WRITE STUFF: Paul Abbott on screen

As Paul Abbott’s police comedy drama No Offence continues (9pm, Ch4), we look back at the key dates in the career of one of our most influential screenwriters...

1960 Born in Burnley, Paul was the seventh of eight children. His mum left when he was nine, his dad two years later, leaving his older sister to take charge. Paul used writing as an escape from his stressful home life, which would become the inspiration for Shameless (see 2004).

1984 He became Coronation Street’s youngest story editor.

1988 Paul’s first original TV drama was broadcast – it was an episode of the popular children’s series Dramarama.

1989 With fellow Corrie scribe Kay Mellor, Paul created another hit, Children’s Ward.

2001 He won a Bafta for Clocking Off . Sarah Lancashire was among the ensemble cast. 2003 Political thriller serial State Of Play,

starring David Morrissey and John Simm, won Paul more praise – and a 2009 film remake, starring Ben Affleck (above) and Russell Crowe.

2004 Shameless is his biggest hit to date. The series, which originally starred Anne-Marie Duff and James McAvoy (below), ran for 11 series until 2013, spawning a US remake, which is still going strong.

2012 His first series for Sky was Hit & Miss, a drama about the complex life of a transgender contract killer (Chloe Sevigny).

2015 The first series of No Offence hit our screens, earning a Bafta nod for Best Drama Series the following year.