Roy Clarke facts for kids

Royston Clarke (born on January 28, 1930) is a famous English comedy writer. He is best known for creating many popular TV shows called sitcoms. Some of his most well-known shows include Last of the Summer Wine, Keeping Up Appearances, Open All Hours, and its follow-up series, Still Open All Hours.

Roy Clarke's Early Life

Roy Clarke was born in a place called Austerfield, which was then in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. He grew up during World War II. He once said that his education during the war was "badly" done.

Before he became a writer, Roy Clarke had many different jobs. He worked as a teacher, a police officer, and even a taxi driver. He was also a salesman and served as a soldier in the Royal Corps of Signals for the British Army.

Becoming a TV Writer

In the late 1960s, Roy Clarke started writing exciting stories for BBC Radio. His first radio show, The 17-Jewelled Shockproof Swiss-Made Bomb, was broadcast in January 1968. He also wrote a police thriller called The Events at Black Tor.

Creating Famous Sitcoms

Roy Clarke was the only writer for the very long-running TV show Last of the Summer Wine. This show was incredibly popular and, at its best, had over 18 million viewers! It featured actors like Bill Owen, Peter Sallis, Brian Wilde, Kathy Staff, and Dame Thora Hird. Roy Clarke even wrote the character named Clegg specifically for Peter Sallis. He also wrote a show that told the story of what happened before Last of the Summer Wine, called First of the Summer Wine.

He created and wrote many other well-loved TV shows:

• The Misfit, starring Ronald Fraser.
• Open All Hours, which featured famous actors Ronnie Barker and David Jason.
• Keeping Up Appearances, starring Patricia Routledge.
• Ain't Misbehavin'.

Roy Clarke also created a fantasy drama series called The Wanderer for Sky One. In 1974, he came up with the idea for the sitcom Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt. He wrote the first episode, but another writer took over for the rest of the series. He also wrote Rosie, which was on TV from 1977 to 1981.

Roy Clarke's Film Work

Besides TV, Roy Clarke also wrote for movies. He wrote the screenplay for the film Hawks in 1988. He also wrote a well-liked drama movie called A Foreign Field in 1993.

Awards and Honors

Roy Clarke has received many special honors for his work. In 1994, he was given the Freedom of the Borough of Doncaster. This is the highest award a local council can give.

In 2002, he received an OBE. This award recognized his important contributions to British comedy.

In 2003, one of his Last of the Summer Wine stories, The Moonbather, was turned into a play. It was performed for the first time at the Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club.

He was also given a special lifetime achievement award at the 2010 British Comedy Awards. This award celebrated his amazing career in comedy.

Later Works

In 2013, Roy Clarke brought back Open All Hours with a new series called Still Open All Hours. David Jason starred in this show, and six series were broadcast.

In 2016, he created a show that told the story of what happened before Keeping Up Appearances. It was called Young Hyacinth. This special episode was shown on BBC One on September 2, 2016.

Roy Clarke's Personal Life

Horton Rounds – a unique round house where Roy Clarke once lived.

Roy Clarke used to live in the countryside near Goole in the East Riding of Yorkshire. He lived there with his wife, Enid Kitching, who passed away in 1993. For some years, he owned a very interesting house called Horton Rounds in Northamptonshire. This house is special because it is round and was designed by an architect named Arthur A. J. Marshman. It is also a Grade II listed building, which means it is protected because of its historical importance.

See also

• Keeping Up Appearances (characters and episodes)