Harry Driver (13 May 1931 – 25 November 1973) was a British television scriptwriter and executive producer. He is best remembered for his partnership with

Vince Powell Vincent Joseph Powell (6 August 1928 – 13 July 2009) was a British television scriptwriter. He collaborated with a writing partner, Harry Driver, until 1973. Early life Powell was born as Vincent Joseph Smith to Roman Catholic parents in Mi ...

on comedy television programmes including '' Never Mind The Quality Feel The Width'', ''

Nearest and Dearest ''Nearest and Dearest'' is a British television sitcom that ran from 1968 to 1973. A total of 45 episodes were made, 18 in monochrome (black & white) and 27 in colour. The series, produced by ITV Granada, Granada Television for the ITV (TV netw ...

'', '' Bless This House'' and ''

Love Thy Neighbour Love Thy Neighbor or Love Thy Neighbour refers to the Biblical phrase "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" from the Book of Leviticus 19:18 in the Old Testament about the ethic of reciprocity known as the Golden Rule or the Great Commandment. ...

''.

Biography

Driver formed an amateur comedy act with

known as Hammond and Powell, which performed in the Northern club circuit. Driver developed

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...

in December 1955. According to the

BFI Screenonline Screenonline is a website about the history of British film, television and social history as documented by film and television. The project has been developed by the British Film Institute and funded by a £1.2 million grant from the National Lot ...

, he spent "the next 18 months in hospital (12 of them in an iron lung), and, unable to move his arms and legs, the rest of his life in a wheelchair. ... Driver began to write stories and scripts, initially when in the

iron lung An iron lung is a type of negative pressure ventilator (NPV), a mechanical respirator which encloses most of a person's body, and varies the air pressure in the enclosed space, to stimulate breathing.Shneerson, Dr. John M., Newmarket General ...

(via dictation) and then on a typewriter, apparently with a knitting needle clenched between his teeth." Driver began sending scripts to

Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was it ...

, one of his submissions was eventually accepted. He received his first television credit for an episode of ''Skyport'' (1959–60), a drama set in an airport broadcast on 24 March 1960. His former performing partner,

, meanwhile, had also turned his hand to writing and had begun to collaborate with Driver. Their first major success was ''Here's Harry'', written with Frank Roscoe.

Personal life

He was the subject of '' This Is Your Life'' in 1969 when he was surprised by

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...

. He died aged 42 on 25 November 1973.

Writing credits

References

External links

* 1931 births 1973 deaths British television writers Writers from Manchester 20th-century British screenwriters English people with disabilities {{UK-writer-stub