Peter Tinniswood, 66; Playwright for British Radio, Stage, Television

Peter Tinniswood, 66, a prolific author of plays for radio, stage and television, died Thursday of cancer in a London hospice, the BBC announced.

Tinniswood was best known for “Tales From a Long Room,” a series of stories about cricket, a lifelong passion, and the BBC sitcom, “I Didn’t Know You Cared.”

Born in Manchester, England, Tinniswood began his career as a journalist in Sheffield and Liverpool but increasingly turned to writing drama. His first work for the BBC was for the TV series “That Was the Week That Was,” and early shows featuring broadcaster David Frost.

Some of his plays were staged at the National Theatre in London and Bristol’s Old Vic, with several directed by the playwright Alan Ayckbourn. He regarded newer productions like “Croak, Croak, Croak” and “The Last Obit,” as some of his best work.

An obituary in the Guardian noted that Tinniswood’s cancer was the result of 40 years of pipe smoking. He underwent four years of treatment and had his larynx and part of his tongue removed.