Hugh Clifford Stuckey (1 July 1928 – 21 June 2018) was an Australian comedy and drama screenwriter, with credits writing for television, film, radio and commercials both locally and in the United Kingdom and the US.
He also wrote for British shows, including The Two Ronnies, Dave Allen at Large, and The Bill, and American productions such as I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched.
In 1942, at 14 years old, Stuckey secured his first radio spot as a comedian for a weekly variety show called Kiddies Kapers.
In 1943, at the age of 15 and under pressure by his father, he finished his studies at Melbourne High School and started working at Australian Paper Manufacturers (APM), now named Paperlinx.
Stuckey, however found little interest in his job at APM, focusing his attention on performing live on stage and radio after hours.
In 1954, much to his father's disappointment, Stuckey quit his job at APM and left Melbourne with his new wife Shirley and took up a writing role for The Cadbury Show that would run for over 300 episodes.
After the Reg Grundy Organisation was founded in 1959, Stuckey would find regular work on the many programs the company would produce in the following decades.
The well-known English comedian and actor Tony Hancock was contracted to play the starring role in an intended 13-part early color television series to be called Terra Australis for the Seven Network.
In 1975, Stuckey signed his first contract in the UK with BBC London, where he wrote for The Two Ronnies, Dave Allen at Large, The Dick Emery Show and comedy star Frankie Howerd.
Stuckey returned to Australia, where he wrote for numerous tonight shows which were hosted by Stuart Wagstaff, Noel Ferrier, Tommy Leonetti, Bert Newton and others.
During his time writing for A Country Practice, Stuckey began a side project with director William Fitzwater, inspired by his personal interest in opera.