Dewi Humphreys (born 4 February 1947) is a Welsh born television director specialising in situation comedy. He is best known for directing a number of iconic comedy series for the BBC, including The Vicar of Dibley, 2point4 Children, My Family, Absolutely Fabulous, The Green, Green, Grass and Still Open All Hours.
Early life Humphreys was born in Ysbyty Dewi Sant, Bangor, the eldest child of novelist and poet Emyr Humphreys and Elinor Myfanwy (née Jones). His younger brother Siôn Humphreys is also a television director and producer. Humphreys was taught at St. Cyres, Penarth, his Welsh language teacher was the actor Noel Williams, whom he would later cast in his directorial debut Revival (1990) as part of the Wales Playhouse series for BBC Wales. Humphreys excelled in Welsh at school, subsequently gaining a GCE in the subject. Humphreys later studied Law at Sheffield University, he dropped out after a year and moved to Soho, London in the late 1960s to work in the film industry.
Career Humphreys progressed through the film industry via the camera department, operating initially as a clapper loader, focus puller and camera assistant on films like Pulp (1972), The 14 (1973), Gold (1974) and The Boys From Brazil (1978). He later became a camera operator employed on films including Quadrophenia (1979), Chariots of Fire (1981), Pink Floyd – The Wall (1982), The Missionary (1982), Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983), The Dresser (1983) and The Razor's Edge (1984). He subsequently moved into directing, where he directed a number of commercials.
In 1990 he moved into television directing, his early projects included the Screen One films Sticky Wickets (1990) and Tender Loving Care (1993). In 1993, he directed Telltale, a three-part drama series for HTV. The following year he moved into comedy, working on the anthology series Murder Most Horrid which starred Dawn French in various different roles. Later that year, he collaborated again with French on the sitcom The Vicar of Dibley.
Humphreys has worked on a number of comedy series including Chef!, A Pefect State, Bloomin' Marvelous, 2point4 Children, Harry Enfield's Brand Spanking New Show, My Family, High Stakes, Absolutely Fabulous, According to Bex, Nighty Night, The Green, Green, Grass, Teenage Kicks, The Old Guys, Little Crackers, Mount Pleasant, The Wright Way, Still Open All Hours and Mountain Goats.
In 1996, he directed the mini-series Neverwhere, which was devised by Lenny Henry and Neil Gaiman. Due to budgetry reasons it was shot on videotape but lit for film with the intention of filmizing it later for transmission, though this idea was later dropped. Upon its transmission, it was criticised for its garish, cheap and overlit appearance, deemed unsuitable for the video medium.
As part of the BBC's Millennium coverage in 2000, Humphreys directed alongside Matt Lipsey and Paul Jackson, The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything, a two part sketch show featuring comedy sketches based on well-known historical events, featuring stars of British comedy including Angus Deayton, Caroline Quentin, Harry Enfield, Jack Dee, Jennifer Saunders, Peter Davison, Ronnie Barker, Spike Milligan and Victoria Wood.
He directed taped performances of the Bottom stage shows Bottom 2001: An Arse Oddity (2001) and Bottom Live 2003: Weapons Grade Y-Fronts Tour (2003) respectively. Both shows were originally released directly to home video, but were later broadcast on Dave in 2008.
Humphreys directed all three episodes of Rock & Chips, a prequel series to Only Fools & Horses.
In 2016, Humphreys directed a one-off revival of Are You Being Served?, as part of the BBC's season of Landmark Sitcoms, a series of one-off specials featuring revived versions of classic BBC sitcoms, marking the 60th anniversary since the debut of the BBC's first TV sitcom Hancock's Half Hour.
Selected filmography
Camera Department +YearTitleRoleNotes1969The BushbabyClapper LoaderUncredited1972PulpFocus PullerUncredited1973The 14Focus PullerUncreditedScorpioFocus PullerUncredited1974The Black WindmillFocus PullerUncreditedGoldFocus PullerUncredited1975RosebudCamera AssistantUncredited1977The Disappearance1st Camera AssistantUncreditedMarch or DieFocus PullerUncredited1978The Boys from BrazilCamera Assistant 1979QuadropheniaCamera OperatorUncreditedJesusCamera Operator1981Chariots of FireCamera OperatorFor Your Eyes OnlyCamera Operator2nd unit footageRiding HighCamera Operator1982Brimstone & TreacleCamera OperatorThe MissionaryCamera OperatorPink Floyd – The WallCamera Operator1983The DresserCamera OperatorMonty Python's The Meaning of LifeCamera Operator1984The Razor's EdgeCamera Operator
Director +YearTitleNotesNetwork1990Screen OneEpisode: "Sticky Wickets"BBC OneWales PlayhouseEpisode: "Revival"BBC Cymru Wales1993Screen OneEpisode: "Tender Loving Care"BBC OneTelltale3 episodes (mini series)HTV1994 – 1999Murder Most Horrid6 episodesBBC Two1994 – 1999The Vicar of Dibley10 episodes (plus special)BBC One1996Chef!6 episodesBBC OneNeverwhere6 episodes (mini-series)BBC TwoTheatre of the Air Episode: "I've Been Eddie Mostyn"BBC Cymru Wales1997A Perfect State7 episodesBBC OneBloomin' Marvelous8 episodesBBC One1998Get Real7 episodesCarlton TelevisionHarry Enfield & Chums1 episodeBBC One19992point4 Children6 episodesBBC One2000Harry Enfield's Brand Spanking New Show12 episodesSky OneThe Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything2 episodes (mini-series)BBC One2001Bottom 2001: An Arse Oddity1 episodeVideo-only releaseHarry Enfield Presents2 episodesBBC OneHigh Stakes6 episodesITV12001 – 2007My Family73 episodesBBC One2003Absolutely Fabulous8 episodesBBC OneBottom Live 2003: Weapons Grade Y-Fronts Tour1 episodeVideo-only release2005According to Bex8 episodesBBC OneNighty Night6 episodesBBC Three2006 – 2009The Green, Green Grass24 episodesBBC One2008Teenage Kicks8 episodesITV12009 – 2010The Old Guys12 episodesBBC One2010 – 2011Little Crackers2 episodesSky One2010 – 2011Rock & Chips3 episodesBBC One2011 – 2012Mount Pleasant11 episodesSky One2013The Wright Way6 episodesBBC One2013 – 2019Still Open All Hours41 episodesBBC One2015Mountain Goats6 episodesBBC One2016Are You Being Served?1 episodeBBC OnePeter Pan Goes WrongTV movieBBC One
References
External links
Dewi Humphreys at MUBI Dewi Humphreys at British Comedy Guide