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Geoffrey Perkins Is Dead At 55

Posted by kdawson on Sat Aug 30, 2008 09:39 PM
from the arthur-dent-removes-his-hat dept.
Media Television News
Dynamoo writes "Legendary comedy writer and producer Geoffrey Perkins has died in a road accident in London. Perkins was until recently the head of comedy for BBC TV. Earlier in his career he produced the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio series, and was a writer, director, and producer of many comedy shows including Spitting Image, The Fast Show, and several others. He also invented the game of Mornington Crescent. The world will be a less joyful place without him."
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Submission: Geoffrey Perkins is dead, aged 55. by Dynamoo (527749)
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  • ZZZ,,, (Score:3, Insightful)

    by LostCluster (625375) * on Saturday August 30 2008, @09:45PM (#24815541) Homepage
    The Slashdot editors do realize they've posted a British-centric story at 3:44 AM London time...

    • Re:ZZZ,,, (Score:5, Funny)

      by Eudial (590661) on Saturday August 30 2008, @10:39PM (#24815811)

      The Slashdot editors do realize they've posted a British-centric story at 3:44 AM London time...

      Ah, but slashdot is news for nerds. It's an integral part of the geek culture to be 6-10 hours out of sync with your timezone.

      The relevant XKCD panel is #448 [xkcd.com].

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by Potor (658520)
      Me? The 13th Duke of Wybourne? Here? In a sixth form girl's dormitory? At three o'clock in the morning? With my reputation? What were they thinking of?
      • The one that sticks in my mind is similar but with the line "I can almost smell their tears" said in a suitably creepy voice.

    • ... posted a British-centric story at 3:44 AM London time ...

      The editors did, but I bet the original post was at a more london friendly time.

  • Mornington Crescent... (Score:4, Funny)

    by gardyloo (512791) on Saturday August 30 2008, @10:23PM (#24815747)

    ... someone explain all the rules to me again?

  • The Independent is reporting that he might have fainted and stumbled onto the road before getting hit.

    Also, Anyone else wonder how someone managed to hit him, drive away and not realize it? I understand he was hit by a lorry and not a smart car, but I remeber a few years ago I hit a cat and I sure felt it.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/police-seek-new-evidence-on-death-of-comedy-guru-geoffrey-perkins-913928.html [independent.co.uk]

    • If the lorry in question was articulated, and the trailer was what hit him, then no, you wouldn't feel it at all. Many accidents are caused by the trailer cutting in to corners - cyclists undertaking lorries then sitting underneath the mirror is a bad idea.

  • He'll be missed... (Score:5, Informative)

    by amaupin (721551) on Saturday August 30 2008, @10:40PM (#24815819) Homepage

    The BBC Hitch-hiker radio broadcasts were far and away the best versions of Douglas Adams' story of Arthur Dent, Zaphod Beeblebrox, the destruction/creation of Earth, and the search for the question. While I enjoyed the books somewhat, the original radio series was a spectacular production that couldn't be topped.

    Geoffrey Perkins will be missed.

    • If you loved the radio series (so do I) do yourself a favour and get into "The Fast Show".

      This man's sense of comedy will be sorely missed ;(

    • Re:He'll be missed... (Score:4, Interesting)

      by PhotoBoy (684898) on Sunday August 31 2008, @06:44AM (#24818405)

      I'm glad to see someone in this thread is showing some decorum instead of making tasteless jokes or asking "who?"

      I agree entirely with what you've said, the H2G2 radio shows were fantastic (and a regular fixture on my iPod), I was always disappointed they didn't continue the story after the end of the second series (although Dirk Maggs did a decent job more recently).

      Another Perkins favourite of mine was KYTV [imdb.com], a spoof on satellite TV channels with lots of tacky low budget game shows and news channels.

      RIP Geoffrey.

  • Douglas Adams died at 49, now Perkins at 55... maybe the Universe is killing off people who know The Question.

  • Well, I suppose I'll start, then.
    Bond Street.

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by GrahamCox (741991)
      Ah now come on. You *know* you can't open with Bond Street unless you're playing under the King Alfred (amended) rules and it's well known that that isn't recognised as an official version. So maybe I could suggest the alternative of Baker Street, which is a more generally accepted opener?

        • Baker Street, Baker Street. Are you quite sure? Remember, I am posting from a _former_ colony, which means that, as per the Pershing subset, we follow the limited previous rules rather than the more modern reconciliation. I believe Bond is legitimate under that, but for global unity, I will not argue the point. On the other hand, it does open the potential for this.

          Paddington.

  • Wait, Wait, So Tell Me... (Score:3, Funny)

    by SEWilco (27983) on Saturday August 30 2008, @10:53PM (#24815905) Homepage Journal

    Legendary comedy writer and producer Geoffrey Perkins has died in a road accident in London.

    Hey, you neglected to say what road! It is, of course, quite relevant that it was Marylebone High Street [independent.co.uk], as that of course is rather high for him to have shifted over from Town Hall Approach Road.

  • The world will be a less joyful place without him

    The world is a more joyful place because of him.

  • I guess this is one of those situations where you had to be there... in the U.K., that is? I'm fairly well versed in movies and social memes and even some of what goes on outside my own country's borders, but I had no idea who Geoffrey Palmer was. The OP seems to presume that in fact we all knew who he was and agreed with his alleged importance. If he was that important, I think his influence would have penetrated even my bubble of American isolation.

    • Then do yourself a favour, look up "the fast show" and the HHGG British radio series on TPB [thepiratebay.org] and become enlightened :)

    • "I've never heard of him therefore he can't be of any importance". How arrogant does that sound? By the way, it's PERKINS, not Palmer.

      • It sounds arrogant because I am "arrogant"... or just confident. I tend to trust that I know what I need to know unless shown otherwise. I'm not saying whether this has or has not been one of those instances. Clearly I substituted Mr. Palmer for this other chap because in fact he at least was an enormously important figure in comedy. ;-)

    • I'm fairly well versed in movies and social memes and even some of what goes on outside my own country's borders

      As TFA says, Geoffery Perkins was the producer of the original radio series of The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy - which is mandatory knowledge for nerds, even in the US. If you haven't heard of HHGTTG, or think it started out as a book, TV show or (God help you) a movie then please hand in your geek card at the door.

      Having cleared that up, can you enlighten us UK people as to who this "Baraccus Osama" character is?

  • I remember Geoffrey Perkins from the days of the radio series Radio Active. Geoffrey played the gleeful and shameless bully Mike Flex, who was always making the life of Mike Channel (Angus Deaton) a living hell.

    The series itself was a spoof of the low-budget and lower-standards private radio, the personality defects of the characters, and the toxic atmosphere they created. Each program was also a spoof on a particular genre of programme series, for instance: Round Your Parts (local interest), Probe Round th

    • Oh my god Radioactive! Is that available anywhere, I haven't heard that since I was 11.

  • I once sat opposite Mr Perkins on a train, coming back from Waterloo one evening. He looked busy, so to my lasting regret I didn't disturb him to say "thanks" for the Guide, KYTV, etc. And now I never will be able to, and that makes me sad.

    • Re:lol (Score:5, Informative)

      by eln (21727) on Saturday August 30 2008, @09:50PM (#24815561) Homepage

      Perkins was until recently the head of comedy for BBC TV. Earlier in his career he produced the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio series, and was a writer, director, and producer of many comedy shows including Spitting Image, The Fast Show, and several others. He also invented the game of Mornington Crescent.

      HTH, HAND.

        • ... What the fuck is this? slashdot.co.uk? ...

          No, but it's not slahsdot.us either. It's slashdot.org (i.e. international)

          The guy produced HHHGTTG. Probably one of the most quoted books/plays/films on slashdot.

      • Hammond had a crash in a jet-car...injured, sure... lived, walks, basically fine...

        He did develop a taste for celery [telegraph.co.uk] though so it's not all a bed of roses ;)

        some guy who drives to and from work, maybe the odd venture out on the weekends... is far more likely to fuck-up, and when the shit hits the fan they panic, unlike a professional driver who can stay relatively aware of whats happening, and prepair...etc...

        I think there's something to say for people pointing and laughing at danger and stealing its lunch money. Clarkson, Hammond and May (well maybe less so for Captain Slow) have cavalier attitudes (which appeals to my sense of 'ah, screw it') and being of a less panicky, laugh in the face of danger disposition may help cope when things go wrong (to a degree) because you may prevent yourself making it worse.

        To quote Red Dwarf [nildram.co.uk]:

        KRYTEN: Good god! Emergency, emergency! Adopt crash procedure!
        RIMMER: (Runs back to rear compartment.) Where's the card? Who's got the
        card?!
        LISTER: What card?
        RIMMER: The plastic card, the plastic card with the cartoons of the crash
        procedure on it!
        LISTER: Don't panic, man!
        RIMMER: It should be in the netting behind the seats. Haven't we got to
        sit behind a woman clutching a baby? What's the drill?!
        LISTER: Look, I know what is it!
        RIMMER: What?
        LISTER: Sit down, tuck your head between your legs and brace yourself.
        RIMMER: (Bracing) Now what?
        LISTER: Then you open the in-flight magazine and start reading. Thing
        is*, the articles act as a sedative. I mean, look at this: "Contents
        List: Salt, an Epicure's Delight; Classic Wines of Estonia; Flemish
        Weaving the Traditional Way." (To the CAT, whose head is lolling) Don't
        fight it, man, let it take you.
        RIMMER: How can you be so mind-bogglingly flippant? Don't you know
        what's going to happen? We're going to crash!
        LISTER: You've got to stay calm! It's a well-known fact, the more
        relaxed you are, the less likely you are to be injured.
        KRYTEN: Good luck, everybody, here it comes!

        Wishful thin

    • Mornington Crescent is an improvisational comedy sketch based roughly on the pocket A-Z. The formula is mythic, and the game follows a simple pattern:

      A player makes a move. Another player challenges this with an improvised rule, which can itself be challenged by other improvised rules. The object of the game is to entertain the audience.

      The entire population of the UK can now participate in this humorous diversion with the new "Justice Ministry Accredited Status" of many dog wardens, park keepers, charity

        • what's not to like here?

          you do understand that you are not living in a movie, right? And if by some chance, you are living in a movie, the rest of us are mostly not.

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