Dennis Potter: A Biography

Dennis Potter was a prolific writer of genius, and his subversive television plays, such as Pennies from Heaven and The Singing Detective , scandalized and delighted his native Britain and the world. His death in 1994 deprived television of one of the most controversial figures it has ever known. The first serious writer of teleplays, Potter’s work has canonized him in England and given him cult status throughout the world. Acclaimed writer Humphrey Carpenter, the author of candid biographies of Benjamin Britten, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Ezra Pound, now turns his talents to chronicling Potter’s extraordinary life. Carpenter has interviewed everyone who came close to Potter, and was given exclusive access to Potter’s archives, including never produced television and film scripts. Potter was a popular subject of gossip, both in his lifetime and after his This remarkable and official biography establishes the extraordinary truth behind the rumors, describes his strange, obsessive relationship with women, and paints a vivid portrait of the dramas and fights behind his screen triumphs.