David Croft

A prolific writer and producer of British TV comedies, David Croft was the creative force behind several BBC classics, including "Are You Being Served?" and "'Allo, 'Allo! ." Born into a show-business family--his mother was the accomplished theater actress Annie Croft, and his father Reginald Sharland was a radio actor in Hollywood--at age seven he appeared in a commercial that was seen in cinemas, and later he made a brief uncredited appearance in the film "Goodbye, Mr. Chips." After serving in World War II, he began working as a TV producer/director on "The One O'Clock Show" and the sitcom "Under New Management." His first big hit was "Dad's Army," co-written with Jimmy Perry, which debuted in 1968 and ran until 1977. During its successful run, he began production on his best-known show "Are You Being Served?," which appeared from 1972 until 1985. It was set in a department store and its slapstick humor was a staple of Croft's career. He also created "It Ain't Half Hot Mum" in 1974 and "'Allo 'Allo!" in 1982, two other long-running sitcoms with a World War II setting. "Hi-de-Hi!," another very popular comedy, ran from 1980 until 1988 and took place in an English holiday camp. Subsequent projects included "You Rang, M'Lord?," a 50-minute sitcom featuring many actors from Croft's previous shows, and "Oh Doctor Beeching!" in the mid 1990s. Croft, who was awarded the Order of the British Empire along with Jimmy Perry in 1978 for his contribution to television, died in Portugal in 2011 at the age of 89.