[Hayden]

R.I.P

Longtime host of the orginal and far superior version of Mr and Mrs. dies at the age of 84 after being taken ill while on holiday.

[80sfan]

What terrible news... first Richard Briers, now Derek Batey. Mr & Mrs used to be easy, harmless viewing back in a more innocent time.

RIP Derek

[BellaRosa]

R I P Derek Batey. So sad

[Shrike]

I assumed he had gone to the sound-proof booth in the sky long ago. Memories of a more civilized time when real people were allowed on TV Quizes without having to be some minor zeleb.

RIP

[davelovesleeds]

Originally Posted by Shrike

I assumed he had gone to the sound-proof booth in the sky long ago. Memories of a more civilized time when real people were allowed on TV Quizes without having to be some minor zeleb.

RIP

Agreed, and quizes weren't cruel like a lot seem to be these days.

Sad day for those of us of 'a cetain age' with first Richard Briers and now Derek, people we grew up watching.

[macsmurray]

For some bizarre reason I was thinking of Derek Batey yesterday. The game show 'Mr and Mrs' was in my head!

[zoepaulpenny]

who was that other man who also did MR and MRS along with Derek Batey think his name was Alan.. short man on the tubby side, balding, if my memory serves my right.

[Steven Oliver]

Originally Posted by zoepaulpenny

who was that other man who also did MR and MRS along with Derek Batey think his name was Alan.. short man on the tubby side, balding, if my memory serves my right.

It's Alan Taylor you're thinking of, he did the HTV version. When Mr & Mrs was networked both Border and HTV would initially take it in turns to do the show, with a 'handover' edition in the middle of the run, although after a few years it became the sole remit of Border.

The first Border network series of Mr & Mrs - it had run as a local programme since 1967 - was recorded at Tyne Tees, due to Border not having colour equipment at its studios and the IBA saying 'no' to the idea of the show going out in black and white. These editions were billed as a 'Border Television/Tyne Tees Television Colour Production' which still exist in the archives; the income generated from that series allowed Border to invest in colour equipment and the show to return home to Carlisle.

Derek didn't just do Mr & Mrs, he also presented the chat show Look Who's Talking in which he would interview a star guest. I believe this was also networked. Ken Dodd, Su Pollard and Kenneth Williams were just a few of the big names who made the trip up to Carlisle to talk to Derek, who was perfectly happy to ask them a question, then sit back and let them be the star of the show.

A link to a few anecdotes about Mr & Mrs::

http://www.mr-and-mrs.tv/mr-and-mrs-anecdotes.htm

My parents met him while on holiday at Butlins in Bognor Regis in 1994, where he was doing a travelling version of Mr & Mrs, and found him to be a very friendly and charming man.

Rest in peace, Derek.

[AZZURRI 06]

I remember that show, Rest In Peace Derek!!

[PixieGray]

Suc sad news. He seemed like such a decent, charming and kind man. He had a lovely demeanor. Many people, in the media or not, could learn a lot from from him. Rest in peace.

[riverside 57]

Aw, sad news! I used to love watching Mr. and Mrs after school in the afternoons, and remember him very well! RIP Derek Batey

[chinchin]

RIP Derek. Sad news.

[pinkyponk34]

Didn't he play the guitar on Baker Street as well ?