Peter Tinniswood
Encyclopedia
Peter Tinniswood was an English
radio
and TV
comedy
scriptwriter, and author of a series of popular cricket
ing novels. He was born in Liverpool
, but grew up above a dry cleaner's on Eastway in Sale
, Greater Manchester
.
, then on the Sheffield Telegraph
, where he was a leader writer and specialised on feature writing. He won widespread admiration for a week-long series 'Travels with a Donkey', an account of a tramp round the Peak District with a reluctant donkey.
both on the BBC
sketch show The Frost Report
and the comedy Lance At Large, starring Lance Percival
. This was an innovative attempt to update the sitcom formula, as Percival's character Alan Day, was involved in different scenarios and meeting different people in each episode.
The short-lived ITV
series Never Say Die (1970) drew upon Tinniswood's days as a hospital porter, and was set in Victoria Memorial Hospital and focused on the comedy created between the patients and the staff. It starred Reginald Marsh
and Patrick Newell
.
Perhaps Tinniswood's best known comedy was 1975's I Didn't Know You Cared
featuring the Brandons, a dour northern family. Adapted from his novels for the BBC
, this programme ran until 1979, and featured Liz Smith
, Robin Bailey
, John Comer
and a young Stephen Rea
.
In 1980 the BBC produced a series based on other Tinniswood books, featuring the character of The Brigadier, an erstwhile cricketer and slightly over-the-top raconteur, played by Robin Bailey
. Some of these stories were also adapted for BBC Radio 4
. The series was also remade in 1985 for Channel 4
.
For ITV in 1983 Tinniswood wrote The Home Front, again set in the north of England. It starred Brenda Bruce
as Mrs Place, a nosey, arrogant mother who lorded it over her three children. Two years later ITV also produced Mog, based on Peter's 1970 novel and starring Enn Reitel
as the titular character. This had episodes written by Ian La Frenais
and Dick Clement
, but it was not a success. Also in 1985 was South Of The Border, starring Brian Glover
as Edgar Rowley, a Yorkshireman forced to migrate to the south of England.
In later years Tinniswood's output was mostly for Radio 4 and included the continuing adventures of Uncle Mort and Carter Brandon in Uncle Mort's North Country, Uncle Mort's South Country and Uncle Mort's Celtic Fringe and a continuing series about poacher Winston Hayballs, his "bit of fluff" Nancy and her family originally adapted from his novel "Winston". Liz Goulding, his second wife, played Rosie.
A lifelong pipe smoker, Peter Tinniswood died of throat cancer, at the age of 67. Since his death, the Writers' Guild of Great Britain
and the Society of Authors
have jointly administered the annual Tinniswood Award in his memory, to honour the best original radio drama script broadcast in the UK during the previous year, with a prize of £1500 awarded to the winner.
Saturday Night Theatre; aft = BBC Afternoon Theatre, m = monologue)
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
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
scriptwriter, and author of a series of popular cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
ing novels. He was born in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, but grew up above a dry cleaner's on Eastway in Sale
Sale, Greater Manchester
Sale is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire, the town lies on flat ground on the south bank of the River Mersey, south of Stretford, northeast of Altrincham, and southwest of the city of Manchester...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
.
Early career
Tinniswood started out in journalism, spending four years in Sheffield, first, from 1958, on The StarSheffield Star
The Star, often known as the Sheffield Star is a daily newspaper published in Sheffield, England, from Monday to Saturday each week. Originally a broadsheet, the newspaper became a tabloid in 1989...
, then on the Sheffield Telegraph
Sheffield Telegraph
The Sheffield Telegraph is a weekly newspaper published in Sheffield, England.-History:Founded in 1855 as the Sheffield Daily Telegraph, it was the city's first daily newspaper, published at 08:00 each morning. The newspaper struggled until W. C...
, where he was a leader writer and specialised on feature writing. He won widespread admiration for a week-long series 'Travels with a Donkey', an account of a tramp round the Peak District with a reluctant donkey.
Television and radio work
In 1964 Tinniswood collaborated with long-term writing partner David NobbsDavid Nobbs
David Gordon Nobbs is an English comedy writer.Following an education at Marlborough College and Cambridge University, Nobbs wrote for many of Britain's comedy performers over the years, including Kenneth Williams, Frankie Howerd, Les Dawson and The Two Ronnies...
both on 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...
sketch show The Frost Report
The Frost Report
The Frost Report was a satirical television show hosted by David Frost. It ran for 29 episodes from 1966 to 1967. It is most notable for introducing John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett to television and also launching the careers of several comedians and performers.The main cast were...
and the comedy Lance At Large, starring Lance Percival
Lance Percival
Lance Percival is an English actor, comedian and after-dinner speaker.-Biography:Educated at Sherborne School, Percival first became well known for performing topical calypsos on television satire shows such as That Was The Week That Was. He appeared in the Carry On film, Carry On Cruising...
. This was an innovative attempt to update the sitcom formula, as Percival's character Alan Day, was involved in different scenarios and meeting different people in each episode.
The short-lived ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
series Never Say Die (1970) drew upon Tinniswood's days as a hospital porter, and was set in Victoria Memorial Hospital and focused on the comedy created between the patients and the staff. It starred Reginald Marsh
Reginald Marsh (actor)
Reginald Marsh was an English actor who is best remembered for starring in many British sitcoms from the 1970s onwards.-Early life and career:...
and Patrick Newell
Patrick Newell
Patrick David Newell was a British actor known for his large size. It is reputed he gained weight as a deliberate attempt to boost his career, marking him out for some niche roles...
.
Perhaps Tinniswood's best known comedy was 1975's I Didn't Know You Cared
I Didn't Know You Cared
I Didn't Know You Cared is a British television comedy set in a working class household in South Yorkshire in the 1970s, written by Peter Tinniswood and loosely based upon his books A Touch Of Daniel, I Didn't Know You Cared and Except You're A Bird...
featuring the Brandons, a dour northern family. Adapted from his novels for 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...
, this programme ran until 1979, and featured Liz Smith
Liz Smith (actress)
Liz Smith, MBE is a British actress, best-known for her roles in the sitcoms The Vicar of Dibley and The Royle Family. She also appeared in the 2005 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.-Early life:...
, Robin Bailey
Robin Bailey
Robin Bailey was an English actor. He was born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.Although often chosen for upper class and tradition-bound roles such as Judge Graves in Thames Television's Rumpole Of The Bailey, Bailey is perhaps most fondly remembered for his portrayal of Uncle Mort in I Didn't Know...
, John Comer
John Comer
John Comer was a British actor best known for his comedy roles in the television series I Didn't Know You Cared, Last of the Summer Wine and All Our Saturdays.-Early life:...
and a young Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in high profile films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto...
.
In 1980 the BBC produced a series based on other Tinniswood books, featuring the character of The Brigadier, an erstwhile cricketer and slightly over-the-top raconteur, played by Robin Bailey
Robin Bailey
Robin Bailey was an English actor. He was born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.Although often chosen for upper class and tradition-bound roles such as Judge Graves in Thames Television's Rumpole Of The Bailey, Bailey is perhaps most fondly remembered for his portrayal of Uncle Mort in I Didn't Know...
. Some of these stories were also adapted for 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...
. The series was also remade in 1985 for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
.
For ITV in 1983 Tinniswood wrote The Home Front, again set in the north of England. It starred Brenda Bruce
Brenda Bruce
Brenda Bruce was a British actress. She had a long and successful career in the theatre, radio, film, and television.-Early life:Brenda Bruce was born in Manchester...
as Mrs Place, a nosey, arrogant mother who lorded it over her three children. Two years later ITV also produced Mog, based on Peter's 1970 novel and starring Enn Reitel
Enn Reitel
Enn Reitel is a Scottish actor and impressionist who specialises in voice work.- Early life :Reitel's family arrived in Scotland as refugees from Estonia, German Empire...
as the titular character. This had episodes written by Ian La Frenais
Ian La Frenais
Ian La Frenais, OBE, , is an English writer best known for his creative partnership with Dick Clement. They are most famous for television series including, The Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Porridge, Lovejoy and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.They have also written various other work...
and Dick Clement
Dick Clement
Dick Clement, OBE is an English writer.Born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England, Clement was educated at Bishop's Stortford College and is best known for his writing partnership with Ian La Frenais. Generally, Clement and La Frenais write comedies, or dramas with a comic tone...
, but it was not a success. Also in 1985 was South Of The Border, starring Brian Glover
Brian Glover
Brian Glover was an English character actor, writer and wrestler. Glover was a professional wrestler, teacher, and finally a film, television and stage actor. He once said, "You play to your strengths in this game. My strength is as a bald-headed, rough-looking Yorkshireman".-Early life:Glover was...
as Edgar Rowley, a Yorkshireman forced to migrate to the south of England.
In later years Tinniswood's output was mostly for Radio 4 and included the continuing adventures of Uncle Mort and Carter Brandon in Uncle Mort's North Country, Uncle Mort's South Country and Uncle Mort's Celtic Fringe and a continuing series about poacher Winston Hayballs, his "bit of fluff" Nancy and her family originally adapted from his novel "Winston". Liz Goulding, his second wife, played Rosie.
A lifelong pipe smoker, Peter Tinniswood died of throat cancer, at the age of 67. Since his death, the Writers' Guild of Great Britain
Writers' Guild of Great Britain
The Writers' Guild of Great Britain, established in 1959, is a trade union for professional writers. It is affiliated with both the Trades Union Congress and the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds .-Activities:...
and the Society of Authors
Society of Authors
The Society of Authors is a trade union for professional writers that was founded in 1884 to protect the rights of writers and fight to retain those rights .It has counted amongst its members and presidents numerous notable writers and poets including Tennyson The Society of Authors (UK) is a...
have jointly administered the annual Tinniswood Award in his memory, to honour the best original radio drama script broadcast in the UK during the previous year, with a prize of £1500 awarded to the winner.
TV credits
- That Was The Week That WasThat Was The Week That WasThat Was The Week That Was, also known as TW3, is a satirical television comedy programme that was shown on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced and directed by Ned Sherrin and presented by David Frost...
(1962) - The Dick EmeryDick EmeryRichard Gilbert "Dick" Emery was an English comedian and actor. Beginning on radio in the 1950s, an eponymous television series ran from 1963 to 1981. He was the brother of Ann Emery.-Life and career:...
Show (1963) - Lance At Large (1964)
- The Frost ReportThe Frost ReportThe Frost Report was a satirical television show hosted by David Frost. It ran for 29 episodes from 1966 to 1967. It is most notable for introducing John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett to television and also launching the careers of several comedians and performers.The main cast were...
(1966) - Roy Hudd (1970)
- Never Say Die (1970)
- I Didn't Know You CaredI Didn't Know You CaredI Didn't Know You Cared is a British television comedy set in a working class household in South Yorkshire in the 1970s, written by Peter Tinniswood and loosely based upon his books A Touch Of Daniel, I Didn't Know You Cared and Except You're A Bird...
(1975) - Tales From A Long Room (1980) (BBCBBCThe 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...
) - The Home Front (1983)
- Mog (1985)
- South Of The Border (1985)
- Tales From A Long Room (1985) (Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
) - Duck Patrol (1998)
Novels and other fiction
- A Touch Of Daniel (1969) - Winner of the Author's Club First Novel AwardAuthor's Club First Novel AwardAuthors' Club Best First Novel Award is awarded by the Authors' Club to the most promising first novel of the year, written by a British author and published in the UK during the calendar year preceding the year in which the award is presented....
and Book of the Month choice - Mog (1970)
- I Didn't Know You Cared (1973) - Winner of Royal Society of LiteratureRoyal Society of LiteratureThe Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...
Winifred HoltbyWinifred HoltbyWinifred Holtby was an English novelist and journalist, best known for her novel South Riding.-Life and writings:...
award - Except You're A Bird (1974)
- Shemerelda (1984)
- Call it a Canary (1985)
- Tales from Witney Scrotum
- Hayballs
- Dolly’s War
- Witney Scrotum
- Winston
- Uncle Mort’s South Country
- Tales From Witney Scrotum
- Uncle Mort’s North Country
- The Brigadier’s Brief Lives
- The Brigadier’s Tour
- The Brigadier In Season
- The Home Front
- The Brigadier Down Under
- Collected Tales From A Long Room
- More Tales From A Long Room, Tales From A Long Room
- The Stirk Of Stirk
Radio drama
(snt = BBCBBC
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...
Saturday Night Theatre; aft = BBC Afternoon Theatre, m = monologue)
- 1964 Hardluck Hall (6 x 30m, series of comedy plays)
- 1973 Sam's Wedding (aft)
- 1980 A Gifted Child (aft)
- 1981 An Occasional Day (aft)
- 1981 Stoker Leishman's Diaries (snt)
- 1981 The Siege
- 1981 The Bargeman's Comfort
- 1987 A Touch Of Daniel (snt)
- 1987 The Village Fete rpt. 1988 (snt)
- 1990 A Small Union
- 1992 Tales from the Brigadier
- 1992 Two into Three
- 1993 The Governor's Consort (for M.Wimbush) R3
- 1995 Pen Pals
- 1997 Secret life of the Shed -feature on shed life-with P.Tinniswood
- 1997 Batteries not included-feature on batteries-with P.Tinniswood
- 1998 The Last Obituary (for Billie WhitelawBillie WhitelawBillie Honor Whitelaw, CBE is an English actress. She worked in close collaboration with Irish playwright Samuel Beckett for 25 years and is regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of his works...
;m),rpt 1999 - 1998 Visiting Julia:6-episode comedy drama series
- 1998 Next time we might play better
- 1998 The wireless lady
- 1998 On the whole it's been jolly good (for Maurice DenhamMaurice DenhamMaurice Denham OBE was an English character actor who appeared in over 100 television programmes and films throughout his long career.-Life and career:...
;m),rpt.1999 - 1998 Verona- a conspiracy of parrots (for Stephanie Cole;m),rpt 1999
- 1998 A very rare bird indeed
- 1999 The House Swap
- 1999 The Scan
- 2000 Dorothy, a Manager's wife
- 2000 Age Gap
- 2000 The Packer
- 2000 Admiral of the night
- 2000 Monument (adapted from Eduardo de FilippoEduardo De FilippoEduardo De Filippo was an Italian actor, playwright, screenwriter, author and poet, best known for his Neapolitan works Filumena Marturano and Napoli Milionaria.-Biography:...
), dram. - 2001 The Duvet Lady (Billie Whitelaw monologue)
- 2001 Mr. Reliable
- 2001 Tales from the backbench (series 1, 4 episodes)
- 2001 On the train from Chemnitz
- 2001 Tales from the Backbench (series 2, 4 episodes)
- 2002 On the whole it's been jolly good, rpt again
- 2002 The Air Raid
- 2002 Anton in Eastbourne (for Paul ScofieldPaul ScofieldDavid Paul Scofield, CH, CBE , better known as Paul Scofield, was an English actor of stage and screen...
) - 2003 The Goalkeeper's Boo-Boo
- 2010 The Visitor (BBC Radio 4 7.10.2010, Roy HuddRoy HuddRoy Hudd, OBE is an English comedian, actor, radio host and author, and an authority on the history of music hall entertainment.- Early life :...
and Emma FieldingEmma FieldingEmma Georgina Annalies Fielding is an English actress.-Biography:The lapsed Roman Catholic daughter of a British Army soldier, Fielding spent much of her childhood in Malaysia and Nigeria, and a period in Malvern above her grandparents' betting shop...
)
Serials
(numbers show no. of episodes)- Home Again 6 (R4BBC Radio 4BBC 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...
2.6.1980- 7.7.1980 Robin BaileyRobin BaileyRobin Bailey was an English actor. He was born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.Although often chosen for upper class and tradition-bound roles such as Judge Graves in Thames Television's Rumpole Of The Bailey, Bailey is perhaps most fondly remembered for his portrayal of Uncle Mort in I Didn't Know...
/Doreen Mantle/Liz Goulding/David TroughtonDavid TroughtonDavid Troughton is an English actor, best known for his Shakespearean roles on the British stage.- Biography :David Troughton was born in Hampstead, North London. He comes from a theatrical family: he is the son of Doctor Who actor Patrick Troughton, elder brother of Michael Troughton, and father...
/Christopher Benjamin) - Uncle Mort's North Country 5 (R4 21.7.1988 -18.8.1988 Stephen Thorne/Peter SkellernPeter SkellernPeter Skellern is an English singer-songwriter and pianist.-Career:Skellern attended Derby Grammar School and studied piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He later joined pop groups called 'Harlem' and 'March Hare'...
/Christian RodskaChristian RodskaChristian Rodska is an English actor who has appeared in many television and radio series and narrated a number of audiobooks...
) - Winston 6 (R4 26.4.1989- 31.5.1989 Maurice DenhamMaurice DenhamMaurice Denham OBE was an English character actor who appeared in over 100 television programmes and films throughout his long career.-Life and career:...
/Christian Rodska/Shirley Dixon/Liz Goulding/Bill WallisBill WallisBill Wallis is a British character actor and comedian who has appeared in numerous radio and television roles, as well as in the theatre....
) - Winston Comes To Town 6 (R4 1.1.1990- 5.2.1990 Maurice Denham/Shirley Dixon/Liz Goulding/Christian Rodska/Bill Wallis)
- Uncle Mort's South Country - Series 1 5 (R4 12.7.1990 9.8.1990 Stephen ThorneStephen ThorneStephen Thorne is a British actor of radio, film, stage and television.He trained at the and after a time in weekly rep. he played several seasons with the Old Vic Company and the RSC in Stratford and London including a tour to Russia...
/Sam Kelly/Liz Goulding/Christian Rodska) - Uncle Mort's South Country - Series 2 5 (R4 27.10.1990 -24.11.1990 Stephen Thorne/Sam Kelly/Liz Goulding/Christopher Good/Christian Rodska)
- Winston In Love 6 (R4 31.12.1990 -4.2.1991 Shirley Dixon/Bill Wallis/Maurice Denham/Liz Goulding/Christian Rodska)
- Winston In Europe 6 (R4 12.3.1992 -16.4.1992 Shirley Dixon/Maurice Denham/Liz Goulding/Christian Rodska/Bill Wallis)
- Winston Back Home 6 (R4 31.3.1994 -5.5.1994 Shirley Dixon/Maurice Denham/Liz Goulding/Christian Rodska/Bill Wallis)
- Uncle Mort's Celtic Fringe 5 (R4 12.2.1996 -11.3.1996 Stephen Thorne/Sam Kelly/Christian Rodska/Liz Goulding)
External links
- Peter Tinniswood at IMDB - list of TV writing credits.
- Peter Tinniswood at 'Diversity' - radio writing for the BBC.
- BBC Guide to Comedy - information about shows Peter Tinniswood has contributed to.
- News of death (BBC)