David Nobbs | |
|---|---|
| Born | David Gordon Nobbs (1935-03-13)13 March 1935 Orpington,Kent, England |
| Died | 8 August 2015(2015-08-08) (aged 80) Harrogate,North Yorkshire, England[1] |
| Occupation | Author novelist scriptwriter |
| Nationality | British |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom |
| Education | Marlborough College St. John's College, Cambridge |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Notable works | The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin A Bit of a Do |
David Gordon Nobbs (13 March 1935 – 8 August 2015[2][3]) was an English comedy writer, best known for writing the 1970s television seriesThe Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, adapted from his own novels.
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Nobbs was born inOrpington,Kent.[1] Following an education atMarlborough College andSt John's College, Cambridge, he worked as a reporter for theSheffield Star, before starting his career in comedy as a writer forThat Was The Week That Was in the early 1960s.[4] He wrote for many of Britain's comedy performers over the years, includingKenneth Williams,Frankie Howerd,Les Dawson andThe Two Ronnies.
Nobbs was the creator of the sitcomThe Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976–79), adapted from his ownReginald Perrin novels, which "told the story of a man living an escapist fantasy in response to the mundanity of his daily commute".[4] The TV series starredLeonard Rossiter as Perrin.
Nobbs also wrote the comedy/drama seriesA Bit of a Do (1989) and the Henry Pratt series of novels, the fourth of which,Pratt à Manger, was published in 2006. His novelIt Had to be You was published in 2011.
A passionatehumanist and a believer in the ideals ofsecularism, Nobbs was a longstanding Patron of theBritish Humanist Association.[5] Although he was devoutly religious into his teens, at 18 Nobbs realised he was an atheist. From then on and throughout his career, he used his writing to explore humanist ideas about the nature of people and relationships. In particular, he cited his novelsObstacles to Young Love andIt Had to Be You as two books strongly influenced by humanism, saying "I would describe them as being humanist books as well as humorous ones":[6]
After becoming a Patron of the BHA, Nobbs supported the charity across both its campaigning work and its support for non-religious people through services. In September 2010, Nobbs, along with 54 other public figures, signed a BHA open letter published inThe Guardian, stating his opposition toPope Benedict XVI's state visit to the UK.[7] In 2014, he was one of a number of high-profile signatories who signed an open letter which challengedDavid Cameron on his assertions that Britain was a "Christian country".[8] That same year, he wrote the foreword to a new edition ofJane Wynne Wilson's book abouthumanist funerals,Funerals Without God, writing that "One cannot think of the significance of a humanist death without thinking about the significance of a humanist life, and I gradually found, beneath the facts and practical suggestions, a pretty good account of what it is to be a humanist, and how much more there is to it than just not believing in God."[9]
Nobbs wrote a number of works for radio, all of which were broadcast onBBC Radio 4:
Nobbs was married twice, firstly to Mary Blatchford in 1968,[3] from whom he was divorced sometime after the success ofReginald Perrin,[3] and secondly to Susan Sutcliffe in 1998.[3]
Nobbs died on 8 August 2015[2] aged 80. He was survived by his second wife and four step-children.[3]
