   kenneth peacock tynan (2 april 1927 â 26 july 1980) was an english theatre critic and writer. making his initial impact as a critic at the observer (1954â58, 1960â63), he praised osborne's look back in anger (1956), and encouraged the emerging wave of british theatrical talent. in 1963, tynan was appointed as the new national theatre company's literary manager. an opponent of theatre censorship, tynan was considered by many to be the first person to say 'fuck' on british television (although this is now disputed) which was controversial at the time. later in his life, he settled in california where he resumed his writing career. ==biography== ===early life=== tynan was born in birmingham to letitia rose tynan and (as he was led to believe) "peter tynan" (see below).ann louise bardach "kenneth tynan: the deathbed interview 'yes, i am a bastard...'", the guardian, 24 september 2001 as a child, he stammered but possessed early on a high degree of articulate intelligence. by the age of six, he was already keeping a diary. at king edward's school, birmingham, he was a brilliant student of whom one of his masters said, "he was the only boy i could never teach anything." he played the lead, doctor parpalaid, in an english translation of jules romains' farce knock. while at school, tynan began smoking, which became a lifelong habit. tynan was twelve at the outbreak of world war ii and at thirteen came close to being killed when a landmine destroyed the houses on the other side of the birmingham street where the tynans lived, killing the inhabitants.ann louise bardach "kenneth tynan: the deathbed interview: 'yes, i am a bastard...'", the guardian, 24 september 2001. bardach recalled meeting tynan in an accompanying article: "when tynan came to stay", the guardian, 24 september 2001. he adopted a then outrageous set of opinions. during school debates, he advocated repealing laws against homosexuality and abortion. during a school debate on the motion, "this house thinks the present generation has lost the ability to entertain itself" tynan gave a speech on the pleasures of masturbation
1927_births 1980_deaths Alumni_of_Magdalen_College,_Oxford British_theatre_critics Deaths_from_emphysema English_diarists People_educated_at_King_Edward\'s_School,_Birmingham People_from_Birmingham,_West_Midlands