---
name: "Alan Plater"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/alan-plater"
fi1m_id: "alan-plater"
imdb_id: "nm0686786"
tmdb_id: 126454
wikidata_id: "Q1729637"
roles: ["Writer"]
born: "15 April 1935"
died: "25 June 2010"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-23T13:49:03.349408+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Alan Plater

## Identity

Alan Plater

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/alan-plater
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** alan-plater
- **IMDb ID:** nm0686786
- **TMDB ID:** 126454
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1729637
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Plater, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1729637, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0686786/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/126454

Writer. Born 15 April 1935 in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. Died 25 June 2010.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer
- **Born:** 15 April 1935, Jarrow, Tyne and Wear, England, UK
- **Died:** 25 June 2010
- **Active:** 1962–1997
- **Also known as:** Алан Платер, Алан Плятер
- **Frequently works with:** [Moira Armstrong](https://film.one/person/moira-armstrong.md), [Peter Cregeen](https://film.one/person/peter-cregeen.md), [Anthony Read](https://film.one/person/anthony-read.md), [Baz Taylor](https://film.one/person/baz-taylor.md), [Brian Parker](https://film.one/person/brian-parker.md), [Christopher Morahan](https://film.one/person/christopher-morahan.md), [Colin Bucksey](https://film.one/person/colin-bucksey.md), [David Maloney](https://film.one/person/david-maloney.md)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Plater, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1729637, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0686786/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/126454

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*Midsomer Murders*](https://film.one/tv/midsomer-murders.md) (66)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Alan Plater was an English playwright and screenwriter who worked extensively in British television from the 1960s onwards. He contributed scripts to the police series *Z-Cars* (1962) and its spin-offs, and wrote episodes for *Play for Today* (1970). He created and wrote the 1988 Channel 4 miniseries *A Very British Coup*, an adaptation of Chris Mullin's novel that won BAFTA and Emmy awards.

Plater wrote for *Midsomer Murders* (1997) and contributed to series including *Dalziel and Pascoe* and *Lewis*. He trained as an architect at Newcastle University before becoming a full-time writer in 1961. He received a CBE in 2005 and was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

*Sources: theguardian.com, en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, independent.co.uk.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Midsomer Murders* (1997), Fi1m 66, Writer — [page](https://film.one/tv/midsomer-murders.md)

## Complete filmography (81)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Joe Maddison's War* (2010), Screenplay, In Memory Of
- *Lewis* (2007), series, Writer, Screenplay
- *Belonging* (2004), Screenplay
- *The Afternoon Play* (2003), series, Writer
- *The Last of the Blonde Bombshells* (2000), Writer
- *Keep the Aspidistra Flying* (1997), Screenplay
- *Midsomer Murders* (1997), series, Writer — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/midsomer-murders.md)
- *Dalziel and Pascoe* (1996), series, Writer
- *Oliver's Travels* (1995), series, Writer, Adaptation, Novel, Creator
- *Doggin' Around* (1994), Writer
- *Frank Stubbs Promotes* (1993), series, Writer
- *Maigret* (1992), series, Writer
- *Misterioso* (1991), Writer
- *Who Bombed Birmingham?* (1990), Writer
- *Screen One* (1989), series, Writer
- *Tales of Sherwood Forest* (1989), series, Creator
- *Campion* (1989), series, Writer
- *The Beiderbecke Connection* (1988), series, Writer, Novel, Creator
- *A Very British Coup* (1988), series, Writer, Creator
- *The Play on One* (1988), series, Novel, Writer
- *The Beiderbecke Tapes* (1987), series, Writer, Novel, Creator
- *Fortunes of War* (1987), series, Writer
- *The Ruth Rendell Mysteries* (1987), series, Writer
- *Open Air* (1986), series, Actor
- *The Return of Sherlock Holmes* (1986), series, Writer
- *Death Is Part of the Process* (1986), Writer
- *Coming Through* (1985), Writer
- *On Your Way, Riley!* (1985), Writer
- *The Beiderbecke Affair* (1985), series, Writer, Creator
- *Miss Marple* (1984), series, Writer
- *The Inside Man* (1984), Screenplay
- *Sherlock Holmes* (1984), series, as Dramaturgy · Adaptation
- *The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes* (1984), series, Adaptation, Writer
- *The Crystal Spirit: Orwell on Jura* (1983), Writer
- *Bewitched* (1983), Writer
- *Feet Foremost* (1983), Writer
- *The Intercessor* (1983), Writer
- *Shades of Darkness* (1983), series, Writer
- *The Barchester Chronicles* (1982), series, Writer, Screenplay, Creator
- *Priest of Love* (1981), Writer
- *Get Lost!* (1981), series, Writer, Creator
- *The Good Companions* (1980), series, Writer, Creator
- *On the Road with J.B. Priestley and The Good Companions* (1980), Writer
- *Cribb* (1980), series, Writer
- *The Blacktoft Diaries: True or False?* (1979), Writer
- *Flambards* (1979), series, Writer, Script Supervisor
- *Sam's Song* (1979), Writer
- *Night People* (1978), Writer
- *Curriculee Curricula* (1978), Writer
- *Give Us a Kiss, Christabel* (1977), Writer
- *Premiere* (1977), series, Writer
- *For the Love of Albert* (1977), series, Writer
- *BBC2 Play of the Week* (1977), series, Writer
- *Here I Stand...* (1977), series, Writer
- *It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet* (1976), Writer
- *Trade Unions: Seven Days that Shook Young Jim* (1976), Writer
- *Practical Experience* (1976), Writer
- *Trinity Tales* (1975), series, Writer, Lyricist, Creator
- *The Stars Look Down* (1975), series, Writer
- *The Loner* (1975), series, Creator
- *Juggernaut* (1974), Additional Dialogue, Writer
- *Shoulder to Shoulder* (1974), series, Writer
- *Playhouse* (1974), series, Writer
- *Bedtime Stories* (1974), series, Writer
- *Sporting Scenes* (1973), series, Writer
- *Oranges and Lemons* (1973), series, Writer
- *Land of Green Ginger* (1973), Writer
- *The Edwardians* (1972), series, Writer
- *Play for Today* (1970), series, Writer
- *The Virgin and the Gypsy* (1970), Writer
- *Rest in Peace, Uncle Fred* (1970), Writer
- *Let There Be Light* (1970), Writer
- *ITV Playhouse* (1967), series, Writer
- *Softly, Softly* (1966), series, Writer
- *Thirty-Minute Theatre* (1965), series, Writer
- *The Wednesday Play* (1964), series, Writer
- *Theatre 625* (1964), series, Writer
- *Crane* (1963), series, Writer
- *Crane* (1963), series, Writer
- *Z-Cars* (1962), series, Writer
- *Armchair Theatre* (1956), series, Writer

## Awards

### Other awards — 1 won

- honorary doctorate 2004: honorary doctorate (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/alan-plater