Leonard Rossiter.com
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Three official web sites in one
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His Life & Career - Reginald Perrin - Rising Damp

Reggie Online: The Official Reginald Perrin web site

The David Nobbs Page

We are very saddened to announce the death of David Nobbs on Sunday 9th August 2015 at the age of 80. He gave us some wonderful creations and luckily for all of us those creations will live on.

Obituaries:   Daily Telegraph   -   Guardian   -   Independent   -   BHA

Articles: David Quantick (Guardian)  -  Marks & Gran (Daily Mail)  -  Farewell David Nobbs (Irish Times)  -  Perrin & A Genius Of Comedy (Express)  -  Perrin...Captured the essence of his era (Guardian)



This page of Reggie Online features a biography, bibliography and TV credits
of the author of the Reginald Perrin novels.

Biography | Bibliography | TV Contributions | Links   -   Official David Nobbs pages: Web Site | Youtube | Twitter
 

Biography:

Early Days
"As an only child I spent a long time alone with my imagination."
    David Gordon Nobbs was born in Petts Wood, South London on March 13th 1935, the only child of a schoolmaster and a schoolmistress, and lived his childhood in Orpington, Kent. At the outbreak of war in 1939, David and his family moved to Marlborough, Wiltshire, where he started his education. Back in Orpington after the war, he attended Bickley Hall preparatory school. Then, aged 13, it was back to Marlborough to attend college there. It was here that he first put pen to paper, writing articles for the college magazine.This was followed, at the age of 18, by the then customary two years national service, which he served in the Royal Corps of Signals. During this time he undertook a correspondence course in journalism. After leaving the Signals in 1955, he went to St. John’s College, Cambridge University where he read Classics in Part 1, and English in Part 2, although he spent much of his time writing for the university newspaper Varsity, and sketches for the Cambridge Footlights performance company. He graduated with a second.

The Journalist Years
"I was dogged by misprints...'The on-off separation between Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner was today authoritatively stated to be "ow"'."
His education over, David landed a job in 1958 with the Sheffield Star newspaper, which lasted two years. He then relocated to a bedsit in Narcissus Rd., West Hampstead, London in 1960 where he wrote ten stage plays (none of which were ever performed) and started writing his first novel, but soon lost his motivation. Penniless (he earned £4 in eighteen months), he got a job at an advertising agency as a voucher clerk. He found the repetitive routine of his work tedious – perhaps subconsciously preparing him for what would become his most famous creation, Reginald Perrin (although he always denies this).
    Eventually he returned to the ‘press gang’, working for the North London weekly newspaper, the St. Pancras Chronicle. At this time, a new series had started on television called ‘That Was The Week That Was’, hosted by David Frost. It was a satirical and topical look at the news of the time through sketches and skits. David had a few of his own sketches accepted and his motivation was restored. He gave up the day job and soon had two novels under his belt: 'The Itinerant Lodger' was published by Methuen in 1965 and concerned a man who kept on moving home, and changed his job and even his name each time he did so. ‘OstrichCountry’ was published in 1968, again by Methuen, and featured nutritional scientist Pegasus Baines who give up his job and becomes a vegetable chef at an East Anglian hotel.At the same time he started to write material for some of Britain’s best-known comedians, including Les Dawson, Frankie Howerd, Jimmy Tarbuck, Ken Dodd, Tommy Cooper and Dick Emery. 1969 saw the publication of 'A Piece Of The Sky Is Missing', David's most successful novel up to that time. It follows the exploits of Robert Bellamy, an employee of Cadman & Bentwhistle Manufacturing Co., who is sacked for doodling rude pictures of his boss on the toilet wall, and his subsequent search for employment. The early 1970s saw David continuing to write comedy sketches for Britain's top comics and their shows, now including Messrs. Barker and Corbett - The Two Ronnies (Ronnie Barker's famous appearance as the minister from The Society for Pispromunciation was written by David).

The Author
"If my idea had been accepted. that's all Reginald Perrin would ever have been - one half-hour play."
In 1975, another novel appeared, ‘The Death Of Reginald Perrin’, and David Nobbs was established as one of the country’s top comedy writers. The BBC commissioned the book as a series, starting with the pilot, first shown on September 8th 1976, and the series quickly became one of the classics of British television, with David writing the scripts. Re-released after the success of the series as ‘The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin’, the novel became the first in a trilogy. Both ‘The Return Of Reginald Perrin’ and ‘The Better World of Reginald Perrin’ were written in tandem with the TV series, although all three television series were known as ‘The Fall And Rise…’ on TV. The great success of the first series resulted in the unusual action of the second novel being published in both hardback (by Gollancz) and paperback (by Penguin) at the same time. Since then, David has juggled TV series with his novels, including ‘Fairly Secret Army’ for Channel 4, based loosely on a character in the “…Perrin” novels; ‘Second From Last In The Sack Race’, the first of the Henry Pratt trilogy (and televised as ‘The Life And Times Of Henry Pratt’); 'A Bit Of A Do' (again novels, then TV series - this series won David five awards); 'Rich Tea And Sympathy'; and the wartime comedy drama ‘Stalag Luft’ starring Stephen Fry and Nicholas Lyndhurst. In 1990 David won The Writers' Guild Special Award for 'services to television comedy'. In 1996, Reginald Perrin was resurrected - sort of. Reggie had been killed and had left a huge sum of money to family and friends – on one condition, namely that they do something totally and utterly absurd. The 1995 novel ‘The Legacy Of Reginald Perrin’ was once again televised by the BBC, in 1996. His latest TV credit is an adaptation of the Miles Gibson novel Kingdom Swann, ebtitled 'Gentleman's relish', which starred Billy Connolly and Sarah Lancashire and was broadcast at Christmas 2000.

The Present
"Good programmes still get made. Good books still get published. There is a basic, inextinguishable need for stories. I ain't finished yet."
    Now living in North Yorkshire with his second wife Susan, David Nobbs lists his interests as including eating, drinking, travelling, playing bridge, dominoes and mah jongg, watching cricket and football (he still supports Hereford United: "Well, not many other people do!", he says), ornithology, cruising and weeding. He has innumerable credits to his name, including radio serials. He also hosts regular creative writing workshops for budding novelists. He has 13 novels to his name. His latest, called 'Going Gently', was published on July 6th 2000, and is now available in paperback. His autobiography, entitled 'I Didn't Get Where I Am Today...' was published on 6th March 2003, and David has since co-wrote a revival of The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin for a new BBC audience. Called Reggie Perrin and broadcast in 2009, a second series has been commissioned for 2010.
 



 

 




 

Bibliography:
 
The Itinerant Lodger. (Methuen, 1965)   -  Buy this Download
A man, unable to keep a job for very long, moves from town to town, changing his name as he goes. The book is basically a series of sketches, poking fun at the various institutions in which the central characterworks, including the post office and the police force.

Ostrich Country. (Methuen, 1968)   -  Buy this Download
The adventures of a scientist-turned-hotel chef. From the flap: "Whether Pegasus Baines would have been so glad if he had foreseen the the outcome of his hasty decision to abandon the career of potential Nobel prize-winning nutrition scientist in favour of that of world famous chef is less certain..." The 'ostrich country' of the novel lies somewhere between modern Britain and cloud cuckoo-land. The tale of Baines' tangles which gradually involve mistresses old and new, long-suffering family and several more or less innocent bystanders, modulates from humorous melancholy to hilarious farce.

A Piece Of The Sky Is Missing. (Methuen, 1969)
The mishaps and misfortunes of a man sacked from his job. Robert Bellamy is an executive at Cadman and Bentwhistle Manufacturing Co., until he draws a caricature of the export manager on the lavatory wall. This is just the first of many mishaps that befall him, which eventually lead to him being arrested for drunkenly assaulting a police officer.

The Death Of Reginald Perrin, 1975 reprinted as The Fall & Rise Of Reginald Perrin. (Victor Gollancz, 1975)
Reggie Perrin is tired of the rat race, and decides to fake his own suicide and live a new life. Adapted from a rejected BBC play submission to Pebble Mill, Birmingham in which the hero commits suicide. In the novel, Perrin's frustrations build until he can take no more, sabotages his boss's sycophantic fishing contest, where employees are literally 'angling for promotion', and leaves his clothes on a Dorset beach, to simulate a drowing. He the nroams the English countryside in various guises, before realising he misses his wife and family too much, and returns to them.

The Return Of Reginald Perrin. (Victor Gollancz, 1977)
Reggie is back, with a shop called Grot, selling useless products. Now back with his wife, but living publicly under the guise of Martin Wellbourne, Reggie returns to Sunshine Desserts to run his own memorial foundation. The boss finds out his real identity, and he gets the sack. During an attempt by his brother-in-law to recruit Reggie into his secret army, Reggie has the idea for a shop selling rubbish at grossly inflated prices. His Grot shop becomes a chain, then a national institution, but Reggie finds himself in the same commuting rut, and fakes his suicide again, this time with his wife.

The Better World Of Reginald Perrin. (Victor Gollancz, 1978)
Reggie decides to set up a community for the middle-aged and middle class. After returning once more from the itinerant life, Reggie feels there is something he must do for the good of mankind as a whole. He evises Perrins, a community for the middle-aged and middle-class set in suburbia. All goes well, eventually, until local thugs take offence to Perrins' Peacekeeping Force and destroy the community. With Sunshine Desserts now bankrupt, he is invited for an interview at Amalgamated Aerosols. He gets the job, working for C J once again, and with his brother F J as managing director.

Second From Last In The Sack Race. (Methuen, 1983)
The story, from birth to National Service, of Yorkshire lad Henry Pratt. Beginning just before the outbreak of World War Two, the novel concerns Henry Pratt and his recurring problems with parents, school, friends, religion and sex. Evacuated, albeit with his mother, to the Dales during the war, he is seen as a 'townie' and, upon his return to Thurmarsh town after the war, is seen as a 'country boy'. Misfortunes and bad luck episodes abound, until he joins up for National Service.

A Bit Of A Do: A Story In Six Place Settings. (Methuen, 1986)
The social gatherings of two Yorkshire families, and the romances and feuding that ensue, when the two families are brought together by marriage. Clever social insights into politics, provincial business and the British class system.

Pratt Of The Argus. (Methuen, 1988)
Henry Pratt is back, and working for a newspaper, the Thurmarsh Argus, but still having incredible bad luck at getting the 'big scoop', or any for that matter. He lodges for a time with his Cousin Hilda, who runs a guest house for a number of gentlemen, whom she rules over with a rod of iron. A worthy sequel to ...Sack Race.

Fair Do's (Methuen, 1990)  -  Buy This Book
More social gatherings, a follow-up to A Bit Of A Do. Events include a funeral, a fancy dress party and a christening.

The Cucumber Man. (Methuen, 1994)  -  Buy This Book
Henry Pratt is now in middle-age and working for the Cucumber Marketing Board. More painful insights into the 'Yorkshire' Frank Spencer, as he approaches middle age and beyond.

The Legacy Of Reginald Perrin. (Methuen, 1995)  -  Buy This Book
Reggie has died and left a rather unusual will. £1million has been left to his close family and colleagues - provided they can be shown to do something totally and utterly absurd. After weak efforts separately, they decide to unite on one idea - to rail against ageism. But the idea becomes far too sensible and worthy for the executor of the will to release the will.

The Reginald Perrin Omnibus (Arrow Books, February 1999)  -  Buy This Book
The first three Perrin books in one handy volume for the first time.

Going Gently. (Heinemann, 2000)  -  Buy This Book
An elderly, disabled woman looks back on her life from her hospital bed. Kate Thomas is supposed to be a 'vegetable' after a severe stroke, but still has all her mental faculties and 'rewinds' her life, reflecting on her six marriages and numerous relationships and events throughout her life, and more seriously, to try to determine which of her three sons murdered her fifth husband.

I Didn't Get Where I Am Today... (Heineman, 2003)  -  Buy This Book
David's autobigraphy.

Sex And Other Changes (Heinemann, 2006)  -  Buy This Book
The story of a seemingly happily-married couple. Except for the small secret that Nick wants to become Nicola. Alison agrees to become Alan in return. A funny, touching and compassionate study of what being a man and a woman really means.

Pratt a Manger (Heinemann, 2007)  -  Buy This Book
Henry Pratt, now a succesful restaurant chef, becomes an even more successful TV chef. But rivalries in the kitchen and in the bedroom look set to scupper his new-found popularity. The latest in the brilliantly-told life story of Henry Pratt.

The Complete Pratt (Arrow, 2007)  -  Buy This Book
The first three Perrin books in one handy volume for the first time.

Cupid's Dart (Heinemann, 2007)  -  Buy This Book
The story of the unlikeliest of relationships. Philosophy lecturer and virgin at 55 Alan, and astrology-mad darts groupie Ange.

Obstacles To Young Love (2010)  -  Buy This Book
‘Three mighty obstacles threaten the burgeoning love of childhood sweethearts Timothy Pickering and Naomi Walls. They are Steven Venables, a dead curlew and God.’ Across the decades their lives continue to interweave, and occasionally cross – bound by the pull of intoxicating first love. But will their destinies ultimately unite them?

It Had To Be You (2011)  -  Buy This Book
'One man, five very different women. James Hollingshurst is a man shaped by those who surround him. And in James's case, it's some very different women. Be it his trusty wife Deborah, his hapless PA Marcia or his ex-girlfriend Jane. And there's one woman in James's life who looks set to upset the status quo.

The Fall & Rise of Gordon Coppinger (2012)  -  Buy This Book
'When revelations about the scandalous relationships and less than honest business practices of Sir Gordon Coppinger - infamous financier and devotee of excess - are made public, the glamorous facade of his London life begins to crumble and those around him fear the worst. But, much to Sir Gordon's surprise, all he can feel is relief.'

The Second Life Of Sally Mottram (2014)  -  Buy This Book
‘The heart-warming tale of 47 year old Sally Mottram, her life in ruins, who sets out to revive the fortunes of Potherthwaite, the depressed Pennine Town in which she lives.  The results are astonishing - for Potherthwaite, and for her.

  . Itinerant Lodger    Itinerant Lodger   

Ostrich Country    A Piece of the Sky is Missing    A Piece of the Sky is Missing  .   . 

  .   . 

  .   . 

  .   . 

Sex & Other Changes       Preatt a Manger  .   . 

    It Had To Be You   Gordon Coppinger    Sally Mottram

Thanks to James Lundon for many of the above images.


 

 

TV Contributions:
 
That Was The Week That Was, 1962-63
37 x 50min eps. 24.11.62 - 27.4.63 and 28.9.63 - 28.12.63
Topical, satirical look at the week's news. Presented by David Frost, with actors including Roy Kinnear, Frankie Howerd, Willie Rushton and Lance Percival. DN co-wrote sketches with Peter Tinniswood.

Lance At Large, 1964
6 x 25min eps. 13.8.64 - 17.9.64
Lance Percival played Alan Day exploring various situations and trades in each episode. DN co-wrote series with Peter Tinniswood.

Armchair Theatre - The Signalbox of Grandpa Hudson, 1965
1 x 60min. ep.
Comedy drama about a railway fanatic and his imposed rules on the people around him. Co-written with Peter Tinniswood.

The Dick Emery Show, 1965
166 episodes (DN relevance Series 3: 7 x 30min eps. 2.10.65 - 13.11.65
Versatile comedian Dick Emery, famous for his costumes characters, especially women, in a long-running show from 1963 to 1981. DN co-wrote sketches with Peter Tinniswood.

The Frost Report, 1966-67
26 x 25min eps. 10.3.66 - 9.6.66 and 6.4.67 - 29.6.67
A one-topic-per-episode comedy show mixing monologues, sketches and music. Introduced Ronnie Barker, Ronnie Corbett and John Cleese. DN co-wrote sketches with Peter Tinniswood.

Roy Hudd, 1968
1 x 50min ep. 26.5.68
A mixture of satire and old-time music hall tomfoolery, with impressions of Max Miller and the like. DN co-wrote gags with Peter Tinniswood.

The Roy Hudd Show, 1969
7 x 30min eps. 17.2.69 - 31.3.69
More sketches and music hall memories with comedian Roy Hudd. DN wrote sketches.

Sez Les, 1969-76
71 eps. between 30.4.69 and 6.12.76
Lugubrious, roly-poly comedian Les Dawson's definitive TV series. DN wrote sketches and adapted scripts.

Shine A Light, 1970
6 x 30min eps. 1.4.70 - 27.5.70
Relationship comedy between two lighthouse keepers (Timothy Bateson and Tony Selby) on the Bachelor Rock Lighthouse. DN co-wrote the sitcom with David McKellar and Peter Vincent.

Keep It In The Family, 1971
6 x 30min eps. 21.9.71 - 26.10.71
Sitcom about a couple and their warring in-laws. Starred Tim Barrett and Vivenne Martin. DN co-wrote the series with Peter Vincent.

Ronnie Corbett In Bed, 1971
1 x 45min ep. 27.3.71
Ronnie Corbett engages in flights of fancy from a four-poster bed. DN co-wrote with Eric Idle and Barry Cryer.

Some Matters Of Little Consequence, 1971
4 x 30min eps. (DN relevance ep.4 12.2.71)
Kenneth Griffith, Frank Thornton and Sheila Steafel had many costume changes in this revue-style sketch show. DN co-wrote the fourth episode with Peter Vincent.

The Two Ronnies, 1971-87
98 eps. between 10.4.71 and 25.12.87
One of Britain's greatest ever double acts appeared in a seemingly endless number of sketches, songs and 'news items' over the years. DN was one of the main writers of the show.

Tarbuck's Luck, 1972
6 x 45min eps. 1.4.72 - 13.5.72
Liverpudlian comedian Jimmy Tarbuck introduced different parts of his 'luck' - female guests - each week, including Yootha Joyce, Joan Sims, June Whitfield and Josephine Tewson. DN wrote gags for 1 ep. and co-wrote gags for 3 eps. with Peter Vincent.

Hey Brian!, 1973
A spin-off from the Diana Dors sitcom 'Queenie's Castle', Brian Marshall got his own series of standup cmedy and special guests. DN wrote gags.

Our Kid, 1973
6 x 30min eps. 8.4.73 - 20.5.73
Ben and young brother Bob live in a close family relationship in a Halifax house. Created by Waterhouse and Hall, DN wrote 1 ep.

Sir Yellow, 1973
6 x 30min eps. 13.7.72 - 19.8.73
A sitcom set in 13th century England with Jimmy Edwards, Melvyn Hayes and lots of 'busty wenches'. DN was the script editor.

Whoops Baghdad, 1973
6 x 30min eps. 25.1.73 - 1.3.73
Frankie Howerd in Middle East reworking of his successful Up Pompeii sitcom. DN co-wrote 2 eps. with Sid Colin and David McKellar.

An Evening With Francis Howerd, 1973
3 x 45min eps. 30.4.73 - 14.5.73
Sketches, skits and gags with Frankie and June Whitfoeld. DN co-wrote 1 ep.

Sounds Like Les Dawson, 1974
1 x 60min ep. 4.12.74
Les presented a spoof of the life of Beethoven and of 'The Prisoner Of Zenda'. DN co-wrote with Barry Cryer and Les.

Les Dawson's Christms Box, 1974
1 x 60min ep. 21.12.74
Les and his usual array of characters. DN co-wrote.

Dawson's Electric Cinema, 1975
1 x 60min ep. 3.4.75
Mid-1920s Dawson family running a cinema. Les' real son played Les as a child. DN co-wrote with Barry Cryer.

The Les Dawson Show, 1975
1 x 60min ep. 10.9.75 (ITV)
Cosmo Smallpiece, Cissy and Ada and guests Joan Sanderson and Cleo Laine. DN co-wrote with Barry Cryer.

Les Dawson's Christms Box, 1975
1 x 60min ep. 26.12.75
Les and his usual array of characters. DN co-wrote.

The Kenneth Williams Show, 1976
1 x 45min special 21.1.76
The Carry-On star in sketches with Lance Percival and Anna Karen. Preceded by a 6 ep series, this special had gags co-written by DN and Peter Vincent.

Our Young Mr. Wignall, 1976
Details unavailable. DN was the writer.

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, 1976
7 x 30min eps. 8.9.76 - 20.10.76
The mid life crisis of the food firm executive and his escape from the rat race. DN wrote the scripts, adapted from his novel The Death of Reginald Perrin.

Dawson and Friends, 1977
4 x 60min eps. 20.4.77, 25.5.77, 15.6.77, 29.6.77
Sketch standup and songs with his regular characters and cast. DN wrote material for all 4 eps.

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, 1977
7 x 30min eps. 21.9.77 - 2.11.77
Reggie has returned to his family and starts the rubbish empire Grot.

The Les Dawson Show, 1978-79
33 eps. from 21.1.78 to 23.11.89
Dawson's ITV series transferred to the BBC. DN wrote gags for 1 ep.

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, 1978-79
7 x 30min eps. 29.11.78 - 24.1.79
Reggie starts the Perrins community for the middle-class, middle-aged dissatisfied.

The Sun Trap, 1980
6 x 30min eps. 25.4.80 - 30.5.80
Sitcom about a group ex-pat Brits o a Mediterranean island, desperate to make a little piece of England in the sun. Starred Donald Churchill, Graham Crowden and Joan Benham. DN wrote the series.

The Glamour Girls, 1980-82
13 x 30min eps. 23.10.80 - 27.11.80 and 23.2.82 - 6.4.82
Brigit Forsyth and Sally Watts starred as dissatisfied workers taken on by a 'glamour agency'. DN wrote the series.

Dogfood Dan and The Camarthen Cowboy, 1982 and 1988
1 x 60min ep. 24.7.82 and 6 x 30min eps. 4.2.88 - 10.3.88
Play then sitcom about two dogffod-carrying lorry drivers unwittingly having affairs with each others wives. DN wrote both the TV play and the sitcom.

segment of The Funny Side of Christmas, 1982
1 x 5min segment, 27.12.82
Reggie Perrin and his family and colleagues reunited for this take on suburban sitcom Christmas.

Reggie, 1983 (USA)
6 x 30min eps. 2.8.83 - 1.9.83 (UK 14.9.84 - 19.10.84)
The US version of The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, with 'Soap's Richard Mulligan as Reggie Potter. DN created the series.

The Hello Goodbye Man, 1984
6 x 30min eps. 5.1.84 - 9.2.84
Ian Lavender starred as a struggling salesman. DN wrote the series.

Fairly Secret Army, 1984, 1986
13 x 30min eps. 22.10.84 - 26.11.84 and 1.9.86 - 13.10.86
Geoffrey Palmer played army cast-off Harry Truscott, forminga secret army to fight for Britain 'when the balloon goes up'. DN wrote the series, an expansion of his Jimmy Anderson character from The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin.

A Bit Of A Do, 1989
13 x 60min eps. 13.1.89 - 17.2.89 and 20.10.89 - 1.12.89
13 different parties or engagements for the Simcocks and Sillitoes and their battles with class differences, gossip and jealousy. Starring David Jason, Gwen Taylor and Stephanie Cole, DN wrote the series, adapted from his novel A Bit Of A Do.
Winner of the following awards: 1989 Royal Television Society - Best Drama Series; 1990 British Comedy Awards - Top British TV Comedy and Top British ITV/Channel4 TV Sitcom.

Rich Tea and Sympathy, 1991
6 x 60min eps. 5.7.91 - 9.8.91
Sitcom about the love affir - and argumaents - between a Labour divorcee and Tory widow and their straight-talking Yorkshire families. Starring Patricia Hodge, Dennis Quilley, Lionel Jeffries and Jean Alexander, DN wrote the series.

The Life and Times of Henry Pratt, 1992
2 x 60min eps.
The story of luckless, hapless Henry Pratt and his working-class Yorkshire family. DN wrote the series, adapted from his novel Second From Last In The Sack Race.

Stalag Luft, 1993
1 x 60min ep.
Comedy drama charting the escape attempts of British prisoners of war in a German detention camp. Starring Nicholas Lyndhurst, Stephen Fry and Geoffrey Palmer, DN wrote the play.

Love On A Branch Line, 1994
4 x 50min eps. 12.6.94 - 3.7.94
The adventures of a civil servant sent out to remote East Anglia to close down a wartime research agency set in a country mansion. His unwitting involvement with the Lord and Lady's children distract him from the task at hand. Adapted from the 1959 novel by John Hadfield, DN adapted and wrote the screenplay.

Cuts, 1996
Comedy-drama about the attempts of a media company to make an epic TV series. Adapted by DN from a novella by Malcolm Bradbury.

The Legacy of Reginald Perrin, 1996
7 x 30min eps. 22.9.96 - 31.10.96
Reginald Perrin has died and left in his will £1million each to family and colleagues, provided they do something utterly absurd to earn it. DN wrote the series, adapted from his novel.

This Is Your Life, 1998
1 x 30min ep.
DN was a guest in the episode featuring Sue Nicholls (she played Reginald Perrin's secretary Joan Greengross).

Two Ronnies Night, 1999
1 x 60min ep.
DN was a studio guest, reminiscing about the Two Ronnies' sketches.

Gentlemen's Relish, 2000
1 x 90min ep. 27.12.00
Billy Connolly starred as Edwardian photographer Kingdom Swann, out to make a quick buck from soft porn photographs. Adapted by DN from the novel Kingdom Swann, by Miles Gibson.

Heroes of Comedy: Leonard Rossiter, 2001
1 x 90min ep.
DN payed tribute to Leonard and recalled his time working with him on The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin.

BBC Breakfast, 2003
1 x 180min ep. 23.4.03
DN was interviewed about his autobiography by breakfast show anchors Dermot Murnaghan and Natasha Kaplinsky

Britain's Best Sitcom, 2004
1 x 180min ep. 10.01.04
DN remembered Reginald Perrin during its segment at No.35 of the Top100 sitcoms of all time.

Comedy Connections: The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, 2004
1 x 30min ep. 19.7.04
DN explained the history of the novels and the series, and paid tribute to the series' cast.

On Show, 2004
1 x 30min ep. 29.7.04
DN was a studio guest talking to Aled Jones about his new pilot sitcom Autumn Tints, and featured in a film segment from the set.

Autumn Tints, 2004
1 x 30min ep. 8.04
DN wrote this sitcom pilot about a Welsh retiree cycling club. It starred Anthony Valentine, Eleanor Bron and Nerys Hughes.

Britain's Favourite Comedian, 2004
1 x 12min ep. 3.10.04
DN paid tribute to Ronnie Barker and remembered writing for The Two Ronnies.

The Maltby Collection, 2007-
18 x 30min ep. in 3 series 15.6.07- (ongoing)
DN wrote this BBC Radio 4 sitcom set in a small, threatened museum. Starring Geoffrey Palmer and Julian Rhind-Tutt.

Comedy Map Of Britain, 2007
1 x 50min ep. 27.1.07
DN revisited some of the filming scenes of Perrin, including the beach in the title sequence.

Reggie Perrin, 2009/10
6 x 30min ep., 24.4.09 - 29.5.09
DN co-wrote, with Simon Nye, the classic Reginald Perrin story for a new audience. Starring Martin Clunes and Faye Ripley. A new series may be commissioned for 2010.



 




 

Links:

Watch video clips from BBC Wales' entertainment programme On Show:
Clip from Autumn Tints (500kb) -
David talks about the project (4.4Mb) -
David talks about Reggie Perrin (3.6Mb)

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