Profile of Graeme Garden on Famous Like Me

David Graeme Garden (born February 18, 1943 in Aberdeen, Scotland) is a British comedy writer and performer. He is also qualified as a medical doctor and is an accomplished actor, television director and author.

He went to Repton public school and Emmanuel College, at the University of Cambridge where he joined the prestigious Cambridge University Footlights Club (of which he became President in 1964), and performing with the 1963 Footlights revue, Stuff What Dreams Are Made Of at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Graeme Garden qualified in medicine at King's College, London, and some of the television series he has written for have a medical theme including Doctor in the House (1969), which he co-wrote with Bill Oddie, and, later, Surgical Spirit (1994). He has also presented three series of the BBC's health magazine Bodymatters.

He was co-writer and perfomer in the classic BBC radio comedy show, I'm Sorry, I'll Read that Again (1965).

On television Graeme Garden was co-writer and performer in the comedy series Twice a Fortnight with Bill Oddie, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Jonathan Lynn. Later, he was co-writer and performer in the comedy series Broaden Your Mind with Tim Brooke-Taylor (and also Bill Oddie during the second series). Then, Graeme Garden, with Tim Brooke-Taylor and Bill Oddie, became a co-writer and performer in the comedy series The Goodies (1970-1982). Graeme Garden was also the voice of the title character of "Bananaman", as well as "General Blight" and "Maurice of the Heavy Mob" in the children's animated television comedy series called Bananaman (1983), which also featured his fellow Goodies and parodied comic book super-heroes.

Graeme Garden is a permanent panellist on the long-running BBC Radio improvisation show I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (ISIHAC). He also stars in and co-writes You'll Have Had Your Tea, a direct spin-off of ISIHAC, and has contributed to several books from the series including guides to the game Mornington Crescent. Garden is chair of the spoof radio game show Beat The Kids. Graeme Garden has also appeared on the UK version of the television series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, which has a similar format.

He has a successful stage career, and has acted in several National Theatre productions, as well as London's West End. He has also acted in several BBC Radio 4 comedy drama series, and television drama including Peak Practice and Holby City. He appeared in Bang-Bang-a-Boom!, a spin off audio drama based on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who by Big Finish Productions. Graeme Garden appeared in the politico sitcom, Yes, Minister in the role of Commander Forrest of the Special Branch in the episode The Death List; he also appeared as a Television Presenter in the Doctor in the House episode, Doctor on the Box.

Garden co-chairs Beat The Nation, a Channel 4 game show, with Tim Brooke-Taylor, with whom he has also worked in many other comedy shows. Currently, his voice is featured in the irreverent animated comedy series about a horrifically bad London comprehensive high school, Bromwell High.

Graeme Garden also writes and directs for the corporate video company Video Arts, famous for its training films starring John Cleese.

He lives in Oxfordshire with his family; his leisure interests include painting and playing the banjo.

His son, John Garden plays the keyboard for the Scissor Sisters.

Further Reading

Further information about Graeme Garden can be found in the following books:

• From Fringe to Flying Circus - 'Celebrating a Unique Generation of Comedy 1960-1980' - Roger Wilmut, Eyre Methuen Ltd, 1980.

• Footlights! - 'A Hundred Years of Cambridge Comedy' - Robert Hewison, Methuen London Ltd, 1983.

Bibliography

(incomplete list)

• The Best Medicine - Graeme Garden's Book of Medical Humour
• The Skylighters

Graeme Garden also co-wrote the following books with the other members of The Goodies

• The Goodies File
• The Goodies Book of Criminal Records
• The Goodies Disaster Movie

Reference

• CV from RDF Management

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