Harold Snoad obit

TV comedy powerhouse Harold Snoad dies

 

He was not on the list.

Harold Snoad, a prolific producer and director of television comedy, has died. He was 88.

Born on 28th August 1935, he died on Sunday 2nd June after a long period of ill health. Amongst an extensive array of credits, he will be best remembered for his work on Dad's Army and Keeping Up Appearances.

Beginning his career in theatre in the 1950s, he joined the BBC towards the end of the decade, and by 1969 was one of the youngest producer/directors - then a combined role - working anywhere in British television.

Some of his earliest work remained his most prominent, filling in for David Croft as director on seven episodes of Dad's Army in its early series. Remaining in a senior production role with the comedy, he would go on to form a successful writing partnership with actor Michael Knowles, together adapting all of the sitcom's radio scripts, and creating a spin-off, It Sticks Out Half A Mile.

Elsewhere, his credits include all three series of Rings On Their Fingers; Galton & Simpson's Casanova '73; feature film Not Now, Comrade; and Partners.

In 1972 Snoad produced all seven episode of Ronnie Barker's hotel sitcom His Lordship Entertains, and the following year he reunited with the star to make multiple entries in the 7 Of 1 anthology series.

He also forged a long working relationship with comedian Dick Emery, producing the BBC's Dick Emery Show from its twelfth series onwards. This was, however, a rare foray outside the sitcom format, with the majority of Snoad's working amidst the burgeoning narrative genre.

With other notable hits such as Are You Being Served? and Derek Nimmo's Oh Brother! under his belt, he would go on to greater acclaim in the 1980s, directing and producing a range of the BBC's most successful and acclaimed comedy series over more than a decade.

During this period Snoad helmed hits such as Don't Wait Up, Ever Decreasing Circles and Brush Strokes, before embarking on Roy Clarke's international smash hit Keeping Up Appearances. Here, his writing talent would again be utilised as an uncredited script editor and writer of additional material across all five series.

In 1988 he wrote the BBC Books-published guide Directing Situation Comedy, and in 2009 published an in-depth look behind the scenes of Keeping Up Appearances, It's Bouquet - Not Bucket!.

Harold Snoad is survived by his wife of 71 years, Jean, and three daughters.

Keeping Up Appearances is one of the best-loved British sitcoms and has now been seen in more than sixty countries around the globe, with a particularly huge following in the USA. The show, originally broadcast on the BBC from 1990 to 1995, starred Patricia Routledge as the unforgettable Hyacinth Bucket pronounced 'Bouquet!' the incorrigible snob whose desperate attempts at social climbing always end in disaster and humiliation.

Throughout the sitcom's five series (plus four Christmas specials), the producer and director was Harold Snoad, whose directing credits already included such classics as Dad's Army and The Dick Emery Show. In this hugely entertaining memoir of the series, Snoad takes us behind the scenes and into the hurly-burly world of TV production - from location shooting in the city streets of Britain's Midlands and the glamorous lounges of the QE2, to the daily grind of schedules and rewrites and the shenanigans and foibles of the actors ...

Witty and revealing, the 224 pages of It's Bouquet - Not Bucket! offer both an exclusive insight into a great British institution - the situation comedy - and a comprehensive guide to one of its greatest examples, Keeping Up Appearances, with full plot synopses, cast lists and locations. Like the series before it, it's a book that looks set to gain its own band of avid admirers.

Producer

Chris Barrie, Steve Coogan, Adrian Edmondson, and Jennifer Saunders in More Great Comedy Moments (2003)

More Great Comedy Moments

6.7

Video

producer: "Ever Decreasing Circles"

2003

 

The Memoirs of Hyacinth Bucket (1997)

The Memoirs of Hyacinth Bucket

7.9

TV Movie

producer

1997

 

Patricia Routledge in Keeping Up Appearances (1990)

Keeping Up Appearances

Clive Swift, Geoffrey Hughes, Judy Cornwell, Mary Millar, Josephine Tewson, David Griffin, Marion Barron, and Jeremy Gittins.

7.9

TV Series

producer

1990–1995

44 episodes

 

All Night Long (1994)

All Night Long

TV Series

producer

1994

 

Richard Ashton, Tony Britton, Anna Dawson, Philip Fox, Susan Hampshire, and Caroline Quentin in Don't Tell Father (1992)

Don't Tell Father

5.2

TV Series

producer

1992

6 episodes

 

Tony Britton, Nigel Havers, and Dinah Sheridan in Don't Wait Up (1983)

Don't Wait Up

6.6

TV Series

producer

1983–1990

29 episodes

 

Just His Luck

TV Movie

producer

1989

 

Richard Briers, Peter Egan, and Penelope Wilton in Ever Decreasing Circles (1984)

Ever Decreasing Circles

7.3

TV Series

producer

1986–1989

14 episodes

 

Karl Howman in Brush Strokes (1986)

Brush Strokes

6.6

TV Series

producer

1988–1989

6 episodes

 

Wife Begins at 40

6.8

TV Movie

producer

1988

 

Shaun Curry and Anna Keaveney in Divided We Stand (1986)

Divided We Stand

4.4

TV Series

executive producer

1987–1988

6 episodes

 

The Gender Gap

TV Movie

producer

1985

 

High & Dry (1985)

High & Dry

7.2

TV Series

producer

1985

1 episode

 

Barnet

TV Movie

producer

1985

 

Marti Caine and Philip Madoc in Hilary (1984)

Hilary

6.8

TV Series

producer

1984–1985

6 episodes

 

Tears Before Bedtime

TV Series

producer

1983

7 episodes

 

Enn Reitel in The New Adventures of Lucky Jim (1982)

The New Adventures of Lucky Jim

7.2

TV Series

producer

1982

7 episodes

 

Dick Emery and Barry Evans in Legacy of Murder (1982)

Legacy of Murder

8.2

TV Series

producer

1982

6 episodes

 

Partners

TV Series

producer

1981

6 episodes

 

Dick Emery in The Dick Emery Show (1963)

The Dick Emery Show

6.8

TV Series

producer

1974–1981

52 episodes

 

The Dick Emery Christmas Show: For Whom the Jingle Bells Toll

5.8

TV Movie

producer

1980

 

Martin Jarvis and Diane Keen in Rings on Their Fingers (1978)

Rings on Their Fingers

6.2

TV Series

producer

1978–1980

20 episodes

 

The Dick Emery Christmas Show: The Texas Connection

TV Special

producer

1977

 

No Appointment Necessary

TV Series

producer

1977

1 episode

 

Tim Brooke-Taylor and John Junkin in The Rough with the Smooth (1975)

The Rough with the Smooth

TV Series

producer

1975

6 episodes

 

The Dick Emery Christmas Show

TV Special

producer

1974

 

Comedy Playhouse (1961)

Comedy Playhouse

7.3

TV Series

producer

1973–1974

2 episodes

 

Trevor Bannister, Arthur Brough, John Inman, Wendy Richard, Mollie Sugden, and Frank Thornton in Are You Being Served? (1972)

Are You Being Served?

8.0

TV Series

producer

1974

5 episodes

 

Jan Adair, Astrid Frank, Maureen Lipman, Leslie Phillips, and Madeline Smith in Casanova '73 (1973)

Casanova '73

6.5

TV Series

producer

1973

7 episodes

 

Ronnie Barker in 7 of 1 (1973)

7 of 1

7.6

TV Series

producer

1973

3 episodes

 

His Lordship Entertains (1972)

His Lordship Entertains

6.7

TV Series

producer

1972

7 episodes

 

Derek Nimmo in Oh Brother! (1968)

Oh Brother!

7.3

TV Series

producer

1969

3 episodes

 

Director

Dad's Army: A Stripe for Frazer, Animated (2016)

Dad's Army: A Stripe for Frazer, Animated

Short

Director

2016

 

Chris Barrie, Steve Coogan, Adrian Edmondson, and Jennifer Saunders in More Great Comedy Moments (2003)

More Great Comedy Moments

6.7

Video

director: "Ever Decreasing Circles"

2003

 

The Memoirs of Hyacinth Bucket (1997)

The Memoirs of Hyacinth Bucket

7.9

TV Movie

Director

1997

 

Patricia Routledge in Keeping Up Appearances (1990)

Keeping Up Appearances

7.9

TV Series

Director

1990–1995

44 episodes

 

All Night Long (1994)

All Night Long

TV Series

Director

1994

 

Richard Ashton, Tony Britton, Anna Dawson, Philip Fox, Susan Hampshire, and Caroline Quentin in Don't Tell Father (1992)

Don't Tell Father

5.2

TV Series

Director

1992

6 episodes

 

Tony Britton, Nigel Havers, and Dinah Sheridan in Don't Wait Up (1983)

Don't Wait Up

6.6

TV Series

Director

1983–1990

29 episodes

 

Just His Luck

TV Movie

Director (directed by)

1989

 

Richard Briers, Peter Egan, and Penelope Wilton in Ever Decreasing Circles (1984)

Ever Decreasing Circles

7.3

TV Series

Director

1986–1989

14 episodes

 

Karl Howman in Brush Strokes (1986)

Brush Strokes

6.6

TV Series

Director

1988–1989

6 episodes

 

Wife Begins at 40

6.8

TV Movie

Director

1988

 

Shaun Curry and Anna Keaveney in Divided We Stand (1986)

Divided We Stand

4.4

TV Series

Director (film sequences directed by)

1987–1988

6 episodes

 

The Gender Gap

TV Movie

Director

1985

 

High & Dry (1985)

High & Dry

7.2

TV Series

Director

1985

1 episode

 

Marti Caine and Philip Madoc in Hilary (1984)

Hilary

6.8

TV Series

Director

1984–1985

6 episodes

 

Tears Before Bedtime

TV Series

Director

1983

7 episodes

 

Dick Emery and Barry Evans in Legacy of Murder (1982)

Legacy of Murder

8.2

TV Series

Director (uncredited)

1982

1 episode

 

Partners

TV Series

Director

1981

6 episodes

 

Dick Emery in The Dick Emery Show (1963)

The Dick Emery Show

6.8

TV Series

Director

1974–1981

3 episodes

 

The Dick Emery Christmas Show: For Whom the Jingle Bells Toll

5.8

TV Movie

Director

1980

 

The Dick Emery Christmas Show: The Texas Connection

TV Special

Director

1977

 

Not Now, Comrade (1976)

Not Now, Comrade

4.9

Director

1976

 

Tim Brooke-Taylor and John Junkin in The Rough with the Smooth (1975)

The Rough with the Smooth

TV Series

Director

1975

2 episodes

 

The Dick Emery Christmas Show

TV Special

Director

1974

 

Trevor Bannister, Arthur Brough, John Inman, Wendy Richard, Mollie Sugden, and Frank Thornton in Are You Being Served? (1972)

Are You Being Served?

8.0

TV Series

Director (uncredited)

1974

5 episodes

 

Ronnie Barker in 7 of 1 (1973)

7 of 1

7.6

TV Series

Director (uncredited)

1973

3 episodes

 

Comedy Playhouse (1961)

Comedy Playhouse

7.3

TV Series

Director

1972–1973

2 episodes

 

James Booth and Cyril Cusack in Them (1972)

Them

TV Series

Director

1972

5 episodes

 

Sykes and a Big Big Show

TV Series

Director

1971

3 episodes

 

Dad's Army (1968)

Dad's Army

8.1

TV Series

Director

1969–1970

5 episodes

 

Derek Nimmo in Oh Brother! (1968)

Oh Brother!

7.3

TV Series

Director

1969

6 episodes

 

Hugh and I Spy

TV Series

Director

1968

1 episode

 

Writer

Just His Luck

TV Movie

written by

1989

 

High & Dry (1985)

High & Dry

7.2

TV Series

written by

writer

1985–1987

8 episodes

 

Dad's Army (1968)

Dad's Army

8.1

TV Series

based on an idea by

1970

1 episode