# Colin Bennett (actor)

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**Colin Jack Bennett** (25 February 1944 – 23 February 2024) was an English actor. His television roles have included "Mr Bennett", the accident prone caretaker for [Tony Hart](/source/Tony_Hart) in the [BBC](/source/BBC) children's programmes *[Take Hart](/source/Take_Hart)* (1977–1983) and *[Hartbeat](/source/Hartbeat)* (1984–1989). He also portrayed the father in the 1985 [Yellow Pages](/source/Yellow_Pages)/[Hornby](/source/Hornby_Railways) advert *Signal Box* – although only in a later edit in which he thanked the son for his present.

Among other television duties, he presented *[Night Shift](/source/Night_Shift_(British_TV_series))* and *[You Should Be So Lucky](/source/You_Should_Be_So_Lucky_(TV_series))*, as well as appearing in *[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy](/source/The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_(TV_series))* as [Zarquon](/source/Minor_characters_from_The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy#Zarquon). He played an Ensemble in the [BBC](/source/BBC) television film *[She Loves Me](/source/She_Loves_Me_(1979_TV_play))* and he also made a guest appearance in *[Last of the Summer Wine](/source/Last_of_the_Summer_Wine)* in 1999. [1] He wrote a couple of TV series including *[Captain Zep – Space Detective](/source/Captain_Zep_%E2%80%93_Space_Detective)* and *[Luna](/source/Luna_(TV_series))* before moving into the production field. He has a background in acting in and directing plays notably in 1978 appearing in, and directing, a [musical version of The Point!](/source/The_Point!#Musical_play) alongside [Davy Jones](/source/Davy_Jones_(musician)) and [Mickey Dolenz](/source/Micky_Dolenz).[2] Bennett later worked with Dolenz on *Luna*.[3]

In 1987, Bennett's play, *Hancock's Finest Hour* about [Tony Hancock](/source/Tony_Hancock) (with [Jim McManus](/source/Jim_McManus_(actor)) in the starring role) was staged at the Boulevard Theatre in London.[4][5][6] The play was revived in 2008 with [Paul Henry](/source/Paul_Henry_(actor)) in the title role.[7]

## Biography

Bennett graduated RADA in 1973[8] where he was named most promising actor of the year.[9] Bennett ran a production company, An Acquired Taste TV Corp, and broadcast for television for about 17 years. He retired from acting in 2002, reportedly suffering from ill health,[10] but later resumed acting.

In March 2024, Bennett's son [Tom Bennett](/source/Tom_Bennett_(actor)) announced on [X](/source/Twitter) that his father had died two weeks previously, on 23 February.[11][12]

## References

1. ["She Loves Me"](https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/8c41d31306c74992aa2ac10e527426c4). [BBC Genome Project](/source/BBC_Genome_Project). 13 April 1979. Retrieved 22 March 2026.

1. Hepple, Peter (5 January 1978). ["Mermaid – The Point"](https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001180/19780105/074/0009). *[The Stage](/source/The_Stage)*. No. 5047. p. 9. Retrieved 28 April 2020. – via British Newspaper Archive.

1. West, Roy (22 January 1983). ["Luna is set to take off"](https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000271/19830122/037/0002). *[Liverpool Echo](/source/Liverpool_Echo)*. No. 31966. p. 2. Retrieved 28 April 2020. – via [British Newspaper Archive](/source/British_Newspaper_Archive)

1. ["Lad's Finest Role"](https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002491/19870108/169/0026). *Hayes & Harlington Gazette*. 8 January 1987. p. 26. Retrieved 28 April 2020. – via British Newspaper Archive.

1. Werson, Gerard (5 February 1987). ["Boulevard – Hancock's Finest Hour"](https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001180/19870205/071/0012). *The Stage*. No. 5521. p. 12. Retrieved 28 April 2020. – via British Newspaper Archive.

1. ["Colin Leads a Prolific Double Life"](https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002487/19870227/036/0017). *Sandwell Evening Mail*. 27 February 1987. p. 17. Retrieved 28 April 2020. – via British Newspaper Archive.

1. Griffin, Jon (7 March 2008). ["Paul Henry to play Tony Hancock for Birmingham's Maverick Theatre"](http://www.birminghammail.net/news/local-news/paul-henry-to-play-tony-hancock-59735). *birminghammail*. Retrieved 28 April 2020.

1. ["Colin Bennett – RADA"](https://www.rada.ac.uk/profiles/colin-bennett/). *www.rada.ac.uk*. Retrieved 28 April 2020.

1. Zola, Bela (11 April 1973). ["Jumping for Joy"](https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19730411/033/0005). *[Daily Mirror](/source/Daily_Mirror)*. No. 21535. p. 5. Retrieved 28 April 2020. – via [British Newspaper Archive](/source/British_Newspaper_Archive)

1. Wallis, Sarah & Smith, Rory (28 May 2007). "100 children's TV stars ... where are they now?". *The Daily Mirror*. p. 24.

1. Bennett, Tom (2024-03-08). ["My Dad (Mr Bennett) sadly passed away 2 weeks ago today. He had two sons Tom and Adam. Was married to Lesley beloved wife"](https://x.com/newmanstings/status/1766173822145700330?s=46&t=aHJjh3pxEZwU8Exxle0AgQ). *X*. Retrieved 2024-03-08.

1. ["BBC star Colin Bennett dies as EastEnders star son Tom Bennett shares emotional tribute"](https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/bbc-star-colin-bennett-dies-32310173). The Mirror. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024.

## External links

- [Colin Bennett](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0071681/) at IMDb
- [*Colin Bennett*](https://web.archive.org/web/20201031054714/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba2e6642e) at the [British Film Institute](/source/British_Film_Institute)[better source needed]

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Colin Bennett (actor)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Bennett_(actor)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Bennett_(actor)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.