Dick Clement

Award-winning screenwriter Dick Clement is best known for his collaborative efforts with his writing partner Ian La Frenais. Both English born, the pair got their start penning teleplays for British sitcoms, most notably the 1960s working-class buddy comedy series "The Likely Lads," which Clement and La Frenais created. The show spawned a follow-up series in the 1970s: "Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?" The two had become big-names in the world of British television, but they earned international attention when their soul music-infused rock band comedy "The Commitments" hit theaters in 1991. Their tale of a motley band garnered the writing duo a BAFTA award. They went on to pen such eye-catching fare as the fantastical Beatles-infused musical saga "Across the Universe," and the family comedy adventure "Flushed Away," which centers on a posh rat whose world is turned upside down when he is flushed down the toilet and into the treacherous sewers below. However, the pair is best-regarded for their work with British-born comedienne Tracey Ullman on her highly acclaimed American series "Tracey Takes On ," where the feisty Ullman took on a new topic each week with her cast of wild yet lovable characters. The pair's work with the lauded impression artist has garnered them six Emmy nominations and one Emmy win, along with a Writers Guild of America award. In 2007, both Clement and La Frenais were awarded the O.B.E. (also known as Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for their achievements in screenwriting.