Dennis Main Wilson

For other people named Dennis Wilson, see Dennis Wilson (disambiguation).

Dennis Main Wilson
Born	1 May 1924(1924-05-01)
Died	20 January 1997(1997-01-20) (aged 72) Surrey
Cause of death	Lung cancer
Occupation	Radio and Television producer

Dennis Main Wilson (1 May 1924 – 20 January 1997 ^[1]) was a British producer of radio and television programmes, mainly for the BBC.

Biography

After wartime work for the German Service of the BBC, he worked in comedy. He was producer of the The Goon Show's first two series. Owing to his fondness for alcohol, the Goons nicknamed him 'Dennis Main Drain'. Subsequently he produced the first four series of Hancock's Half Hour on radio before leaving to train in television. Till Death Us Do Part, also for the BBC, is his best remembered television work.

Main Wilson has been described by Screenonline as "arguably the most important and influential of all comedy producers/directors in British radio and television."

Other shows he produced include Sykes and a with Eric Sykes and Hattie Jacques, Here's Harry with Harry Worth, It's Marty starring Marty Feldman and The Rag Trade (which he also directed). He had less success with Private Eye TV, an attempt to turn the magazine Private Eye into a television programme.

In 1976, a scene-shifter at the BBC handed him a script he had written. Main Wilson turned it into Citizen Smith. The scene-shifter was John Sullivan, who wrote Just Good Friends, Dear John and Only Fools and Horses. Main Wilson gave TV breaks to Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Griff Rhys Jones and Emma Thompson.

He died of lung cancer at the age of 72.

His son is Andrew Main Wilson, chief operating officer of the Institute of Directors.

References

1. ^ GRO Register of Deaths: JAN 1997 A1B 212 WEST SURREY - Dennis Main Wilson, DoB = 1 May 1924, aged 72

External links

• Screenonline on Dennis Main Wilson
• BBC Comedy Guide on Dennis Main Wilson
• Daily Telegraph obituary
• 1991 Bectu interview Part 1, Part 2, part 3, part 4

Persondata
Name	Main Wilson, Dennis
Alternative names
Short description	Producer
Date of birth	1924-05-01
Place of birth
Date of death	1997-01-20
Place of death	Surrey