David Nobbs - Revision history

Kurt at 17:22, 18 February 2023

2023-02-18T17:22:11Z

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	~~{{EngvarB\|date=November 2017}}~~		{{Infobox writer
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=November 2017}}~~
	{{Infobox writer ~~<!--For more information, see [[:Template:Infobox Writer/doc]].-->~~
	\| honorific_prefix =		\| honorific_prefix =
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	\| birth_name = David Gordon Nobbs		\| birth_name = David Gordon Nobbs
	\| birth_date = {{birth date\|df=y\|1935\|3\|13}}		\| birth_date = {{birth date\|df=y\|1935\|3\|13}}
	\| birth_place = [[w:Orpington\|Orpington]], [[w:Kent\|Kent]], England		\| birth_place = [[Orpington\|Orpington]], [[Kent\|Kent]], England
	\| death_date = {{death date and age\|df=y\|2015\|8\|8\|1935\|3\|13}}		\| death_date = {{death date and age\|df=y\|2015\|8\|8\|1935\|3\|13}}
	\| death_place = [[w:Harrogate\|Harrogate]], [[w:North Yorkshire\|North Yorkshire]], England<ref name="dnb">Jeff Evans, "Nobbs, David Gordon (1935–2015)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Jan 2019 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-111854 available online]. Retrieved 25 April 2021.</ref>		\| death_place = [[Harrogate\|Harrogate]], [[North Yorkshire\|North Yorkshire]], England<ref name="dnb">Jeff Evans, "Nobbs, David Gordon (1935–2015)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Jan 2019 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-111854 available online]. Retrieved 25 April 2021.</ref>
	\| resting_place =		\| resting_place =
	\| occupation = Author<br>novelist<br>scriptwriter		\| occupation = Author<br>novelist<br>scriptwriter
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	\| ethnicity =		\| ethnicity =
	\| citizenship = United Kingdom		\| citizenship = United Kingdom
	\| education = [[w:Marlborough College\|Marlborough College]]<br>[[w:St. John's College, Cambridge\|St. John's College]]		\| education = [[Marlborough College\|Marlborough College]]<br>[[St. John's College, Cambridge\|St. John's College]]
	\| alma_mater =		\| alma_mater =
	\| period =		\| period =
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	* [https://www.twitter.com/DavidNobbs David Nobbs] on Twitter		* [https://www.twitter.com/DavidNobbs David Nobbs] on Twitter
	* [http://www.leonardrossiter.com/reginaldperrin/DNPage.html David Nobbs' page at Reggie Online]		* [http://www.leonardrossiter.com/reginaldperrin/DNPage.html David Nobbs' page at Reggie Online]
	* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120207180621/http://idler.co.uk/conversations/conversations-david-nobbs/ Interview with David Nobbs] by [[w:Jonathan Coe\|Jonathan Coe]] in [[w:The Idler (1993)\|The Idler Magazine]]		* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120207180621/http://idler.co.uk/conversations/conversations-david-nobbs/ Interview with David Nobbs] by [[Jonathan Coe\|Jonathan Coe]] in [[The Idler (1993)\|The Idler Magazine]]
	* {{British Comedy Guide\|people\|david_nobbs}}		* {{British Comedy Guide\|people\|david_nobbs}}

Kurt: /* External links */

2022-11-19T17:57:02Z

External links

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:57, 19 November 2022
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	* [https://www.twitter.com/DavidNobbs David Nobbs] on Twitter		* [https://www.twitter.com/DavidNobbs David Nobbs] on Twitter
	* [http://www.leonardrossiter.com/reginaldperrin/DNPage.html David Nobbs' page at Reggie Online]		* [http://www.leonardrossiter.com/reginaldperrin/DNPage.html David Nobbs' page at Reggie Online]
	* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120207180621/http://idler.co.uk/conversations/conversations-david-nobbs/ Interview with David Nobbs] by [[Jonathan Coe]] in [[The Idler (1993)\|The Idler Magazine]]		* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120207180621/http://idler.co.uk/conversations/conversations-david-nobbs/ Interview with David Nobbs] by [[w:Jonathan Coe\|Jonathan Coe]] in [[w:The Idler (1993)\|The Idler Magazine]]
	* {{British Comedy Guide\|people\|david_nobbs}}		* {{British Comedy Guide\|people\|david_nobbs}}

Kurt: /* External links */

2022-11-19T17:56:24Z

External links

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	==External links==		==External links==
	~~{{Wikiquote}}~~
	* [http://www.davidnobbs.com David Nobbs' official site]		* [http://www.davidnobbs.com David Nobbs' official site]
	* {{IMDb name\|id=0633468}}		* {{IMDb name\|id=0633468}}
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	* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120207180621/http://idler.co.uk/conversations/conversations-david-nobbs/ Interview with David Nobbs] by [[Jonathan Coe]] in [[The Idler (1993)\|The Idler Magazine]]		* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120207180621/http://idler.co.uk/conversations/conversations-david-nobbs/ Interview with David Nobbs] by [[Jonathan Coe]] in [[The Idler (1993)\|The Idler Magazine]]
	* {{British Comedy Guide\|people\|david_nobbs}}		* {{British Comedy Guide\|people\|david_nobbs}}

	~~{{Authority control}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Nobbs, David Gordon}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Nobbs, David Gordon}}

Kurt at 14:19, 23 August 2022

2022-08-23T14:19:30Z

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	\| birth_name = David Gordon Nobbs		\| birth_name = David Gordon Nobbs
	\| birth_date = {{birth date\|df=y\|1935\|3\|13}}		\| birth_date = {{birth date\|df=y\|1935\|3\|13}}
	\| birth_place = [[w:Orpington\|Orpington]], [[Kent\|Kent]], England		\| birth_place = [[w:Orpington\|Orpington]], [[w:Kent\|Kent]], England
	\| death_date = {{death date and age\|df=y\|2015\|8\|8\|1935\|3\|13}}		\| death_date = {{death date and age\|df=y\|2015\|8\|8\|1935\|3\|13}}
	\| death_place = [[w:Harrogate\|Harrogate]], [[w:North Yorkshire\|North Yorkshire]], England<ref name="dnb">Jeff Evans, "Nobbs, David Gordon (1935–2015)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Jan 2019 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-111854 available online]. Retrieved 25 April 2021.</ref>		\| death_place = [[w:Harrogate\|Harrogate]], [[w:North Yorkshire\|North Yorkshire]], England<ref name="dnb">Jeff Evans, "Nobbs, David Gordon (1935–2015)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Jan 2019 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-111854 available online]. Retrieved 25 April 2021.</ref>

Kurt at 14:16, 23 August 2022

2022-08-23T14:16:27Z

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	{{Use dmy dates\|date=November 2017}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=November 2017}}
	{{Infobox writer <!--For more information, see [[:Template:Infobox Writer/doc]].-->		{{Infobox writer <!--For more information, see [[:Template:Infobox Writer/doc]].-->
	~~\| name = David Nobbs~~
	\| honorific_prefix =		\| honorific_prefix =
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	\| image =		\| image = David Nobbs.jpg
	\| image_size =		\| image_size =
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	\| birth_name = David Gordon Nobbs		\| birth_name = David Gordon Nobbs
	\| birth_date = {{birth date\|df=y\|1935\|3\|13}}		\| birth_date = {{birth date\|df=y\|1935\|3\|13}}
	\| birth_place = [[Orpington]], [[Kent]], England		\| birth_place = [[w:Orpington\|Orpington]], [[Kent\|Kent]], England
	\| death_date = {{death date and age\|df=y\|2015\|8\|8\|1935\|3\|13}}		\| death_date = {{death date and age\|df=y\|2015\|8\|8\|1935\|3\|13}}
	\| death_place = [[Harrogate]], [[North Yorkshire]], England<ref name="dnb">Jeff Evans, "Nobbs, David Gordon (1935–2015)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Jan 2019 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-111854 available online]. Retrieved 25 April 2021.</ref>		\| death_place = [[w:Harrogate\|Harrogate]], [[w:North Yorkshire\|North Yorkshire]], England<ref name="dnb">Jeff Evans, "Nobbs, David Gordon (1935–2015)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Jan 2019 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-111854 available online]. Retrieved 25 April 2021.</ref>
	\| resting_place =		\| resting_place =
	\| occupation = Author<br>novelist<br>scriptwriter		\| occupation = Author<br>novelist<br>scriptwriter
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	\| ethnicity =		\| ethnicity =
	\| citizenship = United Kingdom		\| citizenship = United Kingdom
	\| education = [[Marlborough College]]<br>[[St. John's College, Cambridge]]		\| education = [[w:Marlborough College\|Marlborough College]]<br>[[w:St. John's College, Cambridge\|St. John's College]]
	\| alma_mater =		\| alma_mater =
	\| period =		\| period =

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2022-08-23T14:14:03Z

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← Older revision	Revision as of 09:14, 23 August 2022
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en>TrottieTrue: Fixed grammar

2022-07-02T21:51:28Z

Fixed grammar

New page

{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
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| death_place = [[Harrogate]], [[North Yorkshire]], England<ref name="dnb">Jeff Evans, "Nobbs, David Gordon (1935–2015)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Jan 2019 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-111854 available online]. Retrieved 25 April 2021.</ref>
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'''David Gordon Nobbs''' (13 March 1935 – 8 August 2015<ref name="GuardianCorrect">[https://www.theguardian.com/news/2015/sep/11/corrections-and-clarifications "Corrections and clarifications"], ''The Guardian'', 11 September 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2015.</ref><ref name="Obit"/>) was an English comedy writer, best known for writing the 1970s television series ''[[The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin]]'', adapted from his own novels.

==Life and career==
[[File:Nobbs' Retreat; the Coach and Horses dressed as Sunshine Desserts (1st September 2015) 001.jpg|thumb|right|A pub in [[Harrogate]], North Yorkshire dressed as Sunshine Desserts following Nobbs' death.]]
Nobbs was born in [[Orpington]], [[Kent]]<ref name="dnb"/> (now part of the [[London Borough of Bromley]]). Following an education at [[Marlborough College]] and [[St John's College, Cambridge]], he worked as a reporter for the ''[[Sheffield Star]]'', before starting his career in comedy as a writer for ''[[That Was The Week That Was]]'' in the early 1960s.<ref name="bha obit">[https://humanism.org.uk/2015/08/09/bha-mourns-david-nobbs-humanist-writer-and-creator-of-reginald-perrin/ "BHA mourns David Nobbs, humanist writer and creator of Reginald Perrin", British Humanist Association, 9 August 2015]. Retrieved 9 August 2015</ref> He wrote for many of Britain's comedy performers over the years, including [[Kenneth Williams]], [[Frankie Howerd]], [[Les Dawson]] and ''[[The Two Ronnies]]''.

Nobbs was the creator of the sitcom ''[[The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin]]'' (1976–79), adapted from his own ''Reginald Perrin'' novels, which "told the story of a man living an escapist fantasy in response to the mundanity of his daily commute".<ref name="bha obit"/> The TV series starred [[Leonard Rossiter]] as Perrin.

Nobbs also wrote the comedy/drama series ''[[A Bit of a Do]]'' (1989) and the Henry Pratt series of novels, the fourth of which, ''Pratt à Manger'', was published in 2006. His novel ''It Had to be You'' was published in 2011.

==Humanism==
A passionate [[secular humanism|humanist]] and a believer in the ideals of [[secularism]], Nobbs was a longstanding Patron of the [[British Humanist Association]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://humanism.org.uk/about/our-people/patrons/david-nobbs/|title=David Nobbs|work=British Humanist Association|accessdate=7 August 2015}}</ref> Although he was devoutly religious into his teens, at 18 Nobbs realised he was an atheist. From then on and throughout his career, he used his writing to explore humanist ideas about the nature of people and relationships. In particular, he cited his novels ''Obstacles to Young Love'' and ''It Had to Be You'' as two books strongly influenced by humanism, saying "I would describe them as being humanist books as well as humorous ones":<ref name=observer/>

:…[T]he most important thing that happened to me in the wake of my mother's death wasn't the strengthening of my feelings against religion. It was the strengthening of my feelings for disbelief. I believe that there are just as many of the "Christian virtues" to be found among the faithless as the faithful. Furthermore, these qualities are explored and developed along individual paths. We have no God whom we can burden with the responsibility for our actions. Loss of faith: it sounds so negative. I didn’t lose faith. I gained faith. Faith in people. I am proud to describe myself as a humanist. Last year I joined the British Humanist Association, and I don’t think I would have made this move if I had not seen my mother die that sunny Sunday morning.<ref name=observer>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/sep/19/david-nobbs-humanist-mother-death|title=Once upon a life: David Nobbs|work=[[The Observer]]|accessdate=7 August 2015|date=19 September 2010|first=David|last=Nobbs}}</ref>

After becoming a Patron of the BHA, Nobbs supported the charity across both its campaigning work and its support for non-religious people through services. In September 2010, Nobbs, along with 54 other public figures, signed a BHA open letter published in ''[[The Guardian]]'', stating his opposition to [[Pope Benedict XVI]]'s state visit to the UK.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/sep/15/harsh-judgments-on-pope-religion|title=Letters: Harsh judgments on the pope and religion|work=The Guardian|accessdate=16 September 2010 | location=London | date=15 September 2010}}</ref> In 2014, he was one of a number of high-profile signatories who signed an open letter which challenged [[David Cameron]] on his assertions that Britain was a "Christian country".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://humanism.org.uk/2014/04/20/nobel-laureates-campaigners-peers-philosophers-broadcasters-authors-write-open-letter-challenge-prime-ministers-christian-country-claim/|title=Nobel Laureates, campaigners, peers, philosophers, broadcasters and authors write open letter to challenge Prime Minister's 'Christian country' claim|date=20 April 2014|accessdate=7 August 2015|work=British Humanist Association}}</ref> That same year, he wrote the foreword to a new edition of [[Jane Wynne Wilson]]'s book about [[humanist officiant|humanist funerals]], ''Funerals Without God'', writing that "One cannot think of the significance of a humanist death without thinking about the significance of a humanist life, and I gradually found, beneath the facts and practical suggestions, a pretty good account of what it is to be a humanist, and how much more there is to it than just not believing in God."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://humanism.org.uk/store/bookshops/fwgsup/|title=Funerals Without God|accessdate=7 August 2015}}</ref>

==Novels==
* ''The Itinerant Lodger'' (1965)
* ''Ostrich Country'' (1968)
* ''A Piece of the Sky is Missing'' (1969)
* ''The Death of Reginald Perrin'' (1975, later reissued as ''The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin'')
* ''The Return of Reginald Perrin'' (1977)
* ''The Better World of Reginald Perrin'' (1978)
* ''Second From Last in the Sack Race'' (1983)
* ''A Bit of a Do'' (1986)
* ''Pratt of the Argus'' (1988)
* ''Fair Do's'' (1990)
* ''The Cucumber Man'' (1994)
* ''The Legacy of Reginald Perrin'' (1996)
* ''Going Gently'' (2000)
* ''Sex and Other Changes'' (2004)
* ''Pratt à Manger'' (2006)
* ''Cupid's Dart'' (2008)
* ''Obstacles to Young Love'' (2010)
* ''It Had to be You'' (2011)
* ''The Fall and Rise of Gordon Coppinger'' (2012)
*''The Second Life of Sally Mottram'' (2014)

==Television works==
* ''[[The Two Ronnies]]'' (contributor)
* ''Shine a Light''
* ''[[The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin]]''
* ''The Sun Trap''
* ''The Hello Goodbye Man''
* ''[[A Bit of a Do]]''
* ''[[Fairly Secret Army]]''
* ''Dogfood Dan and the Carmarthan Cowboy''
* ''The Life and Times of Henry Pratt''
* ''[[Rich Tea and Sympathy]]''
* ''[[The Legacy of Reginald Perrin]]''
* ''[[Love on a Branch Line (TV series)|Love on a Branch Line]]''
* ''Stalag Luft''
* ''[[Reggie Perrin]]''

==Radio works==
Nobbs wrote a number of works for radio, all of which were broadcast on [[BBC Radio 4]]:
* five excerpts from "I Didn't Get Where I Am Today" were read by the author on [[Book of the Week]] in April 2003.
* his dramatisation of the novel ''[[What a Carve Up! (novel)|What a Carve Up!]]'' was serialised from February to April 2005.
* ''[[The Maltby Collection]]'', a comedy set in a museum featuring long-time collaborator [[Geoffrey Palmer (actor)|Geoffrey Palmer]], ran for three series of six episodes from 2007 to 2009.
* "Three Large Beers", a 45-minute play, was the ''[[Afternoon Drama]]'' on 10 April 2007.
* "Silent Nights", a 45-minute play, was the ''[[Afternoon Drama]]'' on 22 September 2008.
* "We Happened To Be Passing" a 45-minute play, was the ''[[Afternoon Drama]]'' on 24 September 2010.
* "With Nobbs On" was a three-part feature broadcast weekly from 21 May 2012 in which Nobbs told anecdotes about his career in front of a studio audience.
* "The Surprising Effect of Miss Scarlett Rosebud", a 45-minute play, was the ''[[Afternoon Drama]]'' on 23 April 2014.

==Non-fiction==
* ''I Didn't Get Where I Am Today'' (autobiography, 2001)

==Personal life and death==
Nobbs was married twice, firstly to Mary Blatchford in 1968,<ref name="Obit">{{cite news|last=Hawtree|first=Christopher|title=David Nobbs obituary|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/aug/10/david-nobbs|work=The Guardian|date=10 August 2015|accessdate=11 August 2015}}</ref> from whom he was divorced sometime after the success of ''Reginald Perrin'',<ref name="Obit"/> and secondly to Susan Sutcliffe in 1998.<ref name="Obit"/>

Nobbs died on 8 August 2015<ref name="GuardianCorrect"/> aged 80. He was survived by his second wife and four step-children.<ref name="Obit"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* [http://www.davidnobbs.com David Nobbs' official site]
* {{IMDb name|id=0633468}}
* [https://www.twitter.com/DavidNobbs David Nobbs] on Twitter
* [http://www.leonardrossiter.com/reginaldperrin/DNPage.html David Nobbs' page at Reggie Online]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120207180621/http://idler.co.uk/conversations/conversations-david-nobbs/ Interview with David Nobbs] by [[Jonathan Coe]] in [[The Idler (1993)|The Idler Magazine]]
* {{British Comedy Guide|people|david_nobbs}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nobbs, David Gordon}}
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:British secularists]]
[[Category:English comedy writers]]
[[Category:English atheists]]
[[Category:English humanists]]
[[Category:People educated at Marlborough College]]
[[Category:People from Orpington]]