| Sid | |
|---|---|
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| Vital statistics | |
| Planet of Origin: | Salacia |
| Original era: | 37th Century |
| Species | Humanoid |
| Gender: | Male |
| Appears In: | The Obvious World, The Abominable Ally, Krakenice |
| Portrayed By: | Sidney James |
Talk Page 
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Sid, a mercenary arms dealer and confidence trickster, was an occasional thorn in the side of Sixth and Seventh Inspectors. He was played by the UK comedian Sidney James.
Though human in appearance, Sid oozed with reptilian charm as he wheeled and dealed in questionable items of barter. Most of his rackets involved weapons of mass destruction, with his biggest clients being the Rostraans. The crafty old Sid also dealt in elaborate con games to separate gullible alien species from their life savings.
Even the Inspector fell victim to Sid's swindles, the most celebrated being his purchase of what he thought was a new shag carpet for the floor of the BOOTH, only to find it to be a heavily tranquillised Greater Carnivorous Flatvole from the planet Quelm.
Reaction[]
Though Sid turned out to be an immediate hit with fans—particularly young children—critics complained that James's character was merely the same "wide boy" comic stereotype he had played on television and in the Carry On film series, e.g. being named "Sid", having a drooping cigarette in his mouth, and making double-entendres to female characters.
Since James had died in 1976, his appearances were spliced into the 1980s Inspector Spacetime serials with footage from the unreleased film Carry On Space Jockey. It was later discovered with great consternation that this had been sold to BTV by James's manager in order to settle his late client's gambling debts. To fans of Sid James, though, came the satisfaction of knowing Sid posthumously pulled his greatest confidence trick ever.
Trivia[]
- Sid was well remembered for his very alien-sounding weeping—which resembled a dirty laugh—which proved so easy to imitate that "Sid Crying" became a fad among impressionists in the UK.