Paul's first entry into the medium of television was in an episode of Dixon of Dock Green, "The Rotten Apple" (1955), in which he played a crooked constable with a strange West Country accent, being ordered by Jack Warner's Dixon to remove his jacket so that he can be arrested as a civilian.  "There's nothing in the world worse than a rotten copper!  It's the lowest thing on Gawd's earth!"  

Paul was then to play many minor roles in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955-59), eventually getting to play Will Scarlett in the final series. 

1960’s

In 1963 Paul was in The Spread of the Eagle with Peter Cushing.

ITC, the producers of The Adventures of Robin Hood, moved into contemporary action in the 1960’s, and so Paul with Sheffield Rep colleague Patrick McGoohan appeared in both Danger Man/Secret Agent, "I'm Afraid You Have The Wrong Number" (1965), and the first episode of The Prisoner, "Arrival" (1967), plus The Champions, "Autokill" (1968). 

In 1968, he was in the original production of Alan Bennett's Forty Years On, with Sir John Gielgud and Bennett himself; he was to later take over Gielgud's role in the highly praised 1984 revival.

One of Paul’s few film roles was in the Hammer production The Devil Rides Out/The Devil's Bride (1968, with Leon Greene and Peter Swanwick).

1970’s

There were regular support roles in Hine (1971) which he described as "a distinctly unthrilling thriller" and Special Branch (1971-74), a standard police series in which he played “a high-powered, toffee-nosed civil servant".

Then came The Good Life (BBC, 1975-78), with Richard Briers, Penelope Keith and Felicity Kendall, a very popular comedy, Paul playing the husband of the snobbish neigbours.  In the US another sitcom of the same name (with Larry Hagman) existed, so it was retitled Good Neighbors.

1980’s

In 1980, Paul was to take the part of the well meaning, but gormless politician Jim Hacker, who was constantly out-smarted by his smooth talking civil servant played by Nigel Hawthorne, in Yes Minister (BBC, 1980-84).  The comic timing was brilliant, and the depiction of political buck-passing was incredibly accurate. A special, "Party Games" (1984), ended with the immortal words, ‘Yes Prime Minister’, which was to become the title of the next series (1986-88).

Margaret Thatcher, who was a fan of the series and of his role in that series, awarded Paul the honour of Commander of the British Empire in 1987.  

1990’s

Paul’s next role was the part of Richard in the controversial mini-series, The Camomile Lawn (1992).

In 1994 he made his last West End appearance with Richard Briers as two mental patients in the tragic comedy Home when he already knew he was dying.

Early 1995 saw the release of his autobiography So Far, So Good.

However since the early 1970's, Paul had been bravely and secretly battling a rare form of skin cancer, which now became disfiguring and cut short his life and career on the 4^th November 1995 age 68.  Paul had only made known his condition the previous year when tabloid newspapers had suggested that he had Aids.

Just before his death Paul had given an interview in the BBC’s Face to Face series in which he supplied his own epitaph, "He did very little harm."

Paul was married to Patricia Scott and together they had four children (3 sons and a daughter).

(M.S.)

Sources: -

Friends remember good life and times of Paul Eddington by Rob Scully, The Telegraph, March 1st 1996.    

Associated Press (1995)

www.theavengersforever.co.uk (Gavin Gaughan)