WILLIAM GEORGE RUSHTON. Born in Chelsea, London, U.K. 18 August 1937. Attended Shrewsbury School, Shropshire. Married Arlene Dorgan in 1968; children: Tobias, Matthew, and Sam. After National Service, worked as solicitor's articled clerk before starting new career as freelance cartoonist and satirist; co-founder and editor, Private Eye, 1961; stage debut, 1961; made television debut as one of That Was the Week That Was team, 1962; subsequently developed reputation as popular comic performer on radio, film and television, appearing on numerous panel shows. Address: Wallgrave Road, London SW5 0RL, U.K.

TELEVISION SERIES

1962 That Was the Week That Was
1964 Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life
1980 Rushton's Illustrated
1969-72 Up Pompeii!
1975-78 Up Sunday
1979-80 Celebrity Squares

FILMS

It's All Over Town, 1963; Nothing But the Best, 1964; Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines, 1965; The Mini-Affair, 1968; The Bliss of Mrs Blossom, 1968; The Best House in London, 1969; Monte Carlo or Bust/Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies, 1969; Flight of the Doves, 1971; The Adventures of Barry McKenzie, 1972; Keep It Up Downstairs, 1975; The Chiffy Kids, 1976; Adventures of a Private Eye, 1977; Adventures of a Plumber's Mate, 1978; The Blues Band, 1981; The Magic Shop, 1982; Consuming Passions, 1987.

RADIO

I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, 1976-; Trivia Test Match.

STAGE

The Bed-Sitting Room, 1961; Gulliver's Travels, 1971, 1979; Pass the Butler, 1982; Tales from a Long Room, 1988.

PUBLICATIONS (selected)

William Rushton's Dirty Book, 1964.
How to Play Football: The Art of Dirty Play, 1968.
The Day of the Grocer, 1971.
The Geranium of Flüt, 1975.
Superpig, 1976.
Pigsticking: A Joy For Life, 1977.
The Reluctant Euro, 1980.
The Filth Amendment, 1981.
W. G. Grace's Last Case, 1984.
Willie Rushton's Great Moments of History, 1985.
The Alternative Gardener: A Compost of Quips for the Green-Fingered, 1986.
Marylebone Versus the Rest of the World, 1987.
Spy Thatcher (editor), 1987.
Ffrench Letters. Every Cat in the Book, 1993.

A versatile cartoonist, broadcaster, author and actor, William Rushton's range of talent emerged early, while a student at Shrewsbury School. There he edited the school magazine, The Salopian, and regularly illustrated its issues. The public school friendships and joint contributions for The Salopian led to the idea of a satirical publication, The Private Eye, co-founded by Rushton and first published in 1962. With its comprehensive attack on the establishment, who were presented as running England in the manner of a private club, The Private Eye pioneered a style of satire that was to become fashionable in the early 1960s.

In 1962 Rushton moved on to television to take part in BBC's satirical program, That Was The Week That Was. Under director Alasdair Milne and producer Ned Sherrin, the crew put together their best work to express doubts about the old order in Britain. In an even more practical step, The Private Eye team, upset by the possibility of Sir Alec Douglas Home's further career in politics, posted Rushton to run against him in the Kinross by-election. Rushton's failed candidacy and his Macmillan impersonation on TW3 made his name, but the irreverent show, anchored by David Frost, deeply divided the public, and the resulting controversy led to its removal from television screens.

In 1964-65 Rushton co-hosted the follow-up to TW3 called Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life. The show had less clear direction and was at its most successful, when it approached the impertinence of TW3. Even this milder satirical program, however, faced political criticism which put an end to its existence.

The success of TW3 opened the way towards the cinema for Rushton. Director Clive Donner incorporated three of the show's presenters into Nothing But the Best (1963). The film featured a young opportunist and provided a brash criticism of affluent Britain through a mocking celebration of its values. Rushton also played a role in Those Magnificent Men and Their Flying Machines (1965), a humorous take on the early days of aviation.

The slightly overweight Rushton, who describes his hobbies as "gaining weight, losing weight and parking", served as presenter for Don't Just Sit There (1973), a BBC series on healthy living. He also took part in the television show Up Sunday (1975-78) and entertained the viewers in Celebrity Squares (1979-80), a popular game show based on the idea of the American syndicated Hollywood Squares.

As a stage actor, Rushton had made his debut in Spike Milligan's The Bedsitting Room in Canterbury in 1961. After a number of smaller parts he returned to stage in a full-length role in Eric Idle's play Pass the Butler (1982). This witty black comedy, written by a member of the offbeat Monty Python team, played successfully in Britain.

Rushton has written and illustrated a number of books, such as William Rushton's Dirty Book (1964), Superpig (1976), The Filth Amendment (1981) and Marylebone Versus the Rest of the World (1987). He also provided illustrations and cartoons for many others, including a number of children's books.

After his early success in the 1960s Rushton has continued to work for The Private Eye for decades and has taken on a number of smaller roles in films, plays and television shows. Known particularly for his humorous cartoons and funny personal presentations he is a fine performer, a versatile and interesting artist for whom television has provided a continuing opportunity for comic invention.

-Rita Zajacz