Demob (TV series)

Did You Know?

• Les Dawson died before the series went to air.
• The series follows the ups and downs of two World War II veterans who decide to form a comedy duo after returning home to England.

Characters

Ian Deasey, played by Griff Rhys Jones, is a former soldier with a cheerful disposition who finds it difficult to settle back into his mundane pre-war existence. He teams up with his army friend Dick Dobson to create a comedy act, and he is noted for performing humorous songs. Dick Dobson, played by Martin Clunes, is a reckless ex-soldier who frequently lands in trouble and relies on Ian to get him out of it. A skilled pianist, Dick completes the comedy duo known as Dobson and Deasey. Ian's wife, Janet Deasey, played by Amanda Redman, is an attractive woman who becomes unhappy with her husband's ambition to be a comedian and starts an affair to relieve her boredom. Hedda Kennedy, played by Samantha Janus, is a lovely dancer searching hard for her American husband, who is thought to be missing in action. She sings and dances at several of Rudy Lorimer's venues, later becoming a film actress, and she is close friends with Ian and Dick, living next door to their London lodgings. Moreton Stanley, played by Les Dawson, is a overweight and irritable comedian who makes unwanted romantic advances toward Hedda. Rudy Lorimer, played by James Faulkner, is a shady businessman who repeatedly involves Dick in his questionable schemes; Lorimer is an alias, and his true identity is unknown. Alan Deasey, played by Luke Marcel, is the only child of Ian and Janet, a thoughtful and sensitive boy who is prone to bullying and barely recognizes his father upon his return from war. Annabel, played by Tilly Blackwood, is Janet's closest friend and is engaged to Dr. Pollock. Edith, played by Liz Fraser, is Janet's mother who freely offers advice. Dr. Jeremy Pollock, played by Harry Burton, is Annabel's fiancé who becomes attracted to Janet and enjoys Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. Oliver Lee, played by Don Gilet, is an American GI friend of Hedda's who helps her look for her missing husband and plays the saxophone at a London jazz club. Frank Parsons, played by Tony Melody, is Ian's supervisor at the council. Ottie Pond, played by Roberta Taylor, produces the BBC Radio children's show "Radio Playtime." Keith Koster, played by Jeremy Child, is the difficult ventriloquist who stars on "Radio Playtime" and appears to think his dummy is alive.