Jack Rosenthal on Jack Rosenthal Street

As our building stands next to Jack Rosenthal Street, who better to celebrate in our on-going January seasons devoted to British screenwriters than the man who gave the street its name, Manchester’s Jack Rosenthal.

Rosenthal’s career is without doubt one of the most distinctive in British television and across January 2018 we will offer a selection from this rich and diverse body of work.

Beginning in the 1960s with a stint on Coronation Street, he continued his association with Granada in the 1970s developing fondly remembered sit-coms such as The Lovers (1970-71) and distinctive single dramas such as Another Sunday and Sweet F.A. (1972) and Ready When You Are, Mr. McGill (1976). At the BBC he delivered scripts for classic Plays for Today such as The Evacuees (1975) Bar Mitzvah Boy (1976) and Spend, Spend, Spend (1976).

If that weren’t enough Rosenthal also scripted a number of ensemble dramas that showcased the best of Britain’s acting talents including The Knowledge (1979) and The Chain (1984), and for good measure contributed script-writing duties on the Barbra Streisand vehicle Yentl (1983).

Curated by Andy Willis, Reader in Film Studies at the University of Salford and our Senior Visiting Curator of Film.