Derren Litten
Updated: 12/10/2025, 8:53:31 PM Wikipedia source
Derren Ronald Litten (born 21 December 1970) is an English comedy writer, actor and director, best known as the creator and writer of the sitcom Benidorm. He co-wrote The Catherine Tate Show, in which he plays several characters in the first two series and the 2005 Christmas special. He has acted in many TV comedy and drama series including Perfect World, French and Saunders, Spaced, EastEnders, Coronation Street, and Pie in the Sky with Richard Griffiths. Litten's first sitcom was Benidorm, which began airing on ITV in 2007. The series follows various groups of holiday makers and staff in the all-inclusive Solana resort located in Benidorm. The series received strong ratings and later extended its runtime, running for 10 series ending in 2018. Litten wrote an episode of Not Going Out and is also the credited writer of an episode of the Only Fools and Horses spin-off The Green Green Grass. He also wrote a remake episode of Are You Being Served? which three of the cast had previously appeared in Benidorm, Sherrie Hewson, John Challis and Niky Wardley. It was poorly received by critics.
Infobox
Tables
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1994 | Minder | 2nd Heavy | Series 10 episode 4 |
| 1995 | A Touch of Frost | PC Hobbs | Series 3 episode 2: Quarry |
| 1996 | EastEnders | Mick | 3 episodes |
| 1997 | Pie in the Sky | PC Ed Guthrie | 7 episodes; series 5 |
| 1998 | Faith No More | N/A | Music video for "I Started a Joke" |
| 2000 | Heartbeat | Skinner | Series 10 episode 1: Chalk and Cheese |
| 2000-2001 | Perfect World | Vaughan Rogers | 13 episodes |
| 2001 | Spaced | Daisy's Benefit Clerk | Series 2 episode 2: Change |
| 2003 | Sweet Medicine | Rev. Simon Roberts | 5 episodes |
| 2004 | French and Saunders | N/A | Series 6 episode 4 |
| 2004-2005 | The Catherine Tate Show | Various | 13 episodes; also co-writer |
| 2005 | Dalziel and Pascoe | Mad Dog | 2 episodes |
| Doc Martin | Tony | Series 2 episode 5 | |
| 2006 | Green Wing | Traffic cop | 1 episode |
| The Green Green Grass | N/A | Writer; 2 episodes in series 2 | |
| 2007-2018 | Benidorm | Various | 6 episodes as actor;also series creator; writer of 70 episodes;director of 2 episodes |
| 2013 | The Spa | Marcus | 8 episodes; also writer and creator |
| Psychobitches | N/A | Co-writer; 2 episodes in series 1 | |
| 2016 | Are You Being Served? | N/A | Writer |
| 2018 | Benidorm: 10 Years on Holiday | Himself | Television film |
| 2019 | Hope Gap | Friendline man | |
| Scarborough | Jack | 5 episodes; also writer and creator | |
| 2020 | Urban Myths | Norman | Series 4 episode 1 |
| 2022 | Coronation Street | Bernard Barnes | 2 episodes |
| 2023 | Bad Boys Go To Benidorm | Himself | Short film |
References
- IMDbhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm0514476/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_3_nm_5_q_derren%2520litten
- iNewshttps://inews.co.uk/culture/television/challenge-reviving-served-19224
- Cultboxhttps://cultbox.co.uk/reviews/episodes/are-you-being-served-review-2016
- BBC Media Centrehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2016/35/are-you-being-served
- Digitalspy.comhttps://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a806069/the-bbc-revives-are-you-being-served-and-porridge-but-was-it-worth-it/
- The Yorkshire Posthttps://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/heritage/first-look-as-bbc-releases-pictures-ahead-of-new-comedy-scarborough-1-9959353
- Leeds-live.co.ukhttps://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/celebs-tv/jason-manford-scarborough-series-2-17572822
- The Independenthttps://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/benidorm-bar-darren-litten-itv-sitcom-themed-a9439806.html
- Facebook.comhttps://www.facebook.com/MateosBarBenidorm/photos/a.111334133823006/175938537362565/
- Xhttps://x.com/DerrenLitten/status/1425633637870022658?lang=en