Lewis Gilbert film versions of Willy Russell's plays "Educating Rita" (1983) and "Shirley Valentine" (1989). Gilbert also directed the film "Stepping Out" (1991). Gilbert was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1997 Birthday Honours for services to the film industry. In 2001, Gilbert was made a Fellow of the British Film Institute, the highest accolade in the British film industry. In June 2010 he appeared on the BBC Radio 4 programme "Desert Island Discs". In it he said that his 1970 film "The Adventurers" was a disaster, and that he should never have made it. On
Rita Lakin wrote or co-authored two original theatrical plays, "No Language But a Cry" and "Saturday Night at Grossinger's". Rita Lakin has won nominations and awards for her writing including the Writers Guild of America Award, the Edgar Allan Poe Award and the Avery Hopwood Award from the University of Michigan. Rita Lakin has written 464 episodes, eight movies of the week, and two miniseries, spanning 30 television productions. She is also the creator of the crime drama series "The Rookies" and the prime time soap "Flamingo Road", and co-creator with Howard Lakin and Frank Furino of the US medical drama "Nightingales"