Paul Shane

Paul Shane (born George Frederick Speight; 19 June 1940 – 16 May 2013) was a British actor and comedian. He was known for his television work, in particular playing Ted Bovis in Hi-de-Hi!, a 1980s BBC sitcom.[1][2][3]

Paul Shane
Shane in 2011
Born
George Frederick Speight

(1940-06-19)19 June 1940
Died16 May 2013(2013-05-16) (aged 72)
Occupation(s)Actor, comedian
Years active1972–2013
Spouse
Dorothy Shortt
(m. 1961; died 2001)
Children3

Early life

Shane was born on 19 June 1940 in Thrybergh, near Rotherham, in the West Riding of Yorkshire.[4] After leaving school in 1955, he was a miner at Silverwood Colliery until he suffered double herniated discs after slipping on soap in the pithead baths in 1967, being pensioned from the coal mines as a result. Two years later he became a professional entertainer. He already had ten years' experience as a part-time entertainer in pubs and clubs in south Yorkshire.

Career

Shane's first appearance, as a singer, was at the Grafton pub — now demolished — in St Ann's Road, Rotherham. His first club booking was at St Ann's Club in Rotherham, for 30 shillings. His transformation from singer to comedian was gradual, starting with his version of "Green, Green Grass of Home", which was straight at first, but ultimately became a send-up of the version by Tom Jones.

Shane played small parts and made guest appearances in television series throughout the 1970s. In May 1979, the comedy writer Jimmy Perry spotted Shane playing Frank Roper in an episode of Coronation Street and offered him the part of Ted Bovis in his new holiday-camp sitcom Hi-de-Hi!. The series ran from 1980 until 1988, when Perry and his co-writer David Croft wrote the pilot of You Rang, M'Lord? and invited Shane to play Alf Stokes. That show ran until 1993.

In 1991, Shane was given his own show, Very Big Very Soon, which ran for one series.

Shane's performance of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" on Pebble Mill at One in 1996 was voted the 72nd-funniest moment on British television in an opinion poll on Channel 4 in 2004. [5] [6]

Between 1995 and 1997, Shane played Jack Skinner in two series of Oh, Doctor Beeching!. Subsequently, he appeared most frequently in theatre, though he also had guest spots in Holby City and Emmerdale.

Shane also appeared in variety theatre in towns including Blackpool in 2006,[7] and in pantomime in Jack and the Beanstalk in 2008.[8] In 2008, he was in an episode of the ITV drama series A Touch of Frost, playing boatsman "Diesel Bob". He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1981, when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in London's Covent Garden.

Personal life

Shane was married to Dorothy Shortt (Born 28 February 1943) from 1961 until her death on 4 April 2001 aged 58.[9][10] They had three daughters.

On 1 April 1984, he was inducted into the Grand Order of Water Rats.[11]

In May 2009, Shane was admitted to the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield for heart surgery and made a full recovery.[12]

Following another short period of ill-health, he died on 16 May 2013 in a Rotherham hospice, aged 72. His three daughters and six grandchildren survived him.[13][14][15] His funeral was held on 31 May 2013 at Rotherham Minster.[16][17]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleDetails
1972A Day OutBaldringTelevision film
1973Sporting ScenesCharabanc driverEpisode: England, Their England
1975-1980Play for TodayVarious
1976Second City FirstsRicky AvonEpisode: Summer Season
Centre PlayGarage clerkEpisode: Showcase: Riding South
1977Coronation StreetDave-the-Rave2 episodes
1979Frank Roper
Afternoon OffAlfTelevision film
1979–1980Turtle's ProgressMashcan1 Episode
1980Sounding BrassGray3 Episodes
19801988Hi-de-Hi!Ted Bovis58 episodes; also title music, uncredited
1982Muck and BrassDennis CattoEpisode - Our Green and Pleasant Land
1983-1989Blankety BlankHimself8 episodes
1984A Century of Stars: The Story of the Grand Order of Water RatsHimselfTelevision documentary
1986Super GranSid ScouseChristmas Special - Super Gran and the World's Worse Circus
19881993You Rang, M'Lord?Alf Stokes26 episodes; also performed theme tune
1991Very Big Very SoonHarry James4 Episodes
1993Woof!Honest NormanEpisode: The Sure Thing
1994Mother's RuinErnie PottsSeries 1 episode 3
1995–1997Oh, Doctor Beeching!Jack Skinner20 episodes
1995ChuckleVisionPerry ChampagneEpisode - My Lucky Number's 9
1996New VoicesErnieEpisode - Two Minutes
La PassionePapa[18]
Between Two WomenMayor
1997Common As MuckMike Roberts6 episodes
1999Hilltop HospitalThe Teds (Voice role)Episode: Gracey Greyshell's Last Day ...
Kavanagh QCGreg DallimoreEpisode: End Game
2000DoctorsBill Joseph4 Episodes
2000–2004Holby CityStan Ashley13 Episodes
2002HeartlandsZippy[19]
2003Between Two WomenCouncillor Hoylake
2004EmmerdaleSolomon Dingle8 Episodes
2007Children in NeedConcierge
2008A Touch of FrostDiesel BobEpisode - In the Public Interest
2012The Grey MileTerry the TaxmanVideo short; final role

References

  1. Jeffries, Stuart (17 May 2013). "Guardian: Paul Shane obituary". The Guardian.
  2. Raeside, Julia (17 May 2013). "Paul Shane's TV career – in videos". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  3. "Paul Shane Filmography". IMDb. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  4. "Paul Shane". www.corrie.net. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
  5. "Channel4 – 100 Greatest FUNNY MOMENTS". Archived from the original on 12 February 2008. Retrieved 26 November 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. "paul shane pebble mill you've lost that loving feeling the whole song". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  7. "The Two O'Clock Show at the Grand Theatre Blackpool – Starring Paul Shane, Andy Eastwood, The Patton Brothers..." www.andyeastwood.com. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
  8. "Panto Paul Shane to Trott up the beanstalk". The Star. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
  9. England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
  10. "Paul Shane's Grave - Famous Graves". YouTube.
  11. "Biography of a Water Rat". Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  12. "Comedy star Paul Shane to have bypass operation". Sheffield Telegraph. Archived from the original on 29 May 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
  13. "Hi-de-Hi! actor Paul Shane dies". BBC News. 16 May 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  14. "Paul Shane, who has died aged 72, made the leap from provincial stand-up club comedian to television stardom when he played the lowbrow holiday camp compère Ted Bovis in the popular 1980s BBC sitcom Hi-de-Hi!". The Telegraph. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  15. Farquhar, Simon (17 May 2013). "Paul Shane: Actor who mined a seam of comedy nostalgia in 'Hi-De-Hi!' and 'Oh Mr Beeching!'". The Independent. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  16. "Funeral for Hi-de-Hi! star Paul Shane". BBC News. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  17. "Video: Final farewell in Rotherham for Hi-di-Hi star Paul Shane". Yorkshire Post. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  18. soundtrack to the album of the same title by Chris Rea
  19. "Paul Shane profile at AllMovie". www.allmovie.com. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
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