Richard Ommanney is an English writer who has written extensively for TV. He initially trained as an actor at the Central School Of School of Speech and Drama. On TV he appeared in Get Some In, Red Letter Day, The Dragon's Opponent, and Jane Eyre in which he played

Stephanie Beacham Stephanie Beacham (born 28 February 1947) is an English television, film, radio and theatre actress. Although she has a wide number of credits to her name, Beacham is best known for for playing Sable Colby in the ABC soap operas ''The Colbys'' ...

's brother Lord Ingram. In 1973/74 he spent a year in the West End at the Savoy Theatre in ''A Ghost on Tiptoe'' which starred

Robert Morley Robert Adolph Wilton Morley, CBE (26 May 1908 – 3 June 1992) was an English actor who enjoyed a lengthy career in both Britain and the United States. He was frequently cast as a pompous English gentleman representing the Establishment, of ...

. In 1976 he spent three months in Holland filming '' A Bridge Too Far'' directed by

Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Televisio ...

. His final appearance on stage was at the Citizens Theatre Glasgow alongside

Pierce Brosnan Pierce Brendan Brosnan (; born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor and film producer. He is best known as the fifth actor to play secret agent James Bond in the Bond film series, starring in four films from 1995 to 2002 (''GoldenEye'', ''Tomorrow ...

and Ciaran Hinds in the world premiere of

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

Semi-Monde ''Semi-Monde'' is a play written by Noël Coward in 1926, but not produced until 1977. Set in the foyer, lounge and bars of a grand Paris hotel, the play follows the lives of a variety of socialites over a three-year period from 1925. It is notab ...

. In 1985 he made his situation comedy writing debut with the BBC sitcom ''

Three Up, Two Down ''Three Up, Two Down'' is a British sitcom starring Michael Elphick and Angela Thorne that ran from 1985 to 1989. It was written by Richard Ommanney. Cast * Michael Elphick as Sam Tyler *Angela Thorne as Daphne Trenchard *Lysette Anthony as An ...

''. The first series topped the ratings and was followed by three more. Three Up Two Down has been optioned four times by American TV. In 1989 Richard spent five months in Los Angeles working on a pilot of Three Up Two Down with

Winifred Hervey Winifred Celeste Hervey (born May 14, 1955) is an American television producer and screenwriter. She is sometimes credited as Winifred Hervey Stallworth. Biography Career A graduate of Loyola Marymount University, Hervey began her career in the ...

for CBS where it became Five Up Two Down. He wrote the first series of All At No.20 which starred

Maureen Lipman Dame Maureen Diane Lipman (born 10 May 1946) is an English actress, writer and comedian. She trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and her stage work has included appearances with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakesp ...

and

Martin Clunes Alexander Martin Clunes OBE DL (born 28 November 1961) is an English actor, comedian, director and television presenter. He is best known for portraying Martin Ellingham in the ITV comedy-drama series ''Doc Martin'' and Gary Strang in ''Men Be ...

. Also in the cast was

Gregory Doran Gregory Doran (born 24 November 1958) is an English director known for his Shakespearean work. ''The Sunday Times'' called him 'one of the great Shakespearians of his generation'. Doran was artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RS ...

who was eventually to run the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

. He created and wrote two series of the yuppie love triangle Square Deal for LWT. The series starred

Tim Bentinck Timothy Charles Robert Noel Bentinck, 12th Earl of Portland, Count Bentinck und Waldeck Limpurg, (born 1 June 1953), commonly known as Tim Bentinck, is an English actor and writer, known for his long-running role as David Archer in the BBC ...

who went on to co-star in ''

Made in Heaven ''Made in Heaven'' is the fifteenth studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 6 November 1995 by Parlophone Records in the United Kingdom and by Hollywood Records in the United States. It was the band's first and only release so ...

'' with

Louisa Rix Louisa MacGregor Rix (born 2 February 1955) is a former actress and interior designer. She is the daughter of actors Brian Rix and Elspet Gray. She studied drama at LAMDA and acted for many years on TV and in the theatre. Rix gained early thea ...

. Tim Bentinck wrote an account of Richard and Louisa Rix meeting for the first time in his book which recounts his life as David Archer. He created and wrote two series of the sitcom Side by Side for BBC TV starring

and

Gareth Hunt Alan Leonard Hunt (7 February 1942 – 14 March 2007), known as Gareth Hunt, was a British actor best remembered for playing footman Frederick Norton in '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' and Mike Gambit in '' The New Avengers''. Early life Alan Leona ...

. He wrote many episodes for Dutch TV comedy series including Oppassen!, Ben zo Terug, and Bergen Binnen, and the police drama Luifel & Luifel. He wrote eight episodes of police drama

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused on ...

. He ghosted film-maker Daryl Goodrich's account of his promotional films that helped secure the 2012 Olympic Games for London. His first stage play The Making Of Julia was produced at

The Mill at Sonning The Mill at Sonning is a theatre and restaurant (or dinner theater), converted from a circa-1800 flour mill on earlier foundations, on an island in the River Thames at Sonning Eye in the English county of Berkshire. The river divides into thre ...

. His first novel Jerome's Angel is a romantic comedy.

Personal life

Richard has two daughters, Sophie and Lisa. He married

in 1994. His step-children are Charlotte and

Jolyon Coy Jolyon Coy (born 9 March 1985) is an English actor and writer. He won a drama scholarship to Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, then trained at LAMDA, graduating in 2007. Theatre credits *Toby Maitland in the premiere of POSH at the Royal Cou ...

References

External links

* * English screenwriters Living people British male television writers English television writers Year of birth missing (living people)