 Tempting though it is to appropriate Arthur Haynes' provocative pronunciation
of Nicholas Parsons' first name as 'Nickle-Arse', and condemn him to a
semi-permanent subsidiary straight-man role, the fact is that Parsons' lengthy
career is too easily taken for granted and one many entertainers would envy.
Born Christopher Nicholas Parsons in Grantham in 1923, he reluctantly studied
engineering before starting on a career that would encompass stage, screen,
radio and cabaret. Initially cast as a 'wet juvenile', he appeared in over 20
films, mainly in the 1950s and 1960s before work in radio and on television came
to dominate his career.
His first series were The Eric Barker Half-Hour (BBC, 1951-53); Look at It This Way
(BBC, 1955) and Associated-Rediffusion's Here and Now (ITV, 1955-56). Then the
straight man took over, firstly with Haynes (The Arthur Haynes Show, ITV,
1957-66), and later with Benny Hill (The Benny Hill Show, ITV, 1969-89). He
found time to voice Tex Tucker in Gerry Anderson's Four Feather Falls puppet
series (ITV, 1960).
Many will recall the drum roll and announcement "From Norwich - its the quiz
of the week" that introduced Sale of the Century (ITV, 1971-83), exemplifying
his other main work, on radio and television, as a quiz-master/panel game host,
a role which he has reprised often, including two television versions (ITV,
1994-95; BBC, 1999) of his venerable radio show Just a Minute, which he has
hosted since its 1967 inception.
Parsons' image, as a natty dresser for whom the cravat has never been out of
style, has often been reflected in his characters: when he wasn't mixing smarm
with charm, he seemed born to play country vicars - as he did in Doctor Who
(BBC, 1963-89), Cluedo (ITV, 1990-93) and Agatha Christie Marple (ITV, 2004-) - and
he has used these traits in TV commercials. Yet he has also become associated
with performers of a more recent vintage, working with the Comic Strip crew
('Mr. Jolly Lives Next Door', Channel 4, tx. 5/3/1988) and
at the Edinburgh fringe, reinventing himself for a new audience.
He has directed and produced films. More recently he has been seen on
television tribute shows recalling those he has worked with, as immaculate as
ever.
David Sharp
Bibliography:
Parsons, Nicholas, The Straight Man: My Life in Comedy (Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1994)
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