Dick Clement: The Writer Behind Britain’s Classic Comedies

Dick Clement is one of the most accomplished British television and film writers of his generation. Over a career spanning decades, he has helped create some of the most recognizable comedy characters and series in British entertainment. Working primarily alongside longtime writing partner Ian La Frenais, Clement played a central role in the creation of The Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Porridge, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Lovejoy. His career also stretches into feature films, theatre and American television.

What makes Dick Clement particularly interesting is the range of his work. He has written traditional British sitcoms, character-driven comedy dramas, feature films, animated movies and stage productions. His partnership with La Frenais became one of the most enduring writing collaborations in British entertainment. Their work frequently combined comedy with observations about class, friendship, ambition, work and changing society.

Quick Bio of Dick Clement

Early Life and Entry Into Broadcasting

Dick Clement was born on 5 September 1937 in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex. Before becoming one of Britain’s best-known comedy writers, he worked within the BBC and developed experience in broadcasting and production.

His route into television writing was not a conventional one. Clement was interested in acting and also became involved with BBC activities that allowed him to experiment with performance and writing. He later took a BBC directors’ course, and an exercise connected with that course became particularly important to his future career.

During this period, Clement was working with Ian La Frenais on comedy material. Their collaboration eventually produced the idea that became The Likely Lads. According to their later recollections, Clement was given a studio and a relatively small budget as part of his training, and the pair expanded an existing sketch into a longer television piece.

That opportunity proved to be a major turning point.

The Beginning of The Likely Lads

The Likely Lads first appeared on BBC2 in 1964. It followed two young men from the North-East of England, Bob Ferris and Terry Collier, whose contrasting personalities provided the foundation for the comedy.

Bob was ambitious and interested in improving his circumstances, while Terry was more cynical and comfortable with his existing way of life. Their friendship remained at the center of the story.

The series was unusual for its period because its characters were ordinary working-class men rather than the polished or traditionally middle-class figures often associated with television comedy. Clement and La Frenais were influenced by the social realism and cultural changes visible in British cinema during the 1960s.

Clement served not only as a writer but also as director and producer on the original series. The programme ran for three series between 1964 and 1966 and became an important early success for BBC2.

Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?

The success of the original series eventually led Clement and La Frenais back to Bob and Terry. The result was Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, which arrived in the 1970s.

The sequel gave the writers an opportunity to examine how the characters had changed. Bob was attempting to move upward socially and professionally, while Terry remained more attached to his working-class identity and earlier lifestyle.

This created more than a simple comedy about two friends. The series explored social mobility, changing expectations and the differences that can emerge between people who once shared the same background. The writers themselves have described the later series as an important development in their work and reputation.

The characters were eventually brought to the big screen in The Likely Lads, released in 1976, with Clement and La Frenais credited as writers.

Creating Porridge

Another defining achievement in Clement’s career was Porridge, the celebrated prison sitcom starring Ronnie Barker as Norman Stanley Fletcher.

The programme turned a prison setting into the basis for character comedy while retaining a strong sense of personality and dialogue. Fletcher’s relationship with fellow prisoners and prison officers gave the writers numerous opportunities to explore authority, friendship and survival through humor.

Porridge ran from 1974 to 1977 and became one of the best-known British sitcoms of its era. Clement and La Frenais were responsible for creating the series with Barker’s performance becoming central to its popularity.

The success of Porridge also demonstrated Clement and La Frenais’s ability to build comedy around an unusual environment without losing the human qualities that made the characters relatable.

Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Other Television Work

Clement and La Frenais continued to develop television projects after their early successes. Among their best-known later creations was Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, a comedy-drama about British workers living and working abroad.

The series allowed the writers to move beyond the traditional sitcom format and explore friendships, work, relationships and life away from home. It became another major part of their television legacy.

Their television work also included Lovejoy, while their career later extended into American television. The pair spent several years working with Tracey Ullman and became writers and supervising producers on HBO’s Tracey Takes On….

Their career therefore crossed national and genre boundaries, taking them from British sitcoms to American television production.

Dick Clement’s Film Career

Clement’s work was not limited to television. Together with La Frenais, he received writing credits on numerous feature films.

Among their notable film projects was The Commitments, the 1991 musical comedy-drama based on Roddy Doyle’s novel. The film became an important success and earned Clement and La Frenais the Peter Sellers Award for Comedy. Clement and La Frenais also worked on Still Crazy, Goal! The Dream Begins, Flushed Away, The Bank Job and Across the Universe.

Their filmography demonstrates the remarkable variety of their writing. Flushed Away took them into animation, The Bank Job into crime and heist storytelling, while Across the Universe combined music and drama.

Clement also worked as a director, including on the 1960s film Otley. His career consequently encompasses writing, directing and producing rather than being limited to a single role.

Theatre and Later Creative Work

The Clement and La Frenais partnership also extended to theatre. One of their notable stage projects was Billy, a musical starring Michael Crawford. They later worked on Jukebox Hero, a rock musical that opened in Toronto in 2019, and Chasing Bono, which opened at London’s Soho Theatre.

Their continued involvement in television and film has also included later projects and appearances looking back at their earlier work. Their careers have been revisited through documentaries and retrospective programmes, reflecting the lasting interest in shows such as Porridge and The Likely Lads.

Awards and Recognition

Dick Clement’s career has received recognition from several major industry organizations. His awards record includes BAFTA recognition, Writers’ Guild of Great Britain awards and an Annie Award for writing on Flushed Away.

Clement and La Frenais won the BAFTA Film Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Commitments. Clement is also listed as a winner of the BAFTA Television Writers Award and Writers’ Guild awards connected with their television work.

These honors reflect the breadth of his contribution across both television and film.

The Importance of His Partnership With Ian La Frenais

It is difficult to discuss Dick Clement’s career without discussing Ian La Frenais. Their professional relationship became the defining creative partnership of Clement’s career.

From their early work on The Likely Lads through Porridge, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, The Commitments and later projects, they developed a recognizable approach built around strong characters, sharp dialogue and social observation.

Their own accounts of their early work show that they were influenced by writers such as Ray Galton and Alan Simpson and by the realism of British cinema. Their comedy often placed ordinary people at the center of stories and allowed humor to emerge from social circumstances rather than simply from exaggerated comic situations.

Dick Clement’s Lasting Legacy

Dick Clement’s legacy rests on the extraordinary variety and longevity of his work. The characters and programmes he helped create have remained part of British television culture long after their original broadcasts.

From the friendship between Bob and Terry to the prison world of Fletcher and the international adventures of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Clement’s work repeatedly found comedy in everyday experiences, relationships and social change.

His career also demonstrates how British comedy writing can travel successfully between television, film, theatre and international production. Alongside Ian La Frenais, he helped establish a style of writing that could be funny while still reflecting the world in which its characters lived.

For readers of The Pure Magazine, Dick Clement’s story is ultimately one of creative partnership, persistence and adaptability. His decades-long career shows how a writer can move from a modest BBC training exercise to some of the most recognizable comedy and film projects in British entertainment.

FAQs About Dick Clement

Who is Dick Clement?

Dick Clement is an English writer, director and producer known particularly for his work with Ian La Frenais on British television comedies and feature films.

What is Dick Clement best known for?

He is best known for co-creating and writing programmes including The Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Porridge, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Lovejoy.

Who was Dick Clement’s writing partner?

His best-known long-term writing partner is Ian La Frenais. Their collaboration has covered television, film and theatre.

What was The Likely Lads about?

The series followed two young working-class friends from the North-East of England, Bob Ferris and Terry Collier, whose different ambitions and personalities drove the comedy.

Did Dick Clement work in films?

Yes. Clement and La Frenais wrote or worked on films including The Commitments, Still Crazy, Goal! The Dream Begins, Flushed Away, The Bank Job and Across the Universe.

Did Dick Clement work as a director?

Yes. Clement directed projects including the original The Likely Lads television series and the film Otley.

What awards has Dick Clement received?

His career includes BAFTA and Writers’ Guild recognition, as well as an Annie Award for writing on Flushed Away. The Commitments also earned Clement and La Frenais a BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Dick Clement’s career remains a fascinating chapter in British entertainment history, combining television comedy, film writing, directing, producing and theatre. His partnership with Ian La Frenais produced characters and stories that continue to attract audiences decades after their original appearances. For more biographies, entertainment stories and profiles of notable people, visit The Pure Magazine, where readers can discover stories beyond the ordinary.

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