How Kenneth Cop's Randall and Hopkirk (deceased) role brought joy to millions

Not many actors could be murdered in the first episode and still go on to be the star of the show.

Kenneth Cope, who has died aged 93, was familiar to millions from Coronation Street, Brookside and the Carry On films. But his most famous turn was as private detective Marty Hopkirk, who offered advice from beyond the grave to his pal Jeff Randall, played by Mike Pratt, in Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased).

The series, first broadcast on ITV in 1969, ran for 26 episodes and became a cult favourite. Speaking in 1994, Kenneth said: “I used to think people liked it because they were happy times when we made it. The sun was always shining. As a kid you wanted to be Superman, you wanted to be able to do things, to find the magic stone and rub it and a genie would appear. Randall and Hopkirk was quite escapist. There was a nice guy there who could do magical things.”

The show was branded as My Partner the Ghost for more literal-minded US viewers, and was itself resurrected by Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer in 2000.

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Born in Wavertree, Liverpool, in 1931, Kenneth was the son of an engineer and followed his dad into the trade, but fell in love with performing in his 20s. He got a grant to study at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and made his TV debut for the BBC ’s Sunday Night Theatre in 1953. The following year, Kenneth made his first silver screen appearance, going on to play alongside Omar Sharif and Telly Savalas in 1965’s Genghis Khan.

On the small screen, he appeared in Coronation Street as Jed Stone from 1961 to 1963, a role he reprised 45 years later. On the famous cobbles, he met Renny Lister, who played Jean Stark. Their three children, Nick, Mark and Martha, also went into performing – Nick and Mark in a band, The Candyskins, and Martha in Corrie as well as EastEnders and Doctors.

Kenneth’s natural comic timing earned him a spot on satirical show That Was the Week That Was in the early 60s and made him a perfect fit for the Carry On stable.

He starred in Carry On At Your Convenience and Carry On Matron in 1971 and 1972, and later said: “It was seen as a leg up at the time if you were asked to do a Carry On. I was very lucky having come from a working-class background to be trained at the Bristol Old Vic. It wasn’t how it is these days of course. You had to pass an audition and then, if successful, get a grant.”

Versatile Kenneth did horror (Hammer’s The Damned in 1963), espionage (two episodes of The Avengers in 1967 and 1968) and sci-fi ( Doctor Who in 1981). He also appeared in comedy drama Minder, children’s favourite Catweazle and soaps Casualty, Doctors and Brookside in a career which lasted until 2009.

In his later years, he retired to Southport, Merseyside, and wrote a column for the local paper, the Southport Visiter.

His agent Sandra Chalmers released a statement from his family which read: “Ken passed away yesterday peacefully in his sleep with his wife and family by his side.” They described him as an icon of British TV and film, with a career that “contributed to some of the most iconic moments in British culture”.

The statement added Kenneth was a proud Liverpudlian and devoted supporter of Everton, and said that his family are “deeply saddened” by his passing.

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