Bate's first television appearance was in 1955 and from then on he appeared as: James in Pinter’s The Collection, Rogojin in The Idiot, MacDuff in Macbeth, Javert in Les Misérables, the title role in Grady (a trilogy), T H Huxley in Darwin’s Bulldog, Nikolai in Fathers and Sons, Creon in King Oedipus, Victor Hugo in Ego Hugo, Harry Paynter in Intimate Strangers, The Dutch Train Hijack 1976, Dr Dorn in The Seagull 1977, Kim Philby in Philby, Burgess and Maclean 1977 (nominated Best Actor Monte Carlo Festival 1978), An Englishman's Castle (1978), the title role in The Trial of Uri Urlov 1978, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 1978, Crime and Punishment 1979, ‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore 1979, The Human Crocodile 1980, Smiley's People 1982, A Woman Called Golda (with Ingrid Bergman) 1982, J A D Ingres in Artists and Models 1983, Game, Set and Match 1987, War and Remembrance 1988, Countdown to War 1989, Medics 1991 and 1992, Prime Suspect 1994, Rebecca 1996, A Touch of Frost 1996, Bodyguards 1996, Silent Witness 1997, Midsomer Murders 2000. He also appeared in Spindoe and Beasts.