Interview with Actor, Michael Knowles

Captain Ashwood in It Ain't Half Hot Mum and The Honourable Teddy Meldrum in You Rang M'Lord? - these are two of the characters portrayed by the seventy-something actor for which he will always be remembered. After early stints on Dad's Army and Are You Being Served?, David Croft entrusted Michael Knowles to step into the breach and take on key roles in two of his greatest sitcoms.

Michael Knowles: Working with David Croft

David Croft, born in Dorset in September 1922, has enjoyed unprecedented success as a comedy writer and producer, with three extremely prolific partnerships bearing fruit over a 30-year period. The first was with Jimmy Perry, co-creator of Dad's Army, It Ain't Half Hot Mum, Hi-De-Hi! and You Rang M'Lord?.

The second was with Jeremy Lloyd, who co-wrote Are You Being Served?, 'Allo! 'Allo!, Come Back Mrs. Noah and the Are You Being Served? spin-off, Grace & Favour, while the fourth, with ex-railwayman, Richard Spendlove, produced the mid-'90s effort, Oh Doctor Beeching!. An early partnership with the late Cyril Ornadel was productive, but focused more on musical theatre.

Many of David Croft's sitcoms also featured the same actors. Talented thespians such as Su Pollard, Paul Shane and Jeffrey Holland contributed to three or more, but Michael Knowles has the proud distinction of appearing in no less than five, making him one of David Croft's most-trusted talents.

Suite 101: What was special about David Croft as a writer? How did he manage to churn out hit after hit and why do you think the BBC no longer seems interested in that more innocent, family-friendly style of comedy?

"When you say, 'What was special about David?' for me you have to say, 'What was special about David and Jimmy?' It is as a team they had these great successes that I was mainly involved with. Comedy keeps changing, as it always will, and not always for the better.

"The producers now, often straight down from Oxbridge, have so very little knowledge of, or interest in, the past, so you are not going to get the wonderful shows that we had. Also, I think the cost now of producing a show like It Ain't Half Hot Mum would be prohibitive."

Comedy in 2011 is certainly a very different animal from the one Michael Knowles rode so majestically all those years ago. An apparent desire to shock, or to create bizarre, over-the-top scenarios, has replaced the simpler, gentler - yet still funny - style of writing. What does Michael make of comedy today and are there any sitcoms or sketch shows he enjoys?

"I've always been a fan of the best American comedies - going back to Bilko, I Love Lucy etc. Of the current British sitcoms, the only one I find really funny is Not Going Out."

Suite 101: What have you been working on of late?

"Not a great deal. As you get older, the work inevitably thins out. Also one tends to get a little more choosy."

Suite 101: Do you still see David, Jimmy and any of your ex-co-stars?

"Yes, I see David and Jimmy quite often. The last time, rather sadly, was the funeral of my friend and acting partner, Donald Hewlett. Melvyn.Stuart, John Clegg and, of course, Su Pollard and Jeffery Holland I see from time to time."