Acting
Michael Robbins
Born in London, Robbins was a bank clerk who became an actor after appearing in amateur dramatic performances in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, where he and his family lived at the time. Robbins made his television debut as the cockney soldier in Roll-on Bloomin' Death. Primarily a comedy actor, he is best remembered for the role of Arthur Rudge, the persistently sarcastic husband of Olive (Anna Karen), in the popular sitcom On the Buses (1969–73). Robbins and Karen provided the secondary comic storyline to Reg Varney's comedy capers at the bus depot. Robbins also appeared in the series film spin-offs, On the Buses, Mutiny on the Buses, and Holiday on the Buses. His other comedy credits include non-recurring roles in Man About the House, Oh Brother!, The Good Life, One Foot in the Grave, The New Statesman, George and Mildred, Hi-de-Hi! and You Rang, M'Lord? He appeared as a rather humorously portrayed police sergeant in the TV adaptation of Brendon Chase. As well as these comic roles, he assumed various straight roles in some of the major British television shows of the 1960s and 1970s: including Minder, The Sweeney, Z-Cars, Return of the Saint, Murder Most English, The Avengers, Dixon of Dock Green, The Bill and the 1982 Doctor Who story The Visitation. Robbins's film credits included The Whisperers, Up The Junction, The Looking Glass War, Zeppelin and Blake Edwards' films The Pink Panther Strikes Again and Victor/Victoria'. He also had an extensive career as a radio actor, including a role in the soap opera Waggoner's Walk and the satirical 1970s show Life is What Yer Make It. Robbins was an indefatigable worker for charity. He was active in the Grand Order of Water Rats (being elected 'Rat of the Year' in 1978) and the Catholic Stage Guild, and received a Papal Award for his services in 1987. In one of his last television appearances, in A Little Bit of Heaven Robbins recalled his childhood visits to Norfolk and spoke of his faith and love of the Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham. Michael Robbins had a brother Jack who was a head teacher at Saint Gregory's Catholic middle school in Bedford in the 1970s and early 1980s. Michael made some guest appearances at this school throughout the years and sometimes entertained the pupils with various sketches with his brother Jack Robbins In the mid-1970s he also directed a film: How Are You?
Filmography
The Ties That Bind Us
Film · 2008
Adam Bede
Film · 1992
One Foot in the Grave: The Man In The Long Black Coat
Film · 1991
One Foot in the Grave
Series · 1990
You Rang, M'Lord?
Series · 1990
Just Ask for Diamond
Film · 1988
The New Statesman
Series · 1987
Lost In London
Film · 1985
Dempsey and Makepeace
Series · 1985
In Sickness and in Health
Series · 1985
The Bill
Series · 1984
Fresh Fields
Series · 1984
Fairly Secret Army
Series · 1984
Victor/Victoria
Film · 1982
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Film · 1982
Doctor Who: The Visitation
Film · 1982
The Bounder
Series · 1982
Legacy of Murder
Series · 1982
Brendon Chase
Series · 1982
The Great Muppet Caper
Film · 1981
The Chinese Detective
Series · 1981
Murder Rap
Film · 1980
The Saint and the Brave Goose
Film · 1979
Minder
Series · 1979
The Cannon & Ball Show
Series · 1979
Dick Turpin
Series · 1979
Return of the Saint
Series · 1978
Mixed Blessings
Series · 1978
Leave it to Charlie
Series · 1978
Murder Most English: A Flaxborough Chronicle
Series · 1977
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
Film · 1976
George and Mildred
Series · 1976
Operation Patch
Series · 1976
The Sweeney
Series · 1975
The Good Life
Series · 1975
Rumpole of the Bailey
Series · 1975
Man About the House
Film · 1974
Thick as Thieves
Series · 1974
Moody and Pegg
Series · 1974
Holiday on the Buses
Film · 1973
Soap Opera in Stockwell
Film · 1973
No Sex Please - We're British
Film · 1973
Black and Blue
Series · 1973
Centre Play
Series · 1973
Mutiny on the Buses
Film · 1972
That's Your Funeral
Film · 1972
Blinker's Spy-Spotter
Film · 1972
On the Buses
Film · 1971
Villain
Film · 1971
Zeppelin
Film · 1971
Justice
Series · 1971
The Hunting of Lionel Crane
Film · 1970
The Looking Glass War
Film · 1970
All the Way Up
Film · 1970
Till Death Us Do Part
Film · 1969
Crossplot
Film · 1969
On the Buses
Series · 1969
Department S
Series · 1969
Judge Dee
Series · 1969
The Main Chance
Series · 1969
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
Series · 1969
The Drummer and the Bloke
Film · 1968
Horizontal Hold
Film · 1968
Up the Junction
Film · 1968
The Whisperers
Film · 1967
Callan
Series · 1967
Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width
Series · 1967
You Can't Win
Series · 1966
Dead Man's Chest
Film · 1965
Gideon's Way
Series · 1965
The Man in Room 17
Series · 1965
Londoners
Series · 1965
The Wednesday Thriller
Series · 1965
Thirty-Minute Theatre
Series · 1965
The Bone Yard
Film · 1964
The Bargee
Film · 1964
Children of the Damned
Film · 1964
Rattle of a Simple Man
Film · 1964
Act of Murder
Film · 1964
Sherlock Holmes
Series · 1964
Story Parade
Series · 1964
Theatre 625
Series · 1964
Redcap
Series · 1964
The Wednesday Play
Series · 1964
The Wednesday Play
Series · 1964
The Wednesday Play
Series · 1964
The Wednesday Play
Series · 1964
The Wednesday Play
Series · 1964
The Count of Monte Cristo
Series · 1964
The Four Seasons of Rosie Carr
Series · 1964
What a Crazy World
Film · 1963
Doctor Who
Series · 1963
Crane
Series · 1963
You in Your Small Corner
Film · 1962
A Prize of Arms
Film · 1962
Lunch Hour
Film · 1962
Z-Cars
Series · 1962
The Saint
Series · 1962
The Saint
Series · 1962
Studio 4
Series · 1962
Danger! Men Working
Film · 1961
The Avengers
Series · 1961
The Avengers
Series · 1961
No Hiding Place
Series · 1959
Edgar Wallace Mysteries
Series · 1959
Armchair Theatre
Series · 1956
Dixon of Dock Green
Series · 1955