
Barbara Flynn
Department: Acting
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"
Known For

Miss Potter
2006

The 7/7 Bombers: A Psychological Investigation
2005

The Escort
1999

Christmas at the Riviera
2007

Dear Nobody
1998

Cheerful Weather for the Wedding
2012

Just Henry
2011

Diana: The Curse of the Spencers
2022

King Lear
1998

The Christmas Candle
2013

Benefactors
1989

The Flying Scotsman: A Rail Romance
2013

Hornblower: Loyalty
2003

You're Dead...
1999

Season's Greetings
1986

Rosalind Franklin: DNA's Dark Lady
2003

Lorna Doone
2001

The Man Who Would Be Kubrick
1999

Day To Remember
1986

The Flight Fund
1975

Hornblower: Duty
2003

1978: The Winter of Discontent
2022

George Orwell: A Life In Pictures
2003

Burlesque Fairytales
2010

The Marchioness Disaster
2008

Night Flight
2002

Cracker: Nine Eleven
2006

Love on a Gunboat
1977

The Vanishing Man
1997

No Visible Scar
1981

A Mother Like Him
1982

Britannia Hospital
1982

Standing in for Henry
1980

Bosses From Hell
1989

A Lion Called Christian
2009

Cracker
1993

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
2002

Death in Paradise
2011

Inspector Morse
1987

Joshua Jones
1991

The Beiderbecke Connection
1988

The Beiderbecke Tapes
1987

The Beiderbecke Affair
1985

Malice Aforethought
2005

Wives and Daughters
1999

Pat & Cabbage
2013

The Barchester Chronicles
1982

Cranford
2007

The Forsyte Saga
2002

Maigret
1992

Hornblower
1998

Cracker
1993

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding
2010

The Queen
2009

The Queen's Castle
2005

Performance
1991

Moving On
2009

Doctor Who
2005

1864
2014

Perfect
2001

Sea of Souls
2004

The New Adventures of Lucky Jim
1982

The Line of Beauty
2006

Elizabeth I
2005

Cracker
1993

Lorna Doone
2000

He Knew He Was Right
2004

Play for Today
1970

Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies
2012

Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
2011

Agatha Christie's Poirot
1989

Killing Eve
2018

Beyond Paradise
2023

Play for Today
1970

Play for Today
1970

The Durrells
2016

Murder in Mind
2001

Playhouse
1974

A Very Peculiar Practice
1986

Murder Most English: A Flaxborough Chronicle
1977

Silent Witness
1996

Secrets of the Royals: Births, Marriages and Deaths
2025

A Family at War
1970

A Family at War
1970

Chandler & Co
1994

The Vanishing Man
1997

The Forsyte Saga
2002

Open All Hours
1976

Centre Play
1973

The Borgias
2011

Guarding The Queen
2007