Canadian television producer and writer
John Roland Humphrey (May 20, 1932 – April 18, 1987) was a Canadian television producer and writer.[1]
Born in Saint Boniface, Manitoba, he grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia.[2] He was introduced to the entertainment industry by his sister, J.J. McColl, a writer and CBC Radio personality.[1] Humphrey wrote and performed in the radio comedies Vancouver Scene and Two for the Show for CBC Radio One. He also worked for the Vancouver radio station CJOR and later hosted the CBC Television variety show Parade.[1]
Humphrey relocated to Toronto, Ontario in 1967, where he produced the CBC Radio political satire show Inside from the Outside from 1969 to 1975.[3] Humphrey, along with his partner Louis Del Grande, wrote and story edited the CBC Television sitcom, King of Kensington, eventually going on to become executive producer of the series, which ran from 1975 to 1980.[4]
Humphrey wrote the pilot for the sitcom Flappers, and served as executive producer for the series, which ran from 1979 to 1981.[5] He also adapted the CBC Radio series Travels with Aunt Jane into a television sitcom created for especially for actress Jane Mallet. He helped launch the series Seeing Things, which ran from 1981 to 1987 and starred Louis Del Grande, and developed and executive produced the sitcom Hangin' In, which ran from 1981 to 1986.[6]
Humphrey also wrote for and executive produced episodes of Silver Spoons and worked as a story consultant for The Facts of Life.[7]
Humphrey and his wife Sidney had five children, all of whom chose careers in entertainment. His son Mark Humphrey is an actor, and sons John, Paul and Andy are professional musicians. His daughter Lesley is a former Ford model who works as a stage manager.
He died of cancer in April 1987 at age 54.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Robert Sutton, "CBC's Jack Humphrey TV producer and writer". Toronto Star, April 20, 1987.
- ^ "Jack Humphrey: Writer-producer a father of CBC situation comedy". The Globe and Mail, April 20, 1987.
- ^ Blaik Kirby, "Inside-Outside satire thrives despite the dubious CBC brass". The Globe and Mail, April 5, 1975.
- ^ Jack Batten, "Writing side-splitting comedy is a very serious business". The Globe and Mail, July 24, 1976.
- ^ Robert Martin, "Star of Flappers has a not-so-secret desire". The Globe and Mail, July 14, 1979.
- ^ Sandy Greer, "CBC sitcom Hangin' In deals with the issues that concern teenagers in an entertaining way". Toronto Star, November 1, 1986.
- ^ Ross McLean, "Home-grown talent transplanted southward". The Globe and Mail, November 23, 1985.
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