
Maurice Colbourne
Maurice Colbourne (24 September 1939 – 4 August 1989) was a British stage and television actor who specialised in playing villains and hard men until 1985, when he took the key role of Tom Howard in the BBC Television serial, Howards' Way. Colbourne was born Roger Middleton but took his stage name after reading about the death of actor Maurice Colbourne who shared the same birthday as he did. Colbourne's biggest success in the 1970s was as the lead in the crime drama series Gangsters. In the 80s he starred in Johnny Jarvis and the acclaimed adaptation of John Wyndham's classic sci-fi novel, The Day of the Triffids. Staying with sci-fi, he had a recurring guest role in Doctor Who as the mercenary Lytton, playing opposite the fifth and sixth doctors (Peter Davison and Colin Baker) in adventures featuring the timelords deadliest foes; the Daleks and the Cybermen. But it was the leading role in Howards' Way that he will perhaps best be remembered for. He played Tom Howard until 1989, when he died suddenly aged 49 from a heart attack. The show ended a year later.
Acting
- 1985Howards' WayTom Howard59 ep.
- 1983Johnny JarvisJake6 ep.
- 1981The Day of the TriffidsJack Coker6 ep.
- 1978Return of the SaintJed Blacket1 ep.
- 1978StrangersJohn Rutter2 ep.
- 1976GangstersJohn Kline12 ep.
- 1976KillersPatrick Mahon1 ep.
- 1972Van der ValkNick Scholtz1 ep.
- 1956Jesus of NazarethZacharias1 ep.
Guest appearances
- 1989Howards' WayTom Howard7 ep.
- 1984Doctor WhoCommander Lytton, Lytton4 ep.
- 1980ShoestringPriest1 ep.
- 1980StrangersJohn Rutter2 ep.
- 1978Return of the SaintJed Blacket1 ep.
- 1977Van der ValkNick Scholtz1 ep.
- 1976KillersPatrick Mahon1 ep.
- 1975Churchill's PeopleDr Gedge1 ep.
- 1975Play for TodayJohn Kline1 ep.
- 1956Jesus of NazarethZacharias1 ep.
Also known as: Roger Middleton