Sometimes my knowledge of a popular science fiction sitcom can reach mildly irritating proportions. When this happens, I do feel the urge to share it with you, and spread the irritation around equally,
Take the following episode of Press Gang Series 4, “Love and War”, broadcast on the 28th January 1992. We are particularly interested in the voice of Colin’s ludicrous electronic briefcase.
Now, the actor for the briefcase isn’t listed in the end credits. Which is peculiar – sure, it’s only a voice, and an electronically altered one at that, but it’s very clearly a comedy performance. But not to worry. Because I recognised that voice.
Here’s a clip from Red Dwarf, “Emohawk: Polymorph II”, broadcast nearly two years later, on the 28th October 1993. The gang are being tracked by a Space Corps External Enforcement Vehicle, whose voice should sound rather familiar:
Luckily, the voice is actually credited in Red Dwarf. It’s Hugh Quarshie, probably best known as Ric Griffin for nearly two decades of Holby City, as well as appearing in The Phantom Menace, and a million and one other things.
And one of those million and one other things? Erm, Press Gang. Specifically, the two parter “The Last Word” in Series 3, broadcast on the 28th May/4th June 1991. With that, the final piece of the puzzle clicks into place: Series 3 and 4 of Press Gang were produced and shot simultaneously.
So who did Quarshie play in “The Last Word”? Answer: Inspector Hibbert, an important character with a crucial moral choice at the end of the show. I won’t spoil that moral choice if you haven’t seen it, but here he is from earlier in the story:
Those two episodes are some of the most serious material the show ever did. Who knew that Quarshie’s turn as an Inspector in a two-parter mediating on gun crime, suicide, and the nature of guilt would be followed up with… a silly talking briefcase? Come to think of it, that seems to be Press Gang in a nutshell.
Still, it really is a shame he wasn’t credited in “Love and War”, but at least Hugh Quarshie got a proper credit in “The Last Word”.
Huge Quarshie?
Oh well.
With thanks to Christopher Wickham. A version of this post was first published in the November issue of my monthly newsletter.
4 comments
bruce dessau on 26 November 2023 @ 5pm
I have very few claims to IMDB fame but one of them is that I played a Gelf in Emohawk: Polymorph II alongside Ainsley Harriott, my only acting credit.
Jack Jones on 26 November 2023 @ 6pm
I would also love to know the background of that wa-wa-wow siren effect the briefcase uses. I remember it being used a lot in BBC 90s scifi (maybe a dozen times in Bugs)…
John J. Hoare on 26 November 2023 @ 6pm
That is an excellent fact!
I really like Emohawk. It sometimes gets slated because it’s three sequels in one. I like it *because* it’s three sequels in one. The continuity overload is half the joke.
Robert Wringham on 7 December 2023 @ 3pm
Very nice work.
At the end of ST:TNG’s “the big goodbye,” Picard passes the alien language test and the unseen alien (a v/o) says “you have honoured us…” etc. That alien voice is uncredited but I think it’s the voice of Paddi Edwards who played the bodyguard in Season 2’s “the dauphin.” Looking her up, she is indeed a voice actor. I reckon it’s her. I have no idea how to verify this information or what to do with the truth should I find it.
Comments on this post are now closed.