Andrew Davies (writer)
The master adapter who transformed classic novels into must-watch television, adding wit, sex, and a modern pulse to period drama.
Born 1936 (age 90)·British screenwriter and novelist·Birthday: September 20·The Silent Generation
Biography
Andrew Davies is the man who taught a generation that a bonnet could be sexy. A Welsh-born writer who began as a novelist and lecturer, he found his true calling in the 1990s, reinventing the television literary adaptation for a contemporary audience. His genius lay in reading between the lines of revered texts—Austen, Dickens, Eliot, Tolstoy—and dramatizing the subtext with a dash of mischief and psychological insight. His 1995 'Pride and Prejudice,' famous for a wet-shirted Colin Firth, didn't just faithfully translate the book; it amplified its romantic tensions and social critiques, making it a global phenomenon. Davies possesses a unique alchemy, blending scholarly respect with a populist touch, whether in the political skulduggery of 'House of Cards' or the sweeping tragedy of 'War & Peace.' His scripts are characterized by their pace, clarity, and a willingness to make classic characters feel freshly human, securing his place as the defining adapter of his time.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Andrew was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andrew Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Andrew's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 80
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Age 90 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His 1995 BBC adaptation of 'Pride and Prejudice' starring Colin Firth is widely credited with reviving mainstream interest in classic literary television.
- Won a BAFTA Fellowship in 2002, the British Academy's highest honor, for his outstanding contribution to television.
- Adapted the political thriller 'House of Cards' for the BBC in 1990, creating the original Francis Urquhart character later adapted in the U.S. version.
- Wrote the screenplay for the 2001 film 'Bridget Jones's Diary,' adapting Helen Fielding's modern novel which was itself loosely inspired by 'Pride and Prejudice.'
Did You Know?
He originally worked as a teacher and university lecturer before becoming a full-time writer in his forties.
Davies is known for his 'and then...' theory of adaptation, focusing on creating compelling narrative momentum.
He wrote the children's television series 'Marmalade Atkins' in the early 1980s.
His first major TV adaptation was 'To Serve Them All My Days' in 1980, a story about a schoolmaster.
“I always look for the bits that the author didn't write, the scenes that happen off the page.”
