Lynda La Plante
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Lynda La Plante,
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(born Lynda Titchmarsh; 15 March 1943) is an English author, screenwriter and former actress, best known for writing the ''
Prime Suspect ''Prime Suspect'' is a British police procedural television drama series devised by Lynda La Plante. It stars Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison, one of the first female Detective Chief Inspectors in Greater London's Metropolitan Police Service, who ...
'' television crime series.


Early life

Lynda La Plante was born Lynda Titchmarsh on 15 March 1943 in Newton, Lancashire. La Plante's older sister Dail was killed in a road accident, at the age of five, before she was born. Raised in
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
, La Plante trained for the stage at the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...
. After finishing her studies, using the stage name Lynda Marchal, she appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company in a variety of productions, as well as popular television series including ''
Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it debut ...
'', ''
Educating Marmalade Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Var ...
'', '' The Sweeney'', '' The Professionals'', and '' Bergerac''. As an actress she is perhaps best remembered as the hay-fever suffering ghost Tamara Novek in the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
children's series '' Rentaghost''. In 1974, La Plante took her first scriptwriting job on the ITV children's series '' The Kids from 47A''.


''Widows'' and career breakthrough

Her breakthrough came in 1983 when she created and wrote the six-part robbery series '' Widows'' for Thames Television. The plot concerned the widows of four armed robbers carrying out a heist planned by their deceased husbands. A second series of ''Widows'' followed in 1985, while a sequel '' She's Out'' took up the story ten years later. Her debut novel, ''The Legacy'', was published in 1987 and received both critical and best-seller success. Her second, third and fourth novels came soon after – ''The Talisman'' (1987), ''Bella Mafia'' (1990) and ''Entwined'' (1993) – all of which became international best sellers. In 1990 La Plante started working on her next television project, ''
Prime Suspect ''Prime Suspect'' is a British police procedural television drama series devised by Lynda La Plante. It stars Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison, one of the first female Detective Chief Inspectors in Greater London's Metropolitan Police Service, who ...
'', which was released by Granada in 1991. ''Prime Suspect'' starred Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison, airing in the UK as well as on
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
in the United States as part of the anthology program ''
Mystery! ''Mystery!'' (also written ''MYSTERY!'') is a television anthology series produced by WGBH Boston for PBS in the United States. The series was created as a mystery, police and crime drama spin-off of the already established PBS show '' Master ...
''. In 1993 La Plante won an Edgar Award from the
Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Awa ...
for her work on the series. In 1992 she wrote a TV film called ''
Seekers The Seekers, or Legatine-Arians as they were sometimes known, were an English dissenting group that emerged around the 1620s, probably inspired by the preaching of three brothers – Walter, Thomas, and Bartholomew Legate. Seekers considered all ...
'', starring
Brenda Fricker Brenda Fricker (born 17 February 1945) is an Irish actress, whose career has spanned six decades on stage and screen. She has appeared in more than 30 films and television roles. In 1990, she became the first Irish actress to win an Academy Awar ...
and
Josette Simon Josette Patricia Simon is a British actress. She trained for the stage at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, and played the part of Dayna Mellanby in the third and fourth series of the television sci-fi series ''Blake's 7'' fro ...
, produced by Sarah Lawson. In 1993 La Plante formed her own television production company, La Plante Productions and through her new company she wrote and produced high-rating series '' The Governor'' (ITV 1995–96), '' Supply & Demand'' (ITV 1997–98), '' Killer Net'' (Channel 4 1998), acclaimed series ''
Trial & Retribution ''Trial & Retribution'' is a feature-length ITV police procedural television drama series that first aired on 19 October 1997. Written and devised by Lynda La Plante as a follow-on from her successful television series ''Prime Suspect'', each e ...
'' (ITV 1997–2009), ''
Mind Games Playing mind games (also power games or head games) is the largely conscious struggle for psychological one-upmanship, often employing passive–aggressive behavior to specifically demoralize or dis-empower the thinking subject, making the a ...
'' (ITV 2001) and '' The Commander'' (ITV 2003–08). During this period La Plante also released the Cold series of books; ''Cold Shoulder'', ''Cold Blood'' and ''Cold Heart'', followed by ''Sleeping Cruelty'' (2000) – adding to her list of best sellers. In 1996 La Plante co-wrote and executive produced ''The Prosecutors'' (NBC) with
Tom Fontana Tom Fontana (born September 12, 1951) is an American screenwriter, writer, and television producer. Fontana worked on NBC's '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' and created HBO's ''Oz.'' Early life and education Fontana was born on the west si ...
(starring Stockard Channing), wrote and executive produced '' Bella Mafia'' (1998 CBS) (starring
Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress and activist. Throughout her career spanning over seven decades, Redgrave has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Television Award, tw ...
), which La Plante adapted from her novel of the same name. In 2001 she co-produced ''The Warden'' (2001 TNT), starring
Ally Sheedy Alexandra Elizabeth Sheedy (born June 13, 1962) is an American actress. Following her film debut in 1983's '' Bad Boys'', she became known as one of the Brat Pack group of actors and starred in '' WarGames'' (1983), ''The Breakfast Club'' (1985) ...
, a variation of La Plante's series ''The Governor''. La Plante also co-produced her adaptation of the UK hit ''Widows'' (2002 ABC) and produced the pilot of ''Cold Shoulder'' (2006 New Regency / CBS) starring Kelly McGillis, which was based on her Cold series. La Plante was also executive producer on Daniel Petrie Jnr's adaptation of her show ''Framed'' (2002 TNT) which starred
Sam Neill Sir Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill (born 14 September 1947) is a New Zealand actor. Neill's near-50 year career has included leading roles in both dramas and blockbusters. Considered an "international leading man", he has been regarded as one o ...
and
Rob Lowe Robert Hepler Lowe (born March 17, 1964) is an American actor, filmmaker, and podcast host. He made his acting debut at the age of 15 with ABC's short-lived sitcom ''A New Kind of Family'' (1979–1980). Following numerous television roles in ...
. La Plante released ''Royal Flush'' (2002), and then began working on her Anna Travis series, which includes ''Above Suspicion'' (2004), ''The Red Dahlia'' (2005), ''Clean Cut'' (2007), ''Deadly Intent'' (2008), ''Silent Scream'' (2009), ''Blind Fury'' (2010), ''Blood Line'' (2011), ''Backlash'' (2012), and ''Wrongful Death'' (2013). So successful were the books that a UK
television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
was written and produced by La Plante starring
Kelly Reilly Jessica Kelly Siobhán Reilly (born 18 July 1977) is an English actress. She first appeared on screen in 1995 on the series '' The Biz''. Her other television work includes starring roles in the British crime drama '' Above Suspicion'' (2009– ...
and
Ciarán Hinds Ciarán Hinds (; born 9 February 1953) is an Irish actor. Born in Belfast, Hinds is known for a range of screen and stage roles. He has starred in feature films including '' The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover'' (1989), '' Persuasion'' (1 ...
. ''Widows'' was remade as a US-set film in 2018, directed by Steve McQueen. ''Prime Suspect'' was also remade as an American series, starring
Maria Bello Maria Elena Bello (born April 18, 1967) is an American actress and writer. Her film roles include '' Permanent Midnight'' (1998), '' Payback'' (1999), '' Coyote Ugly'' (2000), ''The Cooler'' (2003), '' A History of Violence'' (2005), '' The Mumm ...
. It ran for 13 episodes in 2011-2012.


Awards

La Plante has received many awards over the course of her career. For her work on ''
Prime Suspect ''Prime Suspect'' is a British police procedural television drama series devised by Lynda La Plante. It stars Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison, one of the first female Detective Chief Inspectors in Greater London's Metropolitan Police Service, who ...
'' she received two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Mini Series (1993, 1994), as well as the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Mystery TV Episode."Lynda La Plante." ''Contemporary Authors Online''. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, 2017-07-02; also available online via
Encyclopedia.com
'. In 2001, the
British Academy of Film and Television Arts British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
(BAFTA) gave her the Dennis Potter Award for television writing. In 2008 La Plante was appointed Commander of the
Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(CBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to Literature, Drama and to Charity. In the same year she received the TV Spielfilm Award at the International Film and Television Festival Conference in
Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
, Germany, for her television adaptation of her novel ''Above Suspicion''. In 2009 La Plante was inducted into the Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame and most recently, in 2013, La Plante was awarded an Honorary Fellowship with the Forensic Science Society (FSSoc), the first non-scientist to be inducted into the professional body; receiving the award for the accuracy with which she portrays forensic science in her work. She has also been made an honorary member of the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...
, and an Honorary Fellow from Liverpool John Moores University.


Works

;Dolly Rawlins/Widows/Jack Warr *'' Widows'' (1983/2018) *'' Widows II'' (1985) / Widows' Revenge (2019) *'' She's Out'' (1995) *Buried (2020) *Judas Horse (2021) *Vanished (2022) ;Legacy *''The Legacy'' (1987) *''The Talisman'' (1987) ;Jane Tennison *''
Prime Suspect ''Prime Suspect'' is a British police procedural television drama series devised by Lynda La Plante. It stars Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison, one of the first female Detective Chief Inspectors in Greater London's Metropolitan Police Service, who ...
'' (1991) *'' Prime Suspect 2'' (1992) *'' Prime Suspect 3'' (1993) *''Tennison'' (2015) (basis of British TV series
Prime Suspect 1973 ''Prime Suspect 1973'' (also known as ''Prime Suspect: Tennison'') is a British television detective drama series starring Stefanie Martini as the young Jane Tennison. It is a prequel to the long-running ''Prime Suspect'' series that had starr ...
) *''Hidden Killers'' (2016) *''Good Friday'' (2017) *''Murder Mile'' (2018) *The Dirty Dozen (2019) *Blunt Force (2020) *Unholy Murder (2021) *''Dark Rooms'' (2022) ;Lorraine Page *''Cold Shoulder'' (1994) *''Cold Blood'' (1996) *''Cold Heart'' (1998) ;Trial And Retribution *'' Trial and Retribution'' (1997) *''Trial and Retribution II'' (1998) *''Trial and Retribution III'' (1999) *''Trial and Retribution IV'' (2000) *''Trial and Retribution V'' (2002) *''Trial and Retribution VI'' (2002) ;Anna Travis *'' Above Suspicion'' (2004) *''
The Red Dahlia ''Above Suspicion'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British crime drama based on the series of Anna Travis novels written by Lynda La Plante. The series stars Kelly Reilly and Ciarán Hinds as the protagonists Anna Travis and James Langt ...
'' (2006) *''Clean Cut'' (2007) *''Deadly Intent'' (2008) *''Silent Scream'' (2009) *''Blind Fury'' (2010) *''Bloodline'' (2011) *''Backlash'' (2012) * ''Wrongful Death ''(2013) ;Novels *'' Bella Mafia'' (1991) *'' Civvies'' (1992) *''Entwined'' (1992) *'' Framed'' (1992) *''
Seekers The Seekers, or Legatine-Arians as they were sometimes known, were an English dissenting group that emerged around the 1620s, probably inspired by the preaching of three brothers – Walter, Thomas, and Bartholomew Legate. Seekers considered all ...
'' (1993) *'' Comics'' (1993) *'' The Governor'' (1995) *''The Governor 2 '' (1996) *''Sleeping Cruelty'' (2000) *''Royal Flush'' (2002) *''Twisted'' (2014) * ;Short stories *''The Little One'' (2012)


Personal life

She was married to musician Richard La Plante for 17 years, until their divorce in 1996. At the age of 57 she adopted a baby son whose name is Lorcan.


References


External links

*
Lynda La Plante
at the MBC Encyclopedia of Television
Lynda La Plante biography and credits
at the
BFI The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...
's
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 Lo ...
*
La Plante Productions
{{DEFAULTSORT:La Plante, Lynda 1943 births Living people Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Edgar Award winners English crime fiction writers English dramatists and playwrights Lynda Marchal Lynda Marchal English television writers English women dramatists and playwrights English women novelists Novelists from Liverpool Women mystery writers British women television writers