Alastair Ninian Scott Johnston (10 November 19177 October 1992) was a British radio producer working for the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

, mainly on comedy programmes. Born in London, he started work in a bank before successfully applying for a junior post at the BBC. His first job was in creating and using

sound effects A sound effect (or audio effect) is an artificially created or enhanced sound, or sound process used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media. In m ...

for radio shows. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he served with distinction in the

Grenadier Guards The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...

in Burma and India, and on returning to Britain became a producer in the

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

department at the BBC. His early productions included ''All Star Bill'', '' Variety Playhouse'', and ''Floggit's''. He helped launch the careers of such performers as

Tony Hancock Anthony John Hancock (12 May 1924 – 25 June 1968) was an English comedian and actor. High-profile during the 1950s and early 1960s, he had a major success with his BBC series '' Hancock's Half Hour'', first broadcast on radio from 1954, ...

Anthony Newley Anthony Newley (24 September 1931 – 14 April 1999) was an English actor, director, comedian, singer, and composer. A "latter-day British Al Jolson", he achieved widespread success in song, and on stage and screen. "One of Broadway's greatest ...

Semprini Alberto Fernando Riccardo Semprini (27 March 1908 – 19 January 1990), known as Alberto Semprini (), or by his stage name Semprini, was an English pianist, composer and conductor, known for his appearances on the BBC, mainly on radio. Ea ...

Frankie Howerd Francis Alick Howard (6 March 1917 – 19 April 1992), better known by his stage-name Frankie Howerd, was an English actor and comedian. Early life Howerd was born the son of a soldier Francis Alfred William (1887–1934)England & Wales, Deat ...

Leslie Phillips Leslie Samuel Phillips (20 April 1924 – 7 November 2022) was an English actor. He achieved prominence in the 1950s, playing smooth, upper-class comic roles utilising his "Ding dong" and "Hello" catchphrases. He appeared in the '' Carry On'' ...

, and

Ronnie Barker Ronald William George Barker (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He was known for roles in British comedy television series such as ''Porridge (1974 TV series), Porridge'', ''The Two Ronnies'', ...

. His longest-lasting role was as producer of ''

The Navy Lark ''The Navy Lark'' is a radio sitcom about life aboard a British Royal Navy frigate named HMS ''Troutbridge'' (a play on HMS ''Troubridge'', a Royal Navy destroyer) based in HMNB Portsmouth. In series 1 and 2, the ship and crew were statione ...

'', which he developed with writer

Lawrie Wyman Lawrence Caulfield Wyman (20 December 192325 March 1982) was a British comedy scriptwriter. Born in Brentford, Middlesex, he served in the army during the Second World War. He later became a scriptwriter at the BBC, working with comedians such as ...

, and which ran from 1959 until 1977. Fred Vintner, "Alastair Scott Johnston", ''Navy Days''
Retrieved 10 April 2024 He was married twice."BBC man to marry", ''Evening Standard'', 4 July 1956, p.4 He died at his home, "Dumble Dore", in

Stanford Dingley Stanford Dingley is a small village and civil parish in West Berkshire, England, between Newbury and Theale. Geography Stanford Dingley fills part of both sides of the valley of the upper River Pang, on the minor roads between the A4 Bath R ...

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

, in 1992 at the age of 74.

References

1917 births 1992 deaths English radio producers BBC radio producers {{BBC-radio-stub