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Mark Adrian Tavener (8 July 1954 – 18 October 2007) was an English writer,
humorist
A humorist (American) or humourist (British spelling) is an intellectual who uses humor, or wit, in writing or public speaking, but is not an artist who seeks only to elicit laughs. Humorists are distinct from comedians, who are show business e ...
, and
dramatist
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
best known for his BBC radio and television series ''
In the Red'' (
BBC Radio Four
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's ...
, 1995-1999/
BBC Two, 1998) and ''
Absolute Power'' (BBC Radio Four, 2000-2006/BBC Two 2005–2007), both of which came out of his PG Wodehouse Prize nominated novel ''
In the Red'' (
Hutchinson, 1989).
Biography
Tavener was born and brought up in
Plymouth and educated at
Plymouth College
Plymouth College is a co-educational independent school in Plymouth, Devon.
History
The school was established in 1877. In 1896 Plymouth College bought Mannamead School (founded in 1854), and was temporarily known as Plymouth and Mannamead ...
, before attending
Peterhouse, Cambridge.
''In the Red'' franchise
Tavener wrote a satirical novel, ''
In the Red'' (
Hutchinson, 1989), about fictional BBC Crime Reporter George Cragge's investigation into the serial killing of London bank managers, a small political party contesting a by-election, and a plan to overthrow the
Director-General of the BBC
The director-general of the British Broadcasting Corporation is chief executive and (from 1994) editor-in-chief of the BBC.
The position was formerly appointed by the Board of Governors of the BBC (for the period of 1927 to 2007) and then t ...
, drawing on his early experiences working for 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. ...
...
and the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
.
Working with comedy-writer
Peter Baynham
Peter Baynham is a Welsh screenwriter and performer. He is best known for appearing in a series of comedic Pot Noodle television adverts in the 1990s. His work largely represents collaborations with comedy figures such as Armando Iannucci, Steve ...
he later adapted this into a seven-part radio series ''
of the same name'' (
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
, 1995), which was produced by Paul Schlesinger.
He reunited with Schlesinger for the six-part sequel series ''
In the Balance'' (
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
, 1997), about George Cragge's investigation into a series of murders during a
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
at Wembley Stadium, a summit of EU leaders and an upcoming general election, which he wrote alone.
The three-part television series ''
In the Red'' (
BBC Two, 1998), was adapted by
Malcolm Bradbury
Sir Malcolm Stanley Bradbury, (7 September 1932 – 27 November 2000) was an English author and academic.
Life
Bradbury was born in Sheffield, the son of a railwayman. His family moved to London in 1935, but returned to Sheffield in 1941 with ...
without input from Tavener,
who was working with Schlesinger on a second six-part sequel series ''
In the Chair'' (
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
, 1998), about George Cragge's investigation into a series of murders of dentists linked to New Labour policy.
A third and final six-part sequel series ''
In the End
"In the End" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. It is the eighth track on their debut album, ''Hybrid Theory'' (2000), and was released as the album's fourth and final single.
"In the End" received positive reviews by music critics, ...
'' (
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
, 1999), about George Cragge's investigation into a series of murders of journalists, was written by Tavener and produced by Schlesinger and Dawn Ellis.
''Absolute Power'' franchise
Tavener reunited with executive producer Paul Schlesinger and producer Dawn Ellis to create the
spin-off series ''
Absolute Power'' (BBC Radio Four, 2000–2006) featuring the supporting characters of Charles Prentis and Martin McCabe from ''
In the Red'' and its sequels ''
In the Chair'' and ''
In the End
"In the End" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. It is the eighth track on their debut album, ''Hybrid Theory'' (2000), and was released as the album's fourth and final single.
"In the End" received positive reviews by music critics, ...
'', who having left their previous positions as BBC executives have set up their own public relations firm.
After three series on radio, Schlesinger produced a television adaptation of the same name (BBC Two, 2003–2005), although, as with ''
In the Red'', Tavener was not involved in the writing of this. Following a one-year break for production of the first series of the television adaptation, Tavener reunited with Ellis for the fourth and final series of the original radio programme. A second and final series of the television adaptation followed without input from Tavener. The franchise was later brought to a conclusion in a one-off radio special written by Tavener and produced by Ellis.
Later works & death
Between ''Absolute Power''s final radio series and the one-off special, Tavener and producer Dawn Ellis created two six-part series of ''
High Table, Lower Orders'' (BBC Radio Four, 2005–2006), featuring a murder mystery at a Cambridge College similar to the one the writer had attended.
His final work was a collaboration with the comedian
Steve Punt
Stephen Mark Punt (born 15 September 1962)[Mr Stephen Mark Punt](_blank)
company-director-c ...
on the four-part series, ''
His Master's Voice
His Master's Voice (HMV) was the name of a major British record label created in 1901 by The Gramophone Co. Ltd. The phrase was coined in the late 1890s from the title of a painting by English artist Francis Barraud, which depicted a Jack Russ ...
'' (BBC Radio Four, 2007), set in the offices of a fictional Conservative magazine, which was produced by Dawn Ellis.
Tavener died of cancer on 18 October 2007.
Works
Novel
* ''
In the Red'' (
Hutchinson, 1989)
Radio Series
* ''
In the Red'' (
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
, 1995) released on audio cassette (BBC Audio, 1998)
* ''
In the Balance'' (
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
, 1997)
* ''
In the Chair'' (
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
, 1998)
* ''
In the End
"In the End" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. It is the eighth track on their debut album, ''Hybrid Theory'' (2000), and was released as the album's fourth and final single.
"In the End" received positive reviews by music critics, ...
'' (
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
, 1999)
* ''
Absolute Power: Series 1'' (
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
, 2000)
* ''
Absolute Power: Series 2'' (
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
, 2001)
* ''
Absolute Power: Series 3'' (
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
, 2002)
* ''
Absolute Power: Series 4'' (
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
, 2004)
* ''
High Table, Lower Orders: Series 1'' (
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
, 2005)
* ''
High Table, Lower Orders: Series 2'' (
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
, 2006)
* ''
Absolute Power: Special'' (
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
, 2006)
* ''
His Master's Voice
His Master's Voice (HMV) was the name of a major British record label created in 1901 by The Gramophone Co. Ltd. The phrase was coined in the late 1890s from the title of a painting by English artist Francis Barraud, which depicted a Jack Russ ...
'' (
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
, 2007)
Television Series
* ''
In the Red'' (
BBC Two, 1998)
* ''
Absolute Power: Series 1'' (
BBC Two, 2003)
* ''
Absolute Power: Series 2'' (
BBC Two, 2005)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tavener, Mark
1954 births
2007 deaths
Alumni of Peterhouse, Cambridge
English radio writers
British television writers
People educated at Plymouth College
20th-century screenwriters