John Herbert Elliot (4 July 1918 – 14 August 1997) was a British novelist, screenwriter, director, and television producer active from 1954 to 1993. Between 1954 and 1960, he scripted a succession of one-off television plays including War in the Air and A Man from the Sun. A Man from the Sun was a pioneering work aimed at a West Indian audience. In 1961, he collaborated with astronomer Fred Hoyle to write the groundbreaking TV science fiction serial, A for Andromeda. The success of A for Andromeda prompted a sequel, The Andromeda Breakthrough, in 1962.

Following Andromeda, Elliot wrote more one-off plays for the BBC. He resigned from the corporation in 1963, though he would later work with them again, producing a concept for the 1965 drama series Mogul (renamed The Troubleshooters from the second series) and writing 29 episodes of the show. The show was a critical success, The Troubleshooters won the TV Producers Guild award in 1966. John Elliot won the Shell International Award at the 1971 BAFTAs for “the most effective contribution to the understanding of trade and industry”, and had been nominated for best scriptwriter in 1965, the show itself being nominated for best drama series that same year.

His other works include programmes such as Rainbow City, Fall of Eagles and The Double Dealers, as well as novels, namely Long River, Duel and Blood Upon the Snow. He additionally worked with Fred Hoyle to produce novelisations of A for Andromeda and The Andromeda Breakthrough.

Writing credits Production Notes BroadcasterWar in the Air15 episodes (1954–1955)BBC1A Man from the SunTelevision film (1956)BBC1Television Playwright"High Fidelity" (1959)BBC1Who Pays the Piper?Television film (1960)BBC1BBC Sunday-Night Play"Off Centre" (1961)BBC1They Met in a City"Ladies from a Spa" (1961)BBC1A for Andromeda7 episodes (co-written with Fred Hoyle, 1961)BBC1The Andromeda Breakthrough6 episodes (co-written with Fred Hoyle, 1962)BBC1Maigret"Death in Mind" (1962)BBC1First Night"The Youngest Profession" (1963) "Hunt the Man" (1964)BBC1Love Story"The Truth Game" (1964)ITVZ-Cars"A Morning's Sport" (1965)BBC1Mogul29 episodes (1965–1972)BBC1Rainbow City"What Sort of a Boy?" (1967) "Why You Marry?" (1967) "A Better Fortune" (1967) "Always on Sunday" (1967)BBC1A Stranger on the HillsTelevision film (1970)BBC1BBC Play of the Month"Platonov" (1971)BBC1Brett"The Saxby Route" (1971)BBC1Play for Today"Better Than the Movies" (1972) "The Chief Mourner" (1979)BBC1The Shadow of the Tower"The White Hart" (1972)BBC2ShelleyTelevision film (1972)BBC2The FoxTelevision film (1973)BBC2Fall of EaglesTelevision miniseries (1974)BBC1The Double Dealers"Come in Number One" (1974)BBC2The MadnessTelevision film (1976)BBC2According to HoyleTelevision film (1977)BBC2A Life at Stake"So, Who's Sick?" (1978)BBCSpy!"The Murder Machine" (1980) "The Venlo Incident" (1980)BBC1Escape"Hijack to Mogadishu" (1980)BBC2The Brack Report"Chapter 3" (1982) "Chapter 4" (1982) "Chapter 9" (1982)ITVNatural World"Man Eaters of India" (1986)BBCFlying for Fun: An Affair with an AeroplaneTelevision film (1987)BBC1A Chance to DanceTelevision film (1993)ITVA for AndromedaTelevision film (2006)BBC

Awards and nominations Year Award Work Category Result Reference1960Society of Film and Television Arts AwardsTelevisionSpecialWon1971British Academy Television AwardsThe TroubleshootersShell International Award

Books by John Elliot A for Andromeda (with Fred Hoyle), 1962, Souvenir Press, Andromeda Breakthrough (with Fred Hoyle), 1964, Souvenir Press; 1966, Corgi Books Long River, 1967, Souvenir Press, Duel, 1969, Souvenir Press, MOGUL: The Making of a Myth, 1970, Barrie & Jenkins, Fall of Eagles, 1974, British Broadcasting Corp., Blood Upon the Snow, 1977, Souvenir Press,

Further reading MacKenzie, S. (2006), "War in the Air : Churchill, the Air Ministry and the BBC response to Victory at Sea", Contemporary British History

References

External links

Obituary: John Elliot in The Independent