Andrew Marshall (1960- ) is a British comedy writer, most noted for the domestic sitcom 2point4 children. He was also the inspiration for Marvin the Paranoid Android in The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Although he had also previously adapted stories for Agatha Christie's Poirot ,in 2002 he made a further move into writing 'straight' drama , with the fantasy/horror-based Strange. He has also written several screenplays. Comedy is the use of humor in the performing arts. ... A British sitcom is a situation comedy (sitcom) produced in the United Kingdom. ... 2point4 children was a British sitcom that ran on BBC1 from 1991 to 1999. ... In the BBC TV series, the marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation defines a robot [like Marvin] as Your plastic pal whos fun to be with. A close-up of the Marvin costume from the 1981 TV series, from Episode Five. ... The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy originated as a 1978 radio comedy series written by Douglas Adams. ... Agatha Christies Poirot (U.S. title Poirot) is a British television series starring David Suchet as Agatha Christies detective character Hercule Poirot. ... 2002(MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Strange is a British television drama series, produced by the independent production company Big Bear Productions for the BBC One network. ...

Born in Lowestoft, he passed the 11+ somewhat early, due to being placed in a school year several years ahead of his age and attended Lowestoft Grammar School, and afterwards Borough Road College where he studied Mathematics and Psychology. Around the same time, he worked regularly on Radio4's Week Ending, together with David Renwick, Douglas Adams, Alistair Beaton, John Lloyd, Simon Brett and others, shortly afterwards beginning The Burkiss Way with David Renwick and John Mason (who later dropped out to go to acting school). Brought by Humphrey Barclay to LWT, originally to repeat his "nursery slopes comedy" Do Not Adjust Your Set with End Of Part One, Andrew and David went on to write a series of TV Satires, including Whoops Apocalypse, Hot Metal and If You See God Tell Him- the latter originally for 4, but postponed for several years when the Channel refused to let them direct it, and finally ending up at the BBC later. They also experimented with a kind of Neo-Vaudeville style in The Steam Video Company for Thames, ultimately ending up at the BBC, writing, with Alexei Sayle, Alexei Sayle's Stuff. Along the way they also wrote the screenplays for Whoops Apocalypse and Wilt. After a tentative and unsuccessful try at solo writing with Sob Sisters at CentralTV, Andrew found long-lasting success with BBC's 2point4 children, adding to it Health & Efficiency and later, Dad. He also found time to adapt Alexei Sayle's short story "Lose Weight, Ask Me How" for the series Spinechillers, in which Alexei also starred. Having earlier contributed to Agatha Christie's Poirot, he next made an attempt at re-inventing British telefantasy with Strange. Week Ending. ... David Renwick (born September 4, 1951 in Luton, Bedfordshire, UK) is a British television writer, best known for creation of the sitcom One Foot in the Grave and the mystery series Jonathan Creek He initially worked in a team with writing partner Andrew Marshall, the pair of them providing material... Douglas Adams - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... There have been several notable individuals with the name John Lloyd. ... Simon Brett (b. ... The Burkiss Way was a BBC Radio 4 sketch comedy series that ran from August 1976 to November 1980. ... Humphrey Barclay (born 1941) is a comedy executive and producer whose first foray into show business was via the Cambridge Footlights. ... Whoops Apocalypse was originally a six-part 1982 sitcom by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick, made by London Weekend Television for ITV. Marshall and Renwick later reworked the concept as a 1986 movie with almost completely different characters and plot although one or two of the original actors returned in... The eponymously titled Alexei Sayles Stuff was a comedy sketch show which ran on BBC2 for a total of 18 episodes over 3 series from 1988 to 1991. ... Whoops Apocalypse was originally a six-part 1982 sitcom by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick, made by London Weekend Television for ITV. Marshall and Renwick later reworked the concept as a 1986 movie with almost completely different characters and plot although one or two of the original actors returned in... Wilted fig leaves on a branch Wilting refers to the loss of rigidity of non-woody plants. ... 2point4 children was a British sitcom that ran on BBC1 from 1991 to 1999. ... A father is the male parent of a child. ... Agatha Christies Poirot (U.S. title Poirot) is a British television series starring David Suchet as Agatha Christies detective character Hercule Poirot. ... Strange is a British television drama series, produced by the independent production company Big Bear Productions for the BBC One network. ...

A characteristic of his writing style, perhaps consistant with his study of Mathematics and Psychology is an apparant simplicity of content, concealing, after careful examination, symbolic and/or sometimes unsettling psychological or philosophical underpinnings.

He was recently quoted as saying his next project is adapting "Oedipus Rex" into a Sitcom.

Although Gay, the only character he has so far created that reflects this is "Charlie" in Sob Sisters, possibly the first accurate gay character in primetime comedy, preferring to persue instead a fascinating insight into family life, although he did once memorably term awards ceremonies as "tedious heterosexual bonding displays".

Until recently he has always avoided publicity of any kind, explaining that "its very bad for you", and cites his major influences as "Alfred Hitchcock and Walt Disney...which explains a lot."

With David Renwick:

• The Burkiss Way (BBC Radio 4)
• End of Part One (London Weekend Television for ITV)
• Whoops Apocalypse (London Weekend Television for ITV)
• Whoops Apocalypse (movie version)
• The Steam Video Company (Thames Television for ITV)
• Alexei Sayle's Stuff (BBC) - also with Alexei Sayle
• There's a Lot of It About (BBC) - also with Spike Milligan
• If You See God, Tell Him (BBC)
• Hot Metal {LWT}
• Wilt {Rank Film Dist}

David Renwick (born September 4, 1951 in Luton, Bedfordshire, UK) is a British television writer, best known for creation of the sitcom One Foot in the Grave and the mystery series Jonathan Creek He initially worked in a team with writing partner Andrew Marshall, the pair of them providing material... The Burkiss Way was a BBC Radio 4 sketch comedy series that ran from August 1976 to November 1980. ... BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of chiefly spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ... Now known as ITV London (Weekends) London Weekend Television logo, 1978-1996 London Weekend Television logo, 1996-2004 London Weekend Television Limited (LWT) is the ITV contractor for London, Friday 5:15pm to Monday, 5:59am. ... Independent Television (ITV) is the name given to the original network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up to provide competition to the BBC. In England and Wales the channel was recently rebranded ITV1 by ITV plc who own the regional broadcasting licences for the regions. ... Whoops Apocalypse was originally a six-part 1982 sitcom by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick, made by London Weekend Television for ITV. Marshall and Renwick later reworked the concept as a 1986 movie with almost completely different characters and plot although one or two of the original actors returned in... Now known as ITV London (Weekends) London Weekend Television logo, 1978-1996 London Weekend Television logo, 1996-2004 London Weekend Television Limited (LWT) is the ITV contractor for London, Friday 5:15pm to Monday, 5:59am. ... Independent Television (ITV) is the name given to the original network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up to provide competition to the BBC. In England and Wales the channel was recently rebranded ITV1 by ITV plc who own the regional broadcasting licences for the regions. ... Whoops Apocalypse was originally a six-part 1982 sitcom by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick, made by London Weekend Television for ITV. Marshall and Renwick later reworked the concept as a 1986 movie with almost completely different characters and plot although one or two of the original actors returned in... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as the field in general. ... The classic Thames Television logo (1969 - 1989), featuring a geographically incorrect montage of London landmarks. ... Independent Television (ITV) is the name given to the original network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up to provide competition to the BBC. In England and Wales the channel was recently rebranded ITV1 by ITV plc who own the regional broadcasting licences for the regions. ... The eponymously titled Alexei Sayles Stuff was a comedy sketch show which ran on BBC2 for a total of 18 episodes over 3 series from 1988 to 1991. ... Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom. ... Alexei David Sayle is a British comedian, actor, author and ex-Communist. ... Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom. ... Spike Milligan Spike Milligan, KBE (April 16, 1918 – February 27, 2002) was a comedian, novelist, playwright, poet, jazz musician (trumpet and guitar - also played the piano - and was a dab hand at raspberry blowing) and is best remembered as the creator, principal writer and performing member of The Goon Show. ... If you see God, Tell Him was a black comedy starring Richard Briers and Adrian Edmondson shown by the BBC in 1993. ... Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom. ... London Weekend Television logo, 1978-1996 London Weekend Television Limited (LWT) is the ITV contractor for London, Friday 5:15pm to Monday, 5:59am. ... Wilted fig leaves on a branch Wilting refers to the loss of rigidity of non-woody plants. ...

With John Lloyd

• Hordes of the Things (BBC Radio 4)

John Lloyd (born 1951 in Dover, England) is a British comedy writer and producer. ... Hordes of the Things is a BBC radio comedy series parodying J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings, and the fantasy genre in general, in a style similar to The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. ... BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of chiefly spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ...

Solo

• 2point4 children (BBC)
• Strange (BBC)
• Dad {BBC}
• Health & Efficiency {BBC}
• Poirot: The Victory Ball; How Does Your Garden Grow? {LWT]}

2point4 children was a British sitcom that ran on BBC1 from 1991 to 1999. ... Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom. ... Strange is a British television drama series, produced by the independent production company Big Bear Productions for the BBC One network. ... Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom. ... A father is the male parent of a child. ... Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom. ... Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom. ... London Weekend Television logo, 1978-1996 London Weekend Television Limited (LWT) is the ITV contractor for London, Friday 5:15pm to Monday, 5:59am. ...

Quotes

Attributed to Andrew Marshall: "There are only two kinds of News- Bad News and No News. And No News is just Bad News that you haven't heard yet"

On a Comedian's Female Sidekick: "Is there no beginning to her talents?"

On another writer:"I'm not going to say something nice about him; he isn't here to defend himself"

"TV Executives wondering why there are fewer Sitcoms is like Adolf Hitler wondering why he can't get an Agent"

"If the Universe is constantly expanding, how am I expected to lose weight?"

"If its ever possible to invent a time machine, I'm going to go back and smoke next to Margaret Thatcher's Mother"

On a Showbusiness Funeral:"..at one point I was so overcome with emotion, that I almost dropped my banjo."