Cast & creator
Michael Robbins
Best known for Doctor Who, The Avengers, The Avengers
Born in London, Robbins was a bank clerk who became an actor after appearing in amateur dramatic performances in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, where he and his family lived at the time. Robbins made his television debut as the cockney soldier in Roll-on Bloomin' Death. Primarily a comedy actor, he is best remembered for the role of Arthur Rudge, the persistently sarcastic husband of Olive (Anna Karen), in the popular sitcom On the Buses (1969–73). Robbins and Karen provided the secondary comic storyline to Reg Varney's comedy capers at the bus depot. Robbins also appeared in the series film spin-offs, On the Buses, Mutiny on the Buses, and Holiday on the Buses. His other comedy credits include non-recurring roles in Man About the House, Oh Brother!, The Good Life, One Foot in the Grave, The New Statesman, George and Mildred, Hi-de-Hi! and You Rang, M'Lord? He appeared as a rather humorously portrayed police sergeant in the TV adaptation of Brendon Chase. As well as these comic roles, he assumed various straight roles in some of the major British television shows of the 1960s and 1970s: including Minder, The Sweeney, Z-Cars, Return of the Saint, Murder Most English, The Avengers, Dixon of Dock Green, The Bill and the 1982 Doctor Who story The Visitation. Robbins's film credits included The Whisperers, Up The Junction, The Looking Glass War, Zeppelin and Blake Edwards' films The Pink Panther Strikes Again and Victor/Victoria'. He also had an extensive career as a radio actor, including a role in the soap opera Waggoner's Walk and the satirical 1970s show Life is What Yer Make It. Robbins was an indefatigable worker for charity. He was active in the Grand Order of Water Rats (being elected 'Rat of the Year' in 1978) and the Catholic Stage Guild, and received a Papal Award for his services in 1987. In one of his last television appearances, in A Little Bit of Heaven Robbins recalled his childhood visits to Norfolk and spoke of his faith and love of the Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham. Michael Robbins had a brother Jack who was a head teacher at Saint Gregory's Catholic middle school in Bedford in the 1970s and early 1980s. Michael made some guest appearances at this school throughout the years and sometimes entertained the pupils with various sketches with his brother Jack Robbins In the mid-1970s he also directed a film: How Are You?
42
film credits
65
television credits
107
1955–2008 · acting roles
6.9
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (107)
Showing 107 of 107 credits
Doctor Who
Richard Mace
1963
The Avengers
Henry Farrow
1961The Avengers
Cavell
1961
The Wednesday Play
Sergeant Strickland
1964The Wednesday Play
Albert Barking
1964The Wednesday Play
Jack
1964The Wednesday Play
Henry Whittaker
1964The Wednesday Play
Sergeant Billings
1964
The Bill
1984
Minder
McQueen
1979
The Saint
Harry
1962The Saint
Smith
1962
Z-Cars
1962
Theatre 625
Tom
1964
Thirty-Minute Theatre
Harris
1965
No Hiding Place
1959
Rumpole of the Bailey
Cyril Timson
1975
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
Michael Vint
1969
The Sweeney
Kevin Lee
1975
Dixon of Dock Green
Charlie Mills
1955
Justice
Eddie
1971
Centre Play
Swaffer
1973Story Parade
Edward Cowley
1964
Dempsey and Makepeace
Simmons
1985
Gideon's Way
Smith
1965
The Main Chance
Gerry Baxter
1969
Callan
1967
Dick Turpin
Sgt. Bullock
1979
In Sickness and in Health
Rail Worker
1985
Department S
Burton
1969
The New Statesman
Mad Eddie
1987
Return of the Saint
Beeky
1978
Edgar Wallace Mysteries
Sergeant Harris
1959
On the Buses
Arthur Rudge
1969
You Rang, M'Lord?
Twelvetrees Senior
1990
One Foot in the Grave
1990
The Man in Room 17
C.P.O. Bradshaw
1965Studio 4
Humphrey Place
1962
The Good Life
Mr. Bulstrode
1975
Redcap
Private Pendlebury
1964
Fresh Fields
Mr. Pringle
1984
Sherlock Holmes
1964
The Cannon & Ball Show
Police Seargent
1979
George and Mildred
1976
Murder Most English: A Flaxborough Chronicle
Pumphrey
1977Crane
Jennings
1963Leave it to Charlie
Mr. Sowerbutts
1978
The Chinese Detective
1981
Londoners
Shaw
1965
The Count of Monte Cristo
Caderousse
1964Black and Blue
Bert
1973
Armchair Theatre
Dave
1956
Mixed Blessings
Fred Fachetti
1978
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
Jarvis
1976
Victor/Victoria
Manager of Victoria's Hotel
1982
Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width
1967The Four Seasons of Rosie Carr
Dave
1964
The Bounder
Bert
1982
You Can't Win
1966
The Great Muppet Caper
Henderson
1981Fairly Secret Army
Sergeant Major Throttle
1984
Judge Dee
1969
Moody and Pegg
Len
1974The Wednesday Thriller
Clerk of the Court
1965
Children of the Damned
(uncredited)
1964
No Sex Please - We're British
Car Driver
1973Operation Patch
George Cosserat
1976
The Bargee
Bargee
1964
Crossplot
Garage Attendant
1969Legacy of Murder
Marley
1982
The Looking Glass War
Truck Driver
1970
The Ties That Bind Us
Richard Mace (archive footage)
2008
Brendon Chase
Sergeant Bunting
1982
Thick as Thieves
1974
Just Ask for Diamond
The Fat Man
1988
Mutiny on the Buses
Arthur Rudge
1972
All the Way Up
Taxi Driver
1970
Villain
Barzun
1971
Doctor Who: The Visitation
Richard Mace
1982
A Prize of Arms
Orford
1962
Man About the House
Doorman
1974
That's Your Funeral
2nd Funeral Director
1972
Holiday on the Buses
Arthur Rudge
1973
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Nym
1982
One Foot in the Grave: The Man In The Long Black Coat
Mr Killick
1991
On the Buses
Arthur Rudge
1971
Till Death Us Do Part
Fred
1969
The Saint and the Brave Goose
Beeky
1979
Dead Man's Chest
Sergeant Harris
1965
Zeppelin
Cockney Sergeant
1971
The Hunting of Lionel Crane
Sergeant Billings
1970
Up the Junction
Figgins
1968
Rattle of a Simple Man
George (organiser)
1964
The Drummer and the Bloke
Jack
1968
Lunch Hour
Harris
1962
What a Crazy World
Percy
1963
Adam Bede
Thias Bede
1992
Blinker's Spy-Spotter
Policeman
1972
Soap Opera in Stockwell
Bert
1973
Danger! Men Working
Second Labourer
1961
The Whisperers
Mr Noonan
1967
You in Your Small Corner
Georgie
1962
Lost In London
Bill
1985
Act of Murder
Van Driver
1964
Murder Rap
Det. Sgt. Praed
1980
The Bone Yard
Sergeant Strickland
1964Horizontal Hold
TV Repairman
1968