Dick Clement

**Dick Clement OBE** is an English writer, director and producer. He became known for his writing partnership with Ian La Frenais for television series including The Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Porridge, Lovejoy and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.

## Early life

Born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England, Clement was educated at Bishop's Stortford College, and then spent a year in the USA on an exchange visit. Upon his return, he completed his National Service with the Royal Air Force.

He then joined the BBC as a studio manager and started writing scripts and comedy sketches.

## Writing partnership with Ian La Frenais

Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais have enjoyed a long and successful career embracing films, television and theatre. Their partnership began in the mid-1960s with *The Likely Lads*, and by the end of the decade they had also written three feature films: *The Jokers*, *Otley*, (directed by Clement) and *Hannibal Brooks*. Clement also directed the BBC sketch show *Not Only... But Also*, which starred Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, and, for the big screen, Iris Murdoch's *A Severed Head*.

In the early 1970s, two other features were scripted by Clement and La Frenais: *Villain*, starring Richard Burton, and *Catch Me a Spy*, starring Kirk Douglas. In this same period, they created their award-winning series *Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?*, followed by *Porridge*, ' *'Thick as Thieves'*  and a spin-off from *Porridge*, *Going Straight*. There were big screen versions of both *The Likely Lads* and *Porridge*, the latter directed by Clement, and a 'rockumentary', *To Russia With Elton*, in 1979.

During the same period, they adapted Keith Waterhouse's *Billy Liar* into the stage musical *Billy*, starring Michael Crawford, which ran at London's Drury Lane Theatre for two and a half years. By this time they were living in California, where they wrote the American version of *Porridge*, *On the Rocks*, and the feature film, *The Prisoner of Zenda*, starring Peter Sellers.

In the 1980s, Clement directed John Wells's hit stage play *Anyone For Denis?* He directed the films *Bullshot* and *Water*, which were produced by his writing partner La Frenais; the pair also scripted the latter film, and contributed extensive, uncredited writing work on the unofficial James Bond movie *Never Say Never Again*. In 1987, they wrote and produced *Vice Versa*. Their television work at the time included the ITV series *Auf Wiedersehen, Pet*, which was voted ITV's Favourite TV Programme of all Time in a *Radio Times* readers' poll in order to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the station.

By the beginning of the 1990s, La Frenais had created the long running series, *Lovejoy*, and co-created *Spender* with Jimmy Nail. In America, they were writers and supervising producers for HBO's Emmy-winning show, *Tracey Takes On...*, for four years. They scripted the film adaptation of *The Commitments*, which won the Evening Standard's Peter Sellers Award for Comedy and the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and also wrote the screenplays for *Excess Baggage* and *Still Crazy*. In addition, they did uncredited rewrites on *The Rock*, starring Sean Connery, and *Pearl Harbor* for producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay (who also directed the film).

In 2005, Clement and La Frenais had two television adaptations of best-selling novels broadcast by the BBC: Jonathan Coe's *The Rotter's Club* for BBC Two, and Robert Harris's Archangel, starring Daniel Craig, for BBC One. That year also saw the UK release of *Goal!*, a film they co-scripted. In 2006, they were credited as writers on the animated film *Flushed Away*, whilst 2007 saw the release of the jukebox musical *Across the Universe*, based around the songs of The Beatles, which they scripted, and, with director Julie Taymor, wrote the story for. The 2008 film *The Bank Job*, starring Jason Statham, is their last screenplay work to date.

Two new television series written by them aired in 2017: a new version of *Porridge*, starring Kevin Bishop, for the BBC, and *Henry IX* for UKTV Gold, starring Charles Edwards. The duo have also written the book for two stage musicals in development, *Juke Box Hero* and *Victoria's Secret*.

Clement and La Frenais were awarded an OBE in the Queen's 2007 Birthday Honours list.

## Episodes Dick Clement worked on

* Just Desserts
* The Prague Sun
* The Lost Colony
* Last Tango in Lavenham