Brian Trueman: Former Granada presenter who worked on Danger Mouse dies aged 92

He went on to even greater success within the industry by writing and sometimes voicing a number of enduring children’s series, not least Danger Mouse, which originally starred David Jason and Terry Scott.

Trueman spent 20 years at Granada, where he also wrote and presented the networked series Cinema and conceived, produced, wrote and presented House For The Future.

However, he was best known for his work writing for the animation company Cosgrove Hall Films – particularly Chorlton And The Wheelies, some of the scripts for Count Duckula and the original Danger Mouse episodes.

The company was formed by two of Trueman’s colleagues in Granada’s graphic design department.

Other series bearing his imprint included The Wind In The Willows and Jamie And The Magic Torch. Trueman had also been a radio actor and his voice is still heard in Radio 6 reruns of The Clitheroe Kid, with Lancashire comedian Jimmy Clitheroe.

He was born in Barton, between Southport and Liverpool, and attended Stretford Grammar.

He began acting in radio dramas produced in Manchester for the BBC’s Children’s Hour, where he was accompanied on the piano by Violet Carson, later to play Ena Sharples in Coronation Street.

She sponsored Trueman’s application for an Equity actors’ union card.

After national service in the Royal Army Service Corps, he studied at Manchester University for a BA in literature. While there he performed in the student drama group.

It was in 1957, Granada’s second year on air, that he landed a job at its new studio block in Quay Street, Manchester.

He presented Northern Newscast and its successor, Scene at 6.30, and continued to appear on Granada Reports for some years after the company had been replaced east of the Pennines by Yorkshire TV. He later presented the documentary series Brass Tacks.

He is survived by his wife, Angela, and two sons.