Background
In 1970, she got her first leading television role, as Ruth, the daughter of the title character (Irene Handl) in the gentle comedy Foreign the Love of Ada, which ran for four series and 27 episodes, followed by a spin-off film.
In 1970, she got her first leading television role, as Ruth, the daughter of the title character (Irene Handl) in the gentle comedy Foreign the Love of Ada, which ran for four series and 27 episodes, followed by a spin-off film.
Mitchell started out as a stage actress, and gained a foothold in television with a number of appearances in popular shows in the 1960s. At the same time, she was appearing periodically as Mistress Abbott, the absurdly over-protective mother of would-be tough guy Frankie ("Mummy"s little soldier"), in Please Sir! and its sequel The Fenn Street Gang.
Mitchell"s appearances as Mistress
Abbott were sporadic, and fleeting, but were hugely popular and are still remembered with affection. She appeared as Isabel Chintz, a tough Australian popular agent, in Superstar, a 1973 episode of The Goodies.
Mitchell died of breast cancer on 9 December 1977, aged 48. Television
1958-1964: The Larkins
1959: Emergency – Ward 10
1960: The Secret Garden
1963: Z-Cars
1963: Bud
1965/66: Dixon of Dock Green
1966: Play of the Week
1969: Ours Is a Nice House
1970: Please Sir! 1970/71: Foreign the Love of Ada
1971: The Doctors
1971: Doctor at Large
1971/73 The Fenn Street Gang
1973: The Gordon Peters Show
1973: The Goodies
1973-1975: Lizzie Dripping
1973-1977: Beryl"s Lot
1974: Funny Ha-Ha
1974: My Name is Harry Worth
1977: Yanks Go Home
Films
1960: Inn for Trouble
1963: Ladies Who Do
1971: Please Sir! 1972: Foreign the Love of Ada
1977: What"s Up Nurse!.