This Is Your Life: Pam Ferris

Pam FERRIS (1948-)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Pam Ferris, actress, was surprised by Michael Aspel while recording a scene for the ITV comedy drama The Darling Buds of May at Yorkshire Television in Leeds.

Pam, who was born in Germany, moved to New Zealand at the age of 11, where she began acting with the local amateur dramatics group before turning professional when she joined the Mercury Theatre Company in Auckland. She later won an Arts Council award and bursary which allowed her to move to the UK, where she joined the Ipswich Arts Theatre in 1975.

She worked extensively in theatre, notably with Shared Experience, and also made several appearances on television in such series as Connie and Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. An acclaimed performance on stage in Arnold Wesker's play Roots led to her being cast as motherly Ma Larkin in The Darling Buds of May in 1991 - a role which made her a household name.

"Oh no! Good heavens above! You're terribly miscast as Eileen, aren't you?"

programme details...

Edition No: 820
Subject No: 810
Broadcast date: Wed 18 Dec 1991
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Tue 10 Sep 1991
Venue: Yorkshire Television, Leeds
Series: 32
Edition: 10
Code name: Wheel

on the guest list...

Philip Franks
Catherine Zeta-Jones
David Jason
Roger Frost - husband
Peter - brother
Denis Lill
John Bowe
Lee Malone
Celia Gore-Booth
Jonathan Hackett
Eve Matheson
Celia Imrie
Caroline Quentin
Maria Miles
Pat - sister
Stephanie Beacham
Arnold Wesker

production team...

Researcher: Sarah Ann Cockcroft
Writer: Roy Bottomley
Directors: Brian Klein, Terry Yarwood
Associate Producer: John Graham
Producer: Malcolm Morris

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

An Actor's Life For Me

spotlight on the stars

Behind the Scenes

the programme's best kept secrets

Screenshots of Pam Ferris This Is Your Life

Scriptwriter Roy Bottomley recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, This Is Your Life: The Story of Television's Famous Big Red Book...

Pam Ferris (codename 'Wheel'), Ma Larkin in television's hit of the season The Darling Buds of May, will be filming a new series for Yorkshire Television in Leeds.

They are happy to go along with our plan to have Pa Larkin, David Jason, announce an unexpected visitor to the farmhouse, and for Michael to walk into the kitchen where Ma is chatting to her screen daughter, the stunning Catherine Zeta Jones.

I have no shortage of male helpers when I brief Catherine on her script at our hideaway hotel.

Series 32 subjects