Paul Shearer

Paul Shearer
Born
Paul Shearer

Epsom, UK
EducationSt John's College, Cambridge[1]
OccupationsActor, writer
Spouse
Vicky Licorish
​
(m. 1994)​
[2]
Children2 (1 deceased)

Paul Shearer is an English actor, best known for his roles in The Fast Show and The Russ Abbot Show.[3] Together with Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, and Hugh Laurie, Shearer was a member of the Cambridge University's Footlights ensemble which won the first ever Perrier Comedy Award in 1981.[4] As of 2024, Shearer works as a property journalist.[5]

Personal life and education

Shearer attended Lancing College between 1973 and 1978. He graduated from St John's College, Cambridge in 1981 with a degree in computer science.[6] After graduating he lived in a flat with Peter Cook and Hugh Laurie.[7] He married actor Vicky Licorish in 1994.[8] On 30 October 2024, their 25-year-old child Cal Shearer, who was transgender, non-binary and autistic, was found dead in their dorm room at St John's College, Oxford, in an apparent suicide by hanging.[9][10]

Footlights

On the Footlights committee, Shearer held the position of "Club Falconer", which, according to Fry, "went back to the days when the Footlights were quartered in Falcon Yard."[11] He partnered with Nick Hytner in a sketch Graffiti on the Wall. He also wrote for A Sense of Nonsense and The Cellar Tapes.[12]

Television

A selection of television appearances include:

Year Title Channel Notes
1982 There's Nothing to Worry About! ITV (Granada) With Ben Elton, Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry.[13] Shearer was replaced by Robbie Coltrane after the first series.[14]
1983 The Crystal Cube[15] BBC Pilot
1983 – 1985 CBTV Presenter[16]
1984 Jigsaw[17]
1986 Chocky's Challenge[18]
1987 – 1989 The Russ Abbot Show[19] BBC Sketch show
1989 Anything More Would Be Greedy[20] ITV Comedy-drama mini-series
1991 Five Children and It[21] BBC Children's drama
Birds of a Feather[22]
1992 Tales from the Poop Deck[23] ITV Children's sitcom
The South Bank Show s.15 e.13 "Douglas Adams"[24] Played 'Electric Monk' during fictional sequences in interview with author Douglas Adams[25]
1994 – 1997 The Fast Show[26][27] BBC Sketch show
1995 Proud Love[28] ITV Sitcom
1995 – 1996 Cone Zone[29] ITV Children's sitcom
1998 Stressed Eric[30] BBC Two Comedy animation
2003 CBeebies[31] BBC Two
2006 The Message BBC Three Sketch show
2020 The Fast Show: Just a Load of Blooming Catchphrases Gold

Also, Les Dennis Laughter Show,[32] Abracadabra – children's comedy,[33] CHBC,[34] The Max Headroom Show and Who Dares Wins.

Film

Radio

Year Title Channel
1985 Ninety-ninety four[37] BBC Radio 4
The Fosdyke Saga III[38] BBC Radio 2
1986 The World at Once Upon a Time[39] BBC Radio 4
1988 – 1991 Gorham and Swift[40] BBC Radio 2
1991 Week Ending[41] BBC Radio 4
1995 In the Red[42] BBC Radio 4
Next of Kin[43] BBC One
1996 Chambers[44] BBC Radio 4
2011 Cabin Pressure
2015 The Lentil Sorters[45]
2015 – 2017 Cracking Up

Theatre

Writing

Shearer was a writer on the following shows:

  • 1982: There's Nothing to Worry About
  • 1983 – 1984: Alfresco
  • 1985: Once Upon a Time... BBC Radio 4[48]
  • 1994: The Fast Show
  • 1994: Nice Day at the Office – sitcom for BBC[49]
  • 1995: If You're So Clever, Why Aren't You Rich? – Radio 4 comedy[50]
  • 1999 – 2001: See It Saw It children's game show for BBC One[51]
  • 2011: Kees & Co

As a property journalist Shearer has written for The Financial Times,[52] The Times[53] and France Magazine.

See also

  • Fry, Stephen The Fry Chronicles (2011) Pub. Penguin ISBN 0-7181-5791-5

References

  1. ↑ "Donors 1978". The Eagle. Cambridge, UK: St John's College, Cambridge. 2016. p. 211.
  2. ↑ "trading up to a chateau". thetimes.com. 18 January 2004. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  3. ↑ "The Russ Abbott Show". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  4. ↑ Mark Brown (11 July 2019). "TV Channel Dave is new Edinburgh comedy award sponsor". theguardian.com. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  5. ↑ "Paul Shearer". ft.com. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  6. ↑ Fry, Stephen (2011). The Fry Chronicles. London: Penguin. p. 172. ISBN 9780141039800.
  7. ↑ Cook, Lin (1998). Peter Cook remembered. London: Arrow. p. 161. ISBN 0749323124.
  8. ↑ "Putting Small island on the big screen". standard.co.uk. 12 April 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  9. ↑ Bird, Steve (16 November 2024). "Tributes paid to 'brave and beautiful' Oxford student found hanged". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 18 November 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. ↑ Wootton-Cane, Nicole; Smith, Joe (16 November 2024). "Brave and 'endlessly compassionate' child of Fast Show actor took their own life at university". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  11. ↑ Fry, Stephen (2011). The Fry Chronicles. London: Penguin. p. 172. ISBN 9780141039800.
  12. ↑ Hewison, Robert (1983). Footlights! A Hundred years of Cambridge comedy. London: Methuen. p. 213. ISBN 9780413511508.
  13. ↑ Fry, Stephen (2011). The Fry Chronicles. London: Penguin. p. 20. ISBN 9780141039800.
  14. ↑ Bunko, Anthony (2011). Hugh Laurie: The Biography. London: John Blake. p. 40. ISBN 9781843583646.
  15. ↑ Fry, Stephen (2011). The Fry Chronicles. London: Penguin. p. 297. ISBN 9780141039800.
  16. ↑ Perry, Chris; Coward, Simon (2018). Christmas Guide 2018. London: Kaleidoscope. p. 157. ISBN 9781900203708.
  17. ↑ Ian MacFarlane (30 December 1988). "Pauls' tail end start". Cambridge Daily News. Cambridge, UK. p. 19.
  18. ↑ Ian MacFarlane (30 December 1988). "Pauls' tail end start". Cambridge Daily News. Cambridge, UK. p. 19.
  19. ↑ Lewisohn, Mark (1998). Radio Times: Guide to TV comedy. London: BBC Worldwide. p. 14. ISBN 9780563369776.
  20. ↑ Ian MacFarlane (30 December 1988). "Pauls' tail end start". Cambridge Daily News. Cambridge, UK. p. 19.
  21. ↑ Evans, Jeff (2011). The Penguin TV companion. London: Penguin. p. 348. ISBN 9780241952917.
  22. ↑ "Comedy Choice". The Visitor. Morecambe, UK. 18 September 1991. p. 18.
  23. ↑ Lewisohn, Mark (1998). Radio Times: Guide to TV comedy. London: BBC Worldwide. p. 651. ISBN 9780563369776.
  24. ↑ "Douglas Adams". imdb.com. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  25. ↑ Simpson, M J (2006). The Pocket Essential Hitchhikers Guide. Chichester, UK: Pocket Essentials. p. 132. ISBN 9781904048466.
  26. ↑ Bunko, Anthony (2011). Hugh Laurie: The Biography. London: John Blake. p. 35. ISBN 9781843583646.
  27. ↑ Bunko, Anthony (2012). Britain's greatest TV comedy moments. London: Atlantic. p. 307. ISBN 9780857891235.
  28. ↑ Lewisohn, Mark (1998). Radio Times: Guide to TV comedy. London: BBC Worldwide. p. 585. ISBN 9780563369776.
  29. ↑ Lewisohn, Mark (1998). Radio Times: Guide to TV comedy. London: BBC Worldwide. p. 158. ISBN 9780563369776.
  30. ↑ Lewisohn, Mark (1998). BFI film and television handbook 1998. London: BBC Worldwide. p. 488. ISBN 9780563369776.
  31. ↑ "CBeebies". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  32. ↑ "Comedy Choice". The Visitor. Morecambe, UK. 18 September 1991. p. 18.
  33. ↑ Ian MacFarlane (30 December 1988). "Pauls' tail end start". Cambridge Daily News. Cambridge, UK. p. 19.
  34. ↑ Ian MacFarlane (30 December 1988). "Pauls' tail end start". Cambridge Daily News. Cambridge, UK. p. 19.
  35. ↑ Kilmeny Fane-Saunders (2020). "Radio times guide to films 2007". Radio Times. London: BBC Worldwide Ltd. p. 175. ISBN 978-0563539018.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)
  36. ↑ Willis, John (1998). Screen world 1998: Film Annual. New York: Applause. p. 183. ISBN 9781557833426.
  37. ↑ Osbourne, Williams (1986). Ninety-ninety-four. London: Arrow. p. 2. ISBN 0099451506.
  38. ↑ "Week Ending". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  39. ↑ "The World at". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  40. ↑ "Pick of the Day". Staffordshire Sentinel. Stafford, UK. 3 January 1989. p. 2.
  41. ↑ "Week Ending". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  42. ↑ "Week Ending". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  43. ↑ "Next of Kin". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  44. ↑ "The Lentil Sorters". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  45. ↑ "Week Ending". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  46. ↑ Alan Kersey (9 December 1998). "Gala show launches Marti's panto season". Cambridge Daily News. Cambridge, UK. p. 21.
  47. ↑ "Comedy Choice". The Visitor. Morecambe, UK. 18 September 1991. p. 18.
  48. ↑ "Week Ending". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  49. ↑ Dyja, Eddie (1998). Radio Times: Guide to TV comedy. London: British Film Institute. p. 397. ISBN 9780851706528.
  50. ↑ "Radio 4". The Times. London, UK. 7 February 1995. p. 42.
  51. ↑ "Week Ending". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  52. ↑ "Paul Shearer". ft.com. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  53. ↑ Paul Shearer (5 September 2008). "Living the dream". thetimes.com. Retrieved 3 September 2024.


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