The voice of SuperTed has revealed that he was often “sozzled” when recording the classic 1980s cartoon.
Derek Griffiths said that him and the voiceover cast all went to the pub for a meal before starting work in the afternoon.
“The day started with a visit to the pub for lunch, and then we went in to do the recording,” he says.
“Well, everyone was sozzled by the time we got in – and it was the most hysterical recording.”
Talking to Best of British magazine, Derek added: “They actually filmed one episode being recorded – and they couldn’t use any of it, because it was so disgustingly filthy. These drunken actors were all rolling about the floor.”
Originally running on the BBC from 1983-86 SuperTed battled villains Texas Pete (Victor Spinetti) an evil cowboy, the cowardly Skeleton (Melvyn Hayes) and dimwitted Bulk (Roy Kinnear).
Get the news you want straight to your inbox. Sign up for a Mirror newsletter here.
Roy died in 1998 and Victor in 2012. Also Jon Pertwee, who voiced SuperTed’s sidekick, Spotty, died in 1996. The teddy bear – powered by Spotty’s cosmic dust and Mother Nature’s special powers – was beamed to 128 different countries and dubbed into 32 different languages.
A new series of SuperTed will be back on TV screens by 2023, but Derek, 75, who also starred in Corrie, is not fussed about working on the revamped series.
“I can’t play an ingenuous teddy bear who’s in his seventies,” says Derek.
“I was pushing my luck then.”
