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Michael Mills (13 May 1919 – 7 January 1988) was an English television producer and director who served as the Head of Comedy at the BBC in the 1960s and early 1970s. ==Early life and career== Born in Prestwich, in Lancashire, Mills joined the BBC before World War II as a sound effects operator, and served in the Free French Navy, on secondment from Royal Navy, during hostilities where he undertook revue type shows. In 1947, he returned to the BBC, as a light entertainment producer.〔Louis Barfe (''Turned Out Nice Again: The Story of British Light Entertainment'' ), London: Atlantic Books, 2008, p.53〕 Yvonne Littlewood, then his personal assistant, recalled one live production of the three act Vivian Ellis musical ''Jill Darling'' in February 1949 which used both studios at Alexandra Palace, the set being changed in one while the second act was being broadcast.〔Barfe, p.54〕 While Head of Comedy at the BBC around 1968, it was Mills who suggested that a forthcoming series should be titled ''Dad's Army'' instead of ''The Fighting Tigers'', according to creator Jimmy Perry, and that John Le Mesurier should play the Sergeant and Clive Dunn, Corporal Jones.〔Bill Pertwee (''Dad's Army: The Making of a Television Legend'' ), London: Conway, 2009 (), p.22〕 It was Mills who thought Frankie Howerd's role in the British stage production of ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' could be the basis for a series. This became ''Up Pompeii!'' (1969-70).〔Nicholas J. Cull "Infamy! Infamy!" in Sandra R. Joshel (et al, eds.) (''Imperial Projections: Ancient Rome in Modern Popular Culture'' ), Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005 (), p.180-81〕 While the first series of ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' (1969) was still being transmitted, he wrote to John Cleese: "The shows seem to be getting better and better and this a view shared by most people who see it." Offering him a role in the second series, he had been told by Barry Took that Cleese was unsure about continuing: "I do hope you will be able to take part both as a writer and performer because the show would lose a great deal if you are not one of them."〔Robert Verkaik ("BBC bosses almost lost faith in 'disgusting' Monty Python" ), ''The Independent'', 1 June 2009〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Michael Mills (British producer)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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