John Howard Davies, producer/director of Python, Fawlty Towers and much more, dies at 72

[muriel_volestrangler]

Davies, known universally as JHD, became a BBC producer and director in 1969. He won his first BAFTA for best director for the first series of "Monty Python's Flying Circus".

Later he produced and directed "The Good Life", the first series of "Fawlty Towers" which won him his second BAFTA and the first series of "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin". He also produced the pilot of "Blackadder".

He was head of comedy at BBC TV from 1977 to 1982 and commissioned other hit series, including "Yes Minister", "Not the Nine O'Clock News", "To the Manor Born", "Bread" and "Only Fools and Horses".

In 1985 he returned to production and joined Thames Television. He produced and directed the first three episodes of "Mr Bean" which won a string of awards and went on to become a worldwide hit on the big screen for Rowan Atkinson.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/bafta-award-winning-comedy-director-dies-145242609.html

What a record. Few people can have been involved in so much good comedy.

[oldironside]

1. We owed the man a lot.

Not least his heartbraking turn as Oliver Twist.

[LeftishBrit]

2. RIP

We are sadly losing too many people!

[non sociopath skin]

3. Turning into a monumentally sad day for us Boomers

The Skin

[dipsydoodle]

4. As an aside since Bean is mentioned

Apparently Atkinson first used that voice, which he made up almost on the spot, when called in at short notice to fill in for Alan Bennett who was sick, to do the Will This Wind sketch at the Amnesty International 1979 Secret Policeman's Ball.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hJQ18S6aag

Odd how the mind plays tricks - I thought Python was earlier than '69 but apparently not so. Does anyone recall exactly what preceded Python ?

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Earlier shows:

At Last the 1948 Show: also had Marty Feldman and Tim Brooke-Taylor, with Cleese and Chapman. The origin of the Four Yorkshireman sketch, now better known as a Python one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAtSw3daGoo

Do Not Adjust Your Set: Idle, Jones and Palin, "kids' show" (as Cleese once appeared on The Goodies to say - and JHD produced and directed them too), and apparently with Gilliam animations too.

[dipsydoodle]

6. Ta

It was AT LAST THE 1948 SHOW I was trying to recall.