Ab Fab director Spiers dies at 63

[devilgrrl]

Spiers directed the entire run of Absolutely Fabulous

Ab Fab director Spiers dies at 63


Bob Spiers, who directed classic TV sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, has died at the age of 63 after a long illness.

Spiers, born in Glasgow, began his career as an assistant floor manager before becoming one of the BBC's most prolific sitcom directors.

His other credits include the second series of Fawlty Towers, as well as episodes of French and Saunders and Dad's Army.

In 1997, he directed the Spice Girls' movie Spice World.

Spiers also directed the pilot of Not the Nine O'Clock News, as well as episodes of Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie's sketch show A Bit of Fry & Laurie.

Former BBC head of comedy Jon Plowman, who last worked with Spiers on Ab Fab and French and Saunders, called him "simply the best comedy director there ever was".

In the 1980s he left the BBC to work as freelance director and producer, and directed many of the episodes of Channel 4's The Comic Strip Presents...

more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7763437.stm

[nytemare]

1. :(

:(

[martymar64]

2. As a big fan of the Comic Strip family . . .

RIP Bob. Don't let any of the other ghosts call you "codpiece face".

[Deja Q]

3. Yipes. And I just found out today, despite it being being made public on 04 October,

Wendy Richard (AYBS, Eastenders) has terminal cancer that's spread to her kidneys and bones. :(

It's definitely not going to get easier... :(

[Tom Kitten]

4. The Grim Reaper has been busy this week

Odetta, Forrest Ackerman, Beverly Garland, Paul Benedict, Nina Foch...Death needs to take a holiday

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. And now Oliver Postgate, mainstay of British children's TV in the 60s and 70s

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7770882.stm

My favourite was The Clangers:

Their work took on a decidedly surreal edge with the Clangers, pink creatures with pointed noses who lived on a blue moon with a friendly soup dragon, and spoke in whistles.

Postgate and another actor did their voices with Swanee whistles, after Postgate had painstakingly written out every word of the script.

The original dialogue was virtually indecipherable, which didn't stop Postgate getting into trouble when a BBC executive correctly divined that for one clanger he'd written the line: "Oh sod it, the bloody thing won't open".

To compare the affection people had for his programmes, I think in American terms you'd think of something like Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

[catzies]

5. Thanks and Godspeed Bob, from a huge AbFab fan.

RIP, sweetiedarling.

[RebelOne]

7. I loved Absolutely Fabulous.

It's probably the funniest British sitcom ever produced.

[dembotoz]

8. loved the show.

I think the collection of dvds was the first set i ever bought.

[Blue_Tires]

9. r.i.p.

[applegrove]

10. I liked Ab Fab.