Liz Gebhardt

Elisabeth Anne Gebhardt (12 April 1945 – 10 August 1996) was an English actress, best known for playing the part of form 5C pupil Maureen Bullock in the LWT sitcom Please Sir! (1968–71) and in the subsequent spin-off show, The Fenn Street Gang (1971–73).

Following on from her role in the show and its spin-off, she continued working in television, starring as Doreen Bissel in Dear Mother...Love Albert, and appearing in a number of supporting roles in programmes such as New Scotland Yard, Z-Cars, The Naked Civil Servant, Doctor on the Go, Grange Hill, The Bill, Love Hurts, Keeping Up Appearances and others. Her few film roles included the movie version of Please Sir! (1971), and a brief appearance as a maid in Julius Caesar (1970).

She worked extensively in radio at the BBC, appearing in 54 radio broadcasts during the period 1967 to 1984, mostly drama productions, including for the BBC World Service drama department and for Radio 3. Often these were one-off plays, including for Radio 4's prestigious Saturday Night Theatre series. She worked repeatedly for World Service drama (in productions including the 1977 thriller serial The Toff on the Farm), but those credits are not included here due to a lack of sources: World Service productions in this period were not reported in BBC's Radio Times magazine. She also made repeated appearances for Radio 2 on the popular 1970s radio soap opera Waggoners' Walk in 1974. In comedy, she was a regular in the 1971 sitcom Life Is What Yer Make It for Radio 4, starring Michael Robbins and Pat Coombs, and in their 1973 sequel The Things, altogether appearing with them in 19 episodes. At the BBC her extensive radio work eventually led to her breaking into television, to which she switched entirely after 1984.

In her earlier years, Liz attended Willesden County Grammar School in North-West London.

Death Gebhardt was diagnosed with cancer and admitted to hospital in summer 1996; she died in August, aged 51. During her cancer treatment, she sustained injuries from radiotherapy, a situation which contributed to the formation of a campaign to prevent damage from such treatment.

Gebhardt married in 1968 fellow actor and former director of the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, Ian Talbot.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1966 The Rat Catchers Receptionist TV series (1 episode: "Operation Lost Souls") Blackmail Meg TV series (1 episode: "I Love Ivor Divor – Why the Devil Doesn't He Love Me?") 1967 Emergency – Ward 10 Liz Tyler TV series (1 episode: "A Family Likeness") Send Foster Liz Ellis TV series (1 episode: "The Accident") 1968 Half Hour Story Mother/Dilys TV series (2 episodes) ITV Playhouse Carole TV series (1 episode: "The Bonegrinder") Knock Three Times Cissie TV series (2 episodes) 1969 All Star Comedy Carnival Maureen Bullock TV movie 1970 Julius Caesar Calpurnia's Maid Uncredited Frost on Sunday Maureen Bullock TV series (1 episode: "Frost at the London Palladium...") 1971 Please Sir! Maureen Bullock Dear Mother...Love Albert Doreen Bissel TV series (6 episodes) Please Sir! Maureen Bullock TV series (37 episodes: 1968–1972) 1972 New Scotland Yard Christine Beaumont TV series (1 episode: "Ask No Questions"") All Star Comedy Carnival Maureen Bullock TV movie 1973 The Fenn Street Gang Maureen Bullock TV series (27 episodes: 1971-1973) 1974 Football Crazy Carol TV short Funny Ha-Ha Carol TV series (1 episode: "Football Crazy") Z Cars Gwen Morgan/Linda Blackshaw TV series (3 episodes: 1968–1974) 1975 The Naked Civil Servant Art Student TV movie 1976 Shades of Greene Miss Garfitt TV series (1 episode: "The Case for the Defence") Hunter's Walk Josie Dale TV series (1 episode: "Missing") 1977 Doctor on the Go Jane TV series (1 episode: "The War of the Wards") 1984 Don't Wait Up Mrs Davies TV series (1 episode: "Episode #2.3") 1985 Bulman Fiona Lamont TV series (1 episode: "A Cup for the Winner") 1986 Troubles and Strife Annette TV series (13 episodes: 1985–1986) 1987 Grange Hill Mrs Edelman TV series (3 episodes) 1988 Dramarama Mum/Mrs Banks TV series (2 episodes) 1990 Keeping Up Appearances Angry Woman TV series (1 episode: "Stately Home") 1993 The Bill Mrs. Martin/Mrs. Cook/Car Driver/Mrs. Booth TV series (4 episodes: 1989–1993) 1994 Love Hurts Frances Kelly TV series (1 episode: "Happy Families")