Dennis Spooner was born on 1st December 1932 in Tottenham, North London. He was the eldest of 3 children, and had 2 sisters. As a youngster he joined the Boy Scouts and got the taste for show business after being included in Ralph Reader's 'Gang Shows'. He left school at 14 and started work for the Post Office as a telegram boy. Various office jobs followed and for a while he played professional football for Leyton Orient.

He spent his National Service with the Royal Air Force and was stationed in Suez during which time he joined their 'Concert Party'. Back in 'civvy street', he returned to office work where he met Pauline. They married in 1954 and had 3 children.

Soon after he married, he decided that he wanted to try a career in show business. He met Leslie Garbon and they worked on a double act that was a bit like 'Morecambe & Wise'. Despite getting work and even playing at the London Palladium in a variety show for a while, they realized that it would not be enough for them to survive in this field, and went their separate ways. Dennis wondered if his talent lay in writing rather than performing. He wrote a 30 minute script for comedian Harry Worth who sent him £5 for it. When the show was screened, it went down very well and Harry wrote and asked Dennis for more. His writing career had begun.

He wrote and submitted other episodes for programmes including one for 'Coronation Street' in the 60's. They were always accepted, and through attending show business functions that he was invited to, met future contacts who approached him for contributions. Behind the scenes, he was beginning to become known as a script writer.

Between the 60's & 80's, he wrote episodes for 'The Avengers', 'Stingray', 'Captain Scarlet', 'Thunderbirds', 'Doctor Who', 'The Professionals', 'Bergerac' and many others.  On various series' he was asked to be Script Editor and had an office at Elstree Studios. He became great friends with Brian Clemens who in later years, he worked with almost exclusively. He also had many ideas of his own which became series' such as 'Randall & Hopkirk (deceased)', 'The Champions', Department S', 'Jason King' and of course, 'Man in a Suitcase'.

He was always included with the relevant production team when choosing who starred in whatever series, and very often he or they had someone in mind first. If not they would think of several people who would be suitable to portray the character or role best, and then screen tests were made. Dennis was almost always on the set when any of his works were being filmed; for reference purposes.

When he came up with the idea for 'Man in a Suitcase', he wanted to create a character that couldn't settle in one place; was always on the go. Whenever Dennis worked with other writers, they worked as a team so whoever came up with whatever idea, it was shared.

He got to know Richard Bradford well during the filming of 'Man in a Suitcase' and said that he was easy to work with. Dennis was pleased with how it turned out, and equally so with all of his series', as they were worked on until they were perfect and just how he wanted them to be.

Producers in America heard and saw his talents via 'The Avengers' and in the early 80's he was invited 3 or 4 times per year, for about 6 weeks at a time, to the USA to work on 'Dempsey & Makepeace' scripts, often staying with Patrick Macnee who he had become friends with during the filming of  'The Avengers' in the 60's. In his spare time he also used to play football occasionally for the 'Showbiz XI' when asked.

His most successful play 'The Sting In The Tail', is still being shown at times world wide. He loved theatre work and his last performance was with the Watford Repertory Company as President Roosevelt in their production of 'Annie'.

Dennis died suddenly of a heart attack on the evening of Saturday 20th September 1986. He was 53.

He was a very kind, quiet, generous man who liked his own company, but always had an air of comedy. He could always find something amusing in every situation. His work and the people he met never affected him. He always remembered his background and roots.
 
 

I am most grateful to Dennis' sister Anne Frost, for providing me with this information, and also to his widow Pauline, for allowing me to publish it. Thank you  -  Coral.