Dick Clement

Dick Clement, OBE (born 5 September 1937) is an English writer known for his writing partnership with Ian La Frenais. They are most famous 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 United States 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.^[1]

Writing partnership with Ian La Frenais

Clement and La Frenais write comedies, or dramas with a comic tone. In addition to The Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Porridge, Lovejoy and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet they have also written various other works for television and a number of films, including The Commitments (1991) (with Roddy Doyle), Goal! (2005), Flushed Away (2006), Across the Universe (2007) and The Bank Job (2008). They also wrote film versions of some of their television successes, which Clement himself usually directed.

Both have been resident in the United States since the 1980s and have worked on such series as Tracey Takes On..., as well as uncredited script doctoring on films like Never Say Never Again (1983), The Rock (1996) and Bad Boys II (2003).^[2] They also continue to write for British television. Clement was awarded an OBE in the Queen's 2007 Birthday Honours list.

Writing Credits (with Ian La Frenais)

• The Likely Lads (TV, 1964–66)
• Not Only... But Also (TV, 1965)
• The Further Adventures of Lucky Jim (TV, 1967)
• Mr. Aitch (TV, 1967)
• Vacant Lot (TV, 1967)
• Otley (1968)
• Hannibal Brooks (1968)
• Villain (1971)
• To Catch a Spy (1972)
• The Two Ronnies (TV, 1972)
• 7 of 1 (TV, 1973)
• Ha-Tarnegol (with Haim Hefer) (1973)
• Thick as Thieves (TV, 1974)
• Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (TV, 1973–74)
• Porridge (TV series) (1974–77)
• On the Rocks (TV, 1975–76)
• Going Straight (TV, 1978)
• The Prisoner of Zenda (1979)
• Porridge (film) (US: Doing Time, 1979)
• The New Adventures of Lucky Jim (TV, 1982)
• Never Say Never Again (with Lorenzo Semple Jr., 1983, uncredited)
• Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (TV, 1983-2004)
• Sunset Limousine (with Wayne Kline, TV, 1983)
• Water (with Bill Persky, 1985)
• Vice Versa (1988)
• The Commitments (with Roddy Doyle, 1991)
• Tracey Ullman: A Class Act (TV, 1992)
• The Old Boy Network (TV, 1992)
• Tracey Ullman Takes On New York (TV, 1993)
• Full Stretch (TV, 1993)
• Lovejoy (TV, 1991-94)
• Excess Baggage (with Max D. Adams, 1997)
• Still Crazy (1998)
• Tracey Takes On... (TV, 1996-99)
• Archangel (2005)
• The Rotters' Club (TV, 2005)
• Goal! The Dream Begins (2005)
• Flushed Away (with Christopher Lloyd, Joe Keenan and William Davies, 2006)
• Across the Universe (2007)
• The Bank Job (2008)
• Killing Bono (with Ben Bond, 2011)

Spies of Warsaw (2013)

• Porridge (TV, 2016)

References

External links

• Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais biography and credits at the British Film Institute's Screenonline
• Dick Clement at the Internet Movie Database