R.I.P.
Sad to hear of the death of Geoffrey Perkins, former boss of comedy at the BBC. (It's always more shocking when it's an accident - he seems to have been hit by a van yesterday morning at 9.30, presumably on his way to work at Tiger Aspect.) I met him only once. When Simon Day and I were working Grass up into a pilot script back in 2001, he was still Head of Comedy and we went to see him. This is what I wrote in my subsequent sitcom diary for Radio Times:Wednesday September 5
Meeting with the headmaster: BBC comedy supremo Geoffrey Perkins. He's read the new script and likes the first half, which is encouraging, but we have work to do. (Perkins will announce that he is leaving the BBC about a week later, which is a blow, but par for the course in television's constant game of musical swivel chairs.)
He was my first Head of Comedy, and it really was quite nerve-wracking, especially as I knew him from off of the telly. In the event, as he'd left for the private sector, as they all do, he wasn't the man who commissioned Grass, or even steered it towards commission, but thinking about it, he must have signed off on us writing a pilot script, so I owe him a lot. Looking at his vast CV, it seems we all do.
posted by Andrew Collins @ 5:46 PM
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Well said Andrew.
This is very sad news. I never met him but he was one of the very few comedy producers who name I knew and who's name was a sign of quality. I also loved his work as a actor, very understated. I do hope the BBC will show a tribute to this great and, from what I have read, much loved man.
He will be sadly missed.
I think we all agree entirely with your last comment - we all owe the late Mr Perkins an awful lot of thanks.
Even if he had stayed in radio, his work on Radio Active, I'm Sorry... and especially Hitch-Hikers would have been a fine portfolio. Looking at his TV work too, it's amazing.
I only wish he had done more performing; KYTV and Radio Active proved he could deliver a dead-pan but silly line as well as Steve Coogan or Chris Morris.
It's amazing that his passing hasn't been a bigger story - it wasn't even top story in "entertainment" on the BBC website, yet when a kids' TV presenter kills himself, it's top story for days.
I was shocked when I heard the news to. Bit miffed that his death was only reported as a brief "in other news..." on BBC London. I thought KYTV was one of the funniest shows ever.
I was a big KYTV fan too, and so always noticed his name on TV and radio shows that I saw/heard after that. Clearly the guy had a passion for comedy.
I'd been thinking that his death had been getting a lot of coverage, but then realised that because I'm reading sites like Chortle, and comedians'/writers' blogs, and seeking out the news about him. Funny how the internet can convince you everyone thinks like you when you're fed the "news" via RSS feeds set up to reflect your interests.
Graeme is right. Mark Speight's death got so much coverage only because it had a grusome element, scandal and read like something out of a soap opera. I guess this is more 'dog bites man'.
Either way, it's sad news for fans of radio, TV and especially comedy. He'll be missed by many.
Lovely comment from Clive Anderson along the lines of "Opinions were split over Geoffrey, you either liked him or you loved him"
Graham Linehan has a great post about Geoffrey Perkins on his blog about his contributions to Father Ted's genesis.
http://whythatsdelightful.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/geoffrey-perkins/
Despite it not being exactly my favourite newspaper, the Daily Telegraph has a rather good obituary.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/2657112/Geoffrey-Perkins.html
I have heard this precisely nowhere other than here. I am appalled by this, I'm well up to date with the "arson house" without asking to be.
Andrew said "It's always more shocking when it's an accident" - that is so very true. One can't help but dwell on all the other situations and timings where the accident wouldn't have happened.
RIP to someone who brought a lot of pleasure to everyone.
I was sad and surprised to hear this. Geoffrey Perkins was a very familiar name to me, appearing as it did somewhere in the credits of pretty much every funny programme ever (as far as I could tell), and I had in the past wondered what this incredible Moriarty of comedy must be like. I assumed he was very old, because (a) he had produced radio shows from a fairly long time ago, such as the Hitch Hiker's Guide, and had even invented Mornington Crescent, which by rights ought to make him at least as old as Humphrey Lyttleton, and (b) his name sounded a bit like that of Geoffrey Palmer, meaning that having never seen Perkins, I always imagined him looking like Palmer. It's amazing to find that he was still relatively young, and all the sadder for that. He will certainly be remembered with great fondness for a long time.
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