Roy Clarke
| Roy Clarke OBE | |
|---|---|
| Born |
28 January 1930[1] Austerfield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Occupation | Scriptwriter |
| Nationality | British |
| Period | 1968–present |
| Genres | Television |
| Subjects | Sitcom, comedy |
| Notable work(s) |
The Misfit (1970–71) Last of the Summer Wine (1973–2010) The Growing Pains Of PC Penrose (1975) Open All Hours (1973, 1976–85) Rosie (1977–81) Potter (1979–83) The Magnificent Evans (1984) Mann's Best Friends (1985) First of the Summer Wine (1988–89) Keeping Up Appearances (1990–95) The Wanderer (1994) Ain't Misbehavin' (1994–95) Still Open All Hours (2013-14) |
Roy Clarke OBE (born 28 January 1930) is an English comedy writer.
Career
Born in Austerfield, Yorkshire, Clarke is best known for creating Last of the Summer Wine, which featured during its long run Bill Owen, Peter Sallis, Brian Wilde, Kathy Staff and Dame Thora Hird in leading roles. At its peak, Last of the Summer Wine had over 18 million viewers. He also wrote its prequel, First of the Summer Wine, as well as The Misfit, starring Ronald Fraser; Open All Hours, starring Ronnie Barker and David Jason; Keeping Up Appearances, starring Patricia Routledge; and Ain't Misbehavin. He created and wrote the short-lived fantasy drama, The Wanderer starring Bryan Brown, for Sky One. He also created the sitcom Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggitt! in 1974, writing the pilot episode, though Alan Plater wrote the eventual series. Clarke has also worked in film, and wrote the acclaimed drama A Foreign Field (1993).
In 2003, Clarke adapted his Last of the Summer Wine chronicle The Moonbather for a world premiere performance at the Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club.[2]
He received an OBE for his contribution to British comedy. In 1994, Clarke was granted the Freedom of the Borough of Doncaster; the highest honour the Council can bestow. He was awarded the lifetime achievement award at the 2010 British Comedy Awards.
In 2013, he resurrected Open All Hours for a sequel series, Still Open All Hours starring David Jason. On 30 January 2014, the BBC commissioned a full series of six new episodes of Still Open All Hours, to be transmitted later in the year.[3][4]
Personal life
He currently resides in rural Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire.[1] Before becoming a writer, Clarke was a teacher, policeman and also soldier in the Royal Signals of the British Army.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Researcha
- ↑ "Little Theatre Club Chronology". Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club. Retrieved 2007-07-23.
- ↑ "Still Open All Hours commissioned for full series". BBC News. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
- ↑ "BBC commissions full series of Still Open All Hours". theguardian. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
External links
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