Peter Davison in a magnificent tour de force

This is one of the single best performances of Peter Davison's thirty year career. Other than the Doctor, most of his characters have been down on their luck and hapless everymen who were fairly genial by nature. Here, he's very much the opposite.

This is from an unfortunately short-lived ITV series "Hope & Glory" starring Lenny Henry. Davison plays the universally disliked (and departing) head teacher, Neil Bruce, who simply doesn't give a toss about his students. He responds to virtually every one of their problems and complaints with "end of story." Henry plays his replacement, Ian George, who's a bit more enthused.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• peter
• davison
• hope
• and
• glory
• lenny
• henry
• amanda
• redman

[rekpage]

Wow, what an amazing performance from Peter. Thanks for uploading this.

[GusF]

You're welcome. It's definitely one of his best performances.

[nyssa7]

I've heard of this show;but never had seen anything from it before and I didn't know Lenny Henry(who I think is fanastic in just about anything) was in it. You're Pete was great in this scene!

[GusF]

Unfortunately, Davison is only in the first episode but it's a very good show, particularly the first series. Excellent acting all around. I'd like to see Lenny Henry do more serious acting as well.

[rojblake82]

@nyssa7 I think Peter swearing at these kids, and calling one girl a slag wa wrong and this show was tosh.

[GusF]

@rojblake82 Well, we're supposed to think that it's poor behaviour for a principal. The point is that it was well acted.

[rojblake82]

@GusF If a Principal was rude liek that in real life he or she would be outted I am sorry to say this but this show was not pleasant or worth even making it shows how much Neil Bruce was in the wrong job and he would have been like most teachers better off as a prison warder which in my and this lad Mark's views are but teachers who act like prison warders will not survive in that job. Neil Bruce was a pinhead, and he swore at a student, and if she had smacked him good on her stupid man.

[rojblake82]

What a load of crap this show was.

[icthar]

astounding. I know people who believe Davison can't act!!!!

[LongLiveHumour]

@CatniponDiscworld Seconded.

GusF, thanks for putting this up. I'd never heard of the series before, but this scene's painful to watch. And they had to do it to Pachelbel's Canon... damn.

[CatniponDiscworld]

Wow. This was a really great performance! Thanks for uploading, really shows once again what a great actor he is.

You know, I'd love to see him do a really badass villain once. :)

[David8693]

Hope and Glory was BBC. :) Thanks for uploading this. Classic.

[decomposingmusician]

Excellent.

The clip also features the wonderful Sarah French (Ellis) as Keeley Porter (now playing a major role in London's West End).

[NancyG62]

Peter Davison has always been one of my favorites! You're right, he was amazing in this. It's not every actor who can make such an impact in such a short scene!