Editing Richard Briers (section)

==Television career==

In 1961, Briers was cast in the leading role in ''[[Marriage Lines]]'' (1961–66), with [[Prunella Scales]] playing the role of his wife. For ''Marriage Lines'', ''Simon and Laura'', ''Points of View'', [[Present Laughter (Play of the Week)|''Present Laughter'']] - ''Excerpt'', ''Charley's Aunt'' and ''To You at Home Today'', Briers was nominated for the [[British Academy Television Award for Best Actor]] in 1966.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Actor |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/television/actor-television |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=Bafta |language=en}}</ref> In between the pilot and the series itself, Briers appeared in ''[[Brothers in Law (TV series)|Brothers in Law]]'' (from the book by [[Henry Cecil Leon|Henry Cecil]]) as callow barrister Roger Thursby in 1962. He was cast in this role by adaptors [[Frank Muir]] and [[Denis Norden]], who had seen him in the West End.

His other early appearances included ''[[Faces of Jim|The Seven Faces of Jim]]'' (1961) with [[Jimmy Edwards]], ''[[Dixon of Dock Green]]'' (1962), a production of [[Noël Coward]]'s ''[[Hay Fever (play)|Hay Fever]]'' (1968) and the storyteller in several episodes of ''[[Jackanory]]'' (1969).{{sfn|Hogg|2018|pp= 158-159}} In 1970, he starred in the Ben Travers farce "Rookery Nook", shown on the BBC.  In the 1980s he played several Shakespearean roles, including ''Twelfth Night''.{{sfn|Hogg|2018|pp= 263-266}}

Briers was a subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'' on two occasions, in May 1972<ref>{{cite news |title= Thames take first three in TV ratings |date= 13 May 1972 |work= The Daily Telegraph |location= London |issue= 36390 |page= 11 }}</ref> and in March 1994.{{sfn|Hogg|2018|pp= 36, 169}}

In a role specifically written for him by [[Esmonde and Larbey|John Esmonde and Bob Larbey]], Briers was cast in the lead role in ''[[The Good Life (1975 TV series)|The Good Life]]'' (1975–78), playing Tom Good, a [[Technical drawing|draughtsman]] who decides, on his 40th birthday, to give up his job and try his hand at [[self-sufficiency]], with the support of his wife Barbara, played by [[Felicity Kendal]]. Briers persuaded the producers to cast his friend [[Paul Eddington]], a fellow council member of [[Equity (trade union)|Equity]], in the role of Jerry.<ref name=Indp1313648/> An enormously successful series, the last episode in 1978 was performed in front of Queen [[Elizabeth II]]. In 1977, he starred with his ''The Good Life'' co-star [[Penelope Keith]] in the televised version of [[Alan Ayckbourn]]'s trilogy ''[[The Norman Conquests]]''.<ref name=bbcobit/> He also starred as Ralph in 13 episodes of ''The Other One'' (1977–79) with [[Michael Gambon]].{{sfn|Hogg|2018|pp= 268-269}} In 1977, for ''The Good Life'' and ''One-Upmanship'', he was nominated for the [[British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance|British Academy Television Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Light Entertainment Performance |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/television/light-entertainment-performance |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=Bafta |language=en}}</ref>

During the 1980s and 1990s, Briers had leading roles in several television shows, including ''[[Goodbye, Mr Kent]]'' (1982), a rare failure also featuring [[Hannah Gordon]]; the lead role of Martin Bryce in ''[[Ever Decreasing Circles]]'' (1984–89); and as Godfrey Spry in the BBC comedy drama ''[[If You See God, Tell Him]]'' (1993). He also starred in ''[[All in Good Faith]]'' (1985), ''[[Tales of the Unexpected (TV series)|Tales of the Unexpected]]'' as Albert Dobson (in episode 9/4 "The Verger" – 1988), and the first episode of ''[[Mr. Bean]]'' (1990) as Mr. Sprout. In 1987, he appeared as the principal villain in the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' serial ''[[Paradise Towers]]'', a performance which was described by ''[[Radio Times]]'' writer Patrick Mulkern as Briers's "career low".<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2012-07-17/paradise-towers/ | title= Doctor Who: Paradise Towers | work=Radio Times | first=Patrick | last=Mulkern | access-date=16 June 2013}}</ref> In 1995, he played the character Tony Fairfax in the BBC comedy ''[[Down to Earth (1995 TV series)|Down to Earth]]''. In the ''[[Inspector Morse (TV series)|Inspector Morse]]'' episode "[[Death Is Now My Neighbour (TV)|Death is Now My Neighbour]]", he played the evil master of Lonsdale College, Sir Clixby Bream.<ref name=hits>{{cite news | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/celebrity-news-video/9877592/Richard-Briers-TV-hits.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130221082824/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/celebrity-news-video/9877592/Richard-Briers-TV-hits.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 21 February 2013 | work = The Daily Telegraph | location = London | access-date = 18 February 2013 | date = 18 February 2013 | title = Richard Briers' TV hits}}</ref>

During the 2000s, Briers was the curmudgeonly and extravagant father Hector MacDonald in the BBC television programme ''[[Monarch of the Glen (TV series)|Monarch of the Glen]]'' (2000–05), appearing in series 1, 2, 3 and 7.{{sfn|Hogg|2018|pp= 310-311}} Also in the 2000s, specifically 2006, he appeared in an episode of [[New Tricks]] entitled Old Dogs playing a character called James Farlow.<ref name=TV>{{citation | url = https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0796136 | title = New Tricks - Old Dogs - James Farlow}}</ref>