After college, Spiers got a job at the British Broadcasting Company as a production assistant. He worked his way up — and settled on a specialty: he ended up as a director of comedy shows, including Are You Being Served?
He was brought in to direct Fawlty Towers in 1979, which earned him his first BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award, and then Not the Nine O’Clock News. He is best known as being the director for Absolutely Fabulous during its entire run, which brought him his second BAFTA award. He also directed the Spice Girls film, Spice World, at the height of the group’s popularity. He died December 8 at 63.