Terence Feely

Terence Feely (20 July 1928 – 13 August 2000) was a British screenwriter, playwright and author.

During the 1960s he helped to create and develop some of the best-remembered series on the small screen. Many of his scripts are today regarded as "cult classics" around the world, and, through syndication and DVD sales, have experienced appreciation and popularity from more than one generation of fans.

Terence John Feely was born into a middle-class industrial family in Liverpool, England, on July 28th 1928. On leaving school he entered Liverpool's Jesuit College. Here he studied English and Psychology. On completion of his university studies, he decided to go into journalism and secured a job with a small local newspaper in Middlesbrough. However, he quickly outgrew the publication and moved to London where he secured a position in the faster paced world of Fleet Street, joining the editorial staff of 'The Sunday Graphic.' It was around this time that Feely began to write submissions for film scripts and, in 1955, legendary director Alfred Hitchcock purchased the rights to one of Feely's scripts entitled 'Heartbeat'.

In the early 1960s he ventured into television and worked on a new show for ABC (Associated British Corporation) called 'Police Surgeon' which later became 'The Avengers'. He wrote two episodes for the first season in 1961 but his involvement with the series did not go beyond the live episodes and he moved on to other popular shows of the time including 'The Saint' and Gerry Anderson's highly rated puppet series, 'Thunderbirds'. He then became story editor for 'Armchair Theatre' and was instrumental in bringing James Mitchell's 'Callan' to the small screen, and he also story edited ATV's 'Mystery and Imagination' series.

In the 1970s Feely was constantly busy working on shows such as 'The Persuaders,' 'Arthur of the Britons,' 'The Protectors,' 'The New Avengers,' 'UFO' and 'Space 1999' and then moved into comedy with 'Robin's Nest'. He wrote several scripts for the groundbreaking ITV drama The Gentle Touch before returning to the BBC to write for the detective series 'Bergerac'. In 1985 he created the spin-off series to 'The Gentle Touch' called 'C.A.T.S. Eyes'.

His own book, 'Number Ten', recounted the lives of 7 of Britain's Prime Ministers and also became an acclaimed drama series. One of his last novels, "Limelight", was awarded New York's Book of the Year prize, but Feely, approaching semi-retirement, chose not to adapt it for the screen. On 13th August 2000, Feely passed away at the age of 72.

References

[http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/terencefeely.htm]