Cast
The title role, a chirpy cockney petty criminal newly out of prison, was played by former pop singer Adam Faith and was his first starring role for television. His name in the series was Ronald 'Budgie' Bird, after the budgerigar birds sometimes kept as pets in England, and generally known in the USA as parakeets.
The series co-starred Iain Cuthbertson as Charles (Charlie) Endell, a suave and Machiavellian Glaswegian gangster based in London, who employed Budgie, often against his better judgement, or when he was in need of an unsuspecting fall guy. June Lewis played his silent wife Mrs Endell. During the late 1970s, Scottish Television produced a short-lived spin-off series, 'Charlie Endell Esquire'.
The only other regular member of the cast was Lynn Dalby as Budgie's girlfriend, Hazel Fletcher, Stella Tanner had a semi regular role as her mother, Mrs Fletcher. Rio Fanning appeared three times as Budgies gullible criminal Irish pal, Grogan. Guest Stars included Georgina Hale as his wife, Jean and George Tovey as his father, Jack Bird. John Rhys-Davies (later of Sliders) has an early semi regular role as a corpulent gangster working for Endell, with the colourful name of Laughing Spam Fritter.
Read more about this topic: Budgie (TV series)
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