John Hopkins

As writer of the realistic police drama "Z Cars" (BBC), a forerunner of gritty, realistic TV shows, John Hopkins earned both popular and critical acclaim. A prolific screenwriter and playwright, he studied literature at Cambridge before being introduced into show business by his then father-in-law, author Nigel Balchin, who approached him to adapt his novel "A Small Back Room" for the small screen. While an adept writer, Hopkins lacked the drive to produce much material. This changed in 1962 when he was offered "Z Cars," where he faced the deadlines and pressure that forced him to deliver. Hopkins wrote fifty-seven episodes of the series, while also writing screenplays for films such as the 1965 James Bond hit "Thunderball," doing other TV work, and simultaneously writing stage plays.