Sydney Lotterby


Sydney Warren Lotterby OBE was a British television producer and director. He began as a cameraman at the BBC and progressed to becoming technical manager. He joined the BBC's Entertainment Department in 1958 and in 1963, became a producer/director. Lotterby died on 28 July 2020 at the age of 93.

Production and direction

Television comedy series which he produced or directed included: As Time Goes By, May to December, Last of the Summer Wine, Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister, Ever Decreasing Circles, Brush Strokes, Open All Hours, The Old Boy Network, Butterflies, Ripping Yarns, Porridge, Going Straight, Broaden Your Mind, the final series of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, The Liver Birds, Up Pompeii! and Sykes and A....
A sketch in At Last The 1948 Show in which four exactly alike men all called Sydney Lotterby was written by John Cleese, because he liked the name. The men were played by Cleese, Marty Feldman, Tim Brooke-Taylor, and Graham Chapman. Cleese also gave the name to the character played by Robert Lindsay in Fierce Creatures.

Awards

Lotterby won four BAFTA awards for comedy, including for Porridge, Going Straight and Yes Minister. He was also nominated for 11 more. In 1994, Lotterby was appointed OBE.