Anita's first starring role was in the 1983 sitcom Up the Elephant and Round the Castle, but she is most famous for playing the emotionally battered and alcoholic landlady, Angie Watts, in the BBC1 soap opera, EastEnders, a role which she played from the shows inception in 1985 to 1988. Interestingly, Anita was not the first person to be cast as Angie - another actress, Jean Fennell, had already began recording when it was decided that her performance did not gel with the original idea of the character, and so Anita landed the role at the last minute. Whilst playing Angie Watts, Anita worked closely with actor Leslie Grantham, who played her adultourous husband 'Dirty Den Watts'. 30.1 million viewers tuned in on Christmas day in 1986, to witness Den handing Angie her divorce papers, giving the soap its highest ever episode rating, which has yet to be beaten by any other plotline from any other soap in the UK.
Since quitting EastEnders in 1988, Anita has been asked to reprise her role numerous times, but never accepted the offer; recently she commented “Why tarnish the gorgeous creation that was Angie Watts?”. The character of Angie Watts was subsequently killed off-screen in 2002 (dying of a drink related illness) and brought home to be buried by her on-screen daughter Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), who had recently returned to the show.
Since her exit from EastEnders she has appeared in many television, film and theatre roles, including the BBC sitcoms Red Dwarf, Rab C Nesbitt and her own sitcom series Split Ends (1989), which failed to succeed and lasted for only one series. She has also starred in the BBC drama's Dangerfield (1995) and Sunburn (1999); hospital dramas Casualty (2000) and Holby City (2003), and the ITV detective series The Last Detective (2004) among others. She has also been reunited with fellow EastEnder Leslie Grantham in the Sky production called The Stretch and Five's Horror series Urban Gothic (2000). Most recently she signed up for the ITV1 police drama The Bill in 2005.
Dobson trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, whose alumni also include Terence Stamp, Hugh Bonneville, Rupert Friend, Angela Lansbury, Matthew Goode, Sue Johnston, Minnie Driver and Julian Fellowes.
She was nominated for a 2003 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress for her performance in Frozen at the Royal National Theatre: Cottesloe. In August 1986 she reached No. 4 in the UK Singles Chart with "Anyone Can Fall in Love," a song based on the theme music of EastEnders, which was written by Simon May. She has also released several other singles and albums with minor chart success.
Anita is currently playing the role of Gertrude in the English Touring Theatre production of Hamlet, at the New Ambassadors Theatre in London's West End, following a UK tour in Autumn 2005.
She once dated her EastEnders cast mate Tom Watt who played Lofty Holloway, but is now married to Queen guitarist Brian May.
Credit: wikipedia
Science Fiction
Anita Dobson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But he told us where we stand
And Flash Gordon was there in silver underwear
Claude Rains was the invisable man
Then something went wring for Faye Wray and King Kong
They got caught in a celluloid jam
Then at a deadly pace it came from - outer space
And this is how the message ran
Doctor X will build a creature
See androids fighting
Brad and Janet
Anne Francis stars in Forbidden Planet
Oh oh oh oh
At the late night double feature picture show
I knew Leo G. Carrol was over a barrel when
Taratula took to the hills
And I really got hot when I saw Janet Scott fight a
Triffid that spits poison and kills
Dana Andrews said Prunes gave him the runes
And passing them used lots of skills
But When Worlds Collide said George Pal to his bride
'I'm gonna give you some terrible thrills'
Like a
Science fiction - double feature
Doctor X will build a creature
See androids fighting
Brad and Janet
Anne Francis stars in Forbidden Planet
Oh oh oh oh
At the late night double feature picture show
I wanna go oh oh
To the late night double feature picture show
By are. K. O oh oh
To the late night picture show
In the back row oh oh
To the late night double-feature show
The song "Science Fiction" by Anita Dobson is an ode to classic science fiction films. The lyrics mention several iconic characters from the genre, such as Michael Rennie from "The Day the Earth Stood Still," Flash Gordon, Claude Rains as "The Invisible Man," and Faye Wray and King Kong. The song also references specific films like "Forbidden Planet" and "When Worlds Collide." The singer expresses excitement and intrigue for these films and characters, imagining attending a "late night double feature picture show" and getting lost in the fantasy worlds of science fiction.
The song's lyrics are full of references to classic science fiction films, but beyond that, the song also captures a sense of nostalgia for the era of movie-going when these films were popular. The "late night double feature picture show" was a movie theater event that typically screened two classic films back-to-back. These events were often accompanied by a live host and audience participation elements, creating a sense of community around the shared experience of movie-watching.
Overall, "Science Fiction" is a love letter to classic science fiction films and the culture of movie-going they embodied. The singer's enthusiasm for these films is infectious, and the song captures the joy of getting lost in a good story on the big screen.
Line by Line Meaning
Michael Rennie was I'll the day the earth stood still
Michael Rennie played a sick alien in the movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still", who gave humanity a warning about their violent ways
But he told us where we stand
The alien's message was a warning to humanity about its violent tendencies and how it could lead to their destruction
And Flash Gordon was there in silver underwear
The character Flash Gordon wore a distinctive outfit of silver on the movie screen
Claude Rains was the invisable man
Claude Rains played the titular role of the Invisible Man in a movie based on the novel of the same name by H.G. Wells.
Then something went wring for Faye Wray and King Kong
Faye Wray played the lead female consort in "King Kong." In an unforeseen plot twist, things did not work out well for both the characters.
They got caught in a celluloid jam
Both characters became trapped on the screen due to their film roles
Then at a deadly pace it came from - outer space
A dangerous entity emerged suddenly from space
And this is how the message ran
The message conveyed was that humanity's transgressions could result in grave consequences.
Science fiction - double feature
The song is suggesting that the movie viewers have a penchant for Science Fiction-themed movies.
Doctor X will build a creature
One of the characters depicted in a movie to be featured in the double feature is Doctor X, who will create a creature.
See androids fighting
The movie-goers will witness androids in the act of fighting.
Brad and Janet
Two primary characters in a movie to be featured in the double feature
Anne Francis stars in Forbidden Planet
Actress Anne Francis starred in a movie called "Forbidden Planet"
At the late night double feature picture show
These things will be occurring at a late-night showing of a double feature of Science Fiction movies.
I knew Leo G. Carrol was over a barrel when
Actor Leo G. Carrol was in a troublesome situation in the movie.
Taratula took to the hills
In the movie, Tarantula was a massive spider that escaped and fled to the hills.
And I really got hot when I saw Janet Scott fight a
The singer had a visceral response to a scene in which Janet Scott fights off an opponent.
Triffid that spits poison and kills
In the movie, the Triffid is a dangerous plant that spits a lethal toxin.
Dana Andrews said Prunes gave him the runes
Dana Andrews portrayed a character who claimed that eating Prunes conveyed mystical abilities.
And passing them used lots of skills
Consuming the Prunes required effort and technique
But When Worlds Collide said George Pal to his bride
The movie "When Worlds Collide" had a significant impact on filmmaker George Pal and his spouse.
'I'm gonna give you some terrible thrills'
Pal decided to use the intense cinematic experience to leave his audience profoundly impacted.
I wanna go oh oh
The singer is expressing their desire to attend the double feature.
To the late night double feature picture show
The reference to the "late night double feature picture show" recurs in the song, referring to the movie screening being discussed.
By are. K. O oh oh
It's unclear what this specific line might mean, though some believe it could be a reference to a boxing announcer.
In the back row oh oh
The singer would like to sit in the back of the theater to watch the double feature.
To the late night double-feature show
This line is another reference to the actual event that the song describes.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Richard O'Brien
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind