Bob Spiers is a British television director best known for his work on various sitcoms and other comedy programmes, particularly noted as the director of the early series of Absolutely Fabulous (1992-2001), and of the second and final batch of six episodes of Fawlty Towers (1979). A television director is usually responsible for directing the actors and other taped aspects of a television production. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... Absolutely Fabulous is a British sitcom written by and starring Jennifer Saunders, and co-starring Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha and June Whitfield. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Fawlty Towers is a British sitcom made by the BBC and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ...

Biography

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Spiers joined the staff of the BBC in the late 1960s, working as an assistant floor manager and later a production assistant, before eventually working his way up to become a director and producer. In this capacity he worked on several high-profile programmes, such as Dad's Army, Are You Being Served?, It Ain't Half Hot Mum and The Goodies, all sitcoms, a genre with which he became particularly associated. For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... Production assistant is a movie term for a person responsible for various odd jobs, such as stopping traffic, acting as couriers, getting items from craft service, etc. ... Dad’s Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard in the Second World War, written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. ... Are You Being Served? was a long-running British sitcom broadcast from 1972 to 1985. ... It Aint Half Hot Mum was a British sitcom about the adventures of a Royal Artillery Concert Party, broadcast between 1974 and 1981, and written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of Dads Army. ... The Goodies was a surreal British television comedy series of the 1970s and early 1980s combining sketches and situation comedy and starring Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Bill Oddie. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ...

It was because of his talent for directing comedy that he was chosen to handle the second series of John Cleese's famous Fawlty Towers in 1979, which already had an enormous reputation on the basis of its initial six episodes in 1975. The second series was a success, but shortly after having directed this and the unbroadcast pilot of Not the Nine O'Clock News, Spiers left the staff of the BBC to work as a freelance director. “Cleese” redirects here. ... Fawlty Towers is a British sitcom made by the BBC and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Not the Nine OClock News is a comedy television programme that was shown on the BBC, broadcast from 1979 to 1982. ...

Throughout the 1980s he worked on a number of programmes, of particular note being Channel 4's anthology comedy series The Comic Strip Presents... and the BBC sketch shows French and Saunders and A Bit of Fry and Laurie. From 1989 he also directed several episodes of the children's comedy / drama series Press Gang for the ITV network, and later helmed the sitcom Joking Apart, written by Press Gang writer Steven Moffat. The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... This article is about the British television station. ... This article is about the British comedy group; for the published art form, see comic strip. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... French & Saunders is a British sketch comedy television show starring and written by comedy team Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, and is also the name by which they are known on the rare occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act. ... This article is about the television series. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Press Gang was a British childrens television comedy-drama, which ran for forty-three episodes in five series from 1989 to 1993. ... Independent Television (generally known as ITV, but also as ITV Network) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK. Since 1990 and the Broadcasting... Joking Apart was a bittersweet comedy written by Steven Moffat and broadcast on BBC Two. ... Steven Moffat (born 1961 in Paisley, Scotland) is a British comedy/drama writer who has contributed to television series since the late 1980s. ...

His association with comedians Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders from directing their sketch show led to him working on individual projects from each of them during the 1990s. With French he worked on the macabre comedy anthology series Murder Most Horrid, and more famously with Saunders he helmed Absolutely Fabulous throughout the decade, the show having originated in a sketch from an episode of French and Saunders which had also been directed by Spiers. Dawn Roma French[1] (born 11 October 1957) is a BAFTA Award-nominated British comedian and actress best known for starring in her comedy sketch show French & Saunders along with her comedy partner Jennifer Saunders, and for playing the lead role in The Vicar of Dibley as Geraldine Granger. ... Jennifer Jane Saunders (born 12 July 1958) is a BAFTA Award-winning English comedienne, actress, and comedy writer. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Murder Most Horrid was a British television comedy starring comedian Dawn French. ... Absolutely Fabulous is a British sitcom written by and starring Jennifer Saunders, and co-starring Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha and June Whitfield. ...

Later in the 1990s he directed for the cinema for the first time, helming the Spice Girls' film Spiceworld: The Movie and the Disney feature That Darn Cat, both in 1997. He also directed two episodes of the Australian ABC series The Adventures of Lano and Woodley. He currently continues to direct comedy programmes for British television, as well as developing other feature film projects. The Spice Girls are an English all-female pop group, which was formed in London in 1994. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... The Australian Broadcasting Corporation or ABC is Australias national non-profit public broadcaster. ... The Adventures Of Lano And Woodley was an Australian comedy television show starring the comedic duo of Lano and Woodley (Colin Lane and Frank Woodley), consisting of two series which aired on the ABC from 1997 to 1999. ...

External links

• Internet Movie Database entry
• Entry on the British Film Institute's Screenonline website