Barbara Flynn

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Born

1948-08-05

Place of Birth

Hastings, East Sussex, England, UK

Barbara Flynn

Biography

Barbara Joy Flynn (born 5 August 1948) is an English actress. She first came to prominence playing Freda Ashton in the ITV drama series A Family at War (1970–1972). She went on to play the milk woman in the BBC comedy Open All Hours (1976–1985), Jill Swinburne in The Beiderbecke Trilogy (1985–1988), Dr. Rose Marie in the BBC series A Very Peculiar Practice (1986–1988), Judith Fitzgerald in the ITV drama Cracker (1993–1995), and Mrs. Jamieson in Cranford (2007–2009). In 2021, she appeared in Doctor Who: Flux as Tecteun, a founder of Time Lord society and The Doctor's adopted mother. Starting in 2023, she acted in Beyond Paradise, playing the mother of the detective's girlfriend. This included some episodes in 2024 where she was reunited with Peter Davison, her A Very Peculiar Practice co-star. In her own words, she tends to play "feisty, strong women"

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Acting History

2025
Secrets of the Royals: Births, Marriages and Deaths as Narrator
2023
Beyond Paradise as Anne Lloyd
2022
Diana: The Curse of the Spencers as Narrator
2022
1978: The Winter of Discontent as Narrator
2018
Killing Eve as Julia
2016
The Durrells as Aunt Hermione
2014
1864 as Queen Victoria
2013
The Christmas Candle as Lady Camdon
2013
Pat & Cabbage as Pat
2013
The Flying Scotsman: A Rail Romance as Narrator (Voice)
2012
Cheerful Weather for the Wedding as Aunt Bella
2012
Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies as Herself - Narrator
2011
Just Henry as Mrs Beaumont
2011
Death in Paradise as Patti Grenson
2011
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip as Self - Participant
2010
My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding as Narrator (voice)
2010
Burlesque Fairytales as Mrs. Argyle
2009
The Queen as The Queen
2009
Moving On as Carol
2009
A Lion Called Christian as Self - Narrator(voice)
2008
The Marchioness Disaster as Eileen Dallaglio
2007
Christmas at the Riviera as Rita
2007
Cranford as Mrs Jamieson
2006
Miss Potter as Helen Potter
2006
Cracker: Nine Eleven as Judith Fitzgerald
2006
The Line of Beauty as Sally Tipper
2005
The 7/7 Bombers: A Psychological Investigation as Voice
2005
Elizabeth I as Mary Queen of Scots
2005
Malice Aforethought as Julia Bickleigh
2005
The Queen's Castle as Narrator (Voice)
2005
Doctor Who as Awsok
2004
He Knew He Was Right as Mrs. French
2004
Sea of Souls as Lt Col Petra Summers
2003
George Orwell: A Life In Pictures as Narrator
2003
Rosalind Franklin: DNA's Dark Lady as Narrator
2003
Hornblower: Duty as Mrs. Mason
2003
Hornblower: Loyalty as Mrs. Mason
2002
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries as Maureen Finnegan
2002
The Forsyte Saga as Emily Forsyte
2002
Night Flight as Moira
2001
Perfect as Imogen
2001
Murder in Mind as Grace Fisher
2001
Lorna Doone as Sarah Ridd
2000
Lorna Doone as Sarah Ridd
1999
Wives and Daughters as Miss Browning
1999
The Escort as Kim's Mother
1999
You're Dead... as Prof. Corner
1999
The Man Who Would Be Kubrick as Self - Narrator
1998
Hornblower as Mrs Mason
1998
King Lear as Goneril
1998
Dear Nobody as Chris' Mother
1997
The Vanishing Man
1997
The Vanishing Man as Me Jeffries
1996
Silent Witness as Carol Fisher
1994
Chandler & Co.
1993
Cracker
1993
Cracker as Judith Fitzgerald
1993
Cracker as Judith
1992
Maigret
1991
Performance as Goneril
1991
Joshua Jones
1989
Agatha Christie's Poirot as Mrs Allerton
1989
Benefactors
1989
Bosses From Hell
1988
The Beiderbecke Connection as Jill Swinburne
1987
The Beiderbecke Tapes as Jill Swinburne
1987
Inspector Morse as Monica Height
1986
Season's Greetings as Belinda
1986
Day To Remember as Judy
1986
A Very Peculiar Practice as Dr Rose Marie
1985
The Beiderbecke Affair as Jill Swinburne
1982
A Mother Like Him as Jill
1982
The Barchester Chronicles as Mary Bold
1982
The New Adventures of Lucky Jim as Joanna Lassiter
1982
Britannia Hospital as Private Nurse
1981
No Visible Scar as Margaret Hanson
1980
Standing in for Henry as Heather
1977
Murder Most English: A Flaxborough Chronicle as Pauline Sutton
1977
Love on a Gunboat as Monica Potter
1976
Open All Hours
1975
The Flight Fund as Angie
1974
Playhouse as Heather
1970
Play for Today as Monica Potter
1970
Play for Today as Margaret Hanson
1970
Play for Today as Jill
1970
A Family at War as Freda MacKenzie
1970
A Family at War as Freda Ashton