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Richard Whiteley
Biography
John Richard Whiteley OBE DL (28 December 1943 – 26 June 2005) was an English presenter, and journalist, best known for his twenty-three years as host of the game show Countdown. Countdown was the launch program for Channel 4 at 4:45 pm on 2 November 1982, and Whiteley was the first person to be seen on the channel (not counting a program montage). Despite his intelligence, Whiteley enjoyed projecting the image of an absent-minded eccentric. His trademarks were his jolly, avuncular manner, his fondness for puns, and his bold, sometimes garish wardrobe.
Thanks to over twenty years' worth of nightly installments of Countdown as well as his work on the Yorkshire magazine program Calendar and various other television projects, at the time of his death Whiteley was believed to have clocked more hours on British television screens—and more than 10,000 appearances—than anyone else alive, apart from Carole Hersee, the young girl who appeared on the BBC's Test Card F.
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Jack Bond
Biography
Jack Bond (born 1937) is a British film producer and director. He is best known for his work for The South Bank Show and his creative partnership with the British writer, actor and director Jane Arden (1927–1982) between 1965 and 1979.
In 1965, Bond made a documentary film with Salvador Dalí, Dali in New York. Dalí had been based in New York city, particularly the St Regis Hotel, with his wife Gala since the 1930s. The film revolves around an ongoing interview of Dali by Arden about his creative process. This all takes place against the backdrop of social life and work including putting together two exhibitions of his work and a book, as well as various performance art displays including a final scene where Dali paints alongside a flamenco duo (singer José Reyes and guitarist Manitas de Plata). Commenting on the subject of his film, Bond observed "Dalí always knew exactly what he wanted and he got it. The doormen had to pay Dalí’s taxi fare. He was ‘grand’ in the real meaning of the word. He fitted New York like a glove, it was made for him, and The St. Regis was, and still is, the best hotel in the whole city. He was even able to paint there – he kept a special room as his studio."
Working with Arden, Bond directed the award winning Separation (1967), produced The Other Side of the Underneath (1972) and co-directed Anti-Clock (1979). These three films were reissued by the British Film Institute on Blu-ray and DVD on 13 July 2009. Interviewed in 2013, Bond recalled how, as a result of the refusal of the UK film industry to screen Anti-Clock, he instead took the film to America. At a New York screening, one influential critic, although refusing to talk to Bond both before and after the screening, nonetheless gave the film a five star review. As a direct result of this review, the film was a hit in the USA and Bond received approaches for distribution for the film from UK distributors who had previously turned the film down, offers which were vehemently rejected by Bond.
In 1988, Bond directed the feature-length film It Couldn't Happen Here featuring Pet Shop Boys, as well as the music video for their single "Heart". Even before the film received a title, it was devised as a compilation of interrelated music videos that together would form one ongoing plot, in a manner comparable to The Line, the Cross and the Curve. However, once Bond was appointed as producer and co-writer as well as director, the project expanded into a full fledged feature film. Since Arden's death, Bond had primarily worked as a director of TV documentaries, primarily on The South Bank Show during which time he covered such topics as Roald Dahl and Catherine Cookson. In this context, It Couldn't Happen Here marked a return to drama film making for Bond.
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Man Kadir
Biography
Abdul Kadir bin Abdul Manaf, also known as Man Kadir Shamsi (1949-7 September 2017) is a Malaysian actor and comedian who is widely known to starred and collaborated with Mamat Khalid's film series. He first work with him in telemovie Rombongan Che Kiah Ke Sukan Komanwel(1998). Afterwards, he would continue playing roles where he gained his recognition in public as Pak Jabit, the stall owner and AJJK Kampung Pisang in the Pisang Village trilogy. He would also starred in other film roles and telemovies. His final film acting is in Manap Karaoke(2020).
He passed away on 7 September 2017 at Lanchang,Pahang. His death was announced by his children through his social media Facebook. He was believed to received medical treatment prior to his death in a health clinic at Lanchang. He was buried at Rantau Panjang Islamic Cemetery, Lanchang,Pahang, Malaysia.
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Peter Maas
Biography
Peter Maas (June 27, 1929 – August 23, 2001) was an American journalist and author. He was born in New York City and attended Duke University. Maas had Dutch and Irish heritage.
He was the biographer of Frank Serpico, a New York City Police officer who testified against police corruption. He is also the author of the number one New York Times bestseller, Underboss, about the life and times of Sammy "The Bull" Gravano.
His other notable bestsellers include The Valachi Papers, Manhunt, and In a Child's Name, recipient of the 1991 Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime book. The Valachi Papers, which told the story of Mafia turncoat Joseph Valachi, is widely considered to be a seminal work, as it spawned an entire genre of books written by or about former Mafiosi.
Peter Maas was married to Audrey Gellen Maas, with whom he adopted a son, John-Michael Maas. Audrey died in 1975. Maas died in New York City, aged 72, on August 23, 2001. He is survived by his third wife, Suzanne, and their son, Terrence. He made a brief cameo as himself in an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street.
Source: Article "Peter Maas" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
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Jim Martin
Biography
James Blanco Martin (born July 21, 1961, in Hayward, California, a suburb of Oakland), professionally known as Big Jim Martin, is an American guitarist best known for his membership in the rock band Faith No More from 1983 to late 1993. He also played guitar with the groups Agents of Misfortune, The Behemoth, The Chickenfuckers, EZ-Street, Fang, Infectious Grooves, Pigs of Death, Recluse, Spastik Children, Vicious Hatred, and Voodoocult.
He was known for his long hair, bushy beard, and trademark red-rimmed glasses that he wears alone or over another darker pair of glasses.
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Martin Olson
Biography
Martin Olson is an American comedy writer, television producer, author and composer. He is known for his unusual subject matter, and is an original member of the Boston Comedy Scene. He is the father of actress Olivia Olson.
Olson has received seven Emmy nominations, five for television writing and two for song writing. Olson also received an Ace Award for television writing.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Martin Olson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Professor Hal Sosabowski
Biography
Professor Hal holds a Chair in the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Brighton. He was the first scientists ever to be allowed to do explosive demonstrations in the House of Commons in in 2011. Unlike Guido Fawkes Hal's explosives *did* work. .
He has an international reputation for performing high-end exhibition science, most recently at the All Russia Science Festival in Moscow and the Abu Dhabi Festival of Science. He has also toured Europe extensively.
He has a wide spectrum of science-on-television appearances, including children’s television where he co-presented the lab on ITV’s Ministry of Mayhem and BBC’s Bright Sparks, on which he had his own science slot. He has also appeared on mainstream science programmes such as BBC4’s The Volatile History of Chemistry, BBC2’s Rocket Science, National Geographic’s The Mystery Files, BBC’s History Cold Case and BBC’s Science Britannia. He is the man Brian Cox asks for chemistry advice (no, really).He is the resident Science Boffin (how I hate that expression) for several local radio stations, Radio 4’s Broadcasting House and ITV’s Meridian News. He is/was Science Consultant for: Big Brother (Endemol TV), Only Fools on Horses (Endemol TV) Adventure Island (RDF Television) and Science Changed My Life (Outline Productions). He also consults for the Science Museum Live! Brainiac Live show, and has an international reputation for running live science. He is particularly keen on facilitating the facilitators: see his series: Demonstrating Chemistry - Spectacular Experiments.
http://www.schoolsworld.tv/search (search for ‘Hal’)
Most recently he was science consultant for CBBC’s BAFTA-winning programme Operation Ouch!.
He has a BSc and PhD in chemistry from the University of London and an MBA and MA (Marketing) from the University of Brighton. he is currently reading the Common Professional Examination in Law and a Diploma in Occupational Health. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, twice awarded the University of Brighton Teaching Excellence Award and thrice the University of Brighton Innovation Award. He was made the 2005 Higher Education Academy Teaching Fellow and awarded the 2008 Royal Society of Chemistry Award for Outstanding Contribution to Chemistry.
Teaches pharmaceutical chemistry, radio chemistry economics and accountancy.
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Matthew Stephen Smith
Biography
Matthew moved from Denver, Colorado to Los Angeles, California in 2011, where he was quickly introduced to the entertainment industry. With a background within the creative realm, (Landscape Architecture) there was an immediate interest regarding the creative potential that the entertainment business had to offer. His initial opportunities were presented in front of the camera as a model/actor. He quickly developed his reputation and proved his creative abilities. Matthew is now a well-known world wide male fashion model and has also proven himself as a reputable writer and producer within the creative realm. Having appeared on shows such as New Girl, Stitchers, Face off, and Americas Next Top Model, (to name a few) he not only has a unique influencing ability, but also provides a creative resume to back up his social worth and academic value.
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Sean Connery
Biography
Sir Thomas Sean Connery (August 25, 1930 – October 31, 2020) was a Scottish actor and producer. He won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards (one being a BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award), and three Golden Globes, including the Cecil B. DeMille Award and a Henrietta Award. Connery was the first actor to portray the character James Bond in film, starring in seven Bond films (every film from Dr. No to You Only Live Twice, plus Diamonds Are Forever and Never Say Never Again), between 1962 and 1983. In 1988, Connery won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Untouchables. His films also include Marnie (1964), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), The Man Who Would Be King (1975), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Highlander (1986), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Dragonheart (1996), The Rock (1996), and Finding Forrester (2000).
Connery was polled in a 2004 The Sunday Herald as "The Greatest Living Scot" and in a 2011 EuroMillions survey as "Scotland's Greatest Living National Treasure". He was voted by People magazine as both the “Sexiest Man Alive" in 1989 and the "Sexiest Man of the Century” in 1999. He received a lifetime achievement award in the United States with a Kennedy Center Honor in 1999. Connery was knighted in the 2000 New Year Honours for services to film drama.
On October 31, 2020, Connery died at the age of 90.
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Alice Hornung
Biography
Alice Hornung grew up in a politically engaged family that actively opposed National Socialism. In 1935, she was forced to flee the Saar region with her parents, Irene and Leander Bernard, and her brother Horst, escaping Nazi persecution to southern France. Her childhood in exile was marked by uncertainty, but also by solidarity and her family’s involvement in antifascist resistance.
After the Second World War, Alice returned with her family to Saarbrücken, where she continued her parents’ political commitment. Throughout her life, she was actively involved in antifascist and trade-union initiatives, worked with the VVN-BdA, and campaigned for peace, social justice, workers’ rights, and gender equality.
In the decades that followed, Alice frequently spoke as a contemporary witness at commemorative events and contributed to remembrance work addressing the crimes of the Nazi regime.
A particularly meaningful experience in her life was an encounter with the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso in Nice, which deeply impressed her—not only because of his art, but also because of his strong commitment to peace and pacifism.
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