 Roger Smith progressed from Oxford University into the BBC as a writer at the
beginning of the 1960s. He was one of a group of politically progressive young
men - "the young blood Left Wingers", as television dramatist Ian Kennedy Martin
called them - who introduced new voices and methods into the staid world of BBC
drama.
Smith became writer and script editor to producer James MacTaggart's
experimental drama anthologies Studio 4 (1962) and Teletale (1963-64). The
ambitious 'Catherine' (Teletale, tx. 24/1/1964), his first original script,
exemplified the series' non-naturalistic credentials and was director Ken
Loach's first production. He worked as story editor on First Night (1963-64), a
series of new, original television plays, and on the non-naturalistic serial
Diary of a Young Man (1964), again with MacTaggart and Loach. For a time, he
also acted: his credits included 'Tickets to Trieste' (Storyboard, BBC, tx.
1/9/1961), alongside a pre-fame Michael Caine.
When First Night was cancelled but effectively revived as The Wednesday Play
(1964-70), Smith became story editor to its first proper series. He later
recalled of this period of his career: "I had total freedom at the BBC to read
and choose and commission scripts. I could promise the writers I chose that
their scripts would be made. I could encourage them to be daring... I was also
given the right to be wrong."
He gave first commissions to many new writers, among them ex-convict James
O'Connor and Dennis Potter, who he persuaded to complete 'The Confidence Course'
(tx. 24/2/1965) for The Wednesday Play. Working with MacTaggart, Smith favoured
provocative contemporary subjects and bold new writers, helping to make The
Wednesday Play a popular, if controversial, success.
Smith resigned over internal censorship of Potter's second script, 'Vote,
Vote, Vote for Nigel Barton' (tx. 15/12/1965), although he'd also grown tired of
the BBC. He returned to writing, with credits including an adaptation of Loach's
controversial Wednesday Play 'Up the Junction' (tx. 3/11/1965) for Peter
Collinson's 1967 film version and 'An Hour of Love' (Saturday Night Theatre,
ITV, tx. 1/3/1969) for Kestrel, an independent television drama production
company run by a group of his previous Wednesday Play colleagues.
His 1973 Play for Today (BBC, 1970-84) 'The Operation' (tx. 26/2/1973) was a
satire of ruthless business practice, but caused complaints due to its sexual
content. In later years he returned to script editing; he has acted as script
consultant on most of Ken Loach's films since My Name is Joe (1998).
Oliver Wake
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FILM & TV CREDITS
