Barbara Joy Flynn (born Barbara Joy McMurray, 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 adoptive 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".

Personal life Flynn was born as Barbara Joy McMurray, in St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex. Her Irish father, Dr James McMurray, was a pathologist. Her mother was Joy (or Joyce) Crawford Hurst. Flynn attended St Mary's Convent School, Hastings. She then trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (where she was awarded the Gold Medal in 1968) before appearing in repertory theatre.

Flynn married television producer and science writer Jeremy Taylor in 1982. The couple had a son, born in 1990. Taylor died on 17 July 2017.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1982Britannia HospitalPrivate Nurse1990Quick ChangeHostage1999You're DeadProfessor CornerThe EscortKim's Mother2006Miss PotterHelen Potter2009Burlesque FairytalesMrs. Argyle2012Cheerful Weather for the WeddingAunt Bella2014Lady Camdon

Television Year Title Role Notes1970–1972Freda MacKenzie (née Ashton)Main role, 40 episodes1972Thirty Minutes WorthVarious charactersEpisode: "1.6"Z-CarsJane WardleEpisode: "Old Acquaintance"1975Centre PlayAngieEpisode: "The Flight Fund"1976CouplesSally MackworthEpisodes: "1.58", "1.59", "1.60"ITV Sunday Night DramaBerylEpisode: "Afternoon Dancing"1977Murder Most English: A Flaxborough ChroniclePauline SuttonEpisode: "The Flaxborough Crab: Part 2"1977, 1981, 1982Play for TodayMonica Potter, Margaret Hanson, JillEpisodes: "Love on a Gunboat", "No Visible Scar", "A Mother Like Him"1980Keep It in the FamilyMarleneEpisode: "Phoney Business"BBC2 PlayhouseHeatherEpisode: "Standing in for Henry"1981Second ChanceSarah FletcherEpisode: "October"SueEpisode: "Absolute Zero: Part 2"MayburyDorothy KempEpisodes: "Mary", "Hugo"The Last SongShirley6 episodesSandyEpisode: "Protection"1981–1982, 1985Open All HoursThe Milk WomanGuest role (series 2–4), 11 episodes1982The Further Adventures of Lucky JimJoanna LassiterEpisodes: "The Big Smoke", "A Foot in the Door", "Scoop", "The Ties That Bind"Mary BoldMiniseries, 6 episodes1985Jill SwinburneMiniseries, 6 episodes1986Day To RememberJudyTV filmSeason's GreetingsBelindaTV film1986–1988Dr. Rose MarieMain role, 14 episodes1987Jill SwinburneMiniseries, 2 episodesInspector MorseMonica HeightEpisode: "The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn"1988Jill SwinburneMiniseries, 4 episodes1989Theatre NightJaneEpisode: "Benefactors"1990Eleanor GoodchildEpisodes: "The Lady from Rome: Parts 1–3"1991Joshua JonesFiona Cashmore, Dakasha Karia, Daphne Peacock, Additional voices12 episodes1992BoonSheila GreenEpisode: "Queen's Gambit"1993MaigretMadame MaigretEpisodes: "Maigret on the Defensive", "Maigret's Boyhood Friend", "Maigret and the Minister"1993–1995CrackerJudith FitzgeraldMain role, 20 episodes1994Chandler & CoDee Chandler TateMain role, 6 episodes1997Scene(unknown)Episode: "A Man of Letters"Ms. JeffriesTV film1998Dear NobodyChris's MotherTV filmPerformanceGonerilEpisode: "King Lear"1999Wives and DaughtersMiss BrowningMiniseries, 4 episodes2000Lorna DooneSarah RiddTV film2001PerfectImogenTV film2002Eleanor KimbroughTV filmNight FlightMoiraTV filmEmily ForsyteRegular role, 6 episodes2003Hornblower: LoyaltyMrs. MasonTV filmMurder in MindGrace FisherEpisode: "Stalkers"Sweet MedicineJane FramptonEpisode: "1.3"Hornblower: DutyMrs. MasonTV film2004Maureen FinneganEpisode: "If Wishes Were Horses"PoirotMrs. AllertonEpisode: "Death on the Nile"He Knew He Was RightMrs. FrenchMiniseries, 3 episodes2005Sea of SoulsLt. Col. Petra SummersEpisodes: "Omen: Parts 1 & 2"Malice AforethoughtJulia BickleighTV filmElizabeth IMary, Queen of ScotsMiniseries, 2 episodes2006Sally TipperEpisode: "To Whom Do You Beautifully Belong"CrackerJudith FitzgeraldTV special of the main TV series2007Dalziel and PascoeNarrator of TV DocumentaryEpisode: "Project Aphrodite: Part 1" (uncredited role)Eileen DallaglioTV filmChristmas at the RivieraRitaTV film2007–2009CranfordMrs. JamiesonMain role, 8 episodes200810 Days to WarClare ShortMiniseries, Episode: "These Things Are Always Chaos"Doctor Who: The Eighth Doctor AdventuresCroc Trooper / Sister Chalice (voice)Episode: "The Skull of Sobek"2009New TricksCarole MilburnEpisode: "Blood Is Thicker Than Water"Queen Elizabeth IIEpisode: "The Enemy Within"2011Silent WitnessCarol FisherEpisodes: "Lost: Parts 1 & 2"Midsomer MurdersMillie BullardEpisode: "The Oblong Murders"Just HenryMrs. BeaumontTV film2012IsabellaEpisode: "The Choice"2013Moving OnCarolEpisode: "The Shrine"Pat & CabbagePatMain role, 6 episodes20141864Queen VictoriaEpisode: "1.3"2016–2019Aunt Hermione5 episodes2019Killing EveJuliaEpisode: "Do You Know How to Dispose of a Body?"2020Death in ParadisePatti GrensonEpisode: "A Murder in Portrait"2020–2022Kate & KojiCouncillor Lavinia BoneMain role, 10 episodes2021Doctor WhoAwsok / TecteunEpisodes: "Once, Upon Time", "Survivors of the Flux"2022Doctor Who: The Fifth Doctor AdventuresProfessor Vansom (voice)Episode: "Secrets of Telos"2023–presentBeyond ParadiseAnne LloydMain role, 20 episodes

Narration In addition to her acting work, Flynn has provided voice-overs for numerous TV documentaries, including:

Body Styles (1989) Time of Her Life (1993) Network First (1 episode; 1997) The Lost Gardens of Heligan (1997) The Real... (1 episode; 1999) The Man Who Would be Kubrick (1999) Deaf Century (3 episodes; 1999) The 1900 House (1999) Horizon (8 episodes, 1999–2008) When Pat Phoenix Met Tony Booth (2002) Rosalind Franklin: DNA's Dark Lady (2003) The 50s and 60s in Living Colour (2003) George Orwell: A Life in Pictures (2003) Diana Mosley: Adolf, Oswald and Me (2003) Your Life in Their Hands (1 episode; 2004) From Here to Paternity (2004) The Monastery (2005) The Ghost in Your Genes (2005) Timeshift (2 episodes; 2005) The Queen's Castle (2005) You Don't Know You're Born (3 episodes; 2007) There's Something About... Morse (2007) Queen Camilla (2007) Guarding the Queen (2007) The Restaurant (1 episode; 2008) The Lion Cub from Harrods (2009) Cutting Edge (1 episode; 2010) Big Fat Gypsy Weddings (14 episodes; 2011–2013) Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies (2 episodes; 2012) Hillsborough: The Search for the Truth (2012) The Flying Scotsman: A Rail Romance (2013) The Planners (8 episodes; 2013) Permission Impossible: Britain's Planners (8 episodes; 2014) Countdown to Murder (8 episodes; 2021) 1978: The Winter of Discontent (2022) Diana: the Curse of the Spencers (2022) The Kardashians: Billion Dollar Dynasty (2 episodes; 2023) Morse and the Last Endeavour (2023)

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2020 The Waylanders (voice)

Theatre work Flynn appeared in the Birmingham Repertory Theatre production of Pythagoras in 1976. This was a new play by Danny Abse. In 2016, she appeared in the world premiere production of Elegy at the Donmar Warehouse.

References

External links

Barbara Flynn at Curtis Brown