Born in London, Robbins was a bank clerk who became an actor after appearing in amateur dramatic performances in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, where he and his family lived at the time. Robbins made his television debut as the cockney soldier in Roll-on Bloomin' Death. Primarily a comedy actor, he is best remembered for the role of Arthur Rudge, the persistently sarcastic husband of Olive (Anna Karen), in the popular sitcom On the Buses (1969–73). Robbins and Karen provided the secondary comic storyline to Reg Varney's comedy capers at the bus depot. Robbins also appeared in the series film spin-offs, On the Buses, Mutiny on the Buses, and Holiday on the Buses. His other comedy credits include non-recurring roles in Man About the House, Oh Brother!, The Good Life, One Foot in the Grave, The New Statesman, George and Mildred, Hi-de-Hi! and You Rang, M'Lord? He appeared as a rather humorously portrayed police sergeant in the TV adaptation of Brendon Chase. As well as these comic roles, he assumed various straight roles in some of the major British television shows of the 1960s and 1970s: including Minder, The Sweeney, Z-Cars, Return of the Saint, Murder Most English, The Avengers, Dixon of Dock Green, The Bill and the 1982 Doctor Who story The Visitation. Robbins's film credits included The Whisperers, Up The Junction, The Looking Glass War, Zeppelin and Blake Edwards' films The Pink Panther Strikes Again and Victor/Victoria'. He also had an extensive career as a radio actor, including a role in the soap opera Waggoner's Walk and the satirical 1970s show Life is What Yer Make It. Robbins was an indefatigable worker for charity. He was active in the Grand Order of Water Rats (being elected 'Rat of the Year' in 1978) and the Catholic Stage Guild, and received a Papal Award for his services in 1987. In one of his last television appearances, in A Little Bit of Heaven Robbins recalled his childhood visits to Norfolk and spoke of his faith and love of the Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham. Michael Robbins had a brother Jack who was a head teacher at Saint Gregory's Catholic middle school in Bedford in the 1970s and early 1980s. Michael made some guest appearances at this school throughout the years and sometimes entertained the pupils with various sketches with his brother Jack Robbins In the mid-1970s he also directed a film: How Are You?
You in Your Small Corner
(Georgie)
Mutiny on the Buses
(Arthur his brother in law)
The Bone Yard
(Sergeant Strickland)
Till Death Us Do Part
(Fred)
The Hunting of Lionel Crane
(Sergeant Billings)
The Drummer and the Bloke
(Jack)
On the Buses
(Arthur Rudge - Stan's Brother-in-Law)
Holiday on the Buses
(Arthur Rudge)
Victor/Victoria
(Manager of Victoria's Hotel)
The Bargee
(Bargee)
Dead Man's Chest
(Sergeant Harris)
The Count of Monte Cristo
(Gaspard Caderousse)
Crossplot
(Garage Attendant)
Children of the Damned
Adam Bede
(Thias Bede)
The Saint and the Brave Goose
(Beeky)
A Prize of Arms
(Orford)
Horizontal Hold
(TV Repairman)
Danger! Men Working
(Second Labourer)
Lunch Hour
(Harris)
Soap Opera in Stockwell
(Bert)
No Sex Please: We're British
(Car Driver)
Villain
(Barzun)
The Looking Glass War
(Truck Driver)
Man About the House
(Doorman)
Just Ask for Diamond
(The Fat Man)
The Pink Panther Strikes Again
(Jarvis)
The Great Muppet Caper
(Henderson)
The Whisperers
(Mr Noonan)
The Merry Wives of Windsor
(Nym)
Lost In London
(Bill)
Rattle of a Simple Man
(George (organiser))
All the Way Up
(Taxi Driver)
What a Crazy World
(Percy)
Up the Junction
(Figgins)
Doctor Who: The Visitation
(Richard Mace)
Murder Rap
(Det. Sgt. Praed)
That's Your Funeral
(2nd Funeral Director)
Zeppelin
(Cockney Sergeant)
Adam Adamant Lives!
On the Buses
Department S
(Burton)
The Bill
Doctor Who
(Richard Mace)
Z-Cars
Gideon's Way
(Smith)
Dempsey and Makepeace
(Simmons)
George and Mildred
The Sweeney
(Kevin Lee)
The Avengers
(Henry Farrow)
The Good Life
(Mr. Bulstrode)
The Chinese Detective
Rumpole of the Bailey
The Saint
(Harry)
Callan
One Foot In the Grave
Fresh Fields
(Mr. Pringle)
Redcap
No Hiding Place
Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width
Black and Blue
BBC Television Shakespeare
Sherlock Holmes
How's Your Father
Judge Dee
Mixed Blessings
Thick As Thieves
Studio Four
(Humphrey Place)
You Can't Win
Murder Most English
(Pumphrey)
Minder
(McQueen)
Fairly Secret Army
(Sgt. Major Throttle)
The Cannon & Ball Show
(Police Seargent)
Justice
(Eddie)
Dick Turpin
The Bounder
(Bert)
The Main Chance
(Gerry Baxter)
Return of the Saint
(Beeky)
The New Statesman
(Mad Eddie)
The Man In Room 17
(C.P.O. Bradshaw)
The Saint
(Smith)
Legacy of Murder
(Marley)
The Avengers
(Cavell)
Brendon Chase
(Sergeant Bunting)
You Rang, M'Lord?
(Twelvetrees Senior)