Cecil James "Jimmy" Gilbert (15 May 1923 – 7 July 2016) was a Scottish television producer, director and executive for the BBC.

Early life

Gilbert was born in Edinburgh in May 1923 and educated at Edinburgh Academy, Edinburgh University and RADA. He served as a pilot with RAF Coastal Command during World War II, flying Handley Page Halifax and

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...

aircraft from RAF Wick, Scotland.''The Times'' Obituary 12 July 2016 p. 55

Career

As the co-devisor of '' The Frost Report'', with

David Frost Sir David Paradine Frost (7 April 1939 – 31 August 2013) was a British television host, journalist, comedian and writer. He rose to prominence during the satire boom in the United Kingdom when he was chosen to host the satirical programme ' ...

, it was Gilbert who brought together Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett, as well as most of the members of

Monty Python Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show '' Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four ...

. With the first director of '' The Two Ronnies'',

Terry Hughes Terry Hughes may refer to: * Terry Hughes (baseball), American Major League Baseball player * Terry Hughes (biologist), Irish-Australian biologist * Terry Hughes (director), British comedy television director * Terry Hughes (politician), Califor ...

, Gilbert created the format of the series which began in 1971. According to the ''

Daily Telegraph Daily or The Daily may refer to: Journalism * Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks * ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times'' * ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...

'' obituary of Gilbert, the two men "were largely responsible for establishing the pattern of the show with its quick-fire verbal gags, double entendres and cavalcade of naive caricatures of British life: bumbling colonels, half-witted yokels and bosomy barmaids". The series ran until 1986. In addition to ''The Two Ronnies'', Gilbert was an early producer of '' Last of the Summer Wine'' (1973), plus the first series of '' Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?'' (also 1973). For the last series, Gilbert won a BAFTA in 1974 for Best Comedy, and was also nominated that year for '' Last of the Summer Wine'' in the category. He succeeded Michael Mills as the BBC's Head of Comedy from 1973–1977. Gilbert was appointed as the BBC's Head of Light Entertainment in 1977, in succession to Bill Cotton, remaining in the post and with the BBC until 1982. Subsequently, he worked as a freelance. In 2003, Gilbert appeared on the documentary special ''30 Years of Last of the Summer Wine'' to discuss his role in helping to create the series.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilbert, James 1923 births 2016 deaths Alumni of RADA Alumni of the University of Edinburgh People educated at Edinburgh Academy BBC television producers British television directors British television producers Royal Air Force pilots of World War II British World War II bomber pilots