Maurice Gran
BornMaurice Bernard Gran
(1949-10-26) 26 October 1949 (age 74)
London, England
OccupationScriptwriter
Period1979–present
GenreTelevision
Notable worksHolding the Fort (1980–82)
Shine on Harvey Moon (1982–85, 1995)
Roll Over Beethoven (1985)
The New Statesman (1987–92)
Birds of a Feather (1989–98, 2014–)
Love Hurts (1992–94)
Get Back (1992–93)
Goodnight Sweetheart (1993–99, 2016)
Unfinished Business (1998–99)
Believe Nothing (2002)
Mumbai Calling (2007)

Maurice Bernard Gran (born 26 October 1949, in London, England) is an English writer and one half of scriptwriting duo Marks and Gran. He co-wrote the sitcoms The New Statesman, Birds of a Feather and Goodnight Sweetheart with Laurence Marks. Their theatre works include Dreamboats and Petticoats, Save The Last Dance For Me and Dreamboats and Miniskirts.[1][2]

Biography

Born to a jewish family, Gran lived in Finsbury Park Road as a child and his father was the manager of a fabric shop in Soho.[3] He attended William Ellis School, a grammar school for boys in Highgate. He then rose to be the manager of the Job Centre in Tottenham, whilst writing scripts with Laurence Marks which they submitted to the BBC.

The duo had begun writing together after they met at a discussion group for writers that was held within the British Drama League.[4] They were given the opportunity to write a radio show for Frankie Howerd after a chance meeting with Barry Took.[5] Gran is also the co-author of Prudence at Number 10, a fictional diary supposedly written by Gordon Brown's P.A.

Writing credits

Production Notes Broadcaster
The Marti Caine Show
  • 5 episodes (1980)
 BBC2
Roots
  • 6 episodes (co-written with Laurence Marks, 1981)
 ITV
Holding the Fort
  • 20 episodes (co-written with Laurence Marks, 1980–1982)
 ITV
Shine on Harvey Moon
  • 25 episodes (1982, 1984–1985, 1995)
 ITV
Roll Over Beethoven
  • 12 episodes (1985)
 ITV
Relative Strangers
  • 3 episodes (co-written with Laurence Marks, 1985–1987)
 Channel 4
The Bretts
  • 3 episodes (co-written with Laurence Marks, 1987)
 ITV
Alan B'Stard Closes Down the BBC BBC1
Young, Gifted and Broke
  • 7 episodes (co-written with Laurence Marks, 1989)
 ITV
Snakes and Ladders
  • 7 episodes (co-written with Laurence Marks, 1989)
 Channel 4
Birds of a Feather
  • 129 episodes (co-written with Laurence Marks, 1989–1994, 1996–1998, 2014–2017, 2020)
 BBC1/ITV
Bullseye! N/A
So You Think You've Got Troubles
  • 6 episodes (co-written with Laurence Marks, 1991)
 BBC1
Screen One
  • "Wall of Silence" (co-written with Laurence Marks, 1993)
 BBC1
Get Back
  • 10 episodes (co-written with Laurence Marks, 1992–1993)
 BBC1
Love Hurts
  • 30 episodes (co-written with Laurence Marks, 1992–1994)
 BBC1
The New Statesman
  • 29 episodes (co-written with Laurence Marks, 1987–1992)
 ITV
BBC1
A. B'Stard Exposed
  • Television film (co-written with Laurence Marks, 1994)
 BBC1
Goodnight Sweetheart
  • 59 episodes (co-written with Laurence Marks, 1993–1999, 2016)
 BBC1
Mosley
  • 4 episodes (co-written with Laurence Marks and Nicholas Mosley, 1998)
 Channel 4
Unfinished Business
  • 12 episodes (co-written with Laurence Marks, 1998–1999)
 BBC One
Starting Out
  • 8 episodes (co-written with Laurence Marks, 1999)
 BBC One
Believe Nothing
  • 6 episodes (co-written with Laurence Marks, 2002)
 ITV
The Last Laugh
  • "Pilot" (co-written with Laurence Marks, 2005)
 BBC Three
Mumbai Calling ITV

Awards and nominations

Year Award Work Category Result Reference
1990 British Academy Television Awards The New Statesman Best Comedy Series (with Tony Charles, Geoffrey Sax and Laurence Marks) Nominated
1991 British Academy Television Awards Best Comedy Series (with Tony Charles, Geoffrey Sax and Laurence Marks) Won

References

  1. ^ netbop.co.uk, NetBop Technologies. "Theatre Credits of Marks & Gran". marksandgran.com. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  2. ^ "Bill Kenwright and Laurie Mansfield in association with Universal Music present Dreamboats and Miniskirts". kenwright.com. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  3. ^ [https://spitalfieldslife.com/2019/06/24/laurence-marks-maurice-gran-writers/ Laurence Marks & Maurice Gran, Writers ]
  4. ^ Marks & Gran at screenonline. Retrieved 30 January 2015
  5. ^ Marks and Gran at Camden New Journal. Retrieved 29 January 2015

External links


Authority control databases
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