Harry Thompson
Encyclopedia
Harry William Thompson was an English
radio
and television producer
, comedy writer, novelist and biographer.
A keen Tintinologist
, in 1991 he published Tintin: Hergé and his Creation, one of the first English-language books on the subject of Belgian comic book creator Hergé
and his work.
, before reading History
at Brasenose College, Oxford
where he edited the university newspaper, Cherwell
. He lived with his father, Gordon Thompson and his late mother Brenda. Thompson was an only child.
and The Mary Whitehouse Experience
. Following his move into television, he produced Newman and Baddiel in Pieces
, Harry Enfield and Chums and Monkey Dust
, and co-produced Never Mind The Buzzcocks
. In 1998 he was part of BBC Radio 4
's 5-part political satire programme Cartoons, Lampoons, and Buffoons.
Harry Thompson also produced non-comedy documentaries for BBC Radio. He made several programmes with writer/presenter Terence Pettigrew, starting with anniversary tributes to Hollywood icons James Dean
(You're Tearing Me Apart) and Montgomery Clift
(I Had The Misery Thursday). Pettigrew and Thompson subsequently worked together on a second series of documentaries, including on national service Caught In The Draft
, and also about the evacuation of children from major British cities during World War II (Nobody Cried When The Trains Pulled Out). Both programmes were presented by Michael Aspel
.
Afterwards, Pettigrew said, "I was a new to broadcasting in those days, and I found Harry to be inventive and tireless and wonderfully patient. I couldn't have had a better teacher. This was before his great television triumphs and awards, all of which were richly deserved."
He was best known for producing the BBC
panel shows Have I Got News For You
and They Think It's All Over
, producing the latter for the first eight years of its run.
He was instrumental in the creation of the comic character Ali G
for The 11 O'Clock Show, and as a comedy writer his credits included Da Ali G Show
.
During these productions he was able to gain exposure for a very large proportion of those who went on to become prominent figures in contemporary British comedy, including: Sacha Baron Cohen
, Angus Deayton
, Harry Enfield
, Ricky Gervais
, Nick Hancock, Ian Hislop
, Mark Lamarr
, Paul Merton
and Paul Whitehouse
.
In 2003, The Observer
listed him as one of the 50 funniest or most influential people in British comedy. In December 2005 he was to have received the Jury's Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Comedy at the British Comedy Awards
but died before receiving it.
His last broadcast work was the Channel 5 sitcom Respectable
, set in a suburban brothel.
In a 2005 episode of Have I Got News For You, featuring Alexander Armstrong
as host and panelists Fi Glover
and Ian McMillan, a message stating "In Memory of Harry Thompson, the first producer of Have I Got News For You (1960 - 2005)" was displayed.
of Peter Cook
, Richard Ingrams
and Tintin
creator Hergé
.
In June 2005, Thompson's only novel, entitled This Thing Of Darkness (a historical novel chronicling the life of Robert Fitzroy
- later published in the United States as To The Edge Of The World), was published and long-listed for the Booker prize.
He also wrote Penguins Stopped Play
, an account of the attempt by his beloved cricket team, The Captain Scott Invitation XI, to tour all seven continents of the world.
in April 2005, despite never having smoked, and died, aged 45, on November 7 the same year, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
, London
. He married his girlfriend, Lisa Whadcock, on the day of his death, in the same borough. Mr Thompson died intestate
in 2005 and the regulations mean his widow Lisa inherited only £125,000 of his £1million estate.
The rest of his fortune has been split in two, with one half going to his two children, Bill, and Betty.
Mrs Thompson, 34, has access only to the interest on the remaining half, which will go to his children on her death.
He is survived by his two children from his first marriage (Betty 1994 and William 1996) to Fiona Duff (1993–98) who live in Edinburgh.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
radio
Radio producer
A radio producer oversees the making of a radio show. There are two main types of producer. An audio or creative producer and a content producer. Audio producers create sounds and audio specifically, content producers oversee and orchestrate a radio show or feature...
and television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
, comedy writer, novelist and biographer.
A keen Tintinologist
The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist , who wrote under the pen name of Hergé...
, in 1991 he published Tintin: Hergé and his Creation, one of the first English-language books on the subject of Belgian comic book creator Hergé
Hergé
Georges Prosper Remi , better known by the pen name Hergé, was a Belgian comics writer and artist. His best known and most substantial work is the 23 completed comic books in The Adventures of Tintin series, which he wrote and illustrated from 1929 until his death in 1983, although he was also...
and his work.
Early life
Thompson was born in London, and attended Highgate SchoolHighgate School
-Notable members of staff and governing body:* John Ireton, brother of Henry Ireton, Cromwellian General* 1st Earl of Mansfield, Lord Chief Justice, owner of Kenwood, noted for judgment finding contracts for slavery unenforceable in English law* T. S...
, before reading History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
at Brasenose College, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
where he edited the university newspaper, Cherwell
Cherwell (newspaper)
Cherwell is an independent newspaper, largely published for students of Oxford University. First published in 1920, it has had an online edition since 1996. Named after the local river, Cherwell is published by OSPL , who also publish the sister publication ISIS along with the Etcetera Supplement...
. He lived with his father, Gordon Thompson and his late mother Brenda. Thompson was an only child.
Comedy career
Early in his career Thompson produced the radio comedy programmes The News QuizThe News Quiz
The News Quiz is a topical panel game broadcast on British radio BBC Radio 4.-History:It was first broadcast in 1977 with Barry Norman as chairman. Subsequently it was chaired by Simon Hoggart, Barry Took , and then again by Simon Hoggart until March 2006. Hoggart was replaced by Sandi Toksvig in...
and The Mary Whitehouse Experience
The Mary Whitehouse Experience
The Mary Whitehouse Experience was a British topical sketch comedy show produced by the BBC in association with Spitting Image Productions. It starred two comedy double acts - David Baddiel and Rob Newman, and also Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis, all of whom had graduated from Cambridge University...
. Following his move into television, he produced Newman and Baddiel in Pieces
Newman and Baddiel in Pieces
Newman and Baddiel in Pieces is a sketch comedy television show written by and starring comedians Robert Newman and David Baddiel, produced by Harry Thompson, and broadcast on BBC Two in 1993....
, Harry Enfield and Chums and Monkey Dust
Monkey Dust
Monkey Dust is a British satirical cartoon, notorious for its dark humour and handling of taboo topics such as murder, suicide and paedophilia. There were three series broadcast on BBC Three between 2003 and 2005...
, and co-produced Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
. In 1998 he was part of BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's 5-part political satire programme Cartoons, Lampoons, and Buffoons.
Harry Thompson also produced non-comedy documentaries for BBC Radio. He made several programmes with writer/presenter Terence Pettigrew, starting with anniversary tributes to Hollywood icons James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
(You're Tearing Me Apart) and Montgomery Clift
Montgomery Clift
Edward Montgomery Clift was an American film and stage actor. The New York Times’ obituary noted his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men"....
(I Had The Misery Thursday). Pettigrew and Thompson subsequently worked together on a second series of documentaries, including on national service Caught In The Draft
Caught in the Draft
Caught in the Draft is a 1941 comedy/war film, directed by David Butler.-Plot:Don Bolton is a famous Hollywood star who tries to get married in order to avoid the draft, as he feels it will interfere with his career...
, and also about the evacuation of children from major British cities during World War II (Nobody Cried When The Trains Pulled Out). Both programmes were presented by Michael Aspel
Michael Aspel
Michael Terence Aspel, OBE is an English television presenter, known for his reserved demeanour and rich speaking voice. He has been a high-profile TV personality in the United Kingdom since the 1960s, presenting programmes such as Crackerjack, Aspel and Company, This is Your Life, Strange But...
.
Afterwards, Pettigrew said, "I was a new to broadcasting in those days, and I found Harry to be inventive and tireless and wonderfully patient. I couldn't have had a better teacher. This was before his great television triumphs and awards, all of which were richly deserved."
He was best known for producing the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
panel shows Have I Got News For You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
and They Think It's All Over
They Think It's All Over (TV series)
They Think It's All Over was a British comedy panel game with a sporting theme produced by Talkback Thames and shown on BBC One. The show's name is taken from Kenneth Wolstenholme's famous 1966 World Cup commentary quotation, "they think it's all over...it is now!" and the show used the phrase as...
, producing the latter for the first eight years of its run.
He was instrumental in the creation of the comic character Ali G
Ali G
Ali G is a satirical fictional character invented and performed by English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Originally appearing on Channel 4's Eleven O'Clock show, Ali G is the title character of Channel 4's Da Ali G Show, original episodes of which aired in 2000 and on HBO in 2003–2004, and is the...
for The 11 O'Clock Show, and as a comedy writer his credits included Da Ali G Show
Da Ali G Show
Da Ali G Show is the name of two related satirical TV series created by and starring British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and featuring the character Ali G....
.
During these productions he was able to gain exposure for a very large proportion of those who went on to become prominent figures in contemporary British comedy, including: Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen is an English stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and voice artist. He is most widely known for his portrayal of three unorthodox fictional characters: Ali G, Borat, and Brüno...
, Angus Deayton
Angus Deayton
Gordon Angus Deayton is an English actor, writer, musician, comedian and broadcaster. He is best known for his role as Victor Meldrew's long-suffering neighbour Patrick Trench in the comedy series One Foot in the Grave...
, Harry Enfield
Harry Enfield
Henry Richard "Harry" Enfield is a BAFTA-winning English comedian, actor, writer and director.-Early life:...
, Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
, Nick Hancock, Ian Hislop
Ian Hislop
Ian David Hislop is a British journalist, satirist, comedian, writer, broadcaster and editor of the satirical magazine Private Eye...
, Mark Lamarr
Mark Lamarr
Mark Lamarr is an English comedian, radio DJ and television presenter.-Early life:Lamarr was born in the Park South area of Swindon and has three elder sisters. His father is Irish...
, Paul Merton
Paul Merton
Paul Merton is a British comedian, writer, actor and television presenter. Known for his improvisation skill, his humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and sometimes dark comedy...
and Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse is a Welsh actor, writer and comedian. He became known for his work with Harry Enfield and as one of the stars of the popular BBC sketch show, The Fast Show. In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was in the top 50 comedy acts voted for by comedians and comedy insiders...
.
In 2003, The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
listed him as one of the 50 funniest or most influential people in British comedy. In December 2005 he was to have received the Jury's Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Comedy at the British Comedy Awards
British Comedy Awards
The British Comedy Awards is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year.-History:...
but died before receiving it.
His last broadcast work was the Channel 5 sitcom Respectable
Respectable (TV series)
Respectable is a British sitcom, first shown in six episodes from 30 August to 4 October 2006 on Five; it was later repeated on Paramount Comedy 1....
, set in a suburban brothel.
In a 2005 episode of Have I Got News For You, featuring Alexander Armstrong
Alexander Armstrong (comedian)
Alexander Henry Fenwick Armstrong is a British comedian, actor and television presenter.-Early life and career:Armstrong was born in Rothbury, Northumberland, the youngest of three children, to Henry Angus Armstrong and his wife Emma Virginia Peronnet Thompson-McCausland, daughter of Lucius...
as host and panelists Fi Glover
Fi Glover
Fiona "Fi" Glover is a BBC journalist and presenter and, until March 2011, the host of BBC Radio 4's Saturday Live.-Career:...
and Ian McMillan, a message stating "In Memory of Harry Thompson, the first producer of Have I Got News For You (1960 - 2005)" was displayed.
Writing
Thompson wrote biographiesBiography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of Peter Cook
Peter Cook
Peter Edward Cook was an English satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, he is regarded as the leading light of the British satire boom of the 1960s. He has been described by Stephen Fry as "the funniest man who ever drew breath," although Cook's...
, Richard Ingrams
Richard Ingrams
Richard Ingrams is an English journalist, a co-founder and second editor of the British satirical magazine Private Eye, and now editor of The Oldie magazine.-Career:...
and Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist , who wrote under the pen name of Hergé...
creator Hergé
Hergé
Georges Prosper Remi , better known by the pen name Hergé, was a Belgian comics writer and artist. His best known and most substantial work is the 23 completed comic books in The Adventures of Tintin series, which he wrote and illustrated from 1929 until his death in 1983, although he was also...
.
In June 2005, Thompson's only novel, entitled This Thing Of Darkness (a historical novel chronicling the life of Robert Fitzroy
Robert FitzRoy
Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy RN achieved lasting fame as the captain of HMS Beagle during Charles Darwin's famous voyage, and as a pioneering meteorologist who made accurate weather forecasting a reality...
- later published in the United States as To The Edge Of The World), was published and long-listed for the Booker prize.
He also wrote Penguins Stopped Play
Penguins Stopped Play
Penguins Stopped Play is a semi-autobiographical book by Harry Thompson that details his adventures with the "Captain Scott XI" amateur cricket side as they attempt to play cricket on every continent on the planet except Antarctica Penguins Stopped Play is a semi-autobiographical book by Harry...
, an account of the attempt by his beloved cricket team, The Captain Scott Invitation XI, to tour all seven continents of the world.
Death
He was diagnosed with inoperable (stage III) lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in April 2005, despite never having smoked, and died, aged 45, on November 7 the same year, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a central London borough of Royal borough status. After the City of Westminster, it is the wealthiest borough in England....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He married his girlfriend, Lisa Whadcock, on the day of his death, in the same borough. Mr Thompson died intestate
Intestacy
Intestacy is the condition of the estate of a person who dies owning property greater than the sum of their enforceable debts and funeral expenses without having made a valid will or other binding declaration; alternatively where such a will or declaration has been made, but only applies to part of...
in 2005 and the regulations mean his widow Lisa inherited only £125,000 of his £1million estate.
The rest of his fortune has been split in two, with one half going to his two children, Bill, and Betty.
Mrs Thompson, 34, has access only to the interest on the remaining half, which will go to his children on her death.
He is survived by his two children from his first marriage (Betty 1994 and William 1996) to Fiona Duff (1993–98) who live in Edinburgh.
External links
- BBC News reports Harry Thompson's death
- Guardian obituary
- Telegraph obituary
- Independent obituary
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-406670/1m-blow-deathbed-widow-Have-I-Got-News-For-You-writer.html
- Nationwide: Cherwell Headline - Could You Rape This Woman? – archive footage of Thompson discussing a controversial headline published during his time as editor