Kurt at 13:58, 1 February 2023

2023-02-01T13:58:42Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:58, 1 February 2023
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{short description\|British comedy writer, producer and actor}}		{{short description\|British comedy writer, producer and actor}}
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=September 2022}}~~
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	\| name = Geoffrey Perkins		\| name = Geoffrey Perkins
Line 88:		Line 87:
	==External links==		==External links==
	*{{IMDb name\|name=Geoffrey Perkins\|id=0673942}}		*{{IMDb name\|name=Geoffrey Perkins\|id=0673942}}
	*~~[https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/~~4ce2ba910421f Geoffrey Perkins~~] at the [[~~British ~~Film Institute]]~~		*{{BFI\|4ce2ba910421f\|Geoffrey Perkins}}
			*{{British Comedy Guide\|people\|geoffrey_perkins}}

			==Obituaries==
	*[http://www.tatp.org/geoffreyperkins/ Geoffrey Perkins – Obituary and public tribute]		*[http://www.tatp.org/geoffreyperkins/ Geoffrey Perkins – Obituary and public tribute]
	*[http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/obituaries/article2082781.ece Obituary in ''The Times'']		*[http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/obituaries/article2082781.ece Obituary in ''The Times'']
	*[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/2657112/Geoffrey-Perkins.html Obituary in ''The Telegraph'']		*[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/2657112/Geoffrey-Perkins.html Obituary in ''The Telegraph'']
	*{{British Comedy Guide\|people\|geoffrey_perkins}}

	~~{{Authority control}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Perkins, Geoffrey}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Perkins, Geoffrey}}
Line 108:		Line 108:
	[[Category:English television writers]]		[[Category:English television writers]]
	[[Category:People educated at Harrow High School]]		[[Category:People educated at Harrow High School]]
	~~[[Category:Road incident deaths in London]]~~
	[[Category:Hat Trick Productions]]		[[Category:Hat Trick Productions]]
	[[Category:British male television writers]]		[[Category:British male television writers]]
	[[Category:20th-century English screenwriters]]		[[Category:20th-century English screenwriters]]
	[[Category:20th-century English businesspeople]]		[[Category:20th-century English businesspeople]]

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2023-02-01T13:46:43Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 08:46, 1 February 2023
(No difference)

en>JuliaDrydon: /* External links */ add BFI webpage link

2023-01-28T14:38:43Z

External links: add BFI webpage link

New page

{{short description|British comedy writer, producer and actor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Geoffrey Perkins
| image = Geoffrey Perkins hosting Channel 4 panel game Don't Quote Me.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Geoffrey Perkins hosting Channel 4 panel game ''[[Don't Quote Me (TV series)|Don't Quote Me]]'', 1990
| birth_name = Geoffrey Howard Perkins
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1953|2|22}}
| birth_place = [[Bushey]], [[Hertfordshire]], England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2008|08|29|1953|2|22}}
| death_place = [[London]], England
| years_active = 1972–2008
| occupation = Comedy writer, producer and performer
| awards = '''[[British Academy Television Awards|Best Comedy Programme or Series]]'''<br>1995 ''[[Father Ted]]''
| spouse = Lisa Braun (m. 1986)
| children = 3
}}
'''Geoffrey Howard Perkins''' (22 February 1953 – 29 August 2008) was a British comedy producer, writer and performer. Best known as the BBC head of comedy (1995–2001), he produced the first two radio series of ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series)|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' and is [[Mornington Crescent (game)#Origins|one of the people credited]] with creating the bizarre panel game [[Mornington Crescent (game)|Mornington Crescent]] for ''[[I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue]]''.<ref name="Telegraphobit"/> In December 2008 he posthumously received an Outstanding Contribution to Comedy Award.

==Early life==
Perkins attended the [[Harrow County School for Boys|Harrow County Grammar School]], alongside [[Nigel Sheinwald]], [[Michael Portillo]] and [[Clive Anderson]], with whom he ran the [[debating society]].<ref name="Telegraphobit"/><ref name='Independent'>{{cite web|author=James Rampton |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/media-serious-about-funny-business-1526516.html |title=Media: Serious about funny business |work=The Independent |date=1995-12-19 |access-date=2013-12-13}}</ref> He took an early interest in drama in 1970, and he worked with Clive Anderson to write a charity revue called ''Happy Poison''.<ref name="Telegraphobit"/>

Perkins read English literature while at [[Lincoln College, Oxford]]<ref name="Telegraphobit">{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/2657112/Geoffrey-Perkins.html |title=Geoffrey Perkins obituary |work=The Daily Telegraph|date=2008-08-31 |access-date=2013-12-13}}</ref> and while a student directed and wrote for [[The Oxford Revue]]s of 1974 and 1975. After his time at Oxford, Perkins joined the [[Ocean Group plc|Ocean Transport and Trading Company]], where he was put to work studying waste timber in [[Liverpool]].<ref name="Telegraphobit"/> He did not last long in the field of commercial shipping.<ref name="Telegraphobit" /> In 1977 drawing upon his work for the Oxford Revue, Perkins joined [[BBC Radio]]'s [[light entertainment]] department alongside [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] graduates [[John Lloyd (producer)|John Lloyd]] and [[Griff Rhys Jones]].<ref name="Telegraphobit"/>

In 1986, Perkins married Lisa Braun, who was BBC studio manager on ''Hitchhiker's Guide''.<ref name="Telegraphobit"/> The couple lost their first child to cot death in 1986.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/2657112/Geoffrey-Perkins.html</ref><ref name="thetimes.co.uk">https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/geoffrey-perkins-writer-producer-and-former-head-of-bbc-comedy-9xzxgt8fnwz</ref><ref name="spectator.co.uk">https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/extreme-measures/</ref>

==Radio career==
Department head [[David Hatch]] assigned Perkins to help revitalise the comedy panel show ''[[I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue]]'' (launched five years earlier). It introduced the incomprehensible [[Mornington Crescent (game)|Mornington Crescent]] game which would become an enduring success.<ref name="Telegraphobit"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.i-m-sorry-i-haven-t-a-clue.co.uk/mornington-crescent-game.html |title=Mornington Crescent Game – I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue! ~ i-m-sorry-i-haven-t-a-clue.co.uk ~ the 'antidote to web sites' |access-date=2008-08-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828025140/http://www.i-m-sorry-i-haven-t-a-clue.co.uk/mornington-crescent-game.html |archive-date=28 August 2008 }}</ref>

===''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''===
{{Main|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series)}}

{{quote box|width=33%|quote="The intellectuals compared it to [[Jonathan Swift|Swift]], and the 14-year-olds enjoyed hearing depressed robots clanking around."|source= — Geoffrey Perkins, on ''Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''<ref name="Telegraphobit"/>}}

Perkins produced the first series of [[Douglas Adams]]' ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series)|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' in 1977 for [[BBC Radio 4]], taking over from [[Simon Brett]], the producer of the pilot. Perkins assisted the notoriously slow writer in finishing the scripts, before John Lloyd was drafted in to write large sections of the later episodes.<ref name="Telegraphobit"/> Perkins also drew upon the resources of the [[Radiophonic Workshop]] to help create the groundbreaking audio effects for the series.

===''Radio Active''===
{{Main|Radio Active (radio series)}}

In 1980, Perkins co-wrote and featured in the radio sketch show ''Radio Active'', revised and adapted from the early [[The Oxford Revue|Oxford Revue]] shows, and initially based around the comedy parody group [[The Hee Bee Gee Bees]], consisting of [[Philip Pope]], [[Angus Deayton]] and [[Michael Fenton Stevens]].<ref name="mikefs">{{cite web |url=http://www.mikefs.co.uk/r-active.html |title=R-active.HTML |access-date=2008-08-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007004043/http://www.mikefs.co.uk/r-active.html |archive-date=7 October 2008 }} Fenton Stevens' web site</ref> Prior to its leap from the revue to the radio, the production toured and appeared at the [[Edinburgh Festival Fringe]],<ref>[http://www.edfringe.com/story.html?id=124] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927195013/http://www.edfringe.com/story.html?id=124|date=27 September 2007}}</ref> after which it was picked up by [[BBC Radio 4]] for a pilot called ''The Oxford Revue Presents Radio Active''. ''[[Radio Active (radio series)|Radio Active]]'', "which poked fun at the amateurishness of some local radio broadcasting".<ref name="Telegraphobit"/> It went on to run for seven series<ref name="mikefs" /> and won a [[Sony Radio Academy Awards|Sony Award]].<ref name="Telegraphobit" /> Perkins portrayed a character called Mike Flex, a young cocky disc jockey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radioandtelly.co.uk/radioactive.html |title=Radio Active Remembered |publisher=Radioandtelly.co.uk |access-date=2013-12-13}}</ref> Perkins and Deayton wrote much of the series and later it was transferred to [[BBC2]] television as the [[Rose d'Or|Grand Prix and Silver Rose of Montreux]]-winner ''[[KYTV (TV series)|KYTV]]''.<ref name="Telegraphobit" />

===Later radio work===
Perkins, with ''Radio Active'' colleague and co-writer Deayton, later produced ''The Uncyclopaedia of Rock'' for [[Capital Radio]], winning the Monaco Radio Award for the show, and penning a 1987 tie-in book with Deayton and Jeremy Pascall. In 2005 Perkins had cameos in the fourth radio series of ''Hitchhiker's'' ([[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Tertiary to Quintessential Phases#The Quandary Phase|The Quandary Phase]]), as the producer of the radio show on which [[Arthur Dent]] worked. Perkins essentially played a fictional version of himself from the first series with a fictional version of writer [[Douglas Adams]].

==Television career==
===Hat Trick===
{{Main|Hat Trick Productions}}
Perkins left the BBC in 1988, to become a director of [[Hat Trick Productions]] which is an independent television and radio production company.<ref name="Telegraphobit"/> Hat Trick produced comedy programmes for the [[BBC]], [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] and [[Channel 4]]. The first main production of Perkins was ''[[Spitting Image]]'' where he met [[Ben Elton]], and [[Harry Enfield]] whom he got to develop the character of [[Douglas Hurd]] by suggesting he adapt it along the lines of [[Frank Oz]]'s character [[Fozzie Bear]]. As a result Perkins developed shows for both performers, ''[[Saturday Live (UK TV series)|Saturday Live]]'', which was hosted by Elton, sketch show ''[[The Man from Auntie]]'' with Elton, and Enfield's ''[[Harry Enfield's Television Programme]].'' Perkins also developed ''[[Have I Got News For You]]'', ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (UK TV series)|Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]'', ''[[Drop The Dead Donkey]]'', and ''[[Father Ted]]'' for Hat Trick; the shows won many awards including [[British Academy Television Awards|Bafta]]s.<ref name="Telegraphobit"/>

===BBC Head of Comedy===
In 1995, he resigned from Hat Trick<ref name='Independent' /> and returned to the BBC as [[BBC Television]]'s Head of Comedy, requesting his contract stipulated "his continued role as a programme producer," as well as overseeing the department.<ref name="Telegraphobit"/> He stayed in this role until 2001, growing increasingly dissatisfied at "official BBC snootiness about comedy".<ref name="Telegraphobit"/>

Perkins meticulously read 30 new scripts every week, but "found himself culturally marginalised at the BBC," saying: "Unfortunately, the term sitcom implies a great disdain. People say it with a curl of their lips."<ref name="Telegraphobit" /> Under [[Director General of the BBC|Director General]] [[John Birt]], Perkins also felt "hamstrung by the inevitable bureaucracy," which not only hindered programme-making, but saw Perkins spending "more time on budgets" than more creative pursuits.<ref name="Telegraphobit" />

Perkins felt that the changes in how the BBC was run saying,

{{cquote|(They) set the people that produce programmes in direct opposition to the people responsible for actually paying for and broadcasting them.
There have been occasions when you say, 'Let's just make a deal', knowing everyone is unhappy; where no one gets the budget they want to make their programme. There are people who are inspired by that, but I'm not one of them.<ref name="Telegraphobit"/>
}}

During Perkins' time as Head of Comedy, the BBC produced such hits including ''[[Coupling (UK TV series)|Coupling]],'' ''[[The Thin Blue Line (British TV series)|The Thin Blue Line]],'' ''[[Jonathan Creek]],'' ''[[The Fast Show]],'' ''[[The Royle Family]]'' and ''[[My Family]]''.<ref name="Telegraphobit"/> Perkins also persuaded [[David Jason]] and [[Nicholas Lyndhurst]] to star in a new series of ''[[Only Fools and Horses]]'', the first of which was screened at Christmas 2001.<ref name="Telegraphobit"/>

===Tiger Aspect===
{{Main|Tiger Aspect}}
Having left the BBC, Perkins became a creative director and executive producer for independent production company [[Tiger Aspect]] in late 2001.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080923045900/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/comedy-head-takes-parting-shot-at-bbc-632339.html Comedy head takes parting shot at BBC] ''[[The Independent]]'', 23 October 2001</ref> In this role, he was able to pursue a more hands-on role in the "creative side of programme-making."<ref name="Telegraphobit"/> For Tiger Aspect, Perkins produced programmes including ''[[The Catherine Tate Show]]'' for the BBC, and ''[[Benidorm (British TV series)|Benidorm]]'' for ITV.<ref name="Telegraphobit" />

==Television writing and acting credits==

[[Image:Don't_Quote_Me_with_guests_Austin_Mitchell_and_Carol_Thatcher.jpg|280px|right|thumb|Hosting ''[[Don't Quote Me (TV series)|Don't Quote Me]]'' on [[Channel 4]], 1990]]

Perkins' writing credits for television include ''[[The World According To Smith & Jones]]'', ''[[KYTV (TV series)|KYTV]]'', ''[[Harry Enfield's Television Programme]]'', ''[[Harry Enfield and Chums]]'' and ''[[Coogan's Run]]''. 

In addition to starring in ''KYTV'', Perkins appeared in small cameo roles in several of the comedy programmes he produced, including ''[[Father Ted]]'', ''[[Operation Good Guys]]'', ''[[One Foot in the Grave]]'' and ''[[The Catherine Tate Show]]''.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0673942/ Geoffrey Perkins at the IMDb]. Accessed 3 September 2008</ref> He also hosted the panel game ''[[Don't Quote Me (TV series)|Don't Quote Me]]'', made by [[Open Media]] for [[Channel 4]] in 1990.<ref>[http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Don't_Quote_Me ''UKGameshows''], accessed 3 March 2009</ref>

In 2006, Harry Enfield was told by [[Peter Fincham]], the controller of BBC One that he was too old to make another comedy sketch series. Enfield approached Geoffrey Perkins with his ideas, which Perkins helped Enfield develop into the first series of ''[[Ruddy Hell! It's Harry & Paul|Harry and Paul]]'', starring Enfield and [[Paul Whitehouse]]. The series was broadcast in April 2007.

==Death and tributes==
Perkins died on 29 August 2008.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk"/><ref name="thetimes.co.uk"/><ref name="spectator.co.uk"/> It had been initially thought that Perkins died from injuries sustained in the accident involving a [[lorry]] in [[Marylebone]] High Street, [[London]];<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2647157/Comedy-executive-killed-in-road-accident.html Comedy executive killed in road accident] ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', 29 August 2008.</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7589102.stm "Comedy producer dies in accident"], [[BBC News Online]], 29 August 2008.</ref> however, a [[Inquests in England and Wales|coroner's inquest]] in April 2009 determined that Perkins had suffered from an undiagnosed case of [[channelopathies]], which caused his heart to stop suddenly. The jury decided that Perkins had probably already died when he fell under the wheels of the lorry and as such the coroner recorded that he died from "[[natural causes]]".<ref>Burns, Janice (17 April 2009). "[http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/tv-film/tv-news/2009/04/17/tv-comedy-guru-geoffey-perkins-was-killed-by-heart-attack-probe-told-86908-21285016/ TV comedy guru Geoffey Perkins was killed by heart attack, probe told]". ''Daily Record'' (Scottish Record and Sunday Mail).</ref>

On 5 September 2008 the second series of the re-titled ''Harry and Paul'' – was broadcast, a week after his death. The first episode was dedicated to his memory and instead of the usual closing credits, featured a short tribute to him and concluded with an [[outtake|out-take]] of Perkins forgetting his lines in a sketch absent from the transmitted series.<ref name="Telegraphobit" /> On 8 November 2008, [[BBC Two]] aired an evening of programmes in tribute to Perkins, comprising episodes of ''[[The Catherine Tate Show]]'', ''[[Father Ted]]'' (which the BBC was given special permission to broadcast by [[Channel 4]], as part of the tribute) and ''[[The Fast Show]]'', together with a special edition of ''[[Comedy Connections]]'' looking at Perkins' career in comedy.

He was posthumously awarded the ''Outstanding Contribution to Comedy'' award at the [[British Comedy Awards]] on 6 December 2008.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gray |first=Sadie |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/comedy/news/brand-is-a-winner-and-ross-a-loser-on-comedys-big-night-1055814.html |title=Brand is a winner and Ross a loser on comedy's big night |work=The Independent |date=2008-12-07 |access-date=2013-12-13}}</ref> The recipients of both of the [[BAFTA]]s awarded on 27 April 2009 to ''Harry and Paul'' for Best Comedy Programme and to ''[[The IT Crowd]]'' for Best Situation Comedy dedicated their awards to Perkins.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|name=Geoffrey Perkins|id=0673942}}
*[https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba910421f Geoffrey Perkins] at the [[British Film Institute]]
*[http://www.tatp.org/geoffreyperkins/ Geoffrey Perkins – Obituary and public tribute]
*[http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/obituaries/article2082781.ece Obituary in ''The Times'']
*[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/2657112/Geoffrey-Perkins.html Obituary in ''The Telegraph'']
*{{British Comedy Guide|people|geoffrey_perkins}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perkins, Geoffrey}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century English male actors]]
[[Category:Alumni of Lincoln College, Oxford]]
[[Category:BBC radio producers]]
[[Category:English comedy writers]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:English television executives]]
[[Category:English television writers]]
[[Category:People educated at Harrow High School]]
[[Category:Road incident deaths in London]]
[[Category:Hat Trick Productions]]
[[Category:British male television writers]]
[[Category:20th-century English screenwriters]]
[[Category:20th-century English businesspeople]]

Geoffrey Perkins - Revision history

Kurt at 13:58, 1 February 2023

Kurt: 1 revision imported

en>JuliaDrydon: /* External links */ add BFI webpage link