Sydney Lotterby

Sydney Warren Lotterby (30 November 1926 – 28 July 2020) was a British television producer and director who produced numerous BBC comedy series.

Life and career Lotterby was born in Paddington, London, to Winifred (née Warren) and Sidney Lotterby, a shop fitter, and grew up in Edgware, Middlesex. In 1941, on leaving Stag Lane school aged 14, he joined the BBC as a storekeeper in the electrical department at Broadcasting House, then worked in the sound control room at BBC Radio until his national service in the British Army from 1946 until 1948. After national service he returned to the BBC and became a cameraman and progressed to becoming technical manager. He joined the BBC's Entertainment Department in 1958 and in 1963, became a producer/director. He died at his home in Chiswick on 28 July 2020, at the age of 93.

Production and direction Television comedy series which he produced or directed included: As Time Goes By, May to December, Last of the Summer Wine, Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister, Ever Decreasing Circles, Brush Strokes, Open All Hours, The Old Boy Network, Butterflies, Ripping Yarns, Porridge, Going Straight, Broaden Your Mind, the final series of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, The Liver Birds, Up Pompeii! and Sykes and A....

Awards Lotterby won four BAFTA awards for comedy, including for Porridge (and also for a special in 1975), Going Straight (1978) and Yes Minister (1980). He was also nominated for 11 more. In 1994, Lotterby was appointed OBE.

Filmography YearTitleCreditNotesProducerDirector 1960 Charlie Drake Series 4 1961 Does the Team Think? Series 1 1961 What's My Line? Series 11 1962 Steptoe and Son Production assistant (unknown episodes) 1962 Twist! Series 1 1962–64 Sykes and a... Series 5–7 1962 A Christmas Night with the Stars Segment director; TV special 1963–74 Comedy Playhouse Series 3, 8, 10 & 14 1964 The Graham Stark Show Series 1 1965 The Likely Lads Associate producer; Series 1 (2 episodes) 1966 On the Margin Series 1 1967–68 Dee Time Series 1–3 1967 Three of a Kind Series 2 1968 BBC Show of the Week 1968 Kindly Leave the Stage Series 1 1968–69 Broaden Your Mind Series 1 1969–75 The Liver Birds Pilot & Series 1–5 (uncredited director) 1969 The Gnomes of Dulwich Series 1 1969 Harry Worth Series 4 1970 Up Pompeii! Series 2 1971 Me Mammy Series 3 1971 Now Take My Wife Series 1 1972 Grubstreet Pilot 1972 A Christmas Night with the Stars TV special: segment: "The Liver Birds" 1973 The World of Cilla TV special 1973-78 Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em Series 1 & 3 (uncredited director) 1973 7 of 1 Series 1 1974–77 Porridge Series 1–3 (uncredited director) 1974 The Last Turkey in the Shop Show TV movie short 1976–85 Open All Hours Series 1–4 1976–83 Last of the Summer Wine Series 3–7 1978 Going Straight Series 1 (uncredited director) 1979 Ripping Yarns Executive producer; Series 2 (2 episodes) 1980 Yes Minister Series 1 (uncredited director) 1980–83 Butterflies Series 3 & 4 1981 Coming Home Series 1 1981–83 The Last Song Series 1 & 2 1984 The Magnificent Evans Series 1 1984 Ever Decreasing Circles Series 1 & 2 1986–88 Yes, Prime Minister Series 1 & 2 1986 Brush Strokes Series 1 1987–89 Foreign Bodies Series 1–3 1988 A Gentleman's Club Series 1 1989–90 May to December Series 1 & 2 1990 One Foot in the Grave Studio director; Series 2 (1 episode) 1991 Tonight at 8.30 Series 1 1992–2005 As Time Goes By Series 1–9 & specials 1992 The Old Boy Network Series 1 1997 Bloomin' Marvellous Series 1 1999 Comedy Greats: Ronnie Barker Video 2000 Butterflies Reunion Special TV short