| rdfs:comment | - His early ambition, sustained by many visits to theatres to see comedy acts, was in the field of performing and he first worked on stage with a fellow engineering apprentice named Kevin O'Flaherty. He later advertised for another partner and met Harry Driver for the first time. In 1955 Driver contracted polio and was paralysed from the neck down and the two turned to writing instead finding early success with scripts for Harry Worth. As well as Coronation Street the two worked on the spin-off Pardon the Expression as well as Adam Adamant Lives!, George and the Dragon, Two In Clover, For The Love Of Ada and Never Mind The Quality, Feel The Width. Their partnership came to an end in 1973 with Driver's death, just a months into working on Love Thy Neighbour. Powell continued alone with The Wa
|
| abstract | - His early ambition, sustained by many visits to theatres to see comedy acts, was in the field of performing and he first worked on stage with a fellow engineering apprentice named Kevin O'Flaherty. He later advertised for another partner and met Harry Driver for the first time. In 1955 Driver contracted polio and was paralysed from the neck down and the two turned to writing instead finding early success with scripts for Harry Worth. As well as Coronation Street the two worked on the spin-off Pardon the Expression as well as Adam Adamant Lives!, George and the Dragon, Two In Clover, For The Love Of Ada and Never Mind The Quality, Feel The Width. Their partnership came to an end in 1973 with Driver's death, just a months into working on Love Thy Neighbour. Powell continued alone with The Wackers, Mind Your Language, Bottle Boys and A Sharp Intake Of Breath. His career stalled in the 1980s as television executives moved away from traditional sitcoms to "alternative" comedy and Powell was constantly having to defend his work on series like Love Thy Neighbour and Mind Your Language against charges of racism, despite the fact that almost all of the people involved in the series (and few viewers at the time of the original transmissions) had no issues themselves. Married twice and with three children, Powell published his autobiography, From Rags to Gags, in 2008.
|
