Geoffrey McGivern

Actor · Born January 1, 1952 (74) · Battersea, London, England, UK

Geoffrey M. McGivern is a British actor in film, television, radio and stage, as well as a comedian. He is best known for originating the role of Ford Prefect in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He played Ford Prefect in the radio series (1978–80) and subsequent LP releases of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams whom he knew from Cambridge University, and reprised the role for the four new series broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 2004 and 2018. A more recent radio broadcast was in The Ape That Got Lucky and he has appeared in TV shows such as Noel's House Party, Press Gang, Chef!, Big Train, Blackadder the Third ("Dish and Dishonesty") as Ivor Biggun, Chelmsford 123, Jonathan Creek, 15 Storeys High, Armstrong and Miller, Toast of London and series three of Peep Show. McGivern appeared in the first series of the comedy show Big Train in 1998, and later that year for the 1998 radio SciFi drama Paradise Lost in Cyberspace (Colin Swash, BBC) McGivern teamed up with old Hitchhiker's colleague Stephen Moore and Lorelei King (member of cast in the 2005 Hitchhiker's radio show sequel). He later played the Supreme Ruler in BBC2's sci-fi comedy Hyperdrive (2006–2007). In 2007, he appeared in the BBC Radio 4 comedy Peacefully in their Sleeps and in 2008 he appeared as Professor John Mycroft in the BBC2 science sitcom Lab Rats and in the 2008 BBC series Little Dorrit where he played Mr Rugg. He also appeared in episode 5 of series 3 of the TV series A Bit of Fry and Laurie. In 2015, he guest-starred in EastEnders as Dickie Ticker, the crude comic brought in by Mick Carter for Kush Kazemi's stag night. In 2016, he appeared in four episodes of the Disney Channel musical drama The Lodge, as Patrick. McGivern played the narrator Charlie Swinburne in the BBC Radio's 2013 six part dramatisation of G. K. Chesterton's The Club of Queer Trades. In 2017, he appeared in the Channel 4 sitcom Back, written by Simon Blackwell, alongside David Mitchell and Robert Webb. Later that year, he began portraying the recurring role of Frank in the Netflix series Free Rein. Since 2019, he has appeared as recurring character Barclay Beg-Chetwynde in the BBC comedy Ghosts. In 2022, he appeared as the main character Russ, in Radio 4 comedy No-Platformed. The show's episode guide contains a humorous note about McGivern's extensive credit list, by starting a list of his credits and then adding "oh, hundreds of things". In 2024, he appeared as recurring character Lord Rookwood in the Apple TV+ series The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin.

Biography from TMDB.

Born: January 1, 1952 (74)
From: Battersea, London, England, UK
Works as: Actor
Titles: 42 on MovieCove · 77 credits in all
Links: IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 65 days to Oct 28Down 18% in 30 days

What are Geoffrey McGivern's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Themes

share of theme weight

Self

27%

Bonds

24%

Morality

23%

Ideas

11%

Survival

10%

Power

Friendship4 Deception3 Identity3 Truth3 Purpose3 Family bonds3 Justice2 Survival2

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Tricksteras Barry Opper in Jonathan Creek (1997)

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense

Absurd

Warm

Dread

Joyful

Other

How their films linger

Fun5 Unsettling4 Thought-provoking5 Feel-good2 Cozy2 Bittersweet2

How their films end · 2 with a twist

Happy2
Bittersweet3
Tragic1
Ambiguous4
Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Geoffrey McGivern's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 34 of their 42 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (14).

Also on these channels

Acorn TV3 titles, show their 3 titles on Acorn TV
Shout! TV2 titles, show their 2 titles on Shout! TV
Best of British Television1 title, show their title on Best of British Television
Fox Nation1 title, show their title on Fox Nation
OUTtv1 title, show their title on OUTtv
PBS Masterpiece1 title, show their title on PBS Masterpiece
Qello Concerts1 title, show their title on Qello Concerts
Sundance Now1 title, show their title on Sundance Now
Wonder Project1 title, show their title on Wonder Project

Subscription and free streaming for Geoffrey McGivern's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

77 credits, 42 with a MovieCove page.

The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin(2024)
Show 4 episodes · as Lord Rookwood
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all shows
Sister Boniface Mysteries(2022)
Show 1 episode · as Malise Bonham Crane
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows
The Larkins(2021)
Show 1 episode · as Station Master Fox
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all shows
Stardust(2020)
as Mr Jones
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
Semi-Detached (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
Show 6 episodes · as Barry
Quiz(2020)
Show 2 episodes · as Lieutenant Colonel Village
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows
Ghosts(2019)
Show 5 episodes · as Barclay · as Barclay Beg-Chetwynde
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
This Time with Alan Partridge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Show 1 episode · as Old Lady
Cold Call(2019)
Show as Simon Zima
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all shows
Tower-D (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
as Alexander
Back(2017)
Show 6 episodes · as Uncle Geoff
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows
Quacks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
Show 6 episodes · as The Pub Landlord
The Ghoul(2016)
as Morland
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Decline and Fall(2017)
Show 1 episode · as Mr Wilson
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows
Free Rein(2017)
Show as Frank
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows
Upstart Crow(2016)
Show 1 episode · as Sir Thomas
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows
Here Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
as Des
Together(2015)
Show 1 episode · as Douglas the Neighbour
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all shows
Roald Dahl's Esio Trot(2015)
as Shop Keeper
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Grantchester(2014)
Show 2 episodes · as Archdeacon
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows
Outlander(2014)
Show 1 episode · as Dr. Simms
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows
Siblings(2014)
Show 1 episode · as Frank
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all shows
Vicious(2013)
Show 1 episode · as Antonio St Alexis
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows
Plebs(2013)
Show 1 episode · as Simeon
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows
The Mimic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Show 3 episodes · as Kingsley
Blandings(2013)
Show 1 episode · as Sir Roderick Glossop
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows
A Young Doctor's Notebook & Other Stories(2012)
Show 1 episode · as Pharmacist
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows
A Touch of Cloth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Show 2 episodes · as Andy Preacherman
Dead Boss(2012)
Show as Tony
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows
Holy Flying Circus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
as Dog Walker /Petitioner /Man Whose Wife Malcolm Muggeridge Said Made a Lovely Breakfast
Episodes(2011)
Show 1 episode · as Bob
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows
Dark Matters: Twisted But True(2011)
Show as Dr. Cameron
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
This Is Jinsy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Show 16 episodes · as Trince
Little Dorrit(2008)
Show 14 episodes · as Rugg
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Lab Rats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Show 6 episodes · as Professor John Mycroft
Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley(2008)
as Dartford Returning Officer
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Hancock & Joan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
as Billy Marsh
Half Broken Things (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
as Jack
Magicians (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
as Magic Shop Manager
Benidorm(2007)
Show 2 episodes · as Beverley Westwood
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows
Hyperdrive(2006)
Show 2 episodes · as Supreme Ruler
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all shows
The Worst Week of My Life(2004)
Show 1 episode · as Santa
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows
Doctors and Nurses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Show 4 episodes · as Walt
Peep Show(2003)
Show 1 episode · as Gerard
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
Blackball(2003)
as Brian Cronk
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
15 Storeys High (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Show 1 episode · as Neville · as Sergeant Hamilton
Look Around You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Show 1 episode · as Schoolmaster
Thunderpants(2002)
as Metallurgist
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
Onegin(1999)
as Andrey Petrovitch
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Big Train (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
Show 1 episode · as Policeman
In the Red (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
Show 1 episode · as Clarence Twist
Stressed Eric (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
Show 13 episodes · Actor
Jonathan Creek(1997)
Show 4 episodes · as Barry Opper
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
Gobble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
as Geoffrey Lester
Annie's Bar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Show 10 episodes · as Stiggy Bedford-Bounds
The Young Americans(1993)
as Brian Carver
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
Chef!(1993)
Show 7 episodes · as Bank Manager
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows
Eye of the Storm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Show 1 episode · as Customs Officers
Joking Apart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Show 1 episode · as Dave
In Dreams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
as Journalist/Emperor
Absolutely Fabulous(1992)
Show 1 episode · as Customs Officer
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows
Heartbeat(1992)
Show 1 episode · as Denzil Arcourt · as Harry
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows
Murder Most Horrid(1991)
Show 1 episode · as Guy · as Mason · as Security Man
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows
Lazarus and Dingwall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Show 1 episode · as Film Director
Rita Rudner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Show 6 episodes · Actor
Drop the Dead Donkey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Show 1 episode · as Geoff · as Repeat introductions (voice) (uncredited) · as TV Announcer · as Voice Over (voice)
Ben Elton: The Man from Auntie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Show 12 episodes · Actor
Birds of a Feather(1989)
Show 1 episode · as Mr Blair
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all shows
Wilt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
as Mr. Yeo
Alas Sage & Onion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Actor
Chelmsford 123 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Show 5 episodes · as Blind Man · as Wolfbane
A Bit of Fry and Laurie(1987)
Show as Mr. Tollerby
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows
Noel's Christmas Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Show 1 episode · Actor
Mr Pye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Show 1 episode · as Harry Portiner
Mr. Pye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
as Harry Portiner
The Black Adder(1983)
Show 1 episode · as Ivor Biggun
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
Cambridge University 1974 Footlights Revue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
as Various

Career shape

Star power in the 88^th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 72 titles from 1974 to 2024; peak year 2016.

Biggest box office

The Ghoul (2016)

$18K worldwide

Highest rated

A Bit of Fry and Laurie (1987)

Midcredits 94^th

Film career

19742024

Peak 2016 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

1989Screen debut· Wilt
2008Career best· Little Dorrit
2017Career best· The Ghoul

By role

only this rolewith another role

Acting72 of 72 · 67^th

By decade

1970s1 · acting1980s8 · acting1990s19 · acting2000s15 · acting2010s23 · acting2020s6 · acting

Billing

usually 14th · top billed in 0% of 10 roles

8904

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Who does Geoffrey McGivern work with?

People who share at least 2 of Geoffrey McGivern's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ben Palmer shares the most, 2.