Jeremy Lloyd, co-writer of the successful BBC Television comedy shows, "'Allo 'Allo" and "Are You Being Served", offers a humorous account of his life and experiences. The son of an Army father and an actress mother, he was brought up by his grandparents in Manchester before being deposited in an old people's home at the age of 15. A succession of job failures followed, before Lloyd entered showbusiness and then began his writing career.
Jeremy Lloyd is an English writer, screenwriter, author and actor, best known as co-author and writer of several successful British sitcoms.
The gangly Lloyd began his career as a writer in 1958 before making his film debut 2 years later in 1960 in School for Scoundrels, and appeared in numerous film and television comedies during the 1960s and 1970s, notably Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In as a regular performer in 1969-70. He was lauded in America where they loved his patrician upper class depiction of an Englishman. Back in England after one particular series had been completed he met Joanna Lumley. A decision had to be taken as to whether he return to America for the start of the new series or remain in the United Kingdom and marry Miss Lumley (he never returned to America). His first major success as a comedy writer was with Are You Being Served? in 1972, on which he worked with David Croft. He had worked for a short time for Simpsons of Piccadilly and many of the characters depicted are drawn from his recollections of his time there. They subsequently produced 'Allo 'Allo!, which was equally popular in the UK, a spinoff of Are You Being Served? , Grace & Favour was aired in 1992. Jeremy also wrote the poems/lyrics for the popular Captain Beaky album and books in 1980.
An interesting memoir of life as a writer in British Television, Hollywood, and an actor that I know I have seen, 'cause I've seen the films he mentions, but he was mostly playing a British Twit in them. Now i've got to see them again.
I love Are You Being Served, and it's interesting to find where the stories came from in this man's very active and enjoyable life.