Rod Taylor

After more than thirty years as a TV light entertainment producer and writer, Rod Taylor has worked alongside some of the greatest names of comedy from the post-war era.

Although educated for a career in law, Rod elected to go behind the television camera but now spends most of each year regaling audiences with his memories and tales of his experiences.

Among those with whom he has worked closely are Ken Dodd. Mike Yarwood, Roy Hudd, Paul Daniels, Bruce Forsyth, Sammy Davis .Jr, Michael Parkinson, Max Bygraves, Chris Barrie, Billy Connolly, Bob Monkhouse and a whole host of others. He has also worked with Lennon and McCartney and produced many Royal Gala shows ­including a documentary at Highgrove with the Prince and Princess of Wales.

After lunch or after dinner, an hour or so in the company of Rod Taylor is an hour of non-stop laughter, spotlessly clean good fun and a relief from so much of that unwelcome vulgarity that purports to be comedy on today's TV screens.

Rod Taylor is the author of' the Guinness Book of Sitcoms - a subject on which he is an acknowledged authority and the co-author, with Paul Gambaccini, of the BBC: book, Television's Greatest Hits. This hook has spawned several series of Phillip Schofield's TV’s' Gold and there are more shows in the pipeline.

When not writing, producing or speaking on dry land, Rod can be found for much of the summer months aboard P&O's cruise liners entertaining passengers with stories frorn 'My TV 'Times' and the backstage. Intrigues behind the Royal Variety Shows - a subject on which he made an award-winning programme for the BBC.

Aside from cornedy Rod has produced many music programmes including The Motown Story for Channel 4 which won a coveted award at the prestigious New York TV Festival.

Rod's love of comedy was born out of parents who were avid theatre goers and who introduced him to the joys of Albert Modley, 'The Crazy Gang, Stanley Holloway and Frank Randle at a very early age. Norrnan Evans was a family friend and Rod remembers him doing ‘Over The Garden Wall' behind his grandmother's piano at her home in Heywood, Lancashire A school chum of Rod's father had been Al Rcad and his wireless show, 'Such Is Life', was a never-to-be.-missed half hour every Sunday afternoon in the Taylor household.

With his close friend and colleague Mike C'raig, Rod runs the Manchester Lunch and Laughter Club where like-minded comedy lovers write off six Friday afternoons each year· in the company of' the Northwestern Brothers Mike and Rod) and some of their great laughter-making friends. "You'll never follow this, said the Nortlrwestern Brothers to ken Dodd.

"i will - with ~ bucket and Shovel" replied ken.