Robin Nash in 1975. He was a stickler for the rules, briefly preventing an appearance by Sparks.
Top of the Pops was a "must-watch" television programme for Britain's youth at its height in the 1970s, when Robin Nash, who has died aged 84, was its producer. The Thursday-evening programme, a showcase for chart singles acts, featured performers in the studio – miming to their own tracks, specially recorded the previous day – plus videos and the dance groups Pan's People and Legs & Co, with Radio 1 DJs as the hosts. The rules changed later, but in 2006, following a long decline in viewers, the show was finally axed.
During the Nash era (he was producer from 1973 to 1978 and executive producer from 1978 to 1981), sticking to the rules paid dividends. In 1979, Top of the Pops achieved a record audience of almost 20 million as the Police topped the charts with Message in a Bottle.
Nash – who had been with the BBC since 1952 – was a stickler for clinging to corporation diktat, and even briefly prevented at least one act from appearing. When, in 1974, This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us charted, the group Sparks were booked to appear. "They pulled us off because they'd assumed we were British and we weren't part of the Musicians' Union here," recalled Russell Mael, the group's lead singer. They were replaced by the Rubettes, who sang Sugar Baby Love. Sparks were eventually given union membership and allowed to appear on the show, but their song reached only No 2 – behind the Rubettes.
Nash was born Robert Drane in Norwich. As well as taking the name Robin, he later adopted his mother's maiden name, Nash. His uncle, Percy Nash, was a director of silent films and his mother was involved in amateur productions at the Pier Theatre, Cromer, Norfolk – the town where he grew up – while his father worked for the Norwich Union insurance company. His sister, Anne, was a dancer who performed in the chorus of West End musicals.
After leaving the Paston school, North Walsham, Nash joined the Theatre Royal, Norwich, as an assistant stage manager, then worked on troop shows in India during the second world war. On returning to Britain, he was an actor and stage director for West End shows such as Oklahoma! and Wild Violets.
He then joined the BBC and, by 1960, was directing Golden Girl, an adventure serial starring Katie Boyle. Four years later, he directed the second series of The Marriage Lines, a sitcom with Richard Briers and Prunella Scales as two newlyweds, before producing the final three runs (1965-66).
As a producer, he worked on the clerical sitcom All Gas and Gaiters (1971), as well as entertainment programmes starring Beryl Reid and Dora Bryan (both 1968), The Basil Brush Show (1972-75) and Bruce Forsyth and the Generation Game (1976).
In 1978 Nash became the BBC's head of variety and, three years later, its head of comedy. Nevertheless, he found time to continue as a hands-on producer and director, first with No Place Like Home (1983-87), a sitcom about a middle-aged couple's dashed hopes of a new life alone, with their four children having grown up.
Then came Nash's biggest sitcom success, Bread (1986-91), Carla Lane's tales of a working-class, Liverpool Catholic family exploiting the social-security system in Thatcher's Britain. He even carried on with the programme after his 1987 retirement from the BBC. Later, as a freelance, he directed the sitcoms Searching (1995) and Goodnight Sweetheart (1993-99), as well as the sketch series Harry Hill (1997-2000).
Nash is survived by his civil partner, Andrea Corti.
• Robin Nash (Robert Henry Douglas Drane), television producer and director, born 10 March 1927; died 18 June 2011
During the Nash era (he was producer from 1973 to 1978 and executive producer from 1978 to 1981), sticking to the rules paid dividends. In 1979, Top of the Pops achieved a record audience of almost 20 million as the Police topped the charts with Message in a Bottle.
Nash – who had been with the BBC since 1952 – was a stickler for clinging to corporation diktat, and even briefly prevented at least one act from appearing. When, in 1974, This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us charted, the group Sparks were booked to appear. "They pulled us off because they'd assumed we were British and we weren't part of the Musicians' Union here," recalled Russell Mael, the group's lead singer. They were replaced by the Rubettes, who sang Sugar Baby Love. Sparks were eventually given union membership and allowed to appear on the show, but their song reached only No 2 – behind the Rubettes.
Nash was born Robert Drane in Norwich. As well as taking the name Robin, he later adopted his mother's maiden name, Nash. His uncle, Percy Nash, was a director of silent films and his mother was involved in amateur productions at the Pier Theatre, Cromer, Norfolk – the town where he grew up – while his father worked for the Norwich Union insurance company. His sister, Anne, was a dancer who performed in the chorus of West End musicals.
After leaving the Paston school, North Walsham, Nash joined the Theatre Royal, Norwich, as an assistant stage manager, then worked on troop shows in India during the second world war. On returning to Britain, he was an actor and stage director for West End shows such as Oklahoma! and Wild Violets.
He then joined the BBC and, by 1960, was directing Golden Girl, an adventure serial starring Katie Boyle. Four years later, he directed the second series of The Marriage Lines, a sitcom with Richard Briers and Prunella Scales as two newlyweds, before producing the final three runs (1965-66).
As a producer, he worked on the clerical sitcom All Gas and Gaiters (1971), as well as entertainment programmes starring Beryl Reid and Dora Bryan (both 1968), The Basil Brush Show (1972-75) and Bruce Forsyth and the Generation Game (1976).
In 1978 Nash became the BBC's head of variety and, three years later, its head of comedy. Nevertheless, he found time to continue as a hands-on producer and director, first with No Place Like Home (1983-87), a sitcom about a middle-aged couple's dashed hopes of a new life alone, with their four children having grown up.
Then came Nash's biggest sitcom success, Bread (1986-91), Carla Lane's tales of a working-class, Liverpool Catholic family exploiting the social-security system in Thatcher's Britain. He even carried on with the programme after his 1987 retirement from the BBC. Later, as a freelance, he directed the sitcoms Searching (1995) and Goodnight Sweetheart (1993-99), as well as the sketch series Harry Hill (1997-2000).
Nash is survived by his civil partner, Andrea Corti.
• Robin Nash (Robert Henry Douglas Drane), television producer and director, born 10 March 1927; died 18 June 2011
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