Jack Rosenthal | |
---|---|
Born |
Cheetham Hill, Manchester, England |
8 September 1931
Died | 29 May 2004 Barnet, London, England |
(aged 72)
Occupation | Screenwriter, playwright |
Nationality | British |
Education | Sheffield University |
Notable awards | OBE, BAFTA |
Spouse |
Maureen Lipman (1974–2004; his death) |
Children | Amy Rosenthal, Adam Rosenthal |
Jack Morris Rosenthal CBE (8 September 1931 – 29 May 2004) was an English playwright, who wrote 129 early episodes of the ITV soap opera Coronation Street and over 150 screenplays, including original TV plays, feature films, and adaptations. He wrote the 1986 television film London's Burning for London Weekend Television, which proved so successful that it was adapted into the television series of the same name, which ran from 1988 until 2002.
Rosenthal was born in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, into a Jewish family. After studying English Literature at Sheffield University, he carried out his National Service in the Royal Navy. He worked briefly in advertising before joining Granada Television. He earned his first television credit with Granada in 1961, assigned as a writer of episode 31 of Britain's longest-running soap opera, Coronation Street. He became a regular writer for the series and began writing for other series as well. During the 1960s, he contributed material for various television comedy shows including the satirical That Was The Week That Was. At Granada Television, he wrote a spin-off series from Coronation Street for the character Leonard Swindley, played by Arthur Lowe, called Pardon the Expression and created two comedy series The Dustbinmen and The Lovers starring Richard Beckinsale and Paula Wilcox. In 1976 he also wrote a TV drama for ITV, called Ready When You Are, Mr McGill, which was later remade in 2003.