Tim Brooke-Taylor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tim Brooke-Taylor
Brooke-Taylor in 2014
Birth name	Timothy Julian Brooke-Taylor
Born	(1940-07-17)17 July 1940 Buxton, Derbyshire, England
Died	12 April 2020(2020-04-12) (aged 79) Cookham, Berkshire, England
Alma mater	Pembroke College, Cambridge
Years active	1964–2020
Genres	Sketch comedy
Spouse	Christine Wheadon ​ (m. 1968)​
Children	2
Notable works and roles	I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (1964–1973) At Last the 1948 Show (1967) How to Irritate People (1968) Marty (1968-1969) Broaden Your Mind (1968–1969) The Goodies (1970–1982) I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue (1972–2020) One Foot in the Grave (1997)

Timothy Julian Brooke-Taylor (born July 17, 1940 – died April 12, 2020) was a famous English actor and comedian. He was best known for being a member of the comedy group called The Goodies.

He started performing in comedy shows while studying at the University of Cambridge. He even became the president of the university's comedy club, the Footlights. In 1964, he toured around the world with their show. He became more widely known for his work on BBC Radio with the show I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again. Later, he moved to television with At Last the 1948 Show, working with his friends from Cambridge, John Cleese and Graham Chapman.

With Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie, he starred in The Goodies from 1970 to 1982. This show became popular in countries like Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Tim also acted in many sitcoms (funny TV shows about everyday life). For almost 50 years, he was a regular guest on BBC Radio's popular panel show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue.

Tim's Early Life and School Days

Timothy Julian Brooke-Taylor was born on July 17, 1940, in Buxton, England. His father, Edward, was a lawyer and a sports teacher. His mother, Rachel, was the daughter of a parson (a church minister) who used to play football for England!

Tim was expelled from primary school when he was only five and a half years old. He then went to other schools, including Winchester College. There, he earned good grades in subjects like English and history.

After school, he taught for a year at a preparatory school. Then, he went to Pembroke College, Cambridge to study. He first studied economics and politics, then changed to law. At Cambridge, he met other future comedians like John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Bill Oddie, and Graeme Garden. They were all part of the Cambridge University Footlights Club, a famous comedy group. Tim became the president of this club in 1963.

The Footlights Club's show, A Clump of Plinths, was a big hit at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It was so successful that it was renamed Cambridge Circus. The show then moved to London's West End and even went to New Zealand and Broadway in the United States in 1964.

Tim's Comedy Career on Radio and TV

Tim Brooke-Taylor quickly started working on BBC Radio with a fast-paced comedy show called I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again. He performed in it and helped write it. One of his most famous characters was Lady Constance de Coverlet. She was a funny, loud character who would always ask, "Did somebody call?" after a silly setup. This always made the audience laugh a lot! Other comedians on the show included John Cleese, Bill Oddie, and Graeme Garden.

In the mid-1960s, Tim appeared on the TV show On the Braden Beat. He played a character who thought he was very open-minded but was actually quite old-fashioned.

In 1967, Tim became a writer and performer on the TV comedy series At Last the 1948 Show. He worked with John Cleese, Graham Chapman, and Marty Feldman. They all helped write the famous "Four Yorkshiremen" sketch. This sketch made fun of how different social classes and regions in Britain saw themselves.

Tim also took part in a special TV show called How to Irritate People in 1968. This show was made to introduce the style of comedy that would later become Monty Python. Many of the sketches from this show were later used in the Monty Python TV series. For example, Tim played a nervous person in a job interview sketch, with John Cleese as the interviewer.

In 1968–69, Tim was also a cast member and writer for the TV comedy series Marty, starring Marty Feldman. Around the same time, Tim made two series of Broaden Your Mind with Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie. This show was full of comedy sketches, many of which came from I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again.

The success of Broaden Your Mind led to the creation of The Goodies. This show, also starring Tim, Bill Oddie, and Graeme Garden, first aired in November 1970. The Goodies was a huge success on television, running for over ten years. It also led to many spin-off books and popular songs.

Other Roles and Appearances

While The Goodies was on TV, Tim also took part in the BBC radio series Hello Cheeky. This was a stand-up comedy show with Barry Cryer and John Junkin. The show even had a short run on television.

Tim appeared in many other British sitcoms (comedy shows), such as You Must Be the Husband and Me and My Girl. He also appeared in many advertisements, including Christmas commercials for Brentford Nylons.

In 1971, he had a small, uncredited role as a computer scientist in the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. After The Goodies, Tim also worked with Garden and Oddie again on the animated children's TV series Bananaman. Tim was the narrator and voiced several characters in this show. He also lent his voice to the children's TV series Gideon.

Tim Brooke-Taylor also performed in shows for Amnesty International, a human rights organization. In one show, he, Oddie, and Garden sang their hit song "Funky Gibbon". He also took part in sketches with other famous comedians like John Cleese and Rowan Atkinson.

One of Tim's longest-running roles was on the BBC radio show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. This show, which started in 1972, was known as an "antidote to panel games" because it was so silly and fun. Tim was a regular guest on this show for over 40 years!

In 1997, he appeared in a special episode of the popular sitcom One Foot in the Grave. In 2004, Tim and Graeme Garden co-hosted a game show called Beat the Nation on Channel 4.

Tim also performed on stage in Australia and England. In the early 1980s, he even played the "Dame" (a funny female character) in a pantomime show called Dick Whittington. He also wrote several funny books, often about his radio and TV work, and about sports like golf and cricket.

In 2008, Tim's voice was heard in a Doctor Who audio story called The Zygon Who Fell To Earth. He played a character named Mims, a Zygon (an alien) who looked like a human.

Lord Rector at St Andrews University

Tim Brooke-Taylor was chosen by the students of the University of St Andrews to be their Lord Rector. He held this important position from 1979 to 1982. As Rector, he represented the students and helped lead the university.

At his installation ceremony, he arrived by helicopter, rode a motorbike, and was pulled in an open carriage! His speech was very funny and even included a joke in Latin. He suggested that his successor should be a woman, and indeed, Katharine Whitehorn became the university's first female rector in 1982. Tim is remembered as a very good Rector who visited the university often and took his role seriously. He even wore a Saltire (Scottish flag) waistcoat when he was there!

Tim's Family and Passing Away

Tim Brooke-Taylor married Christine Wheadon in 1968, and they had two sons, Ben and Edward. He lived in Cookham Dean, England, and was involved in local events. He loved golf and was a member of a golf club. In 2011, he was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for his contributions to entertainment.

Tim Brooke-Taylor passed away on April 12, 2020, at the age of 79. He died from problems caused by COVID-19. To honor him, the flag of his old college, Pembroke College, Cambridge, was flown at half-mast the next day.

Tim's Film and TV Appearances

Films

Television Shows

Radio Shows

See also

In Spanish: Tim Brooke-Taylor para niños