ON SCREEN: Paul Abbott

As Paul Abbott’s police drama No Offence concludes (9pm, Ch4), we look back at some key dates in the career of the influential screenwriter (right)…

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 has spoken about how he used writing as an escape from his stressful home life. 1983 He became Coronation

Street’s youngest story editor. 1988 Paul’s first original TV drama was broadcast – an episode of the children’s series

Dramarama. With fellow Corrie scribe Kay Mellor, Paul created another family-friendly hit, Children’s Ward (1989-2000). 2001 He won a Bafta for the ensemble drama Clocking Off .

2003 Political thriller serial State Of Play, with John Simm, won Paul more praise. The 2009 Hollywood remake starred Russell Crowe. 2004 Shameless

became his biggest TV drama hit to date.

Set in Manchester, it starred David Threlfall as deadbeat dad Frank Gallagher (left). Running for 11 series, it spawned a US remake, which is still going strong and is in its ninth series. 2012 His first series for Sky was

Hit & Miss, a drama about the complicated life of transgender contract killer Mia (Chloe Sevigny, right).

2015 The first series of No Offence, starring Joanna Scanlan, launched; it earned a Bafta nomination for Best Drama Series the following year.