Misplaced Pages

#869130

62-480: Matthew , Matt or Mat Robinson may refer to: Arts and entertainment [ edit ] Matt Robinson (actor) (1937–2002), American actor Matthew Robinson (producer) (born 1944), British-Cambodian television director and producer Matt Robinson (poet) (born 1974), Canadian poet Matthew Robinson (writer) (born 1978), American writer and director Matt Robinson ( Neighbours ) (fl. 1989–1991), character in

124-414: A brief stretch, 1972 to 1974. Unlike Matt Robinson, Miller didn't sport a moustache , and he was slightly heavier set. Roscoe Orman became the third Gordon in 1974, a role he kept until 2016. "The kids who were on the show that first season would not accept me as Gordon," Orman remarked. "One day there's Hal [Miller] as Gordon and the next day there's this new guy who says he's Gordon...the kids, both on

186-518: A difficult time casting Gordon. And the people overseeing the taping up in the booth, peering at the monitors, kept saying, 'Matt knows what to do. He should be Gordon.'” Robinson remained with Sesame Street until 1972. In total four actors have played Gordon. In addition to Robinson, Roscoe Orman , Garrett Saunders, and Hal Miller have filled the role. Each actor's tenure is not exactly clear with some sources citing Roscoe Orman beginning in 1974 and others in 1973. Later, when Gordon and Susan needed

248-461: A difficult time casting Gordon. And the people overseeing the taping up in the booth, peering at the monitors, kept saying, ‘Matt knows what to do. He should be the Gordon.’" He ultimately resigned from the role in 1972. In early episodes, it was often Gordon introducing and concluding the program. Loretta Long was chosen to play the lead role of Susan. Her prior experience included hosting Soul! ,

310-459: A director, puppeteered Grover, Bert, and Cookie Monster occasionally until 2012 ( Eric Jacobson and David Rudman have largely taken over his respective characters); and Caroll Spinney retired in 2018 and died in 2019, thus handing over the role of Big Bird to Matt Vogel , and Oscar the Grouch to Jacobson. On July 28, 2016, it was announced that Gordon (along with Bob and Luis) would be dropped from

372-408: A girl named Sally around Sesame Street, to get acquainted with everyone and everything in her new neighborhood. From its inception, Sesame Street has been highly scrutinized by critics of all kinds. While it was specially conceived to represent racial harmony, as suggested by followers of Dr. King, the "second-wave" feminist movement had not yet risen to prominence. Cynthia Eaton and Susan Chase of

434-550: A locally produced children's show where a small human cast interacted with puppets in a radio and newspaper office. Other post- Sesame Street work included writing episodes for Sanford and Son , The Waltons and Eight Is Enough , and writing and producing for CBS 's children's series Captain Kangaroo . In 1983, Robinson joined the crew of NBC 's The Cosby Show as a producer and writer. The family sitcom, which aired from 1984 for eight seasons until 1992, revolved around

496-506: A nurse during the show's second season, and by introducing Gordon's sister, Olivia, in 1976. Actors were selected for the roles of Gordon, Susan, Bob, and Mr. Hooper by an audience of children who had watched videotaped performances. While some shows replace actors appearing in pilot episodes due to audience involvement, casting control this early on was and is unusual. In a series of test pilots, Garrett Saunders played Gordon; records of his appearance were lost by producers, and his identity

558-604: A party to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Miles' adoption, in which the event was reenacted with Big Bird as Gordon, Snuffy as Susan, and Elmo as the adoption agent. Lee and Dorothy came back for another visit in episode 2820 (season 22), in which the short-lived character Preston Rabbit, was also a guest at the Robinson's apartment. In episode 3578 (season 28), Gordon's parents, Bill (Helmar Augustus Cooper) and Sarah ( Theresa Merritt ), had come over for their 45th wedding anniversary party. Other relatives of Gordon's invited to

620-437: A passion for rhyming and blues music. By both creating the character and performing Franklin's voice for three seasons, Robinson helped his puppet become one of the show's main characters. In addition, Franklin continued to make appearances until 1975. The puppet was pulled from the show because a negative perception of the character among African Americans began to grow. This resulted from Franklin's frequently unruly behavior at

682-671: A postal worker and one of the first African American columnists for The Philadelphia Independent newspaper, while his mother worked as an elementary-school teacher. Robinson attended West Philadelphia High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before going on to Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania, and graduating in 1958 with a degree from the College of the Liberal Arts and Sciences. While at Penn State, Robinson

SECTION 10

#1733093487870

744-483: A series should feature a male lead, to "provide continuity from one segment to another, establish the tone, and function, subtly, as the master teacher." A male teacher would both encourage kids to emulate an intelligent adult, and "defeminize the early learning atmosphere." The decision to create such a character was backed up by research in the US government study The Negro Family: The Case for National Action . Known better as

806-406: A single character, The Year of Roosevelt Franklin (Gordon's Friend from Sesame Street). Released in 1971, and then re-released in 1974 under the name My Name is Roosevelt Franklin , the album dealt with many appropriate behaviors for children; aside from basic topics such as numbers and letters, it also touched on traffic safety, sharing and getting along with others. All tracks were co-written with

868-415: A surname, Robinson's was used in tribute. Robinson wrote one of the first Sesame Street -themed storybooks in 1972, titled Gordon of Sesame Street's Storybook . It was composed of four of his originally written children stories, "No More Milk", "Fisher-Man", "Fire-Man," and "A Lot of Hot Water". The cover has a Gordon Robinson caricature reading to different children. While with CTW, Robinson also played

930-644: A television series to "give the disadvantaged child a fair chance at the beginning," as co-creator Joan Ganz Cooney wrote in the 1967 study The Potential Uses of Television in Preschool Education. Especially before the inclusion of the Muppets in Street scenes, Sesame Street was centered on Gordon and Susan. As per suggested by Harvard psychologist Jerome Kagan , Cooney advised in The Potential Uses that

992-675: A variety series on NET (later PBS ). Initially, she was a supply teacher for schools in the Bronx area, which reportedly surprised and confused many young students. Long earned her doctorate in Urban Education in 1973 from the University of Massachusetts Amherst , during the show's fourth season. Because she had grown up on a farm in Michigan, the show's writers established that Susan had as well. Sesame Street ’s first episode centers on Gordon taking

1054-488: A weekly televised employment service oriented toward African Americans. By televising job opportunities, Opportunity in Philadelphia sought to allay the apprehension many minorities felt when looking for work. Robinson established his talent at WCAU, ultimately leading to future successes as a producer and actor. Robinson's television breakthrough came in 1969 when he joined the Children's Television Workshop (CTW) to assist in

1116-472: Is a one-man play that focuses on Lincoln Perry , who was a popular black comic character in 1930s films but soon came under fire by civil rights advocates. The play was meant as a call to history as well as a discussion forum for reflection on Perry's life story as one of America's first black movie stars. Matt and his wife Dolores had two children, Matthew Thomas Robinson III and Holly Elizabeth Robinson (born September 18, 1964), before divorcing. Robinson

1178-518: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Matt Robinson (actor) Matthew Thomas Robinson Jr. (January 1, 1937 – August 5, 2002) was an American actor, writer and television producer. Robinson was the first actor to portray the character of Gordon Robinson on the PBS children's TV program Sesame Street . When Sesame Street began in 1969, not only did Robinson play Gordon, but he also provided

1240-423: Is still a regular, working at Hooper's Store with Alan. Gordon, Susan, and Mr. Hooper were all turned into Little People toy figures in 1975, nearly the only toys ever created of the human characters of Sesame Street (a Mr. Noodle doll was created in the early 2000s). Gordon and Susan, as well as other humans on the series have been included in various books, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s. During

1302-536: The National Organization for Women studied the series, in particular male and female interaction. It insisted that the program marginalized women and their role in society. "After they presented their observations and concerns about our institutionalizing stereotypes, Jon Stone said, 'Well, let's give Susan a career.'" He was the primary director for the show. She became a public health nurse, who would run immunization clinics on Sesame Street . Gordon also

SECTION 20

#1733093487870

1364-1580: The Australian soap opera Neighbours Matthew Lee Robinson (fl. 2000s–present) Australian actor, singer and composer Matthew Robinson (fl. 2020s), artistic director of the National Dance Company Wales Sportspeople [ edit ] Association football [ edit ] Matt Robinson (footballer, born 1907) (1907–1987), English football player for Manchester United Matthew Robinson (footballer, born 1974) , English football player Matthew Robinson (footballer, born 1984) , English football player Matt Robinson (footballer, born 1993) , English football player for Dagenham & Redbridge Other sports [ edit ] Mack Robinson (athlete) (Matthew MacKenzie Robinson, 1914–2000), American track and field athlete Matt Robinson (American football) (born 1956), American NFL football player Matthew Robinson (rugby player) (born 1973), Wales international rugby union player Matthew Robinson (snowboarder) (1985–2014), Australian Paralympic snowboarder Mat Robinson (born 1986), Canadian ice hockey player Matt Robinson (rugby league) (born 1990), New Zealand rugby league player Others [ edit ] Matthew Robinson, 2nd Baron Rokeby (1712–1800), English noble Matthew Barnett Robinson (born 1970), American criminologist Matthew Robinson (priest) , English cleric, Anglican divine, and physician [REDACTED] Topics referred to by

1426-563: The Center for Parkinson's Research and Movement Disorders at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California , the HollyRod Foundation is able to provide low or no-cost treatment as well as various services to the underserved in greater Los Angeles. His son Matt also developed Parkinson's. Robinson died in his sleep at his Los Angeles home on Monday, August 5, 2002, at

1488-697: The Dynamics of Television on the Education of Young Children", "Cultural Diversity: The Sesame Street Method", "Happy Birthday Sesame Street: A Twenty-Five-Year Retrospective", "Mother the First Teacher and Home the First School", "Sesame Street: The Second Generation", "Sesame Street: A Space-Age Approach to Education for Space-Aged Children", "Susan of Sesame Street Sing-Along", "The ABC's of African-American History", and "Why Didn't Someone Tell Me? A Talk About Teaching in

1550-477: The Inner City". In his memoirs, Orman recalls a meet-and-greet in the mid-1980s, after performing for an audience of 500 in a Topeka, Kansas college auditorium. One little girl, who Orman estimates was aged seven or eight, approached him for a hug, a regular occurrence. He noticed her hug, wrapping around his neck, was "unusually ardent, [with an] almost desperate quality of…embrace". Orman later discovered that he

1612-701: The Moynihan report, Assistant Secretary of Labor Daniel Patrick Moynihan suggested "the Negro community has been forced into a matriarchal structure which, because it is so out of line with the rest of the American society, seriously retards the progress of the group as a whole." His report suggested that, after the slavery -era of US history, the rise of out-of-wedlock births , absent fathers, and female-headed families only perpetuated cyclical poverty . In his memoirs, Roscoe Orman who portrays Gordon Robinson commented that "what

1674-744: The age of 63. In episode 4067 (season 35), Carl Gordon played Gordon's father, Mr. Robinson. Kevin Clash played an adult version of Miles in episode 2313. In this episode, he has a son. In one episode, c. 1975, Susan leaves the Street for a day to visit her mother, who has taken ill, in Merton, which according to Gordon, is a few hours away by plane and a short train ride after landing. Susan's parents, Lee ( Bill Cobbs ) and Dorothy ( Frances Foster ), were seen in episode 2125 (season 17), in which they visited her and Gordon after they adopted Miles. They revisited in episode 2226 (season 18) in which Gordon and Susan threw

1736-492: The age of 65. A memorial service was held on the morning of Friday, August 9, 2002, at The Writers Guild of America Theatre in Beverly Hills, California . He is survived by daughter and actress Holly Robinson Peete, son and production assistant Matthew Robinson III, former spouse Dolores Robinson and five grandchildren. Gordon Robinson (Sesame Street) Sesame Street was created, through private and federal grants, as

1798-417: The character most significantly symbolizes, his most distinguishing and praiseworthy attribute, may lie in the simple fact that he is a man of African descent who for over three decades has been a respected and beloved father figure to young people of all races and all social classes all across America and beyond." He continues to say that while "born in a country that was founded and has continued to thrive upon

1860-416: The characters' respective births on the show occurred four years apart. A flashback in this episode also revealed that Miles was shy on his first day of school. Loretta Long is the last surviving non-puppeteer actor on Sesame Street from its first episode, as Matt Robinson (Gordon for the first three seasons) left the show in 1972 and died in 2002, Will Lee (Mr. Hooper) died in 1982, and Bob McGrath left

1922-434: The development of a new children's program for National Educational Television titled Sesame Street . His initial role was to produce and oversee filmed segments focusing on the diversity of different characters on the show. Robinson was eventually chosen to play the fictional character of Gordon in the series, after the performance of the character in test episodes by another actor, Garrett Saunders , did not work out as

Matthew Robinson - Misplaced Pages Continue

1984-605: The early years, Susan often sang "One of These Things". She also headlined her own album, Susan Sings Songs from Sesame Street , and had minor roles in both Sesame Street movies. Robinson and Long appeared in the original Sesame Street Live touring production, while Orman and Long make occasional appearances in and out of character. In the summer of 2005, Orman appeared as Gordon with Kevin Clash puppeteering Elmo at series sponsor Beaches Family Resorts in Jamaica . Long speaks on various topics, including "Children's Education and

2046-425: The fictional elementary school, which was deemed a bad example for the audience. Additional arguments for the character's departure were rooted in its overly excessive black image, or lack thereof. Dolores Robinson has stated that Roosevelt Franklin became a televised vehicle for her then-husband's anger with racism and pride in black people. Robinson recorded and released the first Sesame Street album to be focused on

2108-406: The formative years of my own generation." Feminists objected to the character of Susan because they felt she fulfilled stereotypes they were against, that of a stay-at-home wife. Historian Robert W. Morrow defends her creators, stating that their goal was presenting Gordon as a strong black male capable of supporting his family. Sesame Street' s producers responded to this criticism by making Susan

2170-469: The help of Joe Raposo . The album was again released on compact disc in 2010 as a part of a set titled Old School: Volume 2 , also including "Grover Sings the Blues" and "The Count Counts". Following his time with CTW, Robinson continued to produce and write for movies, television and the stage. He wrote and produced, under the direction of Stan Lathan , Save The Children (1973), a musical performance that

2232-523: The hero of a series of bedtime stories Oscar the Grouch reads to Slimey the Worm at the end of each episode. Based on Flash Gordon , Trash is an intergalactic traveller who encounters odd creatures on each planet he visits. He escapes peril in each chapter, thanks to his quick thinking; when a living pile of rotten bananas confronts him, for example, it is soon chased away by an "Intergalactical Monkey" he happened to have with him. Looking back on his role, over

2294-695: The last 33 years, Orman commented, "If I could boast of no other major career accomplishment, having played a central role as I have in the development and continuation of this landmark series would alone have made my life sufficiently meaningful. The historical significance of Sesame Street and its surprising longevity have made my association with the show, in many regards, my life's crowning achievement." However, Orman doesn't credit Sesame Street as having defined himself personally and his overall career; The Free Southern Theater of New Orleans and The New Lafayette Theatre of Harlem collectively take that honor. By 2002, Imani Patterson left his role as Miles and

2356-579: The life of the Huxtable family – an affluent African-American family in Brooklyn, New York. Robinson transitioned between writer, executive story consultant, executive story editor and soundtrack writer for over 50 episodes of the show, eventually becoming a co-producer. He acted in one episode, "Cliff's Nightmare", as a French scientist. Written by Robinson and directed by Bill Lathan, The Confessions of Stepin Fetchit

2418-520: The name was revealed in a different storyline aired in 1991, involving Gordon teaching in the classroom. Writers felt that the students couldn't address their teacher as "Gordon", so Orman suggested "Mr. Robinson". Similarly, Mr. Hooper's first name was only revealed on his GED , Bob Johnson's last name went unrevealed for years, and Gina Jefferson's last name first appeared on the door of her new veterinary practice in 2002. Roscoe Orman has garnered more screen time since season 35, playing Trash Gordon,

2480-468: The party include his brother Aaron (also played by Kevin Clash ), his wife Pearl (Pamela Isaacs), and his two children, Wayne (Devon Mack) and Alanna (Ife Tiye Collymore), Cousin Leon (Akwesi Asante), and his three daughters, Alison (Nicole A. Davis), Carla (Carla A. Davis) and Baby Selina (Alljahni Mack). Added to the show in 2007 was Gordon and Susan's nephew, Chris Robinson, played by actor Chris Knowings . He

2542-428: The producers had hoped. Gordon was the first character with spoken lines on the show, as a result of difficulty in finding someone to fill the figure. This was against Robinson's original intentions upon joining the show, as he preferred a behind-the-scenes role, and was initially reluctant to take the part. Dolores Robinson commented on his backseat role on the set: "He was by nature shy, and he knew that they were having

Matthew Robinson - Misplaced Pages Continue

2604-421: The producers hoped. Gordon was the first character with spoken lines in the show, as a result of difficulty in finding someone to fill the figure. This was against his original intentions with joining the show as he preferred a behind-the-scenes role, and was initially reluctant to take the part. Dolores Robinson commented on his backseat role on the set with, "He was by nature shy, and he knew that they were having

2666-468: The role. It was revealed that Susan had been trying to become pregnant, but to no avail due to infertility . At age seven, the younger Orman quit the series and was replaced by child actor Imani Patterson. Before the series of episodes where Miles is adopted, Gordon and Susan lacked last names. "Robinson", named after original Gordon actor, Matt Robinson, was shown as Miles' last name on his adoption certificate. Alternatively, Roscoe Orman has suggested that

2728-410: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matthew_Robinson&oldid=1255109391 " Category : Human name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

2790-578: The series removed him. Roscoe Orman provided the voice of one of Roosevelt's classmates, Hardhat Henry Harris, before joining the series as the third actor to play Gordon. The Roosevelt Franklin Muppet occasionally turned up in multi-Muppet musical routines such as "Clap, Clap, Clap" and the Canadian edition of Sesame Street continued to air the Franklin segments well into the early 1980s. Hal Miller became Gordon for

2852-458: The show and at home...they just assume that we are that person we're playing." In 1985, Orman and his wife were about to have their second child together; Big Bird puppeteer Caroll Spinney mentioned this to his wife, Debra. They went to producer Dulcy Singer , suggesting that Gordon and Susan should have a child on the show. It was decided that they would adopt , instead of Susan being pregnant , and that Orman's newborn son Miles would take

2914-558: The show as Orman, McGrath, and Delgado's contracts were not renewed as part of Sesame Workshop's re-tooling for the series. Following Orman, McGrath, and Delgado's departures, the workshop stated that they would continue to represent them at public events. Gordon made a more featured return appearance on the series proper in Episode 5401, the Season 54 premiere. He is the first original Sesame Street human character to resurface in new material on

2976-661: The show in 2016 and died in 2022. While none of the actors have appeared in a significant number of episodes since about season 38, the longevity of their roles are with few precedents. Of the Muppets from the first episode— Big Bird , Oscar the Grouch , Kermit the Frog , Cookie Monster , and Bert and Ernie —all except Kermit are still major characters on the show. However, Jim Henson (Kermit and Ernie) died, with Steve Whitmire playing Ernie from 1993 to 2014, followed by Billy Barkhurst from 2014 to 2017, and then Peter Linz since 2017 (Kermit no longer appears); Frank Oz , busy as

3038-478: The show itself since Season 46. However, some of the former cast members also appeared in Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration , online videos, and town halls the show had produced in the years in between then. Since Sesame Street Magazine published calendars in every issue, character birthdays were established. Gordon's is February 23, Susan's is May 3, and Miles' is December 4. Gordon's brother Stevie

3100-568: The staff of The Cosby Show as a producer and staff writer. By that time, he was beginning to show symptoms of Parkinson's disease , but stayed with the show for seven seasons despite the difficulty. He ultimately died from the disease on August 5, 2002, in Los Angeles at the age of 65. Born Matthew Thomas Robinson Jr., in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , to Matthew Robinson Sr. and Marie ( née Henson) Robinson on January 1, 1937. His father worked as

3162-538: The subjugation of his ancestors, he harbors no hatred or thirst for revenge but, on the contrary, is a model of patience, understanding, and civic responsibility who embraces all of humankind." Orman went on to describe his on-screen wife, Susan, as an "exemplary model of African-American womanhood" and the couple's on-going relationship "in sharp contrast to the prevailing images of black men that have been projected within mainstream American culture since and especially prior to Sesame Street’ s premiere and certainly during

SECTION 50

#1733093487870

3224-405: The voice of a reddish-magenta puppet named Roosevelt Franklin . Robinson worked closely with Jim Henson to accurately design the character, the first black-influenced Muppet. Other minority-based Muppets created by Henson and Robinson were Baby Ray Francis, Mobley Mose and a Latino Muppet, A.B. Cito. Roosevelt Franklin promoted ideals such as family, pride, respect, and geography while also showing

3286-499: The voice of the puppet Roosevelt Franklin and was one of the show's producers. He left the show in 1972. In later years, when producers needed a last name for the Gordon character, then played by Hal Miller and later Roscoe Orman , they used Matt's last name. He wrote and produced the films Save the Children and Amazing Grace in the early 1970s, and authored scripts for Sanford and Son and Eight Is Enough . In 1983, he joined

3348-403: Was a spinoff of a black exposition conducted by People to Save Humanity . Robinson would continue his work as a producer and writer in the 1974 film Amazing Grace , which was about a group of neighbors seeking to overthrow some shady, money-hungry politicians. After leaving Sesame Street , Robinson returned to Philadelphia and to WCAU-TV, where he starred on The Candy Apple News Company ,

3410-477: Was born on October 20. Writers introduced the character of Gordon's sister, Olivia, played by actress Alaina Reed Hall , in 1976 to show a relationship between adult siblings. Olivia was a photographer and last appeared on the show in 1988 (so Reed could work on the TV sitcom 227 ), although the television special The Street We Live On included archive footage of her. She died of breast cancer on December 17, 2009, at

3472-504: Was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1982 at the age of 45 and battled the disease for 20 years. In 1997, during her father's struggle with the disease, daughter Holly Robinson Peete and her husband, NFL quarterback Rodney Peete , started the HollyRod Foundation . The foundation was created to reach out to all those affected by Parkinson's disease or autism and provide medical, physical and emotional support. Located within

3534-633: Was elected president of the Penn State Omega Psi Phi fraternity, one of the first African-American fraternities founded at a prominently African-American college or university— Howard University in Washington, D.C. In 1962, Robinson wrote a slave revolt drama titled Rained All Night . He began his media career in 1963 as a writer, and soon after producer and on-air talent, at television station WCAU-TV in his hometown of Philadelphia . Robinson produced and hosted Opportunity in Philadelphia ,

3596-407: Was helped by characters like Betty Lou, "a simpering, querulous little girl with pigtails and a squeaky voice". Matt Robinson was, however, the voice of Roosevelt Franklin , a purple Muppet meant to represent an African American boy. While the skits with the character musically provided reading and writing concepts, critics found his jive -talking to be a cultural stereotype , and the producers of

3658-503: Was regularly shown helping her with household chores. Long recalled to Cooney in 1976 that, "I was too nice at the beginning, the great dispenser of milk and cookies." Some feminists still referred to her as "a hapless, hopelessly vague mother", even after the change. Even with the addition of Sonia Manzano as the young, single woman Maria in the third season, critics still chided "All in all, Sesame Street has changed, from being incredibly sexist to being slightly less sexist" This view

3720-401: Was replaced by actor Olamide Faison . As a recording artist of the mildly successful hip-hop group Imajin , Faison could be used more frequently as a singer on the series. Plot lines like season 36 episode 4089 focused on Miles singing numerous 1960s-style parody songs for American Fruitstand . In episode 4112 (2006), Miles graduated from high school alongside Gabi, despite the fact that

3782-469: Was the first adult male she had been willing to approach, after being sexually abused by a family member, "some time ago". Long has taught classes at Rowan University , including "The Sesame Street Approach to Elementary Education". The original Gordon, Matt Robinson , died on 5 August 2002. As many fans didn't know there were two actors who previously portrayed Gordon before the current Roscoe Orman, and many didn't know his name, rumor spread that it

SECTION 60

#1733093487870

3844-444: Was unknown until his family identified him in 2011. Matt Robinson had joined Children's Television Workshop to assist in the development of Sesame Street , producing and overseeing filmed segments focusing on the diversity of different characters on the show. Robinson was eventually chosen to play the fictional character of Gordon in the series, after the performance of the character by Saunders in test episodes did not work out as

#869130