Kurt at 04:20, 26 January 2023

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	\| spouse = {{marriage\|Nancy Williams\|2017}}		\| spouse = {{marriage\|Nancy Williams\|2017}}
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	~~\| alma-mater =~~
	}}		}}

	'''Raymond John Allen''' (15 March 1940 – 2 October 2022) was a British television screenwriter and playwright. He was best known for creating the 1970s [[BBC]] sitcom ''[[Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em]]''. He wrote comedy sketches for entertainers [[Frankie Howerd]] and [[Dave Allen (~~actor~~)\|Dave Allen]] and later [[Max Wall]], [[Little and Large]] and [[Hale and Pace]].<ref name="IE" />		'''Raymond John Allen''' (15 March 1940 – 2 October 2022) was a British television screenwriter and playwright. He was best known for creating the 1970s [[BBC]] sitcom ''[[Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em]]''. He wrote comedy sketches for entertainers [[Frankie Howerd]] and [[Dave Allen (comedian)\|Dave Allen]] and later [[Max Wall]], [[Little and Large]] and [[Hale and Pace]].<ref name="IE" />

	==Early life==		==Early life==

Kurt at 04:18, 26 January 2023

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	{{Short description\|British television comedy writer (1940–2022)}}		{{Short description\|British television comedy writer (1940–2022)}}
	~~{{Use British English\|date=February 2019}}~~
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=October 2022}}~~
	{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->		{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->
	\| name = Raymond Allen		\| name = Raymond Allen
	\| image =		\| image = Raymond Allen (scriptwriter).jpg
	\| caption =		\| caption =
	\| birth_name = Raymond John Allen		\| birth_name = Raymond John Allen
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	==References==		==References==
	{{reflist}}		{{reflist}}

	~~{{Authority control}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Raymond}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Raymond}}

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2023-01-26T04:03:41Z

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2022-12-21T23:29:35Z

Later life and death

New page

{{Short description|British television comedy writer (1940–2022)}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox writer 
| name = Raymond Allen
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Raymond John Allen
| birth_date = {{birth date|1940|3|15|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Ryde]], Isle of Wight, England
| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|10|2|1940|3|15|df=y}}
| death_place = Isle of Wight, England
| occupation = Screenwriter, playwright
| period = {{cslist|1971–1978|2016}}
| genre = Comedy
| spouse = {{marriage|Nancy Williams|2017}}
| children =
| alma-mater =
}}

'''Raymond John Allen''' (15 March 1940 – 2 October 2022) was a British television screenwriter and playwright. He was best known for creating the 1970s [[BBC]] sitcom ''[[Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em]]''. He wrote comedy sketches for entertainers [[Frankie Howerd]] and [[Dave Allen (actor)|Dave Allen]] and later [[Max Wall]], [[Little and Large]] and [[Hale and Pace]].<ref name="IE" />

==Early life==
Allen was born in [[Ryde]] on the [[Isle of Wight]] on 15 March 1940.<ref name="Guardian obit">{{cite news|title=Raymond Allen obituary|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/oct/05/raymond-allen-obituary|first=Anthony|last=Hayward|author-link=Anthony Hayward|date=5 October 2022|access-date=5 October 2022|newspaper=The Guardian|location=London|archive-date=5 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005171455/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/oct/05/raymond-allen-obituary|url-status=live}}</ref> His father, Les Allen, worked as a railway supervisor; his mother was Ivy (Ayley). Allen attended Ryde Secondary Modern School in his hometown until he was sixteen. He started out as a cub reporter for newspaper the ''Isle of Wight Times'', but quit after 18 months due to the unsocial hours he had to work at. He then served in the [[Royal Air Force]], working at its accounts office in Gloucestershire for three years. He then returned to the island, taking jobs washing dishes in hotels and cleaning at [[Shanklin]]'s Regal Cinema.<ref name="Guardian obit"/>

==Career==
Allen deciding to become a playwright, wrote around 30 serious plays however these where commercially unsuccessful for more than a decade.<ref name="Guardian obit"/><ref name=Moss>{{cite news|title=Raymond Allen, writer of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, dies aged 82|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/raymond-allen-dead-some-mothers-do-ave-em-newsupdate/|first=Molly|last=Moss|date=5 October 2022|access-date=5 October 2022|magazine=Radio Times|archive-date=5 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005114223/https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/raymond-allen-dead-some-mothers-do-ave-em-newsupdate/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The script for his first sitcom was rejected by [[ITV Network|ITV]], but his second script, conceived under the working title ''Have A Break, Take A Husband'' would be accepted by the BBC, and revolve around a couple Frank and Betty Spencer taking a honeymoon at a hotel, however BBC producer and director [[Michael Mills (British producer)|Michael Mills]], thought the story should be better reserved for later, which would become episode 4, with the first episode instead would feature Frank Spencer becoming a sales rep, the series would evolve into which would become ''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'', and with the casting of [[Michael Crawford]] in the title role he would create numerous of the characters traits himself. <ref name="Guardian obit" />Allen was subsequently invited to write six further episodes, with two more series coming afterwards.

Allen followed this up with ''The Dobson Doughnut'' (1974) but only the [[Television pilot|pilot episode]] was broadcast. Two other sitcom proposals – ''Don't Move Now'' (1976) and ''You're a Genius'' (1977) – were produced but were not broadcast.<ref name="Guardian obit"/>

Allen subsequently contributed to nine editions of ''[[Little and Large|The Little and Large Show]]'' and sold some one-off plays. He also wrote for ''All Cricket and Wellies'' (1986), as well as the children's show ''Fast Forward'' in 1987. However, he was unable to repeat his early success.<ref name="Guardian obit"/><ref name="IN">{{cite news|last1=McCarrick|first1=Jackie|title=Raymond Allen was the creative skill behind Frank Spencer|url=http://asp-gb.secure-zone.net/v2/58/112/218/pdfweb.pdf|accessdate=2 April 2016|work=Island News|issue=2|date=January–February 2006|location=Shanklin, Isle of Wight|pages=10–11|archive-date=14 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414103607/http://asp-gb.secure-zone.net/v2/58/112/218/pdfweb.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> He did have more positive results on the stage with ''One of Our Howls Is Missing'', which toured in 1979.<ref name="Guardian obit"/>

==Later life and death==
In 2016, Allen contributed some of the dialogue to a special one-off episode of ''Some Mothers' Do 'Ave 'Em'' for charity ''[[Sport Relief]]'' in association with [[BBC Sport]].<ref name="Guardian obit"/> He married Nancy Williams the following year.<ref name="Guardian obit"/><ref name="IE">{{cite news |last1=Robertson |first1=Peter |title=Writer Raymond Allen reflects on ''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' Success |url=http://www.islandecho.co.uk/news/writer-raymond-allen-reflects-on-some-mothers-do-ave-em-success |accessdate=2 April 2016 |work=Island Echo |date=18 March 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402061514/http://www.islandecho.co.uk/news/writer-raymond-allen-reflects-on-some-mothers-do-ave-em-success |archivedate=2 April 2016 }}</ref> She had one son from a previous relationship.<ref name="Guardian obit"/> They resided in Ryde during his later years.<ref name=IN/> ''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' was [[Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (play)|adapted for the stage]] by Guy Unsworth and started touring in 2018.<ref name="Guardian obit"/>

Allen died on 2 October 2022, on the Isle of Wight.<ref name=Moss/> He was 82, and had suffered from cancer.<ref name="Guardian obit"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Morgan |first1=Lucy |title=Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em's Raymond Allen dies on Isle of Wight |url=https://www.countypress.co.uk/news/23021180.mothers-ave-ems-raymond-allen-dies-isle-wight/ |access-date=5 October 2022 |publisher=Isle of Wight County Press |date=5 October 2022 |archive-date=5 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005115313/https://www.countypress.co.uk/news/23021180.mothers-ave-ems-raymond-allen-dies-isle-wight/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Writing credits==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
! Production
! Notes
! Broadcaster
! Ref
|-
| ''Dave Allen at Large''
| "Episode #1.1" (1971)
| BBC1
| <ref>{{cite web|title=Raymond Allen|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/raymond_allen/|access-date=5 October 2022|website=[[British Comedy Guide]]|archive-date=19 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519112359/https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/raymond_allen/|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em]]''
| 22 episodes (1973–1975, 1978)
| BBC1
| <ref name="Guardian obit"/><ref name=Moss/>
|-
| ''[[Comedy Playhouse]]''
| "The Dobson Doughnut" (1974)
| BBC1
| <ref>{{cite web|title=The Dobson Doughnut – BBC1 Sitcom|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/the_dobson_doughnut/|access-date=5 October 2022|website=[[British Comedy Guide]]|archive-date=17 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017222420/https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/the_dobson_doughnut/|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[The Little and Large Show]]''
| 9 episodes (1978)
| BBC1
| <ref name="Guardian obit"/><ref name=Moss/>
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Raymond}}
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:2022 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Royal Air Force personnel]]
[[Category:British television writers]]
[[Category:People from Ryde]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force airmen]]
[[Category:20th-century English dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:English male dramatists and playwrights]]

Raymond Allen (scriptwriter) - Revision history

Kurt at 04:20, 26 January 2023

Kurt at 04:18, 26 January 2023

Kurt: 1 revision imported

145.224.67.24: /* Later life and death */