Cool News
Ed Bishop has passed away...
Hey folks, Harry here... Wasn't that familiar with Ed Bishop by name, but I certainly remember his work on UFO and CAPTAIN SCARLET and the STAR TREK animated series, but I hadn't heard he'd passed away. Here's SpectrumIsSad with the proper OBIT that Ed deserved...
Wow – I just found out that Ed Bishop died on the 8th June – I know that it probably too long a time since his death to effectively say any words on this occasion and that maybe in some bizarre world Ed Bishop isn’t a giant amongst geeks and doesn’t warrant a mention but – wow – Commander Ed Straker is gone! Jay Garrick will never tell the news again!!! Ed Bishop, a stalwart of geek entertainment has been taken from us by a viral infection at the age of 73
My first real encounter with Mr Bishop was when I watched Gerry Anderson’s live-action ‘UFO’ series and to be honest, as a kid, he scared me. Maybe it was the white wig, maybe it was the acrylic clothing but I think it was because for the first time ever I had been presented with a hero in a show that didn’t give too much of a damn about anything apart from protecting the world from UFO infiltration. When I watched it recently on DVD – UFO startled me by being an incredibly successful science fiction series. It was encumbered by the ridiculous fashions and cheesy attempts to make 1980 look like a swinging extension of the sixties but the acting was fantastic and the stories were great and tense and often quite dark. Ed Straker was a man that you could trust to get the job done and he cast a powerful aspect over the show considering that he seldom got involved in the action / adventure of the show.
But Ed Bishop was much more – he appeared in two Bond movies (albeit uncredited), he was the voice of Captain Blue in ‘Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons’, he was in ‘2001 – A Space Odyssey’. Hell, the man ever provided voices for the ‘Star Trek’ cartoon. Ed Bishop was a constant, if hardly major, face for geeks around the world. He was a dependable and remarkably versatile actor and will be sadly missed. I met him once at a Memorabilia fair and he was charming and interesting – but I cannot base my opinion on him because of that. I can only base what I know as a fan of science fiction. He was someone that I just assumed would always be there – someone who may not have had too many starring roles but was dependable and – well – there!
For me – his shining light was not in ‘Battle Beneath the Earth’ but in the 1980’s television show ‘Whoop Apocalypse’. Jay Garrick was the anchorman of the Apocalypse – in a world where the American President was an ex Tarzan actor and the British Prime Minister thought he was Superman – Jay Garrick, and Ed Bishop anchored us all through the apocalypse.
Goodbye Mr Bishop – I will miss you!
I don’t know if this is of any use whatsoever if it is call me Spectrumissad!
-
+ Expand All
-
..you were my favorite one! Condolences to the Bishop family..
-
but the bloke who played the dashing action guy in UFO passed away within three days of Bishop
-
...He rocked
-
While is is well-known that he was in 2001, he also turned up a number of years earlier in Kubrick's Lolita. Ed Bishop was a constant face on UK TV from the 60s up until only recently. A real personality on his own, he was largely used when TV shows needed an American "white-coat" architype to explain inventions or machinations of politics or frequently as a journalist. The problem was that his New-Yorker accent mutated while he was over here (as does with most US thesps who come to live) but it was this weird fusion that made him so recognisable, even if the name or even his face was unfamiliar. A stawlart actor who was so reliable that he was constantly in demand is as good an epitaph for any jobbing thesp, and Ed Bishop was just that and an icon to fans of the genre. He will certainly be missed...
-
To wear that saucy, silver wig. Deliver some of the silliest dialogue ever heard on TV. And endorse the most preposterous plots in sci-fi history - and do so with utter conviction.
-
I have to say that was the first refrence to Whoop Apocalypse I've ever seen on this site. Look it up kids. It was greatness. Of course I was nine at the time, and I haven't seen it since....RIP elder geek...
-
At least the passing of this iconic, important influential, artistic genious was caught on Harry's radar--unlike those C grade actors Eddie Albert and from a few years back Art Carney.
-
Your passing (and Michael Billington's) is a sad loss to fans of archive UK TV. You will always be best remembered for UFO and Captain Scarlet but you cropped up in some other memorable productions. You were the first luckless unfortunate rabies victim in the memorable BBC three-parter "The Mad Death", you played clueless radiation tag inspector Klaus Hergersheimer in "Diamonds are Forever" (that bit always makes me smile), you were Jay Garrick, the TV newscaster in the sublimely funny "Whoops Apocalypse" TV show (not to be confused with the much weaker film version). You were even the voice of the US president in the superb and chilling "Threads", probably never seen by 99% of talkbackers but easily the grimmest depiction of nuclear war ever shown on TV anywhere in the world. A jobbing actor rather than a "star", but your adapted homeland always kept you in work (even if some of the audience didn't always remember your name until the credits were rolling!). R.I.P. Ed (and Michael).
-
You will be missed, my brother. You willed be missed. I'll sing the LifeDay song just for you today here in the office with my co-workers. *sob*
-
Michael Billington - perennial actor always suggested for James Bond and only made his mark in the series by getting shot by Roger Moore at the beginning of 'The Spy Who Loved Me' - you would have been a damned fine Bond and you were a welcome presence on British television. If not for Lou Grade's ITC and Gerry Anderson I doubt that people like Michael Billington and Ed Bishop would really have managed to struggle past the megastar system but I'm glad they did and I mourn for them and the simpler, better times when people would take chances with television and give actors a chance to shine!
-
wooden, not quite your method actor, and probably more likely to get work as the only helmet-haired yank in london's actor's equity rather than be another stiff in hollywood, there really was somthing unique about ed bishop and his presence on _ufo_ lent it an unusual gravity. also, despite his pretty apparent limitations as an actor, he really would "go there" when the situation called for it -- i'm especially thinking of that last episode where he fights the villian unstuck-in-time, as it were. he could be a pretty boy and an existential haggard in the same episode. i'm sorry to hear of his passing. peace out, ed bishop....
-
Was that the series with Martin Bain? It was a syndicated British show, I think.
-
That should read "Martin Landau and Barbara Bain."
-
Anybody know?
-
That was the name of the show starring Martin Landau and his gorgeous corpse faced wife Barbara. It was another of Andersons live action shows and the first series was great - whereas the second series (season) was shite! However - the interesting thing about Space 1999 was that it was orginally developed as a sequel to UFO as they second season of UFO was going to be largely moonbase set - dunno why it becamse Space 1999 and dunno why we still have a moon but there you go!
-
As previously said, once you looked past the camp futuristic stylings (string vests for the submarine crew?)it was a surprisingly bleak and scary show. Ed Bishop was great in his role, he seemed like a nice bloke too. RIP.
-
It was an amazing show, in no small part thanks to Ed Bishop. I think I was seven years old, or so, but the moment I saw him with that hair in that amazing car, I instinctively understood the concept of "cool". Rest in Peace.
-
I'll always remember him checking radiation shields in "Diamonds Are Forever"
-
I have always been a fan of Gerry Anderson's shows, and have always held a special place for UFO. There was indeed something, dare I say, otherworldly about Ed Bishop as Commander Straker, but it somehow managed to contribute to the mystique of the show.
He will definitely be missed. -
Jun 14, 2005 11:45:15 AM CDT
Who the hell is Edd Bishop and why is this on the front page of
by daddy tones
Well? Answer me at once.
-
Jun 14, 2005 12:08:59 PM CDT
Martin Landau and his gorgeous corpse faced wife Barbara
by bart of darkness
Loved that description. Actually her acting was much deader than her looks.
-
Next to Jackie Cooper, LOIS AND CLARK's Lane Smith was my favorite Perry White, Southern accent and all. R.I.P., Lane.
-
That's sad. He was a great character actor. Loved him in My Cousin Vinny.
-
The guy will forever hold a warm place in my heart for leading the "Let them play!" chant in "Bad News Bears in Breaking Training", and for dry heaving as the mayor watching his townspeople gunned down by a firing squad in "Red Dawn". RIP, Lane.
-
He was great in McCloud and a billion other things.
This is a bad week for character actors. -
Some of the UFO fashions did make a brief reappearance in the 1990s, particularly those distinctive narrow jacket collars. The cars used definitely seemed to inspire Ford in the design of the seminal Ford Sierra (and many subsequent European cars from the 1980s to the present day). Thankfully the string vests and purple wigs had no influence at all on modern fashions! Ed Bishop, you will be missed.
-
Gotta love the uniforms for the SHADO women of 1980. I think they inspired the look of Star Trek: The Pajama Party... Er, The Motion Picture.
-
I remember getting a definite sexual thrill on seeing the sub girl in a string vest... you could just about see her breasts but she never seemed to turn round and give us a clear look. Oh well, a family show I suppose.
-
From my limited knowledge of late 60s/early 70s fashions, such clothing was briefly in vogue in the UK. I doubt if any of the girls wearing them looked as good as the sub girl did though!
-
Given the success of the new Doctor Who, similar revivals might well be on the cards. However I'd probably bet on Blake's 7 being chosen, which at least has a BBC history (UFO and Space 1999 are ITC owned, Sapphire & Steel was an ITV show).
-
I must have been around the same age as DarkHawke when I first saw UFO. As I've grown older, I've come to appreciate the show even more, particularly the more "way out" episodes from the second recording block. Shows like "Mindbender" and particularly "Timelash", which must rank as one of the best episodes of any TV SF show ever. UFO must have seemed quite a novelty at the time, many of the special effects still stand up well today (making contemporary shows from 1969 like Star Trek and Doctor Who look incredibly cheap in comparison). Shame we never had an actual moonbase in 1980, particularly one staffed by gorgeous women in silver jumpsuits like Lt. Gay Ellis.
-
Slobber!
-
...also passed away recently.Another familiar face from t.v. and movies,he was best known as MacGyver's boss on that series.Didn't think Lane Smith was that old.Anybody know what he died from?
-
Does anyone out there know where I can find this show? I, too, remember watching this show growing up in the 60's and 70's. I liked the show, which technically was a prequel to the "Space 1999" television series.
It is sad to hear about Mr. Bishop. I knew him from the James Bond movies- I think one was "Diamonds are forever", but what other one was he in?
BTW, who was the other guy on 'UFO' that died this month?
It looks like there was someone else, too. -
UFO was and is great. eBay and Amazon have the complete Box sets. RIP to Ed and Mike, you were my Sci-Fi heroes.
-
Ed's other Bond movie was 'You Only Live Twice'. You did get a freezeframe full on shot of the sub girls tits in the first episode - sorry I know this! And while Whoops Apocalypse the movie was funny at parts the tv show was an absolute classic! President Johnny Cyclops in the Oval office looks out of the window to see a full size cross being raised to the air - complete with crucifixion victim, turns to his aide The Deacon - "Deacon, don't you think the Easter decorations are a little severe?' Deacon - 'It plays well in the Bible belt sir - besides it gives students something to do during their Easter break!' and 'A woman who was given a lock of Frank Sinatra's hair in 1963 has today sold it back to him for an undisclosed sum!' It is a fantastic show!!!
-
SIG.
I know that's from a different Anderson series. I like them all. -
I met Ed Twice,top chap very affable.He got Bob Sherman...whoops apocalipse...oppenheimer...the spy who loved me... his first acting gig on u.f.o coz he was fed up with bob crashing on the sofa!
UFO is the best show the Andersons ever produced...very dark.Sometimes I suspect that Straker was the guy that Mulder was searching for.Bless you Ed and Paul..thanks for the memories from 4 until...well who knows..is this the end or the beginning? -
where can I get that movie???
-
Am I the only who thinks the late and great Orson is due for a bio-pic?
I imagine Peter Bogdanovich should be involved as he is one of the last alive who have met Orson Welles.
And who do I see playing the boy genius himself? Well, if the stature and voice has to resemble Orson, then my first choice would be...wait for it :-) Mr. Kelsey Grammar.
Any other suggestions out there?
Any one know how to pass this on to Peter Bogdanovich?
Hey Peter, if your're reading this please get to work ASAP ;-)
Thomas, Denmark
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 439 total posts 165 posts
- WTF HOLLYWOOD: SOLARBABIES -- 144 total posts 142 posts
- Herc’s Seen Tonight’s Return Of THE WALKING DEAD!! Discuss Also DOWNTON ABBEY, FEAR FACTOR, PAN AM, ONCE, SIMPSONS, DYNAMITE, LUCK, SHAMELESS, BAIT CAR, THE GRAMMYS And More!! Sunday Is Sweeps Day 11!! -- 153 total posts 138 posts
- Avid Comic Reader Hercules Does Battle With Tedium During Kevin Smith’s COMIC BOOK MEN! -- 55 total posts 47 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 196 total posts 45 posts
- If the Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day drops her pen, pick it up, but don’t look at her legs or else it will be on your record. -- 60 total posts 36 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 127 total posts 36 posts
- I am The Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day! No, I’m the Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day! -- 35 total posts 35 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 513 total posts 29 posts
- The Sensorties Revisit The Friday Docback (And Still Smell)!! DOCTOR WHO Story #7 Again, The Coming Of Season/Series 7, And More!! -- 117 total posts 26 posts