Creator / Dandy Nichols

Silly old moo.

Dandy Nichols, born Daisy Sander, (21 May 1907 – 6 February 1986), was a British actress best known for playing Else Garnett in Till Death Us Do Part and In Sickness and in Health.

After the end of World War II, she was appearing in theatre and comedy films, albeit mostly Typecast as a maid or charlady.

When Gretchen Franklin was unable to reprise her role of Else Garnett in Till Death Us Do Part after appearing in the pilot, Nichols was cast in her place. As the series continued, Nichols showed off her excellent chemistry against leading man and her on-screen husband, Warren Mitchell, leading to Else being given a bigger role in the series. In the later series, Nichols' health made it harder for her to star in the series and so Else was Put on a Bus, or rather, a plane to Australia.

In 1971, she co-starred in The Trouble With You Lilian with Patricia Hayes (who had appeared in a few episodes of Till Death) taking over the role of Madge from Beryl Reid, who had played her in the radio series.

Nichols later returned for Till Death... which aired in 1981, and In Sickness and in Health in 1985. By this point, she had developed rheumatoid arthritis and was now wheelchair-bound. After one series of Sickness, Nichols died of pneumonia and heart disease at the age of 78. Her death was written into the show, which was Retooled into focusing on Alf's life as a widower.

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Works on TV Tropes she appeared in:

Films

• The Winslow Boy (1948) — Miss Hawkins (Uncredited Role)
• The Deep Blue Sea (1955) — Mrs. Elton
• Doctor at Large (1957) — Mrs. Law
• The Vikings (1958) — Bridget
• The Knack... and How to Get It (1965) — Tom's Landlady
• Help! (1965) — Neighbour (Uncredited Role)
• Doctor in Clover (1966) — Patient with Kidney Stones
• Georgy Girl (1966) — Hospital Nurse
• Carry On Doctor (1967) — Mrs. Roper
• The Bed Sitting Room (1969) — Mrs. Ethel Shroake
• First Love (1970) — Princess Zasekina
• O Lucky Man! (1973) — Tea Lady/Neighbour
• Confessions of a Window Cleaner (1974) — Mrs. Lea
• The Plague Dogs (1982) — Phyllis

Series

• Maigret, episode "The Revolver" (1960) — Concierge
• Dixon of Dock Green, 4 episodes:
  • "New Man in the Manor" (1961) — Mrs. Guard
  • "Man on the Run" (1964) — Mrs. Carter
  • "Windfall" (1964) — Mrs. Gilmore
  • "The Fourth Finger" (1966) — Mrs. Taylor
• Till Death Us Do Part, 41 episodes (1966-75) — Else Garnett
• Man in a Suitcase, episode "Man from the Dead" (1967) — Landlady
• Jackanory, 10 episodes (1967-72) — Storyteller
• Inside George Webley, episode "A Muse of Fire" (1970) — Mrs. Duggins
• The Trouble With You Lilian, 6 episodes^{show list} "The Presence", "You Lose on the Swings", "Outside Patients", "Fault on the Line", "The Long Wash", "Long Way to Go" (1971) — Madge
• Play for Today, 3 episodes:
  • "Home" (1972) — Marjorie
  • "The General's Day" (1972) — Mrs. Hinch
  • "Kate the Good Neighbour" (1980) — Mrs. Druce
• Jackanory Playhouse, episode "The Magician's Heart" (1973) — Nurse
• The Bagthorpe Saga, 6 episodes^{show list} "Ordinary Jack - Part 1", "Ordinary Jack - Part 2", "Ordinary Jack - Part 3", "Absolute Zero - Part 1", "Absolute Zero - Part 2", "Absolute Zero - Part 3" (1981) — Mrs. Fosdyke
• Bergerac, episode "A Message for the Rich" (1983) — Mrs. Honeyman

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