Kevin Clarke
Encyclopedia
Kevin Clarke grew up in Birkenhead
, Merseyside
. Originally a guitarist, he wrote and directed his first play The Jackpot
at the Finborough Theatre in 1987; as a result he was invited to join the first BBC
Television Writers training course and commissioned to write for a new series called Casualty
. His subsequent theatre play Translantic ran for three months at the Dramatis Personae Theater in New York
, and his third, Charity's Child played the Riverside Studios
.
Kevin has written a great many episodes of television drama, including scripts for Doctor Who
, Minder
, Wish Me Luck
, and Wycliffe
. He was a principal writer for The Bill
for four seasons from 1988 to 1991, during which time he created the recurring character Roxanne, launching the television career of Paul O'Grady
. Kevin's first original comedy screenplay, Albert and the Lion was networked by Scottish Television
in 1992. Recent work includes The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
for the BBC and The Last Detective
for Granada Television
.
In his spare time, he plays classical and jazz guitar, studies History, and enjoys long distance trekking. He speaks Italian, French, and Spanish.
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
. Originally a guitarist, he wrote and directed his first play The Jackpot
The Jackpot
The Jackpot is a 1950 American comedy film directed by Walter Lang with James Stewart and Barbara Hale in the lead roles. It features a young Natalie Wood....
at the Finborough Theatre in 1987; as a result he was invited to join the first BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Television Writers training course and commissioned to write for a new series called Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
. His subsequent theatre play Translantic ran for three months at the Dramatis Personae Theater in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and his third, Charity's Child played the Riverside Studios
Riverside Studios
Riverside Studios is a production studio, theatre and independent cinema on the banks of the River Thames in Hammersmith, London, England. It plays host to contemporary and international dramatic and dance performance, film, visual art exhibitions and television production.-History:In 1933, the...
.
Kevin has written a great many episodes of television drama, including scripts for Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, Minder
Minder (TV series)
Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
, Wish Me Luck
Wish Me Luck
Wish Me Luck is a British television drama about the exploits of British women undercover agents during the Second World War. The series was made by London Weekend Television for the ITV network between 1987 and 1989 and created by Lavinia Warner and Jill Hyem, who had previously produced and...
, and Wycliffe
Wycliffe (TV series)
Wycliffe is a British TV series, based on W. J. Burley's novels about Detective Superintendent Charles Wycliffe . It was produced by HTV and broadcast on the ITV Network, following a pilot episode on 7 August 1993, between 24 July 1994 and 5 July 1998. The series was filmed in Cornwall, with a...
. He was a principal writer for The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
for four seasons from 1988 to 1991, during which time he created the recurring character Roxanne, launching the television career of Paul O'Grady
Paul O'Grady
Paul James Michael O'Grady MBE is an English comedian, television presenter, actor, writer and radio DJ. He is best known for presenting the daytime chat television series, The Paul O'Grady Show and, more recently, Paul O'Grady Live, as well as his drag queen comedic alter ego, Lily Savage, as...
. Kevin's first original comedy screenplay, Albert and the Lion was networked by Scottish Television
Scottish Television
Scottish Television is Scotland's largest ITV franchisee, and has held the ITV franchise for Central Scotland since 31 August 1957. It is the second oldest ITV franchisee still active...
in 1992. Recent work includes The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries is a series of BBC television programmes about Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley, 8th Earl of Asherton of Scotland Yard and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers...
for the BBC and The Last Detective
The Last Detective
The Last Detective is an ITV drama starring Peter Davison as Dangerous Davies. The first series aired in 2003 with three more seasons succeeding this...
for Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
.
In his spare time, he plays classical and jazz guitar, studies History, and enjoys long distance trekking. He speaks Italian, French, and Spanish.