Derek Griffiths facts for kids

Derek Griffiths, born on July 15, 1946, is a talented British actor, singer, and voice artist. He is well-known for appearing in many children's TV shows in the UK, starting in the 1970s. More recently, he has also taken on roles in TV dramas.

Exploring Derek Griffiths' Acting Career

Derek Griffiths began his career appearing on the popular children's show Play School. On this show, he worked alongside other famous presenters like Chloe Ashcroft and Brian Cant. Derek is a very skilled musician who can play many instruments. He sang the theme song for Heads and Tails, a series of short animal films for kids. He also sang and played the theme tune for the cartoon Bod.

Fun Roles in Children's TV

Another fun role Derek had was in Film Fun in the early 1980s. In this show, he played all the different people who work at a cinema! He was the manager, the ticket collector, the projectionist, and even the usherette. He also showed classic cartoons like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.

Stage and Voice Acting Highlights

In 1975, Derek played the character Ko-Ko in a musical called The Black Mikado in London. He also provided the English voice for the superhero bear, SuperTed. The SuperTed series was first made in the Welsh language.

In 1997, Derek was the first actor to play the character Lumière in the London stage version of Beauty and the Beast. Later, he played the Child Catcher in the musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium.

Recognized for Music and Recent Roles

In 2014, Derek Griffiths received a special award called the BASCA Gold Badge of Merit. This award recognized his amazing contributions to music. From 2016 to 2017, he played the character Freddie Smith in the popular TV show Coronation Street. He left the show to act in a play called Driving Miss Daisy. In 2021, he joined the cast of The Mousetrap, a famous play in London.

Derek Griffiths' Impact on Television

In 2011, a well-known writer and TV presenter named Charlie Brooker wrote about Derek Griffiths' impact. He said that Derek was one of the first Black people he saw on TV. Charlie believed that Derek was one of the most brilliant TV presenters ever. He described Derek as warm, likeable, and very talented. Derek had a special way of talking to young viewers without making them feel silly. Charlie felt that Derek's presence on TV was important because it showed that his skin color didn't matter, which was a powerful message even for a young child.

Children's Television Shows Featuring Derek Griffiths

Derek Griffiths has been a part of many beloved children's TV shows:

• Play School (1971–1981)
• Play Away (1971)
• Cabbages and Kings (1972)
• Various Look and Read stories as a singer, including:
  • "Cloud Burst" (1974)
  • "The King's Dragon" (1977)
  • "Sky Hunter" (1978)
  • "The Boy From Space" (1980)
  • "Dark Towers" (1981)
  • "Fairground!" (1982)
  • "Geordie Racer" (1988)
  • "Through The Dragon's Eye" (1989)
  • "Earth Warp" (1994) as voiceover and singer
• Bod (1975) where he created the theme music for the main characters
• Ring-a-Ding! (1975) as a storyteller and singer
• Heads and Tails (1978) as voiceover and singer
• Watch It! (1980–1983) as a regular announcer for children's ITV
• Insight (1980) as a presenter for an educational series for deaf children
• Dinosaurs: Fun, Fact and Fantasy (1982) as the voice of Dil the Crocodile
• SuperTed (1983–1985) as the voice of SuperTed
  • The Further Adventures of SuperTed (1989) as the voice of SuperTed
• Muzzy in Gondoland (1986) as the voices of Bob and Corvax
• King Greenfingers (1989) as the narrator
• The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends (1993) as Simpkin
• Christopher Crocodile (1993) as the narrator and all characters
• Dragon Tales (1999–2005) as the narrator for audiobooks
• Mio Mao (2005) as the narrator and all characters in the UK version
• Film Fun
• Little Red Tractor (2004–2007) as the voices of Mr Jones and Walter
• Animal Antics (1997–2015) as the narrator
• Tinga Tinga Tales (2010-2011) as the voices of Cricket and Skunk
• Sarah & Duck (2014) in the episode "Cloud Tower" as Cloud Captain
• Hilda (2020) in the episode "The Fifty Year Night" as Mr. Ostenfeld
• The Dumping Ground (2021) as Larry Meadow

Comedy and Other TV Appearances

Derek Griffiths has also appeared in various comedy and drama TV shows:

• Please Sir! (1968)
• Till Death Us Do Part (1972 Christmas Special)
• Don't Drink the Water (1974) as Carlos
• Terry and June (1985) as the Prince
• Porkpie (1995) as Benji
• The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff (2012) as Pusweasel
• Way to Go (2013) as Elroy
• Man Down, Series 4 Episode 5 (2017), as Blind Jim
• The Cleaner (TV series), Series 3 Episode 3 (2024), as Bill
• Crown Court (1973) as Raoul Lapointe
• Casualty (1999, 2022) as Duke Baines and Donald Charles
• Holby City (2004, 2011) as Greg Martin and Ted O'Connor
• Doctors (2015, 2022) as Renton Miles and Roger Saintfield
• Silent Witness (2016) as DS Malcolm Guillam
• Coronation Street (2016–2017) as Freddie Smith
• Small Axe (2020) as C. L. R. James
• Midsomer Murders (2021) as Rev. Nigel Brookthorpe
• Unforgotten, series 5 (2022) as Chris Blackwood

Film Roles

Derek Griffiths has also acted in several films:

• Up Pompeii! (1971) as Steam Slave
• Up the Chastity Belt (1971) as Saladin
• Up the Front (1972) as El Puncturo
• Rentadick (1972) as Henson
• The Alf Garnett Saga (1972) as Rex
• Don't Just Lie There, Say Something! (1974) as Johnny
• Are You Being Served? (1977) as the Emir
• Watership Down (1978) as voice of Vervain and Chervil
• Rising Damp (1980) as Alec
• Fierce Creatures (1997) as Gerry Ungulates
• Run for Your Wife (2012) as Actor on Swing
• Gallowwalkers (2012) as Mosca

Theatre Performances

Derek Griffiths has a strong connection with the Royal Exchange, Manchester theatre. Some of his theatre roles include:

• Ko-Ko in The Black Mikado (1975)
• Athos in The Three Musketeers (1979)
• Rick in The Nerd (1982)
• Khlestakov in The Government Inspector (1983)
• Feste in Twelfth Night (1988, 1994)
• Oscar in The Odd Couple (1989)
• Lumiére in "Beauty and the Beast" (1994)
• The Engineer in Miss Saigon (1996–1997)
• Truscott in Loot (2001)
• Harpagon in The Miser (2009)
• Rev. Tooker in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2009)

Audio Work

Derek Griffiths has also lent his voice to audio projects:

• Ladybird Books Classic Collection (1995) as Narrator of Tales from The Jungle Book and The Wind in the Willows
• BBC Radio 4 I, Regress (Series 1, Episode 3 - Jan 2012) as Mr Pigeon

Honors and Awards

Derek Griffiths was given the title of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours. This honor was for his great contributions to drama and for promoting diversity.