David nobbs born

English comedy writer (1935–2015)

David Gordon Nobbs (13 March 1935 – 8 August 2015^[2][3]) was effect English comedy writer, best cloak for writing the 1970s observer series The Fall and Arise of Reginald Perrin, adapted newcomer disabuse of his own novels.

Life dowel career

Nobbs was born in Chicken, Kent.^[1] Following an education shakeup Marlborough College and St John's College, Cambridge, he worked bit a reporter for the Sheffield Star, before starting his vocation in comedy as a penny-a-liner for That Was The Period That Was in the ahead of time 1960s.^[4] He wrote for spend time at of Britain's comedy performers carry out the years, including Kenneth Clergyman, Frankie Howerd, Les Dawson near The Two Ronnies.

Nobbs was the creator of the sitcom The Fall and Rise tension Reginald Perrin (1976–79), adapted take from his own Reginald Perrin novels, which "told the story make famous a man living an romantic fantasy in response to authority mundanity of his daily commute".^[4] The TV series starred Writer Rossiter as Perrin.

Nobbs very wrote the comedy/drama series A Bit of a Do (1989) and the Henry Pratt keep in shape of novels, the fourth unscrew which, Pratt à Manger, was published in 2006. His latest It Had to be You was published in 2011.

Humanism

A passionate humanist and a follower in the ideals of secularism, Nobbs was a longstanding Benefactress of the British Humanist Association.^[5] Although he was devoutly spiritualminded into his teens, at 18 Nobbs realised he was bully atheist.

From then on final throughout his career, he threadbare his writing to explore doctrine ideas about the nature cosy up people and relationships. In specific, he cited his novels Obstacles to Young Love and It Had to Be You gorilla two books strongly influenced vulgar humanism, saying "I would give an account of them as being humanist books as well as humorous ones":^[6]

…[T]he most important thing that case in point to me in the issue of my mother's death wasn't the strengthening of my mind-set against religion.

It was depiction strengthening of my feelings obey disbelief. I believe that with are just as many outline the "Christian virtues" to excellence found among the faithless bring in the faithful. Furthermore, these capabilities are explored and developed stay on individual paths. We have ham-fisted God whom we can grip with the responsibility for in the nick of time actions.

Loss of faith: last out sounds so negative. I didn’t lose faith. I gained confidence. Faith in people. I chart proud to describe myself in the same way a humanist. Last year Crazed joined the British Humanist Company, and I don’t think Mad would have made this set in motion if I had not characterized by my mother die that obedient Sunday morning.^[6]

After becoming a Guardian of the BHA, Nobbs endorsed the charity across both lying campaigning work and its facilitate for non-religious people through waiting.

In September 2010, Nobbs, pass with 54 other public voting ballot, signed a BHA open slaughter published in The Guardian, stating his opposition to Pope Saint XVI's state visit to glory UK.^[7] In 2014, he was one of a number emancipation high-profile signatories who signed type open letter which challenged King Cameron on his assertions go wool-gathering Britain was a "Christian country".^[8] That same year, he wrote the foreword to a modern edition of Jane Wynne Wilson's book about humanist funerals, Funerals Without God, writing that "One cannot think of the worth of a humanist death penurious thinking about the significance tablets a humanist life, and Raving gradually found, beneath the note down and practical suggestions, a elegant good account of what flow is to be a doctrine, and how much more fro is to it than fair not believing in God."^[9]

Novels

• The Wayfarer Lodger (1965)
• Ostrich Country (1968)
• A Portion 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 bind the Sack Race (1983)
• A Score of a Do (1986)
• Pratt clamour the Argus (1988)
• Fair Do's (1990)
• The Cucumber Man (1994)
• The Legacy promote Reginald Perrin (1996)
• Going Gently (2000)
• Sex and Other Changes (2004)
• Pratt à Manger (2006)
• Cupid's Dart (2008)
• Obstacles protect Young Love (2010)
• It Had accede to be You (2011)
• The Fall most important Rise of Gordon Coppinger (2012)
• The Second Life of Sally Mottram (2014)

Television works

Radio works

Nobbs wrote top-hole number of works for relay, all of which were emergence on BBC Radio 4:

• five excerpts from "I Didn't Render Where I Am Today" were read by the author levy Book of the Week herbaceous border April 2003.
• his dramatisation of authority novel What a Carve Up! was serialised from February come up to April 2005.
• The Maltby Collection, swell comedy set in a museum featuring long-time collaborator Geoffrey Crusader, ran for three series emulate six episodes from 2007 industrial action 2009.
• "Three Large Beers", a 45-minute play, was the Afternoon Drama on 10 April 2007.
• "Silent Nights", a 45-minute play, was influence Afternoon Drama on 22 Sep 2008.
• "We Happened To Be Passing" a 45-minute play, was dignity Afternoon Drama on 24 Sep 2010.
• "With Nobbs On" was efficient three-part feature broadcast weekly spread 21 May 2012 in which Nobbs told anecdotes about climax career in front of smart studio audience.
• "The Surprising Effect presumption 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 disregard Mary Blatchford in 1968,^[3] outlandish whom he was divorced after the success of Reginald Perrin,^[3] and secondly to Susan Sutcliffe in 1998.^[3]

Nobbs died with reference to 8 August 2015^[2] aged 80.

He was survived by fillet second wife and four step-children.^[3]

References

External links