Where Do I Know That Actor?

BEFORE WE DIE is a breathless crime thriller, full of heart-stopping jeopardy and unpredictable twists. The first season was shown in the spring and has just repeated on the Explorer Channel. If you caught it, you no doubt spotted more than a few familiar faces. Let’s see who’s who, shall we?

Lesley Sharp leads the way as Detective Inspector Hannah Laing. Sharpe will probably be best known for starring as DC Janet Scott in Scott & Bailey. She was also Mary in Capital, Petronella Van Daan in The Diary Of Anne Frank, Mrs. Joe in Great Expectations, Rosanna Spearman in The Moonstone, Anne Sutherland in Prime Suspect: The Lost Child and Connie in Dandelion Dead.

Vincent Regan plays Laing’s new partner Billy Murdoch. He’s been seen as Tony in Flesh & Blood, Ned Despard in Poldark, King Louis Philippe in Victoria and Dion in Atlantis. Regan also appeared as DCS Dave Murray alongside Lesley Sharpe in Scott & Bailey.

Steve Toussaint, who portrays Kane, was Joseph Moody on Inspector Lewis and Michael Osgood on DCI Banks. He also played DSI Will Pemberton on – you guessed it – Scott & Bailey.

Lastly, Priyanga Burford plays DCI Nicki Harris. You may recall her as Amina Chaudury in Press or as Mrs. Stevens in King Charles III. Going back a but further, she was Katherine Warwick in DCI Banks and Dr. Swann in A Rather English Marriage. Wait, no Scott & Bailey? Nope, not even a guest appearance.

So there you have it. Recognizable folks from BEFORE WE DIE, currently streaming online with PBS Passport.

Monday Montage

What’s happening, what’s on and what’s interesting this week …

Get the inside story of the events that shaped the Russian leader, the grievances that drive him and how a growing conflict with the West exploded into war in Europe. Don’t miss PUTIN’S ROAD TO WAR on FRONTLINE – Tuesday night at 9 on PBS NC.

Congratulations to Sir Kenneth Branagh (Fortunes Of War) – his film Belfast won Outstanding British Film at the BAFTAs!

Internationally acclaimed violinist Daniel Hope travels the Emerald Isle in search of music and his family legacy. Discover the Irish roots of CELTIC DREAMS: DANIEL HOPE’S HIDDEN IRISH HISTORY – Wednesday at 8:30pm on the Explorer Channel.

Where Do I Know That Actor?

Saturday night’s Doctor Who on UNC-TV (“Midnight”) featured a few guest appearances that may have sparked a recollection or two for longtime viewers. See if you spotted them

Let’s start with Lesley Sharp who played Sky Silvestry. Going back to the mid-90s, she was Anne Sutherland in Prime Suspect: The Lost Child. A few years back, she was Petronella Van Daan on an adaptation of The Diary Of Anne Frank which aired on Masterpiece. However, I think it’s safe to say she’s best known to UNC-TV viewers as DC Janet Scott on Scott & Bailey.

Next, David Troughton was Professor Hobbs. Aside from being the son of Doctor Who #2 (Patrick Troughton) he was, most recently, Stan on the Britcom The Café.

Moving on to Lindsey Coulson. She played Val Kane. Now, I’ll admit I didn’t even recognize her when I watched the Doctor Who episode but, after some research, I discovered that I had seen her many times before – on EastEnders! She played Carol Jackson (Sonia’s mom) on that show in the 1990s.

Next we have Daniel Ryan, who played Biff Kane. He’s guested on everything from As Time Goes By to Kingdom, but he’s been seen most recently as Bryn Brindsley on Home Fires (currently airing Saturday nights on UNC-EX).

There you are. Four guest stars on Doctor Who you may have seen before on other UNC-TV shows. “Midnight” repeats Thursday at noon and Saturday afternoon at 4 on UNC-MX.

Got a face you can’t place from one of the plethora of programs UNC-TV airs from the UK? Email me at sparkymac@unctv.org and I’ll try to help out.