Geoffrey Perkins Is Dead At 55

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Geoffrey Perkins Is Dead At 55

Posted by kdawson on Saturday August 30, 2008 @02:39PM from the arthur-dent-removes-his-hat dept.

Dynamoo writes "Legendary comedy writer and producer Geoffrey Perkins has died in a road accident in London. Perkins was until recently the head of comedy for BBC TV. Earlier in his career he produced the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio series, and was a writer, director, and producer of many comedy shows including Spitting Image, The Fast Show, and several others. He also invented the game of Mornington Crescent. The world will be a less joyful place without him."

18 of 108 comments (clear)

Mornington Crescent... by gardyloo · 2008-08-30 15:23 · Score: 3, Funny

... someone explain all the rules to me again?
1. Re:Mornington Crescent... by Terri416 · 2008-08-30 20:41 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Mornington Crescent is an improvisational comedy sketch based roughly on the pocket A-Z. The formula is mythic, and the game follows a simple pattern:
  A player makes a move. Another player challenges this with an improvised rule, which can itself be challenged by other improvised rules. The object of the game is to entertain the audience.
  The entire population of the UK can now participate in this humorous diversion with the new "Justice Ministry Accredited Status" of many dog wardens, park keepers, charity workers and others. These people are be able to harass and fine (Â£100) you without any evidence of a crime, merely by claiming that you've done something wrong. They are, of course, encouraged to photograph you while demanding money. Examples of reasons for a fine, given by the Justice Ministry, include dropping litter, but it's really up to the improvisational skills and straight face of the Accredited Person.
  I assume that some of the fines find their way into official coffers.
2. Re:Mornington Crescent... by Anonymous Coward · 2008-08-30 21:33 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  Regent's Park. (Declaring an attempted Inverse Rushton's Flip. All Northern Line stations are in knip for the next two moves.)
  Can I declare whilst posting AC? DofE's doesn't mention it specifically but there is the "masquerade" clause...
3. Re:Mornington Crescent... by dash2 · 2008-08-30 22:31 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Amateurish, dear boy.
  Clapham North.
4. Re:Mornington Crescent... by adamofgreyskull · 2008-08-30 23:06 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Pursuant to the Livingstone (abridged) annexation corollary:
  Gospel Oak
5. Re:Mornington Crescent... by Pseudonym · 2008-08-31 00:09 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Bethnal Green
  (For those not so familiar with the game, this position is essentially the same as the classic Kolmogorov Gambit (see, for example, Stovold vol CCCLXIV (ii), pp 697-702), except that all hexes are now wild and aquatic crossings will force a transverse shunt. Knip in two.)
  
  --
  sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
6. Re:Mornington Crescent... by bmsleight · 2008-08-31 02:38 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Leading to the classic Reverse-Ksmiov of Mornington Crescent.
  Easy really ?
Mornington Crescent... by Anonymous Coward · 2008-08-30 15:30 · Score: 1, Funny

The link in the summary goes to a page "explaining" the rules for Mornington Crescent.
It goes into great detail about the origin of the game and its history, but from what I can see the closest it comes to explaining the actual rules is:
"When the game was first played it was based on the 1952 pocket A-Z and a simple formula dictating to which pages one could move and to which pages one could not move."
Sure would be nice if it said anything about the formula...
Re:ZZZ,,, by Eudial · 2008-08-30 15:39 · Score: 5, Funny

The Slashdot editors do realize they've posted a British-centric story at 3:44 AM London time...
Ah, but slashdot is news for nerds. It's an integral part of the geek culture to be 6-10 hours out of sync with your timezone.
The relevant XKCD panel is #448.

--
GAAH! MY PRINTER IS ON FIRE!!! PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT!
Wait, Wait, So Tell Me... by SEWilco · 2008-08-30 15:53 · Score: 2, Funny

Legendary comedy writer and producer Geoffrey Perkins has died in a road accident in London.

Hey, you neglected to say what road! It is, of course, quite relevant that it was Marylebone High Street, as that of course is rather high for him to have shifted over from Town Hall Approach Road.
Re:ZZZ,,, by Cow+Jones · 2008-08-30 16:03 · Score: 2, Funny

It's an integral part of the geek culture to be 6-10 hours out of sync with your timezone.
The relevant XKCD panel is #448.
Or this one: 28-Hour Day

--

Ah, arrogance and stupidity, all in the same package. How efficient of you. -- Londo Mollari
Re:The numbers were in his favour... by Zwicky · 2008-08-30 16:25 · Score: 2, Funny

Hammond had a crash in a jet-car...injured, sure... lived, walks, basically fine...
He did develop a taste for celery though so it's not all a bed of roses ;)

some guy who drives to and from work, maybe the odd venture out on the weekends... is far more likely to fuck-up, and when the shit hits the fan they panic, unlike a professional driver who can stay relatively aware of whats happening, and prepair...etc...
I think there's something to say for people pointing and laughing at danger and stealing its lunch money. Clarkson, Hammond and May (well maybe less so for Captain Slow) have cavalier attitudes (which appeals to my sense of 'ah, screw it') and being of a less panicky, laugh in the face of danger disposition may help cope when things go wrong (to a degree) because you may prevent yourself making it worse.
To quote Red Dwarf:

KRYTEN: Good god! Emergency, emergency! Adopt crash procedure!
RIMMER: (Runs back to rear compartment.) Where's the card? Who's got the
card?!
LISTER: What card?
RIMMER: The plastic card, the plastic card with the cartoons of the crash
procedure on it!
LISTER: Don't panic, man!
RIMMER: It should be in the netting behind the seats. Haven't we got to
sit behind a woman clutching a baby? What's the drill?!
LISTER: Look, I know what is it!
RIMMER: What?
LISTER: Sit down, tuck your head between your legs and brace yourself.
RIMMER: (Bracing) Now what?
LISTER: Then you open the in-flight magazine and start reading. Thing
is*, the articles act as a sedative. I mean, look at this: "Contents
List: Salt, an Epicure's Delight; Classic Wines of Estonia; Flemish
Weaving the Traditional Way." (To the CAT, whose head is lolling) Don't
fight it, man, let it take you.
RIMMER: How can you be so mind-bogglingly flippant? Don't you know
what's going to happen? We're going to crash!
LISTER: You've got to stay calm! It's a well-known fact, the more
relaxed you are, the less likely you are to be injured.
KRYTEN: Good luck, everybody, here it comes!
Wishful thinking maybe, but as far as wishful thinking goes, I like it.

--
"Three eyes are better than one" -- Lieutenant Columbo
Re:Might have Fainted before falling into road by Anonymous Coward · 2008-08-30 16:47 · Score: 0, Funny

Anyone know the whereabouts of Robert Novak? Perhaps he was out for a drive in London?
Re:Hitchhikers Curse? by Anonymous+Monkey · 2008-08-30 17:29 · Score: 2, Funny

Wow, I think I need a cup of tea.

--
We are the Borg...
Re:ZZZ,,, by Potor · 2008-08-30 17:40 · Score: 2, Funny

Me? The 13th Duke of Wybourne? Here? In a sixth form girl's dormitory? At three o'clock in the morning? With my reputation? What were they thinking of?
Re:ZZZ,,, by Anonymous Coward · 2008-08-30 18:04 · Score: 1, Funny

It's an integral part of the geek culture to be 6-10 hours out of sync with your timezone.
The relevant XKCD panel is #448.
Or this one: 28-Hour Day
Or this one: Christmas Back Home
Re:Had to be there? by commandlinegamer · 2008-08-31 01:04 · Score: 2, Funny

Hold on, I think we should check with the lovely Samantha on this one. After all, she's used to handling enormous figures.
Re:The numbers were in his favour... by MRe_nl · 2008-08-31 05:20 · Score: 2, Funny

And the shorter and more apt version:
DON'T PANIC.

--
"Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"