
Michael Robbins
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 o…
Acting
- 1990You Rang, M'Lord?Twelvetrees Senior1 ep.
- 1990One Foot in the Grave1 ep.
- 1987The New StatesmanMad Eddie1 ep.
- 1985In Sickness and in HealthRail Worker1 ep.
- 1985Dempsey and MakepeaceSimmons1 ep.
- 1984Fairly Secret ArmySergeant Major Throttle12 ep.
- 1984Fresh FieldsMr. Pringle1 ep.
- 1982The BounderBert2 ep.
- 1982Legacy of MurderMarley1 ep.
- 1982Brendon ChaseSergeant Bunting13 ep.
- 1981The Chinese Detective1 ep.
- 1979The Cannon & Ball ShowPolice Seargent1 ep.
- 1979Dick TurpinSgt. Bullock1 ep.
- 1978Leave it to CharlieMr. Sowerbutts1 ep.
- 1978Mixed BlessingsFred Fachetti1 ep.
- 1977Murder Most English: A Flaxborough ChroniclePumphrey2 ep.
- 1976George and Mildred1 ep.
- 1976Operation PatchGeorge Cosserat7 ep.
- 1975The Good LifeMr. Bulstrode1 ep.
- 1974Moody and PeggLen1 ep.
- 1974Thick as Thieves8 ep.
- 1973Black and BlueBert1 ep.
- 1973Centre PlaySwaffer1 ep.
- 1971JusticeEddie1 ep.
- 1969Department SBurton1 ep.
- 1969On the BusesArthur Rudge61 ep.
- 1969ITV Saturday Night TheatreMichael Vint1 ep.
- 1967Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width1 ep.
- 1967Callan1 ep.
- 1966You Can't Win1 ep.
- 1965The Wednesday ThrillerClerk of the Court1 ep.
- 1965The Man in Room 17C.P.O. Bradshaw1 ep.
- 1965LondonersShaw1 ep.
- 1965Gideon's WaySmith1 ep.
- 1964RedcapPrivate Pendlebury1 ep.
- 1964The Count of Monte CristoCaderousse2 ep.
- 1964The Wednesday PlaySergeant Billings5 ep.
- 1964The Four Seasons of Rosie CarrDave2 ep.
- 1964Sherlock Holmes1 ep.
- 1964Story ParadeEdward Cowley1 ep.
- 1963CraneJennings1 ep.
- 1962The SaintHarry3 ep.
- 1962Studio 4Humphrey Place1 ep.
- 1962Z-Cars1 ep.
- 1961The AvengersHenry Farrow4 ep.
- 1959No Hiding Place2 ep.
- 1959Edgar Wallace MysteriesSergeant Harris1 ep.
Guest appearances
- 1992In Sickness and in HealthRail Worker1 ep.
- 1989The Bill2 ep.
- 1991The New StatesmanMad Eddie1 ep.
- 1990You Rang, M'Lord?Twelvetrees Senior1 ep.
- 1990One Foot in the Grave1 ep.
- 1987Rumpole of the BaileyCyril Timson1 ep.
- 1986Dempsey and MakepeaceSimmons1 ep.
- 1985Fresh FieldsMr. Pringle1 ep.
- 1984Fairly Secret ArmySergeant Major Throttle5 ep.
- 1983The BounderBert2 ep.
- 1982The Chinese Detective1 ep.
- 1982Doctor WhoRichard Mace4 ep.
- 1982Legacy of MurderMarley1 ep.
- 1980MinderMcQueen1 ep.
- 1980Dick TurpinSgt. Bullock1 ep.
- 1979George and Mildred1 ep.
- 1979The Cannon & Ball ShowPolice Seargent1 ep.
- 1979Leave it to CharlieMr. Sowerbutts1 ep.
- 1979Return of the SaintBeeky1 ep.
- 1978Mixed BlessingsFred Fachetti1 ep.
- 1977Murder Most English: A Flaxborough ChroniclePumphrey2 ep.
- 1976The Good LifeMr. Bulstrode1 ep.
- 1975Centre PlaySwaffer1 ep.
- 1975The SweeneyKevin Lee1 ep.
- 1975Moody and PeggLen1 ep.
- 1975The Main ChanceGerry Baxter1 ep.
- 1973Black and BlueBert1 ep.
- 1971JusticeEddie1 ep.
- 1970Z-Cars1 ep.
- 1966The Wednesday PlayAlbert Barking, Henry Whittaker, Jack, Sergeant Billings5 ep.
- 1969Department SBurton1 ep.
- 1969Thirty-Minute TheatreHarris1 ep.
- 1969ITV Saturday Night TheatreMichael Vint1 ep.
- 1961The AvengersCavell, Henry Farrow4 ep.
- 1968Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width1 ep.
- 1964The SaintHarry, Smith3 ep.
- 1967Theatre 625Tom1 ep.
- 1967Callan1 ep.
- 1966You Can't Win1 ep.
- 1966Armchair TheatreDave1 ep.
- 1966The Man in Room 17C.P.O. Bradshaw1 ep.
- 1965Edgar Wallace MysteriesSergeant Harris1 ep.
- 1965The Wednesday ThrillerClerk of the Court1 ep.
- 1964No Hiding Place2 ep.
- 1965LondonersShaw1 ep.
- 1965Gideon's WaySmith1 ep.
- 1965Sherlock Holmes1 ep.
- 1964Dixon of Dock GreenCharlie Mills1 ep.
- 1964RedcapPrivate Pendlebury1 ep.
- 1964The Count of Monte CristoCaderousse2 ep.
- 1964The Four Seasons of Rosie CarrDave2 ep.
- 1964Story ParadeEdward Cowley1 ep.
- 1963CraneJennings1 ep.
- 1962Studio 4Humphrey Place1 ep.