Dennis Main Wilson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dennis Main Wilson | |
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| Born | May 1, 1924 |
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| Died | January 20, 1997 (aged 72) Surrey |
| Occupation | Radio and Television producer |
Dennis Main Wilson (1 May 1924 – 20 January 1997 [1]) was a British producer of radio and television programmes, mainly for the BBC
After wartime work for the German Service of the BBC, he chose to work in comedy. He was the first producer of the The Goon Show and responsible for their first two series. Owing to his fondness for alcohol at this time, the Goons nicknamed him 'Dennis Main Drain'. Subsequently he produced the first four series of Hancock's Half Hour in its radio form before leaving radio to train for work in television. The series Till Death Us Do Part, also for the BBC, is the best remembered of his television work.
Main Wilson has been described by Screenonline as "arguably the most important and influential of all comedy producers/directors in British radio and television."
Other hit shows he produced include Sykes with Eric Sykes and Hattie Jacques, Here's Harry with Harry Worth, It's Marty starring Marty Feldman and The Rag Trade (which he also directed). He had less success with Private Eye TV, an unsuccessful attempt to turn the satirical magazine Private Eye into a television programme.
In 1976, a scene shifter at the BBC handed him a script he had written. It so impressed Main Wilson that he turned it into a series, Citizen Smith. The writer/scene shifter was John Sullivan, who would go on to write the sitcoms Just Good Friends, Dear John and most famously Only Fools and Horses.
He was also the producer that gave TV breaks to: Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Griff Rhys Jones and Emma Thompson.
His son is Andrew Main Wilson, Chief Operating Officer of the Institute of Directors.
[edit] References
- ^ GRO Register of Deaths: JAN 1997 A1B 212 WEST SURREY - Dennis Main Wilson, DoB = 1 May 1924, aged 72
[edit] External links
- Screenonline on Dennis Main Wilson
- BBC Comedy Guide on Dennis Main Wilson
- Daily Telegraph obituary
- 1991 Bectu interview Part 1, Part 2, part 3, part 4
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Main Wilson, Dennis |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Producer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1924-05-01 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1997-01-20 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
