• Friday: The Two of Us, ITV

Life in the doq house!

win labradors Bill and Ben know all Doggone it! Twin labradors Bill and about the good life. In their two- Ben have got life with Patrick bedroomed flat Patrick Troughton and Troughton licked. Below: Troughton his wife Shelagh share one room, the finds the loo a convenient place for his "rogues' gallery" of stills from his dogs share the other. Doggy china many TV series. He appears in The Dornaments stand on the shelves, their own V Two of Us' on Friday, ITV. collection of footballs on the low bed. Troughton used to be a cat person, he says, but has gradually been converted to dogs. As the two labradors come in from their walk, impressively obedient, he takes them out on to the tiny veranda for their usual snack - a banana each and maybe a handful of grapes. 'Fussy? They'll eat anything,' he tells you. Bill and Ben's exercise routine takes in about 10 miles a day. It's 10 years since Troughton moved to this flat overlooking parkland near Hampton Court in London. For 12 years he's been painting the 'masterpieces' which cover the walls, Four 'Turners', a handful of 'Impressionists', two of the better-known 'Constables'... Patrick Troughton is a copier - if his motives were mercenary and he used canvas instead of hardboard, forger would be the nasty name for it - of great skill. Incredible skill, when you consider he has never had a painting lesson in his life and he only started, he claims, because someone gave him a box of oil paints as a birthday present. Oddly enough, he poses with an easel in The Two of Us (Friday, ITV). "The Two of Us,' he says, 'is the first time since 1938, when I began acting, that I have ever played myself.' The series is about a young couple thinking of marriage, and Troughton is the grandfather to whom the boy, Nicholas Lyndhurst, comes for advice. Troughton plays a slightly cranky old man, one who goes in for fads and bursts of enthusiasm. Not a dead ringer for Troughton himself, you'd have thought - though he's reached the stage of totting up his continued on page 46 TVTIMES 22-28 November 1986 Latest travels of an ex-Doctor Who

continued from page 43 Putting whose son renews his grandchildren on his himself in the relationship with his ex-wife. fingers - but still a blessed picture: This was followed by an relief after all those years Patrick episode of Inspector of character parts. Most Troughton has Morse, a new thriller famously, the recorder- mastered the series starring John Thaw, playing, tartan-trousered art of copying also scheduled to be second Doctor Who. famous shown on ITV early next The early years of his paintings. year. And somehow career were broken by Troughton managed to fit World War Two. in The Two of Us. He Troughton was on a drama enjoyed that, but does scholarship in America nurse a slight grudge for when the war started, but the four hours they spent he hitched a lift home on a greying his hair, for he's neutral Belgian ship. still naturally dark at 66. The ship was mined off He is 'gloriously free' Portland Bay, but he this autumn - except for a managed to get on board painting he has promised a lifeboat, and wound up to his daughter Jane, back in Britain and back The evil married and living in Utah, on the stage. Not for long, Quilp in USA His other daugher, though. He pined the Dickens"The Joanna, is an artist and Royal Navy, and had Old Curiosity illustrator. Two of his sons, attained the rank of Shop' is David and Michael, have Commander by the time Troughton's inherited his acting talent. he was demobbed in 1945. favourite role. Thrice-married Troughton Troughton then served He is pictured has two other sons and his time in the theatre, with Sheila two step-children besides. working with, among Shand-Gibbs as Golf occupies some of his others, Laurence Olivier Mrs Quilp and time; so does sailing. 'I and Vivien Leigh. (far right) in bis used to race dinghies. I've But when television most famous role, got a jolly-boat on the really got going, around Doctor Who. Thames now.' 1948, Troughton was one He has one more of the first actors to in the rogues' family audience, The commitment this autumn: become a regular. gallery of old stills Knights of Cod. It is set in the Doctor Who Directors were only too he keeps on the the year 2020, and England convention which has glad to cast an actor who walls - the lavatory walls! Sinbad and the Eye of the is suffering the aftermath become an annual already knew the ropes - 'They just kept on Tiger (1977) and The of a civil war. The country Thanksgiving Week event and he wasn't fussy about casting me,' says Omen (1976). After those, is governed by a military in Chicago. As many what he did. 'A cough and Troughton. Right up until things speeded up again. dictatorship - the Knights Doctors as are free usually a spit one week, Edmund the early Seventies when He seems to have been in of God - and Troughton attend, and battles in King Lear the next.' a three-day working week every big TV series from plays the leader of the between Troughton and Then the TV series was introduced to Coronation Street to The underground resistance. Jon Pertwee have become began: Robin Hood, conserve energy supplies Six Wives of Henry VIE After some work for the the norm. The audience Kidnapped, a string of during the power workers And in the past couple of 'other channel', it was on give them water pistols; Dickens' adaptations. His dispute, and Troughton years, he's been busier to another ITV series, a they come on with favourite role is still Quilp found himself out of work than ever. drama called Yesterday's umbrellas. Last time, they in The Old Curiosity Shop. for the first time. First in the filming order Dreams, due to be shown signed autographs for It's photographs of Quilp Then along came two was a forthcoming TTV early next year. Troughton seven hours. which figure most frequently welcome American films, adventure series for a plays a Peak District farmer Sarah Grisfwood

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