, this car had some incidents firstly at one point it was vandalised by having the interior flooded with a hosepipe over night. At one time when the car was in for it's service Vernon Scripps went into a line of selling sports cars, Oscar had only said the other day that he wanted some form of MG, so when a little MGA sports car turned up on the garrage front he couldn't refuse. In the end it turned out the MG had been stolen by one of Vernon's dodgey 'friends' and it had to be returned. Biography from ITV Edit "Blaketon was the police sergeant in Ashfordly before retiring to run first the post office and then the Aidensfield Arms. He is a disciplinarian, a sceptic and part-time private investigator. He is also Rob Walker's mentor and grandfather figure. Oscar is fearlessly direct, and will rarely admit that he is wrong.

He has no truck with the radical social developments of the 60s, and believes that the country has been going downhill at a rate of knots since the end of the war. Blaketon has found it hard to give up his career and often gives the other policemen advice, whether solicited or not. Occasionally he forgets that he is no longer a police officer and tries to take charge." From Nicholas Rhea's website There was a surprise for Derek Fowlds at the Yorkshire Life Food and Wine Awards in October 2003; he had agreed to present the awards, but found himself (or maybe his alter ego) winning an prize as well! Oscar Blaketon of the Aidensfield Arms, seen (left) with Elaine Lemm, Food and Wine Editor of Yorkshire Life, and Peter Bourhill, was presented with the award for Pub Landlord of the Year 2003 - "and we hope," says Yorkshire Life, "it will soon take pride of place behind the bar of the Aidensfield Arms." Derek Fowlds has played the role of Oscar Blaketon, one of the characters from the original novels on which Heartbeat is based, since the first series in 1991.

He gave this interview as the tenth series was about to be broadcast. "The offer of the role came as a bit of a surprise", he recalls. "I'd been getting back into drama again after my years in Yes Minister and had been in a film in Australia with Olympia Dukakis and then I'd been in Yorkshire for the first time in my life doing The Darling Buds of May. The scripts came for this new series Heartbeat and I read them thinking 'God, I'm a bit old to play Nick Rowan', the one Southern character in the piece. When I found out they wanted me to do the sergeant I wondered why - as there must have been many wonderful Yorkshire actors who could have done it. I nearly talked myself out of a job but I'm glad I didn't as nine years on I'm still here." Derek had a very clear idea from the start how to approach the role. "I based him on my drill instructor, because I was in the RAF for national service", he says. "I just cut my hair shorter, slicked it back and shouted a lot and Oscar was born." Looking back on the last nine series Derek can't recall when they knew they were on to a long running hit.

"It started off as six months work," he remembers. "About halfway through the first series noises were being made that we had a hit on our hands. Not only did they do a second series they did a second and third series back to back. And it took off." Over the years Blaketon has had several major life changes. "He had to take early retirement from the force" says Derek. "He didn't want to but he had a heart attack and that was that. He then took over the post office for a year which he disliked and then he came into some money and bought the pub and he's been running it ever since." Rhea comments on ex-Sergeant Blaketon...: "Derek Fowlds portrayed Sergeant Blaketon exactly as I imagined him. The police service had lots of men like Blaketon, good, solid and dependable characters who ran their little police stations with fierce efficiency but who, under a tough exterior, possessed warmth, generosity and kindness.

Now, I get calls from serving policemen who wish their sergeants were as reliable and inspiring as Blaketon!" ...and his successor at the police station: "There was a time it seemed impossible that anyone could replace the bluff Sergeant Blaketon but, according to the last episode of series 7, Sergeant Craddock seems to establish himself as a major player in Ashfordly Police Station. Although he makes sure Bellamy parades on time, Bradley does not wear white socks with his uniform and Ventress doesn't smoke in the office, he does emerge as a most interesting fellow. He adds a new dimension to the work of the constables of the North York Moors..." Derek doesn't think it's the end of the line for Oscar however. "I don't think he's finally settled", he comments. "He really misses the police station and longs to get more involved again with the police. Although I love him I think he's quite sad. He has very little in his life at the moment. He hasn't seen his son for four years - he doesn't know where his wife is and there certainly hasn't been a woman in his life for some time. This compounds his need to get back in to the business of solving crimes.

Even though he is involved with the community as a local councillor I think he'd love to set up his own private detective agency. Once a copper always a copper." There are moments in the new series when Oscar helps solve one or two crimes. "I do get a bit of snooping in," he laughs. "I help Ventress out and help to solve the case of Jackie's stalker. I also have a nasty moment when I'm threatened at gun point by a rather unpleasant journalist". Oscar certainly doesn't have much time for his successor Sergeant Craddock. "He thinks he's a wimp!". He does like to go back and visit his 'boys'. "Oscar thinks Bellamy should be a sarge by now," says Derek. "And he thinks poor old Ventress should have packed it in years ago. He told him the other day that he thinks that post office is still up for sale". When asked if there's any romance in store for Oscar this series Derek sighs wistfully. "If only..." he comments. "I think he looks for it every day in the pub. A blast from the past does crop up this series in the form of Ursula played by the wonderful Sharon Maughan.

She doesn't hold a candle for Oscar unfortunately but another resident and she's back for revenge. But he's been remarkably short of female company - he just plays his Shirley Bassey records and gets on with it." Like many of the regular cast Derek finds it hard to define what it is that makes Heartbeat so enduringly popular. "I've been asked this hundreds of times and can never really put my finger on it." he says. "It's a phenomenon really and the root of its success has to be nostalgia. It's the only show that takes place in the wonderful decade of the sixties - and it captures those years so wonderfully with the vintage cars, the fashions and of course the music of the era. It's also probably one of the only programmes on telly where you can sit down with the whole family because the fans of Heartbeat are aged right the way from 5 to 85. How many programmes can cover that age range?" When asked which is his favourite Heartbeat moment, Derek is very quick to respond. "Undoubtedly when Oscar had an affair with a Detective Sergeant's wife in Whitby", he grins.

"He got into a lot of hot water on that occasion but thankfully his old pal Ventress managed to get him off the hook." Trivia

Question: What role does Derek Fowlds play in the series Heartbeat
Answer: Oscar Blaketon