Sandra Michaels facts for kids

Sandra Michaels is an English actress born in 1944. She is well-known for her roles in various television shows and stage plays. She even had a brief but memorable time as a presenter on the popular children's show Blue Peter.

Sandra's Acting Career

Sandra Michaels started her acting journey in television in March 1957. Her very first role was playing Phyllis in a BBC show called The Railway Children. This was an adaptation of the famous book.

Early TV Roles (1957)

Later in 1957, Sandra appeared in another exciting show. She played Pamela Gwendolyn Stuart in The Adventures of Clint and Mac. This was a British series made especially for Walt Disney Studios and shown on The Mickey Mouse Club. Also in 1957, she played Caroline in an ITV comedy called The Thompsons. Caroline was a modern teenager who often got into trouble.

More TV Shows and Stage Work

Sandra Michaels acted in many different types of programmes. These included a 1959 version of Great Expectations and Dixon of Dock Green in the same year. She also appeared in The Ronnie Barker Playhouse and Gaslight Theatre, both in 1968.

Her stage work was also very varied. She performed in plays, pantomimes, and light musicals.

• In 1961, she was in Little Old King Cole with Charlie Drake at the famous London Palladium.
• From 1962 to 1963, she acted in Puss in Boots at the Coventry Theatre. She shared the stage with well-known actors Sid James and Frankie Howerd.
• In 1970, she performed in Mandrake at the Criterion Theatre alongside Roy Kinnear.

In the 1980s, Sandra Michaels also appeared in documentaries and short films. One of these was Mohammed's Daughter in 1987. This film was directed by Suri Krishnamma and was even nominated for a BAFTA award.

Her Time on Blue Peter

One of Sandra Michaels' most interesting roles was on the children's TV show Blue Peter. In April 1964, she presented two episodes of the show. She was filling in for Valerie Singleton, who was on holiday. This makes Sandra the presenter who served the shortest time on the programme!

A Brief Presenting Role

Her appearance on Monday, April 20, 1964, was planned. Her name was listed in the Radio Times next to the other presenter, Christopher Trace. The music group The Merseybeats were guests on that particular show. You could even watch this episode as part of the TV Heaven collection. This collection is now part of the BFI Mediatheque at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford.

Sandra impressed the director, Edward Barnes, a lot. He even thought about asking her to join Blue Peter full-time and replace Valerie Singleton. However, Sandra Michaels was not interested in the job. Barnes later said that he was relieved by her decision. This was because Valerie Singleton went on to have a very successful career on Blue Peter.