Bob Spiers is one of the busiest and most successful TV comedy directors. His career has spread from the traditionalist roots of such music hall type ensemble comedies as "It Ain't Half Hot Mum" and "Dad's Army", to cutting edge classics like "Fawlty Towers" and "Absolutely Fabulous". Spiers first demonstrated his ability to effectively handle 'challenging' comedy material with his work on the anarchic slapstick programme "The Goodies", but it was with "Fawlty Towers", John Cleese and Connie Booth's rapid paced farce, that Spiers proved he could handle both - wild visual comedy and scenes involving quick-fire dialogue. Spiers confirmed his abilities with the so-called 'alternative' comedy group "The Comic Strip", an informal gathering of like-minded comic talents who were determined to push back the barriers of British TV comedy. Their first of a series of specials was the comedy highlight of Channel Fours opening night. A spoof of a well known genteel series of books for children "Five Go Made In Dorset", set he style of all the group's future presentations. Spiers was to work often with the disparate members of "The Comic Strip", most noticeably with female double act French and Saunders. It was from their sketch show "French and Saunders" - directed by Spiers - that sprung the 1990's most outrageous and influential TV comedy 'Absolutely Fabulous'. With AF Spiers effectively had a hand in each of the most important steps from the zany Pythonesque humour of the early 70s to the caustic and savagely funny comedy of the 90s. Spiers has recently moved into feature films, directing "That Darned Cat" for Disney. This is a rare chance to hear the most important British TV comedy director of recent times talk about his career and unique technique. Dick Fiddy. Dick Fiddy will introduce and interview Bob Spiers on his work and career alongside the presentation of various excerpts of Spiers' work. Bob Spiers - List of Selected Works. That Darned Cat, Feature for Disney, 1996
Bottom II, BBC, 1994
French and Saunders, BBC, 1992/93 Joking Apart, BBC, 1992-94, Bronze Rose of Montreux
Absolutely Fabulous I, II, III, Special '96 BBC, 1992-94, Int. Emmy Award 1993 Alexei Sayle, BBC, Producer, Director (One-off)
Didn't You Kill My Brother?, Comic Strip, starring Alexei Sayle
Comic Strip Presents, C4, 6 films: War Five Go Mad In Dorset, British Press Guild Award, Best Comedy 1982
Not The Nine O'clock News, BBC Pilot Fawlty Towers, BBC, 6 shows