by Ken Windsor

Created on: January 31, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

Jon was appearing in cabaret at the Webbington Hotel and Country Club, near Weston-Super-Mare. This was at a time when he was a 'cult' figure for his appearance in the title role of 'Dr Who' - and of course we started talking about this role.

"I believe that 'Dr Who' as a programme started to become more adult when I took it over," he said, as he settled into a rather large armchair in his room. "Since then we have played it absolutely straight and brought it down from space to a more earthly environment. The threats are happening to people on earth and the public can now identify with the series."

"Technically it is virtually impossible to film. We have an enormous special effects department, and I think our special effects are some of the best in the world. Star Trek is an excellent series, but one has seen on countless occasions their special effects falling down. Once I saw strings operating one of their fluffy monsters. Their budget is 20 times the size of ours of course, so we do achieve some remarkable things in our show."

Another milestone in his career was his contribution to the long-running BBC radio comedy series 'The Navy Lark.' This is a subject which he loves to talk about.

"In the Navy Lark I play many characters and do many different voices. This came about after Ronnie Barker left because he always used to do the eccentric voices, and I just played the 'Chief.' Now that Ronnie has left the show the field is wide open, and I can put in all sorts of new characters."

"The Navy Lark team is just a big family. We can literally just turn up, have a quick look at the script, and go straight into recording the whole programme. Leslie Phillips and I work very closely together and often we will deliberately blow a whole scene just so that we can do it again. We stick things in our ears, mess about, and behave quite outrageously making the audience giggle and start them laughing at us to build up the atmosphere."

"Some of the audience for the programme are very patriotic, and have been coming for years and years. They will go up to complete strangers and say things like 'excuse me - this is my seat, I have been sitting here for 12 years - now push off.'"

We talked at length about comedy through the ages, and about the comedians that he admired the most.

"I think that Jack Benny is a brilliant comedian because he does not actually do anything, except stand still and deliver. This is a sign of brilliance, to be motionless yet still be desperately funny."

"Dave

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