Dennis Potter

Dennis Christopher George Potter 17 May 1935 7 June 1994 was an English television dramatist screenwriter and journalist He is best known for his BBC TV serials Pennies from Heaven 1978 The Singing Detective 1986 and the television plays Blue Remembered Hills 1979 and Brimstone and Treacle 1976 His television dramas mixed fantasy and reality the personal and the social and often used themes and images from popular culture Potter is widely regarded as one of the most influential and innovative dramatists to have worked in British television Born in Gloucestershire and graduating from Oxford University Potter initially worked in journalism After standing for parliament as a Labour candidate at the 1964 general election his health was affected by the onset of psoriatic arthropathy which necessitated Potter changing careers and led to him becoming a television dramatist His new career began with contributions to the BBCs Wednesday Play anthology series in 1965 and he continued to work in the medium for the rest of his life He also wrote screenplay adaptations for the Hollywood studios He died of pancreatic cancer in 1994