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John Esmonde (born 1937) and Bob Larbey (born 1934) were a successful British television comedy scriptwriting duo from the 1960s to the 1990s, creating popular situation comedies such as Please Sir! and The Good Life. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic Comedy (from the Greek κωμωδίαkomodia has a popular meaning (any discourse generally intended to amuse especially in Television, Film, and The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 Please Sir! is a London Weekend Television Situation comedy created by writers John Esmonde and Bob Larbey and featuring the actors The Good Life is a British sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1975 to 1978

Contents

Early years

Larbey was born in south London in 1934 and made his writing debut for BBC radio, before contributing a film adaptation — Mrs Silly, starring Maggie Smith. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, DBE (born December 28 1934) better known as Maggie Smith, is a British Film, stage Larbey met his future writing partner in grammar school. A grammar school is one of several different types of School in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries

Esmonde served a couple of years in the Royal Air Force in Air Ambulance before realising his budding writing partnership with Larbey may prove more fruitful. They began to have sketches accepted on shows such as I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again and The Dick Emery Show. I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again (often abbreviated ISIRTA was a BBC Radio comedy programme that originated from the Cambridge University Richard Gilbert "Dick" Emery (19 February 1915 &ndash 2 January 1983 was an English Comedian and Actor whose career began on radio during the

Works of Esmonde and Larbey

Their first sitcom as a writing team came in 1966 with Room At The Bottom for the BBC. This followed the exploits of a group of maintenance men working for Saracens Manufacturing Company. Starting out as a pilot in the BBC's Comedy Playhouse programme, it lasted for one series the next year, starring Kenneth Connor, Deryck Guyler and Francis Matthews. Kenneth Connor, MBE ( 6 June, 1916 &ndash 28 November, 1993) was an English comedy stage radio film and TV actor best Deryck Guyler ( 29 April 1914 - 7 October 1999) was an English Actor, best known for his portrayal of officious short-tempered Francis Matthews (born 2 September 1927 in York) is an English film TV and stage actor

In 1968 Esmonde and Larbey created one of their most popular comedies with Please Sir!, which starred John Alderton as a naive teacher thrown in at the deep end in a tough south London school. John Alderton (born 27 November 1940) is an English Actor who is best known for his roles in Upstairs Downstairs, Part of the inspiration for this series was Bob and John's education in London schools. Although not acknowledged, the 1975 American sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter drew plenty of inspiration from this. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Due to the success of the antics of Form 5C in Please, Sir, Esmonde and Larbey wrote a spin-off — The Fenn Street Gang — which followed the students as they tried to make their way in the harsh world outside school. This starred David Barry, Peter Cleall and Carol Hawkins. David Barry (born 30 April 1943) is a welsh actor he is best known for his role as Frankie Abott (the gum-chewing Mother's boy who was convinced Peter Cleall (born 16 March, 1944 in Finchley, Middlesex) is an English Actor 's agent and actor who is best known Carol Hawkins (born 31 January 1949 in Barnet, Hertfordshire) is an English actress Making his debut in series 2, George Baker made such an impression as a wide-boy villain that the prequel Bowler was launched in 1973. George Baker (born 1 April, 1931) is an English Actor, who was born in Varna, Bulgaria. This lasted for one series and co-starred Fred Beauman, Renny Lister and Gretchen Franklin. Gretchen Franklin ( July 7, 1911 &ndash July 11, 2005) was an English actress with a career in showbusiness that spanned over eighty

In the early to mid 1970s, Esmonde and Larbey produced several lesser-known comedies, sometimes lasting no longer than a pilot. These include ITV's Cosmo And Thingy, set in prehistoric times featuring a cast of cavemen and cavewomen, and Football Crazy (also for ITV) which was a children's sitcom about the football team Wormwood Rovers. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered

In 1975 Esmonde and Larbey created their best-known situation comedy: The Good Life, starring Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Paul Eddington and Penelope Keith. The Good Life is a British sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1975 to 1978 Richard David Briers, CBE (born 14 January 1934 is an English Actor whose career has encompassed the theatre television film and radio Felicity Ann Kendal, CBE (born 25 September 1946) is an English actress who is well known in the United Kingdom for her Paul Eddington CBE ( 18 June 1927 – 4 November 1995) was an English Actor best known for his appearances in Penelope Anne Constance Keith, CBE, DL (born Penelope Hatfield on 2 April 1940 is an English actress well known in the Set in Surbiton, Surrey it concerns itself with Tom and Barbara Good's (Briers and Kendal) attempts to be self-sufficient after they decide to leave the rat race. Surbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is a commuter town next to the river Thames, populated with a mixture Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. Behind the middle-of-the-road and genteel middle class surroundings lies a sharp social commentary and well-crafted characters. It ran on the BBC until 1978, although it is still repeated often.

Also in 1975 was Get Some In! for ITV, a national service comedy set in 1955. Get Some In! was a British television series about life in Royal Air Force National Service broadcast between 1975 and 1978 Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent National service is a common name for mandatory or voluntary government service programs (most often focusing on military service It starred the likes of Robert Lindsay, David Jason, Tony Selby and Gerard Ryder. Robert Lindsay (born 13 December 1949 is an award-winning English actor who is best known for his television work especially his roles in Citizen Smith Sir David John White OBE, known by his Stage name David Jason (born 2 February 1940 is an English Actor, known Tony Selby (born 26 February 1938 in Lambeth, London) is an English actor

Esmonde and Larbey teamed up with Richard Briers again for BBC's 1977 comedy The Other One, a sitcom about a man who is a liar who attempts to hide his insecurities through charade. Two years later they returned to football with ITV's Feet First starring Jonathan Barlow as Terry Prince, a local footballer given the chance to hit the big time. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent

Less successful than The Good Life was their 1980 sitcom for ITV Just Liz starring Sandra Payne. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent Sandra Payne (born 24 September 1944, Royston) is an English actress best known for her roles as Christine Harris in the British television This was followed by 1982's Don't Rock The Boat which starred Nigel Davenport. Nigel Davenport (born 23 May 1928) is an English stage television and film actor

After the short-lived Now And Then (1983, ITV) they returned to form with Ever Decreasing Circles, which reunited the writers with Briers. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent Ever Decreasing Circles is a British Situation comedy which ran on BBC One for four series from 1984 to 1989 Briers starred as Martin Bryce, an irritating know-it-all with an obsessive personality who likes to interfere in the lives of all those around him. The series also featured Penelope Wilton and Peter Egan. Penelope A Wilton OBE (born 3 June 1946) is an English actress. Peter Egan (born 28 September 1946) is a British actor known for playing smooth neighbour Paul Ryman in 1980s sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles

Another hit for Esmonde and Larbey was 1986's Brush Strokes, featuring Karl Howman and Gary Waldhorn as a house decorator and his boss. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Karl Howman (born 13 December 1952) is an English Actor. He was born in Woolwich, London. Gary Waldhorn (born 3 July 1943 in London) is an English Actor best known for his role as David Horton in the sitcom The BBC sitcom Double First only lasted one series in 1988, but marked a different approach. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) It starred Michael Williams. Michael Leonard Williams ( 9 July 1935 &ndash 11 January 2001) was a British Actor.

The pair wrote Hope It Rains for ITV in 1991. It starred Tom Bell as the dour owner of a run-down seaside waxworks museum. Tom Bell ( 2 August 1933 &ndash 4 October 2006) was an English actor on stage film and television Holly Aird and Eamonn Boland also featured. Holly Aird, (born 18 May 1969 in Aldershot, Hampshire) is an English Television Actress known for playing There were thirteen episodes transmitted.

Their last significant sitcom as a pair was 1992's Mulberry starring Karl Howman again as an apprentice Grim Reaper who has to guide Geraldine McEwan to the next world as easily as possible. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Mulberry was a Fantasy Situation comedy airing on BBC One in the early 1990s Karl Howman (born 13 December 1952) is an English Actor. He was born in Woolwich, London. In English Death is often given the name the " Grim Reaper " and shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large Scythe, and wearing a midnight black gown robe Geraldine McEwan (born Geraldine McKeown on 9 May 1932) is a BAFTA award -winning English actress, with a diverse and successful However, Larbey has since written the long-running BBC series As Time Goes By, starring Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer, which was last shown domestically in 2005 and is currently running on BBC Prime. As Time Goes By is a British sitcom that aired on BBC One from 1992 to 2005 Dame Judith Olivia Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA, (born 9 December, 1934) usually known as Judi Dench, is an English Geoffrey Dyson Palmer, OBE (born 4 June 1927 is an English Actor, known for his role as Lionel Hardcastle in the television series As Time Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

TV credits

Collaborations

Larbey without Esmonde

External links

Please Sir! is a London Weekend Television Situation comedy created by writers John Esmonde and Bob Larbey and featuring the actors Get Some In! was a British television series about life in Royal Air Force National Service broadcast between 1975 and 1978 The Good Life is a British sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1975 to 1978 Ever Decreasing Circles is a British Situation comedy which ran on BBC One for four series from 1984 to 1989 Brush Strokes was an Esmonde and Larbey sitcom set in South London and depicting the (mostly amorous adventures of a good-looking wisecracking house painter Mulberry was a Fantasy Situation comedy airing on BBC One in the early 1990s A Fine Romance is a British Situation comedy starring husband-and-wife team Judi Dench and Michael Williams. On the Up was a British Situation comedy written by Bob Larbey. As Time Goes By is a British sitcom that aired on BBC One from 1992 to 2005
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