Geoffrey Palmer

Geoffrey Dyson Palmer (4 June 1927 – 5 November 2020) was an English actor. His roles in British television sitcoms include Jimmy Anderson in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976–79), Ben Parkinson in Butterflies (1978–1983) and Lionel Hardcastle in As Time Goes By (1992–2005).

His film appearances include A Fish Called Wanda (1988), The Madness of King George (1994), Mrs Brown (1997), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and Paddington (2014). He also made guest appearances in television series such as The Avengers, Doctor Who, Fawlty Towers, Bergerac and Blackadder.

Early life and education Geoffrey Dyson Palmer was born on 4 June 1927 in North Finchley, Middlesex. He was the son of Frederick Charles Palmer, who was a chartered surveyor, and Norah Gwendolen (née Robins). He attended Highgate School from September 1939 to December 1945. He served as a corporal instructor in small arms and field training in the Royal Marines during his national service from 1946 to 1948, following which he briefly worked as an unpaid trainee assistant stage manager.

Two BBC sitcom roles brought him attention in the 1970s: the hapless brother-in-law of Reggie Perrin in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976–79), and the phlegmatic dentist Ben Parkinson in Butterflies (1978–1983).

In 1978, Palmer appeared as organized crimelord Simon Sinclair in London Weekend Television's hard-hitting police drama The Professionals, the episode entitled "Where the Jungle Ends".

Palmer played Doctor Price in the Fawlty Towers episode "The Kipper and the Corpse" (1979), determined to have breakfast amidst the confusion caused by the death of a guest and Fawlty's inept way of handling the emergency. He narrated the documentary series Little England, and he continued to appear in productions written by Reggie Perrin creator David Nobbs, the last of these being the radio comedy The Maltby Collection broadcast from 2007. He starred in the final two episodes of the Radio 4 comedy series Two Pipe Problems, replacing the late Richard Briers.

In the 2006 DVD series The Compleat Angler, Palmer partnered Rae Borras in a series of episodes based on Izaak Walton's 1653 The Compleat Angler. In 2007, he recorded The Diary of a Nobody by George Grossmith and Weedon Grossmith as an online audiobook. In December 2007, Palmer appeared in the role of the Captain in "Voyage of the Damned", the Christmas special episode of the BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who; Palmer previously appeared in the classic era of the show in the Third Doctor serials Doctor Who and the Silurians (1970) (as Masters) and The Mutants (1972) (as the Administrator). In March 2009, he joined in a sketch with the two double acts Armstrong and Miller and Mitchell and Webb for Comic Relief. In 2011, he played the reactionary father-in-law of the eponymous clergyman of Rev. in its Christmas episode.

Personal life and death Palmer married Sally Green in 1963. They had a daughter, Harriet, and a son, Charles, a television director. Palmer was a longtime resident of Lee Common in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, and enjoyed fly fishing in his spare time.

Palmer died peacefully at his home on 5 November 2020, aged 93.

Awards and recognition In the New Year's Honours List published 31 December 2004 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to drama. A drawing of Palmer by Stuart Pearson Wright is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Appearances Stage

Radio

Television Ronald Directed by Michael Simpson

Executive Stress Donald Fairchild Season one Season's Greetings Bernard TV film Screen Two|The Angry Doctor Episode: "The Insurance Man" 1986–1989 Hot Metal Harold Stringer 7 episodes 1988 Christabel|Mr. Burton Miniseries 1989 Blackadder Goes Forth|Field Marshal Douglas Haig Episode: "Goodbyeee"

Inspector Morse|Matthew Copley-Barnes Episode: "The Infernal Serpent" Bergerac|Nigel Carter Episode: "Roots of Evil" 1991 Screen One|Donleavy Episode: "A Question of Attribution" 1992–2005 As Time Goes By Lionel Hardcastle 1994 The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries|Harold Cartell Episode: "Hand in Glove" 1995–1998 Mr. Men and Little Miss Narrator and Santa Claus 1996 The Legacy of Reginald Perrin Jimmy Anderson

1998 Alice through the Looking Glass White King

The Savages|Donald The 1940s House|Narrator 2002 Stig of the Dump Robert

Absolute Power|Lord Harcourt Episode: "Country Life" Looking for Victoria

TV film 2003–2004, 2006 Grumpy Old Men| 2004 He Knew He Was Right Sir Marmaduke Rowley TV film

Ashes to Ashes|Lord Scarman Episode 8 The Long Walk to Finchley John Crowder TV film 2010 Grandpa in My Pocket|Grandad Gillbert Episode: "Captain Dumbletwit's Toughest Mission Yet!"

Agatha Christie's Poirot|Vice Admiral Hamling Episode: "The Clocks" Rev.|Martin Christmas Special 2012 The Hollow Crown Lord Chief Justice Episode: Henry IV, Part II 2014 Royal Variety Performance''Announcer

Film

Recordings (spoken word)