Background
Marshall, Andrew P. was born on August 27, 1954 in Lowestoft, Suffolk, United Kingdon. Son of Michael D. and Doris C. (Greaves) Marshall.
Marshall, Andrew P. was born on August 27, 1954 in Lowestoft, Suffolk, United Kingdon. Son of Michael D. and Doris C. (Greaves) Marshall.
Born in Lowestoft, he attended Fen Park School and then Lowestoft Grammar School, and afterwards Borough Road College where he studied mathematics and psychology.
He was also the inspiration for Marvin the Paranoid Android in The Hitchhiker"s Guide to the Galaxy. Although he had also previously adapted stories for Agatha Christie"s Poirot, in 2002 he made a further move into writing "straight" drama, with the fantasy horror series Strange. He has also written several screenplays.
Around the same time, he worked regularly on Radio 4"s Week Ending, together with David Renwick, Douglas Adams, Alistair Beaton, John Lloyd, Simon Brett and others
Shortly afterwards he began The Burkiss Way with David Renwick and John Mason (who later dropped out to go to acting school). Renwick and Marshall remained scriptwriting partners for many years.
Brought by Humphrey Barclay to London Weekend Television, originally to repeat his "nursery slopes comedy" Do Not Adjust Your Secretariat with End of Participant One, Marshall and Renwick went on to write a series of television satires, including Whoops Apocalypse, Hot Metal and If You See God, Tell Him — the latter originally for Channel 4, but postponed for several years when the channel refused to let them direct it, and finally ending up at the British Broadcasting Corporation later. They also experimented with a type of neo-Vaudeville style in The Steam Video Company for Thames Television, ultimately ending up at the British Broadcasting Corporation, writing, with Alexei Sayle, Alexei Sayle"s Stuff.
Along the way they also wrote the screenplay for a film version of Whoops Apocalypse and adapted Tom Sharpe"s novel Wilt for a film of the same title.
After a tentative and unsuccessful try at solo writing with Sob Sisters at Central Television, Marshall found long-lasting success British Broadcasting Corporation One"s 2point4 children, adding to it Health and Efficiency and later, Dad. He also found time to adapt Alexei Sayle"s short story "Lose Weight, Ask Maine How" for the series Spinechillers, in which Sayle also starred. Having also contributed to Agatha Christie"s Poirot on Independent Television, he next wrote drama with the telefantasy series Strange for Saturday nights on British Broadcasting Corporation One.
However, due to scheduling issues, a one-year gap between the pilot episode and the series and the British Broadcasting Corporation"s decision not to repeat the pilot before the series began, the series failed to find a large audience in its Saturday night slot and was not re-commissioned for a second run.
Until recently he has always avoided publicity of any kind, explaining that "it"s very bad for you", and cites his major influences as "Alfred Hitchcock and Walt Disney. With David Renwick
The Burkiss Way (British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4)
End of Participant One (London Weekend Television for Independent Television)
Whoops Apocalypse (London Weekend Television for Independent Television)
Whoops Apocalypse (movie version)
The Steam Video Company (Thames Television for Independent Television)
Alexei Sayle"s Stuff (British Broadcasting Corporation) - also with Alexei Sayle
There"s a Lot of lieutenant About (British Broadcasting Corporation) - also with Spike Milligan
If You See God, Tell Him (British Broadcasting Corporation)
Hot Metal (LWT)
Wilt
With John Lloyd
Hordes of the Things (British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4)
Solo
2point4 children (British Broadcasting Corporation)
Strange (British Broadcasting Corporation)
Dad (British Broadcasting Corporation)
Health and Efficiency (British Broadcasting Corporation)
Poirot: The Victory Balliol
How Does Your Garden Grow? (LWT).
Which explains a lot." In 2005, he had a small cameo appearance on-screen in an episode of David Renwick"s comedy-drama Love Soup on British Broadcasting Corporation One, alongside Renwick himself, as members of a sitcom scriptwriting team He also appeared as a member of the Critics Panel on several editions of British Broadcasting Corporation 7"s "Serious About Comedy" in 2006-2007.