Colin Buchanan profile
Most famous for his role as the brains of the outfit in the hugely successful Dalziel and Pascoe, there's a lot more to Colin Buchanan than just crime-solving. And that's even before you get to his acting career.
Colin Buchanan was born in Dundee but you'd never know it, as one of the biggest features of his career has been his mastery of various regional accents - in fact one of the few twangs he hasn't used on TV is his own.
Colin's first major role after graduating from the London Drama Centre was a hint at the direction in which his career would go, starring as a young copper opposite David Jason in the hugely popular A Touch of Frost. Having left bosses suitably impressed, Colin's big break soon followed, landing the lead role of Hodge in the BBC drama All Quiet on the Preston Front, centred around the lives and loves of friends from the Territorial Army.
Colin's flawless Preston accent in the show may not just have been because of his professionalism; one of his co-stars on the show, Alistair McGowan, would certainly have had a thing to say about a less than pitch perfect impression, after all. Also popping up in The Bill, Heartbeat and a TV adaptation of the raunchy period piece Moll Flanders, Colin's star was very much on the rise, leading to him getting the call from BBC Birmingham in 1996 asking if he'd be interested in starring in their upcoming transfer of Reginald Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe books to the screen.
Colin's character, Peter Pascoe, doesn't only have to contend with the shady inhabitants of Wetherton, he's also got to keep an eye on his partner Andy Dalziel; the gruff, politically incorrect embodiment of old-school crime-fighting. Pascoe couldn't be more different from his partner, with his university education and impeccable manners, but luckily for the department, and its millions of viewers, the odd couple make a great team. It's the same off-screen too, with Colin and Warren Clarke having become close friends throughout the years of making the show. Colin says "the relationship between Warren and I just works. We get on well off screen and our chemistry - if that's the right word - transfers onto screen."
Still happy to branch out from sleuthing, Colin's popped up in Catherine Cookson and Agatha Christie adaptations, one-off dramas and even reunited with McGowan in the West End during a run of Art. He's certainly a renaissance man.
Colin's first major role after graduating from the London Drama Centre was a hint at the direction in which his career would go, starring as a young copper opposite David Jason in the hugely popular A Touch of Frost. Having left bosses suitably impressed, Colin's big break soon followed, landing the lead role of Hodge in the BBC drama All Quiet on the Preston Front, centred around the lives and loves of friends from the Territorial Army.
Colin's flawless Preston accent in the show may not just have been because of his professionalism; one of his co-stars on the show, Alistair McGowan, would certainly have had a thing to say about a less than pitch perfect impression, after all. Also popping up in The Bill, Heartbeat and a TV adaptation of the raunchy period piece Moll Flanders, Colin's star was very much on the rise, leading to him getting the call from BBC Birmingham in 1996 asking if he'd be interested in starring in their upcoming transfer of Reginald Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe books to the screen.
Colin's character, Peter Pascoe, doesn't only have to contend with the shady inhabitants of Wetherton, he's also got to keep an eye on his partner Andy Dalziel; the gruff, politically incorrect embodiment of old-school crime-fighting. Pascoe couldn't be more different from his partner, with his university education and impeccable manners, but luckily for the department, and its millions of viewers, the odd couple make a great team. It's the same off-screen too, with Colin and Warren Clarke having become close friends throughout the years of making the show. Colin says "the relationship between Warren and I just works. We get on well off screen and our chemistry - if that's the right word - transfers onto screen."
Still happy to branch out from sleuthing, Colin's popped up in Catherine Cookson and Agatha Christie adaptations, one-off dramas and even reunited with McGowan in the West End during a run of Art. He's certainly a renaissance man.
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