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Bob Oliver Rogers

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Bob Oliver Rogers (1950 – 1979) was a radio producer employed by the British Broadcasting Corporation, between 1973 and 1979, at the BBC's New Broadcasting House, Manchester.[1]

He principally produced light entertainment shows for the BBC's national radio stations, including comedies, quizzes and panel games. He died of natural causes in 1979, aged 29.[2]

Radio

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In a prolific career, as one of three staff producers in the radio comedy department of the BBC at New Broadcasting House, Manchester (alongside James Casey and Mike Craig), he produced many radio shows for the BBC: including Late Night Extra[3] (presented on different occasions by Keith Fordyce, comedian Barry Cryer, John Dunn, and Brian Matthew), Frank Muir Goes Into[4] (with Frank Muir and Alfred Marks), the topical satire Week Ending[5] (a topical sketch show with David Jason, Bill Wallis and Chris Emmett), and Beat the Record[6] (a phone-in quiz show presented by Don Davis).

He also produced the final series of the long running sketch comedy I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again[7] (starring Tim Brooke-Taylor, John Cleese, Graeme Garden, David Hatch, Jo Kendall and Bill Oddie), the 1973-74 Series of the panel game Just a Minute[8] presented by Nicholas Parsons, the phone-in quiz Free Spin[9] presented by Alan 'Fluff' Freeman, and Series 3 & 4 of the comedy sketch show Hello Cheeky[10] (starring Barry Cryer, John Junkin and Tim Brooke-Taylor).

He devised and produced the long running quiz about comedy, Funny You Should Ask,[11] chaired by the comedy actor Peter Jones. He also produced Northern comedies, including Chronicles of the Soppy Family[12] and the sitcoms Malcolm,[13] The Spamfritter Man,[14] and Thank You Mrs Fothergill[15] (this last starring Sheila Hancock, Pat Coombs and Avis Bunnage).

In late 1978 a program produced by Rogers for the BBC, Listen to the Banned, included the Sex Pistols' 'God Save the Queen' which was at that time banned by the broadcaster. The press reported that the BBC 'endorsed' Rogers' 'judgement... and the way he handled it.'[16]

In addition to his other responsibilities, he was a talent spotter, perpetually on the lookout for promising new writers who could be commissioned to write for the shows he produced. One of his successes was in giving Rob Grant and Doug Naylor their first commission to write for radio.[2]

Whilst working on a new radio series in 1979, The American Way of Laughs[17] (a guided tour of comedy in the United States), he died unexpectedly of a heart attack aged 29. Comedy writer Ron McDonnell was appointed to take over as producer, pro tem, on those shows already in production; the new project was eventually produced in 1980 by Peter Everett.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "Search Results - BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Biography 1". Robgrant.co.uk. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  3. ^ "Late Night Extra". 1 March 1973. p. 32. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via BBC Genome.
  4. ^ "Frank Muir goes into The Law". 29 March 1973. p. 31. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via BBC Genome.
  5. ^ "Kaleidoscope". 24 May 1973. p. 57. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via BBC Genome.
  6. ^ "Beat the Record". 28 June 1973. p. 34. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via BBC Genome.
  7. ^ "I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again". 15 November 1973. p. 60. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via BBC Genome.
  8. ^ "Just a Minute". 29 November 1973. p. 53. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via BBC Genome.
  9. ^ "Free Spin". 28 November 1974. p. 46. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via BBC Genome.
  10. ^ "Hello Cheeky". 6 March 1975. p. 24. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via BBC Genome.
  11. ^ "Funny You Should Ask". 8 April 1976. p. 54. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via BBC Genome.
  12. ^ "Chronicles of the Soppy Family". 25 August 1977. p. 41. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via BBC Genome.
  13. ^ "Malcolm". 16 February 1978. p. 48. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via BBC Genome.
  14. ^ "The Spamfritter Man". 25 May 1978. p. 57. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via BBC Genome.
  15. ^ "Newseries Thank You, Mrs Fothergill". 23 November 1978. p. 34. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via BBC Genome.
  16. ^ Peter Knight, 'Blind Eye Turned on Pistols' London Daily Telegraph 30 December 1978 p. 2
  17. ^ "Search Results - BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  18. ^ "The American Way of Laughs". 10 April 1980. p. 52. Retrieved 20 December 2017 – via BBC Genome.
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