Derren Litten

Derren Litten is an English comedy writer and actor. He is best known as the creator and writer of the award-winning sitcom Benidorm. Litten also co-wrote the award-winning The Catherine Tate Show, for which he both wrote and appeared as several different characters in the first two series and the 2005 Christmas Special. He has also acted in many comedy and drama series including Perfect World, French and Saunders, Spaced, EastEnders, Green Wing and Pie in The Sky with Richard Griffiths. He is in a long term relationship with Jake Canuso who plays Mateo in Benidorm.

His first sitcom Benidorm which he is the main writer of, has been co-written on occasions by Steve Pemberton who also plays Mick Garvey. It was created for ITV in 2007. The series was re-commissioned for 2018. Series 10 began airing on the 28th of February with the weekly air date being on Wednesday night. The show has won several awards for Best Comedy. Litten has appeared in Benidorm several times as different characters. His most recent is 'Elvis', chauffeur for Crystal Hennesy-Vass (played by Joan Collins), CEO of Solana Hotel Groups.^[1]

He wrote an episode of Not Going Out, and is also the credited writer of an episode of the Only Fools and Horses spin-off Green Green Grass.

In 2013, a one-off sketch was produced for Sport Relief featuring the Benidorm cast. The sketch involved several of the characters singing on Britain's Got Talent.

Litten wrote a remake episode of Are You Being Served? which three of the cast had previously appeared in Benidorm, Sherrie Hewson, John Challis and Niky Wardley. It was poorly received by audiences and critics.

Career

Derren studied acting at The Central School of Speech and Drama where he met Catherine Tate. He left Central in 1993 and worked as a jobbing actor for 10 years appearing in shows such as Green Wing, Pie In The Sky, Spaced, French & Saunders, Doc Martin, Eastenders, Casualty and Perfect World but it was not until 2003 when Catherine asked Derren to write sketches for her TV show. Litten agreed despite having no experience in script writing, or indeed any formal qualifications at all having left Hessle High School (East Yorkshire) without a single O level or GCSE. In 2004 Derren was nominated for a BAFTA Craft award in the category of Best New Writer.

After two series and a Christmas Special (2005) writing for and appearing in The Catherine Tate Show, Derren met writer John Sullivan who asked if he would be interested in contributing to his Only Fools & Horses spin off The Green Green Grass. Derren wrote one episode and co-wrote another with John.

In 2006, Derren penned his own comedy for ITV based in a Spanish all inclusive holiday resort. Benidorm turned out to be a ratings hit for ITV and was also nominated for a BAFTA in the category of Situation Comedy. From series 3 onwards the half-hour sitcom was turned into an hour-long show. In October 2011 Constable & Robinson published Derren's book to accompany the series, The Benidorm Guide to A Happy Holiday. Benidorm has won numerous awards including two National Television Awards. Series 5 began transmission in February 2012 and Series 6 began transmission in January 2014. Derren did not take a regular acting part in Benidorm but instead appears briefly throughout the series in a number of small cameo roles. In January 2013 SKY LIVING announced its new sitcom The Spa, written and created by Derren Litten and starring Rebecca Front, would air from 7 February 2013. In this series, Litten also plays a regular character, Marcus, an overweight fitness instructor who uses a wheelchair. In 2016 Litten wrote the script for the pilot episode for the remake of Are You Being Served? ^[2]

References