Kurt at 17:08, 20 February 2023

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	~~{{short description\|English comedian and television personality}}~~
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=March 2018}}~~
	~~{{Use British English\|date=June 2012}}~~
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	~~\| name = Jim Bowen~~
	\| image = File:Jimbowen.jpg		\| image = File:Jimbowen.jpg
	\| caption = Bowen in 2008		\| caption = Bowen in 2008
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	==External links==		==External links==
	*{{Commonscat-inline}}
	*{{Official\|http://www.jimbowen.tv}}		*{{Official\|http://www.jimbowen.tv}}
	* [http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba4a9bc37 Jim Bowen] at the [[British Film Institute]]		* [http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba4a9bc37 Jim Bowen] at the [[British Film Institute]]
	* {{IMDb name\|id=0100855\|name=Jim Bowen}}		* {{IMDb name\|id=0100855\|name=Jim Bowen}}

	~~{{s-start}}~~
	~~{{succession box \|~~
	~~before=None\|~~
	~~title=Host of ''[[Bullseye (British game show)\|Bullseye]]''\|~~
	~~years=1981–1995\|~~
	~~after= [[Dave Spikey]]\|~~
	}}
	~~{{s-end}}~~
	~~{{Authority control}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowen, Jim}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowen, Jim}}

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{{short description|English comedian and television personality}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jim Bowen
| image = File:Jimbowen.jpg
| caption = Bowen in 2008
| birthname = Peter Williams
| other_names = James Brown Whittaker
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1937|8|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Heswall]], [[Cheshire]],{{efn|Part of Merseyside since 1974}} England
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2018|03|14|1937|8|20}}
| death_place = [[Melling-with-Wrayton]], [[Lancashire]], England
| occupation = [[Stand-up comedy|Stand-up]] [[comedian]], [[Television presenter|presenter]], radio presenter, TV personality, actor
| yearsactive = 1971–2014
| television = ''[[Bullseye (British game show)|Bullseye]]'' (1981–1995)<br>''[[The Comedians (1971 TV series)|The Comedians]]'' (1971–1993)
| spouse = {{marriage|Phyllis Owen|1959}}
| children = 2
| website = {{URL|www.jimbowen.tv}}
| module = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
| allegiance = {{Flag|United Kingdom}}
| branch = [[Royal Army Ordnance Corps]]
| serviceyears = 1955–1957
| unit =
| rank = }}
}}

'''James Brown Whittaker'''<ref name="SI">{{cite news |url=https://www.pressreader.com/ireland/sunday-independent-ireland/20180318/284983970258036|title=Former teacher and comic who became the unlikely popular host of Bullseye|newspaper=Sunday Independent Ireland|date=18 March 2018|quote=Adopted by a family at Accrington, east Lancashire, he was renamed James Brown Whittaker and educated at Nelson and Accrington Grammar Schools.}}</ref> (born '''Peter Williams'''; 20 August 1937 – 14 March 2018), known professionally as '''Jim Bowen''', was an English [[stand-up]] comedian, actor and television personality. He was the long-time host of the [[ITV Network|ITV]] game show ''[[Bullseye (British game show)|Bullseye]]'', which he presented from its beginning in 1981 through to the end of its original run in 1995.

In early adulthood Bowen was a teacher and took part in local dramatic groups. He first appeared on television in ''[[The Comedians (1971 TV series)|The Comedians]]'' (1971) and he eventually devoted himself to comedy full-time, appearing in other television shows in the 1970s. After the popular ''Bullseye'', he subsequently worked for various radio stations and toured with stand-up shows. Towards the end of his life he was affected by a number of [[stroke]]s.

==Early life==
Bowen was born in [[Heswall]], [[Wirral Urban District|Wirral]], [[Cheshire]], to an unmarried mother<ref name="HS"/> and was adopted at nine months from an orphanage in Wirral,<ref name="LT">{{cite news|url=http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/13636432.Jim_Bowen_____Why_my_life_is_so_smashing___/|title=Jim Bowen: 'Why my life is so smashing'|date=31 August 2015|newspaper=Lancashire Telegraph|author=Cooke, Diane}}</ref> by a working-class couple,<ref name="HS">{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/16087231.Obituary___Jim_Bowen__comedian_and_presenter_of_Bullseye/|title=Obituary - Jim Bowen, comedian and presenter of Bullseye|newspaper=The Herald|date=15 March 2018}}</ref> Joe Whittaker, a [[World War I]] veteran<ref name="LT"/> and his wife, Annie Whittaker; who were both from [[Clayton-le-Moors]], [[Lancashire]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Right Place, Right Time|first=Jim|last=Bowen|publisher=Carnegie Publishing|page=2|year=2000|isbn=978-1-845-79142-1}}</ref> He grew up in Clayton-le-Moors, just outside [[Accrington]], where Joe was a bricklayer for Accrington's Nori brick factory and Annie worked as a weaver at Atlas Street Mill.<ref name="LT1">{{cite news |url=http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/6160048.My_life_s_super__smashing__great_/|title=My life's super, smashing, great!|date=18 February 1998|newspaper=Lancashire Telegraph}}</ref><ref name="HS"/> He was educated at [[Accrington Grammar School]], but failed all but one of his [[GCE Ordinary Level (United Kingdom)|O-levels]] and subsequently worked as a dustman in [[Burnley]].<ref name=grauniad>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/mar/14/jim-bowen-obituary|title=Jim Bowen obituary|newspaper=The Guardian|date=14 March 2018|access-date=14 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="LT1"/> He later changed his name to James Whittaker.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/jim-bowen-dead-former-bullseye-game-show-host-dies-aged-80-a3789916.html|title=Jim Bowen dead: Former Bullseye game show host dies aged 80|work=London Evening Standard|date=14 March 2018|access-date=14 March 2018}}</ref>

During his [[National Service]], Bowen served in the [[Royal Army Ordnance Corps]] from 1955 to 1957 as an ammunition inspector with the rank of [[Corporal]]. After making a serious error during the [[Suez Crisis]] (which he sent the wrong batch of ammunition to [[Barry Docks]]),<ref name="SI"/> he was sent on a Physical Training course in [[Aldershot]]<ref name="SI"/> to become an instructor, and later became a school Physical Education teacher specialising in gymnastics.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Edworthy|first1=Sarah|title=Sport in my world: Jim Bowen|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/2351941/Sport-in-my-world-Jim-Bowen.html|access-date=14 March 2018|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=8 December 2006}}</ref> He studied at [[Chester Diocesan Training College]], eventually becoming a [[deputy headmaster]] of [[Caton, Lancashire|Caton]] [[Primary School]] near [[Lancaster, Lancashire|Lancaster]].<ref name=grauniad/>

==Television==
While teaching, Bowen became involved with the local dramatic society which kindled his interest in show business. In the 1960s, he worked part-time as a [[stand-up comedy|stand-up comedian]] on the northern [[Working men's club|club]] circuit, balancing his comedy career with his day job as a teacher.<ref name=grauniad/> After having become disillusioned with his teaching career, he was inspired to take up comedy full-time, after seeing [[Ken Dodd]] perform a well-received show in front of 3,500 in Blackpool.<ref name="80th"/> He took his stage name from his wife's maiden name, Owen, adding the initial of his mother's, Brown.<ref name=grauniad/> The advent of [[Granada TV]]’s ''[[The Comedians (1971 TV series)|The Comedians]]'' in 1971 gave him the opportunity to appear on national television, which ultimately helped persuade him to become a full-time entertainer.<ref name="80th"/>

Television opportunities followed, and he made appearances in ''[[Last of the Summer Wine]]'' as a library attendant, and on Granada's ''[[The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club]]''.<ref name=grauniad/> He also starred alongside [[Ray Burdis]], [[John Blundell (actor)|John Blundell]], [[Pauline Quirke]] and the pop group [[Flintlock (musical group)|Flintlock]] in two series of Thames Television's children's sketch show ''You Must Be Joking'' in 1975 and 1976.<ref name="Joking">{{cite web |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b85e3e27f |title=You Must Be Joking |access-date=14 March 2018 |work=BFI}}</ref>

Bowen also appeared in TV dramas and comedies. In 1981 he played "Dad" in the [[Victoria Wood]] television play ''[[Happy Since I Met You]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b723805eb|title = Happy since I Met You (1981)}}</ref> He played a crooked accountant in ITV's 1982 mini-series ''Muck and Brass'', and later guest-starred in BBC1's ''[[Jonathan Creek]]'' and Channel 4's ''[[Phoenix Nights]]'', playing the hotel owner Frank "Hoss" Cartwright. He subsequently appeared in [[Peter Kay]]'s 2005 [[Comic Relief]] video for "[[Is This the Way to Amarillo]]"?<ref name=grauniad/>

===''Bullseye''===
In 1981, Bowen became the presenter of a new ITV [[gameshow]], ''[[Bullseye (British game show)|Bullseye]]'', which mixed general knowledge questions with [[darts]]. The show quickly became a popular feature of ITV's schedules on Sunday early evenings, achieving 15–20 million viewers and at times obtaining higher ratings than prime-time [[soap opera]]s. It ran for fourteen years.<ref name=bbc/><ref>{{cite book|title=Bobby Dazzler: My Story|first=Bobby|last=George|publisher=Hachette UK|page=107|year=2008|isbn=978-1-409-10562-6}}</ref> On the back of his fame, he delivered several speeches at the [[Oxford Union]].<ref name=ou>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/bullseye-jim-scores-again-hes-smashing-lovely-super-and-the-oxford-union-crowd-roared-at-his-40-year-1561392.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220608/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/bullseye-jim-scores-again-hes-smashing-lovely-super-and-the-oxford-union-crowd-roared-at-his-40-year-1561392.html |archive-date=8 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Bullseye! Jim scores again: He's smashing, lovely, super, and the Oxford Union crowd roared at his 40-year-old jokes. But not all the speakers on sex and love went down so well|newspaper=The Independent|date=4 December 1992|access-date=14 March 2018}}</ref>

Bowen was the presenter throughout, along with [[Tony Green]] as the darts commentator, and several of the catchphrases he used on the programme became well-known (though he claimed never to have said "Super, smashing, great").{{efn|At a 1992 Oxford Union address, Bowen was annoyed by a heckler asking him to say "super, smashing great"; he did so and followed it with "does that make you feel better? Yer dick head."<ref name=ou/>}} He would warn contestants that if they gambled and lost, all they would receive was their "BFH: Bus Fare Home". "Keep out of the black and in the red; nothing in this game for two in a bed" referred to how contestants would win a prize by hitting the appropriate part of the dartboard, but would lose the prize if they hit it twice.<ref name=bbc/> He always asked contestants who lost the gamble to "look at what you could have won".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/business/russell-lynch-bullseye-spirit-in-full-effect-for-imf-forecasts-at-davos-a3749431.html|title=Russell Lynch: Bullseye spirit in full effect for IMF forecasts at Davos|work=London Evening Standard|date=25 January 2018|access-date=14 March 2018}}</ref>

==Radio and stage==
[[File:Jim_bowen_2008.jpg|thumb|upright|Bowen at the [[Edinburgh Festival Fringe]] in 2008]]
In 1999, Bowen began presenting on [[BBC Radio Lancashire]] but in 2002, after working there for three years, he resigned after referring to a guest on his show as a "nig-nog". He apologised for the remark almost immediately, and afterwards stated "No racial connotation was ever intended".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/entertainment/tv_and_radio/2307607.stm|title=Comedian Bowen quits over race gaffe|work=BBC News|date=8 October 2002|access-date=14 March 2018}}</ref> On 27 August 2012, Bowen re-united with ''Happy Daft Farm'' co-presenter Sally Naden for a one-off show on the station.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00x1tmg|title=Sally Naden|work=BBC Radio Lancashire|date=27 August 2012|access-date=14 March 2018}}</ref>

Bowen returned to radio in 2009, presenting a mid-morning radio show on 106.6 [[Indigo FM]] in Cumbria.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/mediamonkeyblog/2009/mar/25/jim-bowen-bullseye-radio-dj|title=Next up – Supertramp, smashing, great|newspaper=The Guardian|date=25 March 2009|access-date=14 March 2018}}</ref>

In 2005, Bowen performed a solo show at the [[Edinburgh Festival Fringe]] about ''Bullseye'', called "''You Can't Beat a Bit of Bully''".<ref name="Edinburgh05">{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/edinburgh-fringe-my-favourite-year-883768.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220608/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/edinburgh-fringe-my-favourite-year-883768.html |archive-date=8 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Edinburgh Fringe: My favourite year |access-date=14 March 2018 |work=The Independent|date=23 October 2011 }}</ref> He returned to [[Edinburgh]] in 2006 performing at Jongleurs from 8–28 August.<ref name="Edinburgh06">{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/old-comics-never-die-413227.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220608/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/old-comics-never-die-413227.html |archive-date=8 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Old comics never die... |access-date=14 March 2018 |work=The Independent|date=22 September 2011 }}</ref>

==Personal life==
In 1959, Bowen married his colleague, Phyllis (née Owen).<ref name="HS"/> She supported him throughout his career, driving him to shows, and was by his bedside when he died.<ref name=bbc/><ref name="80th">{{cite web |url=https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/843151/Jim-Bowen-80th-birthday-Bullseye-gameshow-host-teaching-showbiz |title=Jim Bowen's 80th birthday: Gameshow host reveals why he gave up teaching for showbiz |access-date=14 March 2018 |work=Daily Express|date=19 August 2017 }}</ref> The couple lived at [[Melling-with-Wrayton]] near Lancaster.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/691048/TV-presenter-Jim-Bowen-Bullseye-game-show|title='I don't watch much TV' Jim Bowen says he doesn't tune into re-runs of Bullseye|first=Jan|last=Disley|date=19 July 2016|newspaper=Sunday Express |access-date=18 March 2018}}</ref>

They had two children, a boy, Peter and a girl, Susan.<ref name=grauniad/><ref name="HS"/> Bowen was a supporter of [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers Football Club]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/blackburn_rovers/885846.stm|title=Jim Bowen on Jack Walker|work=BBC Sport|date=18 August 2000|access-date=14 March 2018}}</ref>

Bowen previously owned [[Arkholme for Kirkby Lonsdale railway station]], on what is now the [[Leeds–Morecambe line]] between {{stnlnk|Wennington}} and {{stnlnk|Carnforth}} stations. He converted the main station building into a private dwelling.<ref>{{cite book|title=Thankful and Not So Thankful: How the Great War changed three English villages forever|first=Gerard|last=Lees|publisher=Memoirs Publishing|page=12|year=2014|isbn=978-1-861-51273-4}}</ref>

==Health problems and death==
In early 2011, it was announced that Bowen was recovering in the [[Royal Lancaster Infirmary]], after having suffered two mild [[stroke]]s. He had suffered the first stroke on 18 February and the second whilst in hospital.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-12540642|title=Comedian Jim Bowen recovering from mild strokes|work=BBC News|date=22 February 2011|access-date=14 March 2018}}</ref> Before his two strokes, Bowen performed on cruise liners and gave corporate [[after-dinner speech]]es. By 2012, he was recovering and regaining some mobility once more, and even started performing his stage show "You Can't Beat a Bit of Bully", but suffered a third stroke in November 2014, which left him struggling to walk and talk.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/23/jim-bowen-stroke-bullseye_n_8026642.html|title=Jim Bowen, Former 'Bullseye' Host, Struggling To Walk And Talk After Suffering Third Stroke|work=The Huffington Post|date=23 August 2015}}</ref> He died at home on 14 March 2018, aged 80.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-43403178|title=Jim Bowen: Former Bullseye host and comedian dies at 80|work=BBC News|date=14 March 2018|access-date=14 March 2018}}</ref><ref name=grauniad/>

==Stand-up DVDs==
*''Live'' (15 March 1993)
*''You Can't Tell These Anymore!'' (1 December 2003)

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*{{Commonscat-inline}}
*{{Official|http://www.jimbowen.tv}}
* [http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba4a9bc37 Jim Bowen] at the [[British Film Institute]]
* {{IMDb name|id=0100855|name=Jim Bowen}}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box |
before=None|
title=Host of ''[[Bullseye (British game show)|Bullseye]]''|
years=1981–1995|
after= [[Dave Spikey]]|
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowen, Jim}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Cheshire]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Chester]]
[[Category:English adoptees]]
[[Category:English game show hosts]]
[[Category:Schoolteachers from Lancashire]]
[[Category:English television presenters]]
[[Category:People educated at Accrington Grammar School]]
[[Category:People from Heswall]]
[[Category:Royal Army Ordnance Corps soldiers]]
[[Category:20th-century British Army personnel]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Suez Crisis]]

Jim Bowen - Revision history

Kurt at 17:08, 20 February 2023

Kurt: 1 revision imported

en>Discospinster: Reverted edits by 77.99.228.232 (talk) (HG) (3.4.10)