Ken, Mel's father, was born in Co Durham and later married Vera, taking over her family's greengrocer's shop in Quick Road, Chiswick, London. He convinced Vera to convert the shop into a bookmaker's, and they soon moved to a semi-detached house.
Mel was born in 1952 and attended Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, where he played the role of Falstaff at the age of 12. He was also the captain of the school's rugby team from the second form to the sixth.
In 1971, Mel won a place at New College, Oxford, where he studied experimental psychology and lived at New College Lane, which was once the location of Edmund Halley's observatory. Due to his poor attendance record, he was asked to choose between focusing on his studies for his finals or pursuing his passion for acting and directing. He chose the latter and became the assistant director at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 1973.
Throughout the mid-1970s, Mel held assistant-director positions around the country until he met actor Bob Goody. Together, they wrote and directed several productions, including 'Have You Heard the One About Joey Baker' and 'The Gambler,' which was revived in London's West End.
In 1979, Mel and Bob Goody caught the attention of a television sketch show, which they joined, parodying shows such as 'Blue Peter.' They later moved on to 'Not the Nine O'Clock News.' In 1981, Mel and Griff Rhys Jones founded Talk Back Productions, producing and creating shows like 'Alas Smith and Jones,' 'I'm Alan Partridge,' 'Never Mind the Buzzcocks,' and 'They Think It's All Over.'
Mel went on to produce and direct films such as 'Radioland Murders,' 'Bean, the Ultimate Disaster Movie,' and 'The Tall Guy.'
