{{Short description|English television, radio, and comic strip author (1926–2006)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox person |name = Peter Ling |birth_name = Peter George Derek Ling |image = Peter Ling, 1953.jpg |alt = |caption = Ling in 1953 |birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1926|05|27}} |birth_place = Thornton Heath, Croydon, Surrey, England |death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2006|09|14|1926|05|27}} |death_place = Hastings, East Sussex, England |occupation = {{hlist|Screenwriter|radio writer|comic strip writer|soap opera creator|novelist|songwriter}} }}
'''Peter George Derek Ling''' (27 May 1926 – 14 September 2006)<ref name="auto">{{cite web |url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/obituaries--archive/obituaries/peter-ling/ |title=Peter Ling | Obituaries | the Stage |website=www.thestage.co.uk |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719220705/https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/obituaries/2006/peter-ling/ |archive-date=19 July 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> was an English writer of television, radio and comic strips, best known for his television work. With his professional partner, Hazel Adair, he co-created the television soap opera ''Crossroads''.
==Early life== Ling was born in Thornton Heath, the son of a stage magician and a teacher, and was educated at Whitgift School.<ref name="telegraph">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1530377/Peter-Ling.html Obituary: Peter Ling], ''The Daily Telegraph'', 3 October 2006</ref> As a child he appeared in the Radio Luxembourg children's show ''The Ovaltinies'', and wrote an article for ''Good Housekeeping'' magazine at the age of 14.<ref name="bearalley">Steve Holland, [https://bearalley.blogspot.com/2006/09/peter-ling-1926-2006.html Peter Ling (1926–2006)], Bear Alley, 21 September 2006</ref>
He was conscripted to work in the coal mines as a "Bevin Boy" during the Second World War, but was transferred to the Army Pay Corps due to ill-health.<ref name="auto"/> After the war, recovering from tuberculosis in a British Legion Sanatorium, he published his first novel, ''Voices Offstage'' (1947), and began submitting comedy scripts to BBC radio, selling some to Jon Pertwee's radio show ''Waterlogged Spa''.<ref name="eagletimes">[https://eagle-times.blogspot.com/2008/09/eagle-writers-peter-ling-1926-2006.html Peter Ling (1926–2006)], eagle-times.blogspot.com, 24 September 2008.</ref> This led to work on television, including the BBC's children's show ''Whirligig'' (1950),<ref name="telegraph"/> where he met actress Sheilah Ward, whom he married in 1954.<ref name="bearalley"/>
==Writing== In 1952 he was invited to write comic strips for the ''Eagle'', including the schoolboy series "The Three J's", illustrated by artist Peter Kay (1953–59), which was adapted for television in 1958. With Ward, he also co-wrote strips for ''Eagle''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s sister title ''Girl'', including ''Two Pairs of Skates'' (1956–57) and ''Penny Starr'' (1957). The couple also wrote a ''Girl'' spin-off novel, ''Angela has Wings'', based on the comic strip ''Angela Air Hostess'', created by Betty Roland.<ref name="bearalley"/><ref name="eagletimes"/>
In 1955 he joined Associated-Rediffusion as script editor, working on shows including ''Murder Bag'', ''Crime Sheet'' and ''Jango'', and was later appointed Head of Children's Series.<ref name="telegraph"/> He and Hazel Adair co-wrote ''Compact'', a soap set in magazine publishing, for the BBC from 1962 to 1965. The two writers followed this up with ''Crossroads'', a soap set in a motel, which began on ITV in 1964; the format's principal run lasted until 1988. The writing partners followed it with ''Champion House'', a Yorkshire family saga set in the textiles industry, shown on the BBC from 1967 to 1968. Ling wrote for ''Dixon of Dock Green'', ''Sexton Blake'', ''No Hiding Place'', ''Doctor Who'' (''The Mind Robber'' in 1968), and, with Sheilah Ward, ''The Avengers'' ("Ashes of Roses", "Dance with Death", and "Box of Tricks").<ref name="telegraph"/><ref name="bearalley"/>
He continued to write for radio, including adaptations of Sherlock Holmes and Gideon Fell stories and the Arnold Bennett novel ''Imperial Palace'', and wrote scripts for the Radio 2 soap Waggoner's Walk in 1969.<ref name="eagletimes"/><ref name="times">[https://web.archive.org/web/20110622082447/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article645709.ece Obituary: Peter Link], ''The Times'', 14 September 2006.</ref>
===Novels and songs=== He published several novels, including the novelisation of his ''Doctor Who'' serial "The Mind Robber" for Target Books;<ref name="eagletimes"/> three novels in the "Crown House" series, ''Crown House'' (1988), ''Crown Papers'' (1989) and ''Crown Wars'' (1996); three in the "Docklands Saga" or "Watermen" series, ''High Water'' (1991), ''Flood Water'' (1992) and ''Storm Water'' (1993); two stand-alone novels, ''Halfway to Heaven'' (1994) and ''Happy Tomorrow'' (1995);<ref name="bearalley"/> and bodice-rippers under the name Petra Lee. He also wrote songs, including "Why Not Now?", which was a hit for Matt Monro in 1961.<ref name="auto"/>
==Death== He died on 14 September 2006 after suffering from Alzheimer's disease for some years.<ref name="eagletimes" />
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0512728}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927204818/http://www.crossroadsnetwork.co.uk/society/peterling.htm Interview with Peter for CAS]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ling, Peter}} Category:1926 births Category:2006 deaths Category:Military personnel from the London Borough of Croydon Category:People educated at Whitgift School Category:Writers from Thornton Heath Category:English comics writers Category:Bevin Boys Category:Royal Army Pay Corps soldiers Category:English television writers Category:English male screenwriters Category:English soap opera writers Category:English male novelists Category:20th-century English novelists Category:Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in England Category:Deaths from dementia in England Category:Writers from the London Borough of Croydon Category:20th-century English male writers Category:English lyricists Category:British male television writers Category:British Army personnel of World War II Category:Screenwriters of Sexton Blake Category:20th-century English screenwriters