Tuesday, 19 October 2021

The voice

Britain's in shock after the murder of sitting MP David Amess. America's in mourning for former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

We at Dolores Delargo Towers are very sad at another departure for Fabulon. For, lost among the banner headlines, came the sad news today that yet another piece of my childhood has died - Miss Denise Bryer. Who? I hear you ask...

Miss Bryer was not only married for 35 years to the late TV stalwart and "national treasure" Nicholas Parsons (they divorced in 1989 but remained friends), but she carved herself a niche behind the scenes as a voice actor for numerous (mainly children's) telly programmes and films. She was Twizzle, Noddy, "The Junk Lady" in Labyrinth and "Billina" in Return to Oz - but it's for two significant roles in shows that are dear to our nostalgic hearts that we raise a toast to her memory...

She was "Kiki the Frog" in Hector's House:

...and "Zelda" in Terrahawks!

RIP, Denise Bryer (5th January 1928 – 16th October 2021)

6 comments:

  1. OMG Miss Kiki is dead !
    Loved that show and Zelda.
    Denise Bryer certainly did some loved and memorable stuff even if I had never heard of her till today.
    Thank you for putting that right

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    1. Voice actors rarely get the recognition they deserve. I was amazed to discover that the same person who played "Twizzle" in the 1950s (although neither of us were around to watch it, it remains a legendary series, being Gerry Anderson's debut) also voiced our fave camp villainous puppet in the '80s! Jx

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  2. Oh wow - I haven't seen Hector's House in years! Hector was a bit of a grump wasn't he? Whilst Kiki and Zsa Zsa were sweet.
    Sx

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    1. I loved it - and The Herbs, and Camberwick Green et al - when I was a little kid! It (like Magic Roundabout) was originally a French show, which might explain a lot. There was a rumour that Zsa Zsa was voiced by Joanna Lumley, but she's denied that. Jx

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  3. Zelda was up there with the Daleks as one of the scariest things on telly when I was much much younger. Denise Bryer did an excellent job as Zelda's voice.

    * shudders *

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    1. She bears more than a passing resemblance to Maggi Hambling - now there's a scary woman! Jx

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