17 Facts About Harry Thompson

Harry William Thompson was an English radio and television producer, comedy writer, novelist and biographer.

Harry Thompson was the creator of the dark humour television series Monkey Dust, screened between 2003 and 2005.

Harry Thompson soon focused his attention on comedy, working as a researcher for Not the Nine O'Clock News and BBC Radio's The Mary Whitehouse Experience.

Hat Trick Productions subsequently employed Harry Thompson to produce a television adaptation of The News Quiz, entitled Have I Got News for You, a critical and commercial success which Harry Thompson produced for five years before moving onto other projects.

Harry William Thompson was born on 6 February 1960 in London.

Harry Thompson's father was a marketing manager who worked for The Guardian, while his mother was a teacher who campaigned for higher standards in education.

Harry Thompson attended the private, fee-paying school Highgate School before going on to study History at Brasenose College, Oxford.

Jimmy Mulville, the company's managing director, asked Harry Thompson to produce this venture, which first appeared in 1990 as Have I Got News For You.

Harry Thompson selected Angus Deayton to present the show, with Ian Hislop and Paul Merton as the team leaders.

Harry Thompson oversaw the production of the show for 93 episodes over five series.

Harry Thompson followed this in 1996 by the creation of a music quiz show, Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

In 1998 Harry Thompson produced and co-wrote the first series of Channel 4's The 11 O'Clock Show, where he was instrumental in the creation of the comic character Ali G, played by Sacha Baron Cohen.

Pettigrew and Harry Thompson subsequently worked together on a second series of documentaries, including on national service, and about the evacuation of children from major British cities during the Second World War.

Harry Thompson described Fitzroy, rather than Darwin, as the book's hero:.

In 2003, Harry Thompson began a relationship with Lisa Whadcock; they met after she wrote a fan letter to him about Monkey Dust.

Harry Thompson was treated at a London hospital, and married Whadcock on Monday 7 November 2005, before dying later that day.

Fincham's comments were echoed by BBC Two controller Roly Keating, who stated that "Harry Thompson was a truly independent spirit and one of the funniest people I've ever known".