RIP thread for people involved in TV

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Ben Watkins has died aged 14 from cancer, he was on Master Chef Junior

My mum watches all of the masterchefs... including Masterchef jr. That's absolutely heartbreaking.

Lost his parents when he was very, very young-his father murdered his mum, then took his own life.

Absolutely tragic and short life. Died in a very horrible way too-cancer had spread everywhere, and was killing his lungs (left had shutdown, right lung was slow dying).

According to an article I read, he's donating tissue samples from the tumours in his body so that they can go towards medical science in the hopes of finding a cure.

RIP.

You would have to be of a certain age, and living in a certain TV signal coverage area to remember her, but UTV presenter Helen Madden died during the past week. She presented one of the earliest children's TV programmes on UTV, 'Romper Room'.

Known to children in the north and down as far as the overspill in Dublin, she was 'Miss Helen' with the magic mirror that could see out from the TV to say hello to particular members of the audience.

Back in the black and white days when RTE only came on air late in the afternoon, Romper Room was there to provide children's entertainment, until Crossroads came on for the grown ups.

More details here in this UTV documentary item :



https://www.irishnews.com/notices/livesremembered/2020/11/21/news/helen-madden-miss-helen-was-thoughtful-kind-and-loved-by-friends-and-the-public-young-and-old-2134645/

Zaph wrote: »

Miss Helen is my earliest TV memory. I remember they had a test card on with music playing before it came on. I still remember the music, my mother and I used to dance around like lunatics when it was playing. I would have been about 4 at the time and I no longer dance when music comes on the TV. RIP Miss Helen.

I was hoping someone might remember the famous UTV start up sig tune.
Enjoy Zaph, there aren't many of us left these days!

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Ger: Even though I am of the same vintage and had UTV during all that period, I cannot remember that start up sig tune, nor can I remember Miss Helen! It seems to have all passed me by. I think I was more of a BBC person where children's programmes were concerned! Although, I do remember those presenters shown in that video and I remember Magpie and Rainbow!

Same here I’m nearly 61 lived in Derry from 80 on don’t remember the music atall

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/breaking-heavy-d-dead-celebrity-23066594

Heavy D aka Boom from Storage Wars and CBB dead

corks finest wrote: »

Same here I’m nearly 61 lived in Derry from 80 on don’t remember the music atall

I don't have exact dates, but by 1980, the broadcasting hours would have been running to schedules near what we have today - full daytime service. By 1980, if the sign on tune and announcement was being used at all, it was probably at start up early in the morning, or else following the regional opt out from the overnight national sustaining service (ITV).

In the early Romper Room days (late 60's early 70's), there was no link up to the ITV network and the local UTV service only came on air just before the programme , so the sig tune and technical announcements were made then.

There was also a weekly TV trade announcement spot where details would be given about service work and scheduled outages on transmitters and changes to antenna systems that might require TV rental shops to retune sets, or erect new aerials for their customers.

All fantastic stuff for very young nerds.

Anyway, maybe off topic, so will leave it there.

Taltos wrote: »

David Prowse, aka Darth Vader died after short illness. Annual Christmas Star Wars fest will have a new meaning this year.

Ger Roe wrote: »

I saw him once signing autographs at a convention in Dublin, a big man, even without the Vader Cladding and obviously looking more like the Green Cross Code man. As far as I remember he was signing photo's for both identities and seemed to be enjoying being acknowledged as either.

He also had a very soft west country accent, that was very un-threatening and explains why he didn't voice Vader.

Vader and Bond in the same year... Jesus, of course it would be 2020.

Prowse also appeared in Clockwork Orange too.

Outside of that, he famously trained Christopher Reeve to help him bulk up to play Superman. Reeve packed on something 30-40 pounds of muscle.
(Prior to that, they were seeing if padding would work, but it looked comical. Reeve committed to the role, even down to doing the stunts.).

Abby Dalton has passed away at age 88, she was in Falcon Crest

Immortan Joe aka the actor known as Hugh Keays Byrne has died. He was 73.



Immortan Joe



And the man himself, Hugh Keays-Byrne.

A gentleman by all accounts. RIP

wally79 wrote: »

Also played the bad guy in the original mad max

Yup. It was genuinely a surprise to people he returned almost 40 years later.

Walked with a cane towards the end of his life. Don't know what his injuries were, but I do know the Mad Max stunt crew were kind of insane.

David Lander (Laverne & Shirley) died on Friday after living for 37 years with multiple sclerosis, he was 73

https://tvline.com/2020/12/05/david-lander-dead-age-73-laverne-and-shirley-squiggy/

peteeeed wrote:

RIP Peter aliss, what a brilliant sport commentators

Legend.

At the end of a major golf tournament and the camera would pan on the winning players smiling wife, peter would say "look at the smile on her face, her husband must have promised her a new kitchen".

Natalie Deselle-Reid a US tv actress has died from colon cancer aged 53

Tommy 'Tiny' Lister, has died aged 62. Early reports are saying that he may have died due to lingering effects of Covid, or possibly was re-infected.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9041925/Friday-actor-Tommy-Tiny-Lister-dead-age-62-Marina-Del-Rey-apartment.html

He wrestled in the WWE, and had many, many acting roles in film and television, from Friday, to Fifth Element, to Star Trek Enterprise. He appeared in as Little Nicky's brother in the Adam Sandler film. He also starred in Chamillionaire's Ridin' Dirty music video.

Probably his best remembered scene is in The Dark Knight-where he plays the prisoner who decides not to push the detonator button, thus upsetting the Joker's plans.

He also appeared in Zootopia, playing the Fennec fox who helps Nick Wylde do street hustles.