[3] Born in Bristol, he trained with the BBC as an outside broadcast engineer, before serving in south east Asia with the Royal Signals during the Second World War.

[1] He became a specialist producer of comedy programmes, following initial success in 1955 with the sketch show Great Scott - It's Maynard!.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he produced many of the BBC's most popular comedy shows, featuring Benny Hill, Frankie Howerd, Ken Dodd, and others.

"[1] In 1960 he was appointed as Chief Assistant Head of Programmes in the BBC's Light Entertainment Department, where he produced Steptoe and Son, the first sitcom to have serious 'straight' actors in the leading roles, with scripts (again by Galton and Simpson) who brought "darkness... honesty, compassion and insight" to their scripts.

Also during the 1960s, he produced such series as Citizen James, Hugh And I, The Bed-Sit Girl, Harry Worth, Oh Brother!, The World of Beachcomber, and many editions of Comedy Playhouse.