Who's Who

Cast Members

John Alkin
Frank Skinner
Spencer Banks
Simon Randall
John Barcroft
Doctor Bukov
John Barron
Morgan C. Devereaux
Peggy Thorpe Bates
Doctor Edith Joynton
Derek Benfield
Frank Skinner
Cheryl Burfield
Liz Skinner
Sandor Eles
Gottfried
Ian Fairbairn
Alpha 4 / Dr. Frazer
David Graham
Controller 2957
Merdel Jordine
Vera
Mary Larkin
Maria
Robert Oates
Larry
Mary Preston
Beth
Denis Quilley
Traynor
Iris Russell
Jean Skinner
Teri Scoble
Miss Stebbins / Alpha 16
John Swindells
Pitman
Derek Sydney
DeSarem
Royston Tickner
George Bradley


Production

Ruth Boswell
Creator / script editor
John Cooper
Producer / Director
Peter Fairley
Introductions
Edouard Michael
Theme music composer
Victor Pemberton
Writer
Bruce Stewart
Writer

When Liz and Simon first meet Devereaux, he is the Director of a futuristic Antarctic research base in 1990 and inventor of a life-extending longevity drug called HA57. However, he is later revealed to be a clone of the original Devereaux and in the throes of a total mental breakdown which, in turn, threatens the safety of everyone on the base. The next time the children meet him is in 1965. This is the real Devereaux who is a brilliant but imoral scientist with a scientific masterplan for the world's future. He kidnaps Commander Traynor when the Commander threatens to close down his research facility and put a stop to his experiments on teenage volunteers. Devereaux eventually meets his end in 1969 when the untested HA57 he has arrogantly injected himself with ends up killing him.

John Barron was born on Christmas Eve, 1920 in Marylebone, London. A kind godfather paid his training fees at RADA in 1938. During the war, he served in the Royal Navy, then returned to acting after being demobbed where he appeared mostly in repertory productions. He soon became a theatre director and directed a young Leonard Rossiter in numerous productions throughout the 1950s.

His first regular TV role was in "Emergency Ward 10", which was quickly followed by many other series roles including that of the Minister in BBC TV's prophetic "Doomwatch" and, most famously, as the clipped and overbearing C.J. in the classic TV satire of modern society "The Fall & Rise of Reginald Perrin" which starred Leonard Rossiter.

He was also made president of Equity - the British actor's union - a post he held from 1978 to 1982. John has been married twice. His first wife was Joan Peart (who co-starred with John in an episode of The Fall & Rise of Reginald Perrin) She died in 1989 after being married to John for forty years. John married again but his second wife Helen Christie passed on in 1995. His hobbies have included fine wines.

Although concerntrating more on theatre work in recent years, ill-health sadly forced John to retire prematurely.

John final appearance on television was in the BBC's documentary series "Britain's Best Sitcom" in early 2004 where he briefly discussed the success of "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin."

John Barron died in Watford, Hertfordshire on 3rd July 2004.

Selected film work includes:

Sink the Bismarck! (1960) ...as Officer P.R.O. (uncredited)
The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961) ....as Sub-editor (uncredited)
Jigsaw (1962) ...as Ray Tenby
Incense for the Damned (1972)

Selected TV work includes:

The Vise - Corpse With a Sword (1957) ...as Tony Preem
The Vise - Death in a Flask (1958) ...as Dr.Marsden
Emergency-Ward 10" (1959) ...as Harold de la Roux
Ghost Squad - The Grand Duchess (ATV / 1961) ...as Lazenger
Plateau of Fear (ABC / 1961) ....as Dr. Miguel Aranda
Undermind - Waves of Sound (ABC / 1965) ...as Sir Geoffrey Tillinger
Undermind - End Signal (ABC / 1965) ...as Sir Geoffrey Tillinger
The Avengers - A Sense of History (ABC / 1966) ...as Dr. Gordon Henge
Out of the Unknown - The Midas Plague (1965) ...as Sir John
All Gas and Gaiters (BBC / 1966) ...as The Dean
Girl in a Black Bikini (1967) ...as Francis Heager
The Saint - The Scales of Justice (ITC / 1968) ...as Neal Lammerton
Department S - The Bones of Byrom Blain (ITC / 1970) ...as Byrom Blain
Timeslip (ATV / 1970) ...as Devereaux
Doomwatch (1970-2) ...as The Minister
The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder - Find the Lady (Thames TV / 1971) ...as The Earl of Coalbrook
Spyder's Web - Red Admiral (ATV / 1972) ...as Admiral Manders
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes - The Missing Q.Cs (Thames TV / 1973) ...as Sir Revel Revell
Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973) ...as Dr. Stumpfegger
The Turn of the Screw (1974) ...as Mr. Fredricks
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (BBC / 1976-79) ...as C.J.
The Foundation (ATV / 1977) ...as Sir Clive Farmer
Potter (BBC / 1979) ...as Vicar
Shelley - Gainfully Employed (Thames / 1979) ... as Cyril
The Taming of the Shrew, (BBC / 1980) ...as Vincentio
Shelley - Expletive Deleted (Thames TV / 1980) as Cyril
The Gentle Touch - Loyalties (LWT / 1980) ...as Victor Beresford
Yes, Minister - The Compassionate Society (BBC / 1981) ...as Sir Ian Whitworth
Othello (BBC / 1981) ...as Duke of Venice
Yes, Minister -The Middle Class Rip Off (BBC / 1982) ...as Sir Ian Whitworth
Whoops Apocalypse (LWT / 1982) ...as The Deacon
No Place Like Home - Golden Handshake (BBC / 1984) ...as Mr Wilberforce
Terry and June - Terry in Court (BBC / 1985) ...as Judge
Thirteen at Dinner (US / 1985) ...as Lord George Edgeware
No Place Like Home - Dear Miss Davenport (BBC / 1986) ...as Mr Wilberforce
Yes, Prime Minister - The Smoke Screen (BBC / 1986) ...as Sir Ian Whitworth
Brush Strokes - "episode 25" (BBC / 1989) ...as Salamander General
Paris - La Solitude (Channel 4 / 1994) ...as Degout's father
The Legacy of Reginald Perrin (BBC / 1996) ...as C.J.

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