Alan Spencer

Alan Spencer is an American television writer and producer, known for creating the 1980s satirical police series Sledge Hammer!. He was one of the youngest people ever to join the Writers Guild of America, writing for television at the age of fifteen. He is a "script doctor" for feature films.

Early years

Spencer, at the age of fourteen, sneaked into Twentieth Century Fox Studios and onto the set of Young Frankenstein to watch his hero Mel Brooks direct. Marty Feldman, who had a fondness for mischief, recognized that the young interloper did not belong and took Spencer under his wing as his "guest.". Spencer was a huge fan of Feldman's and knew the comedian's writing credits for British television, a rarity, as most Americans were not well versed in Feldman's versatility, and the normally private Feldman recognized Spencer as a kindred spirit. Feldman had also begun writing at the young age of fifteen and gave Spencer early guidance.

Marty Feldman later died of a heart attack while making the film Yellowbeard and on May 16, 1984 Alan Spencer lost another friend: the legendary and offbeat comedian Andy Kaufman. Kaufman once invited Spencer over to his home and subjected him to a marathon of forty eight hours of The People's Court, a series that Kaufman religiously recorded. The one-two punch of losing both his friends devastated Spencer. He vowed to honor their influences and do unconventional work. In 1988, Mel Brooks tapped Spencer to co-create the short-lived NBC sitcom The Nutt House with him after the success of Spencer's "Sledge Hammer!" Brooks had no idea that Alan Spencer was the same young kid who had been buzzing around the set of Young Frankenstein.

Alan Spencer (cricketer)

Alan Horace Spencer (born 4 July 1936 in Lea Green, London) is an English former cricketer who played 27 first-class matches for Worcestershire between 1957 and 1961.

Spencer made his debut against Oxford University late in the 1957 season, scoring 16 in his only innings, but it was not until the following season that he played again. He then played no cricket of note until in 1959 he was again selected against Oxford University; he then appeared five more times in the second half of August. In all that season he made 291 runs at 29.60 and hitting two half-centuries, the higher of these being the 81 he made against Lancashire at Southport.

In 1960 Spencer had his longest run in the team, playing 18 matches and scoring 597 runs at 16.58, including a career-best 85 against Northamptonshire at Dudley in late May. He was out of the side briefly in mid-season, but then scored 122 not out for the seconds against their Somerset counterparts and was soon back in first-team action. It was a false dawn, however, as in his ten remaining first-class innings he managed a top score of only 35, being dismissed for single-figure scores on seven occasions.