Jill Gascoine: British TV's First Female Detective in The Gentle Touch D

Jill Gascoine was an English actress and author, best known for playing Detective Inspector Maggie Forbes in The Gentle Touch, Britain's first female television detective. Born on April 11, 1937, in Lambeth, London, she began her career in stage revues and musicals.

Gascoine appeared in Z-Cars and The Onedin Line before her breakthrough in The Gentle Touch (1980 to 1984) and its spin-off C.A.T.S. Eyes (1985 to 1987). She later played in Home to Roost and moved to Los Angeles in the 1990s, appearing in Northern Exposure and Touched by an Angel. She also wrote three novels in the 1990s.

Gascoine married hotelier Bill Keith in 1965 and had two sons with him, and married actor Alfred Molina in 1986. She was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 1997 and recovered. She revealed in 2013 that she had Alzheimer's disease. She died in a care home in Los Angeles on April 28, 2020, at age 83.

Achievements: Played DI Maggie Forbes in The Gentle Touch (1980-1984), starred in C.A.T.S. Eyes (1985-1987), played Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street, wrote three novels.

Birth: April 11, 1937 - Lambeth, London, England.

Profession: Actress and novelist.

Interesting Facts: The Gentle Touch was a landmark for women on British television. She played opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones on stage in 42nd Street.