Like most middle class men in northern England in the forties and fifties, Parkinson’s father Jack worked as a miner throughout his career but had more ambition for his son. Taking the young Michael down the pit on only one occasion proved a significant rite of passage and his father’s firm words stayed with him for the rest of his life and became a mantra to live by. Passing his eleven plus and progressing to Grammar School, Michael was adamant to make his father proud and spent the rest of his life, learning, educating and inspiring others. Despite his vast achievements in broadcasting and journalism, Michael Parkinson’s life was a long tribute to the selfless acts of his mother and father in what was frequently very challenging times. It was this grounded attitude that made him one of the greatest writers and journalists of our time.

Joining the Manchester Guardian in the era before the pop culture boom of the mid sixties, it was here that Parkinson really honed his craft as a writer and journalist. The 1950’s were a bleak time for Britain as the reminders of the Second World War still hung over society. But in the early sixties, something changed and journalists were eager to chart such a dramatic change in popular culture. Moving to the Daily Express shortly after offered him a taste of London’s infamous Fleet Street where he nurtured his craft as predominantly a sports writer. This was the first time that sport was considered as an offshoot of popular culture and athletes were slowly becoming stars in their own right. Matt Busby’s Manchester United were rebuilding following the devastation of the Munich air crash and a teenager from Northern Ireland was slowly gaining an unrivalled reputation. The first time Parkinson saw George Best at Old Trafford he realised that he was witnessing something very special and this appreciation became a staple of his journalistic career for over half a century.

Yet it wasn’t only sport that was changing. Securing a researcher role on Granada Television’s landmark cultural affairs series Scene At 6:30 catapulted the young journalist into the beating heart of popular culture as he found himself in the midst of the Merseybeat phenomenon. Yet it wasn’t long before his journalistic talents came to the forefront and as a reporter, he was sent all over the country in the search of stories. Whether it was reporting on current affairs or profiling public figures, Scene at 6:30 set the benchmark for cultural affairs broadcasting hereafter and elevated Michael Parkinson into a television personality. Early interviews with The Beatles gained him a reputation as a straight talking reporter but it was a short encounter with Mick Jagger which would gain Parkinson recognition amongst the broadcasting community. This clip has forever haunted Jagger as he merely gave The Stones just a few years of success which has since been the source of irony as the band approaches their sixth decade in music.

Recording such a significant change in popular culture brought Parkinson into contact with some of the most prominent entertainers of the decade as he continued to chart this boom in creativity. This proved absolutely crucial to where his career would ultimately take him throughout the succeeding decades. Being a journalist, he was regularly invited to the places where pop culture was taking place and encountering some of the biggest names in entertainment. He would regularly be found in the company of friends like Jimmy Tarbuck, Cilla Black and George Best which offered him a unique insight into these stars and how they lived. His analytical eye always made him aware of the world that he was living in and although he didn’t know it yet, this experience was absolutely vital to his success as a chat show host.

In 1970 newly appointed Head of Light Entertainment Bill Cotton was looking ahead to the following summer when he realised an eight week gap in the Saturday night schedule. For this, Bill Cotton desired a chat show similar to the 1960’s series Dee Time presented by the out of favour presenter Simon Dee. Cotton wanted a show which would indulge his passion for Hollywood’s golden age and would be an excuse to welcome some of the world’s most famous stars to walk through those famous double doors of Television Centre. Still under contract at Granada, Parkinson had never dreamed of ever fronting a Saturday night chat show. He wasn’t a comedian or entertainer who had the overwhelming desire to entertain an audience. News and current affairs were very much his world and never considered moving into Light Entertainment. Yet Bill Cotton was a genius at fitting TV formats to individual people and with the help of producer Richard Drewitt, they were able to create a robust format which would become one of the most important formats in TV history.

First broadcast on Saturday 19th June 1971 the chat show Parkinson was the first of its kind in the UK but wasn’t without its fair share of teething problems. Despite agreeing with Bill Cotton’s vision of showcasing the biggest international stars, Parkinson and Drewitt had the desire to place celebrities or noteworthy individuals with personalities who they wouldn’t otherwise meet and just observe the conversation between them. In terms of entertainment, this was revolutionary and in the age before reality television, this was the first time that stars from across the whole spectrum could come together and have a simple conversation. This aspect is frequently overlooked when it comes to the evolution of entertainment but this was absolutely revolutionary for its time and gave Parkinson a unique charm.

Whether it was Dr. Jacob Bronowski, Peter Ustinov or Muhammad Ali, Parkinson treated each guest as a revered subject and always approached every interview with the same trepidation. These moments with the aforementioned figures have since become part of the fabric of British television and remained among his personal favourite moments. Yet being a showbiz figure since the early 1960’s, he developed enduring rapports with some of the leading comedians of the time. Billy Connolly made his British television debut in 1974 who told a joke which got the headlines of the following day’s newspapers. This made Connolly into a star and was the catalyst to his remarkable career in comedy: something that he forever proudly cites which began a friendship which would last for over five decades. Throughout the years, Connolly would go on to appear on the show a staggering fifteen times over a thirty year period and made him into one of the best loved comedians in the world.

This was the era before PR companies had full control over the exposure of a star and had specific agendas to uphold surrounding selling a product. Parkinson never approved of the brash nature of contemporary PR campaigns and celebrities using platforms to promote and sell merchandise. The 1970’s Parkinson was devoid of such brash marketing and instead was a simple, intellectual, entertaining conversation between two people. It rarely seemed to matter what the subject was doing next because the conversation could go to places that no one expected with this subservient, knowledgeable ringleader who could effortlessly throw up subjects for his guests to catch. This wasn’t just an interview, it was an exhibition of talent and this was what made everyone from Bob Hope to Helen Mirren want to sit opposite Parkinson.

The 1970’s proved an incredibly successful time for BBC Light Entertainment with Bill Cotton carefully creating a formidable Saturday night lineup that couldn’t be rivalled. Parkinson was the ultimate, trusted climax to a fool proof smorgasbord of entertainment which began with Bruce Forsyth’s Generation Game and would feature Morecambe and Wise, The Two Ronnies and Match Of The Day. Although Michael used his journalistic talents to draw insightful gems from his guests who occasionally saw an opportunity to open up, it always remained clear that Parkinson was a Light Entertainment show with all the glamour of a Saturday night shiny floor spectacle. Therefore Kenneth Williams’ songs or Bruce Forsyth’s hat and cane routine were treated with the same reverence as Jacob Bronowski’s account of the atrocities of the German concentration camp. This was the absolute epitome of those great Reithian principles of the BBC to inform, educate and entertain and Michael Parkinson never lost this innate ability to frequently simultaneously juggle all three elements. 

Frequently criticised by a small section of the media for perhaps not asking the cutting questions, Parkinson was devoid of political agenda or click bait. There were occasions where he realised that he was required to push his questioning in order to entice his subject to open up. However, he wasn’t after the scoop or exclusive on what would be on the front of the newspapers because that wasn’t his style. To be a great interviewer, you need to gain the trust of your guests and failure to do so will result in a flawed interview. The reason why Parky developed an unrivalled reputation for being the best in the business was because his subjects trusted him and they knew that on Parkinson they would always get fair representation.

The trends of television entertainment have always interpreted a show’s longevity and by 1982 Parkinson could see the TV landscape changing and the BBC’s decision not to honour his request to take the show five nights per week ultimately cost them one of their biggest stars. It’s clear that the American television industry has the capacity to run talk shows in a way that British companies might struggle as a result of the massive advertising investment. However, both Parkinson and Drewitt obviously saw potential in the concept and it’s a shame that the corporation couldn’t give them the backing they deserved. He said farewell to the much loved Saturday night ratings winner for what many expected to be the final time with a stellar lineup including: Spike Milligan, Kenneth Williams, Billy Connolly and Jimmy Tarbuck as an era of British television came to an end. Yet as he said goodbye, another opportunity was just around the corner.

The phenomenon of breakfast television had now hit the UK and legendary maverick David Frost had his sights firmly set on this new TV trend. For this, he assembled an all star lineup of Angela Rippon, Anna Ford, Anne Diamond and Nick Owen to front an early morning live entertainment show five mornings per week. Parkinson joined the illustrious cast, becoming the main anchor. Yet the lack of format together with the show’s high profile anticipation ultimately led to its downfall and for the first time in his career Parkinson was the subject of criticism. Following his departure, Parkinson returned to the chat show format fronting ITV’s One To One where he profiled some of the most popular entertainers in the country from Elton John to Billy Connolly. By this time, Parkinson’s reputation within the chat show format was unrivaled and could entice the biggest names in entertainment to join any show. Even the anti establishment attitude of Spike Milligan struggled to turn down the opportunity to join Parky for a non threatening chat which gave an insight into the esteem which he was held in amongst the showbiz elite.

In 1984 on a hiatus from the Parkinson show, Michael inherited the keys to ITV’s parlour based panel game Give Us a Clue alongside team captains Lionel Blair and Una Stubbs then later Liza Goddard. For this, he presided over the administrative responsibilities of the game while frequently being the reluctant voice of reason in events where a panelist took the game too seriously. His laidback, straight talking, journalistic style made him the perfect stooge for the anarchic chaos to unfold and being such a prolific figure in showbiz meant that he had a lively rapport with almost every guest who played the game. For eight years Michael became the incomparable chairman of Give Us a Clue and escaped from his chat show host shadow. Yet his next career move was certainly out of left field.

In 1992 the BBC had the idea of adapting writer Stephen Volk’s award winning stage play which had originally been planned for a six part drama series but producer Ruth Baumgarten thought it lacked commercial viability. Volk then repackaged it as a 90 minute television extravaganza which appealed to the BBC and with actors Sarah Greene and Mike Smith on board, it was crying out for a trusted broadcaster to be at the helm. It was quite clear Michael Parkinson wasn’t an actor but as one of the most trusted broadcasters in Britain, he added legitimacy to proceedings which contributed to the hype surrounding the show. Ghostwatch was broadcast on prime time BBC1 and has since been criticised for misleading the audience which may have contributed to the suicide of some viewers. Yet it was still a feat of broadcasting which pushed the boundaries of television which arguably has never been beaten.

By this time Parkinson had returned to the BBC and was fronting his own Radio 2 programme celebrating the very best of the great American Songbook. This also offered the opportunity to do a weekly interview with a celebrity guest and review that week’s news and television alongside an array of journalistic experts including Gillian Reynolds, Quentin Cooper and Eve Pollard. Parkinson’s Sunday Supplement ran for two decades on Radio 2 and offered a platform to rising musical stars such as Jamie Cullum and Katie Melua. Two hours on a Sunday morning doesn’t sound like the most taxing of jobs but under Parkinson’s stewardship, the show gained a reputation for insightful conversation and the very best music. It also reunited him with the current affairs platform which returned him to his journalistic roots. Memorable moments included Spike Milligan’s impromptu interruption following escaping from the mental hospital in which he was currently residing. So much was Milligan’s admiration for Parky, he just wanted to be with him and return to normality and the loose formula of this show allowed for it.

This obviously wasn’t his first brush with radio as in 1985 his journalistic pedigree made Parkinson the obvious replacement for the great Roy Plumley on the Radio 4 chat show juggernaut Desert Island Discs. His first castaway was the writer and director Alan Parker which began a three year tenure on the show where he welcomed in the range of one hundred significant figures to pick their favourite tracks. Most famously Elton John who selected tracks by Pink Floyd, Nina Simone and Music For The Millions. Remaining on the show for just three years offered Parkinson a vital grounding in the medium which he would later refine. However, just as he was enjoying his radio dominance, television came calling once again.

The world of antiques and game shows are concepts that don’t tend to sit together in harmony but in 1995 Parkinson returned to BBC1 to revive the 1970’s gameshow Going For a Song. Each contestant was partnered by a celebrated antiques expert as they guessed the price of items which went under the hammer. This was brand new territory for Parky who was still synonymous with the iconic chat show and a lunchtime game show seemed far removed from his Saturday night showbiz pedigree. However, for four years, Parky gently presided over the lighthearted quiz which rekindled his relationship with the BBC1 audience. Yet as popular as Going For a Song was, the corporation realised the appetite for revisiting Parkinson’s chat show pedigree.

In 1996 he embarked on a retrospective series revisiting interviews with six icons of entertainment and providing his own analysis on the real people behind the headlines. Parkinson was among just a handful of people to be an authority on these significant personalities and how they behaved as in the purest form, despite his television dominance, he always remained a highly skilled journalist. Therefore this show wasn’t merely a compilation of clips carelessly put together by an egotistical host, it was six delicately crafted character studies of some of the most famous people in the world led by an incredibly intelligent journalist right at the top of his game. Simply entitled Parkinson: The Interviews, the series featured episodes on: Peter Ustinov, Mohammed Ali, Dustin Hoffman and David Niven. The series pulled in extraordinary ratings and such popularity gave the BBC an idea.

On Friday 9th June 1998 a landmark in British television occurred as a sixty-two year old Michael Parkinson walked down those famous stairs for the first time in over fifteen years. His trademark brown mop may have now transformed into silver but his propensity to lead a flawless conversation hadn’t gone away. Now in the PR dominated age where the concept of celebrity had derived itself from the pure nature of the celebrity interview, Parkinson always strove to uphold the integrity of the original talk show format while simultaneously complying with modern PR standards. The tiresome demands of the PR commercial train often became the subject of his high profile rants but he still understood that this was the byproduct of the evolution of the industry.

Irrespective of the political nature of the celebrity interview, Parkinson returned to prime time BBC1 with a whole new generation of stars to encounter. Britain had seen many changes while he’d been away: Thatcher, The Falklands, Alternative Comedy and Britpop had each left their mark on British culture and the country was totally different from the Britain he left in 1982. His first guest was the writer and comedian Paul Merton who was currently riding high on the BBC2 satirical panel show Have I Got News For You. The only significant change with the brand new series was the strong affection which stars had for the show. An appearance on Parkinson was now a way for stars to measure their own success and became a significant rite of passage. It was also a way to gauge public and critical interest in a celebrity and a candid conversation with Parky now had the power to make or break a public figure.

Beyond showcasing contemporary talent, Parky never forgot his pop culture roots and in 1999 delivered an interview which had been thirty years in the making. Appearing in the photo shoot for Wing’s 1973 album Band On The Run, Parkinson appeared alongside a host of prominent public figures including Kenny Lynch dressed in grey boiler suits looking at a big spotlight. An afternoon’s work for a group of 1970’s celebrities resulted in one of the most iconic album covers of all time. Yet it would be over a quarter of a century before Paul McCartney repaid the favour by being the subject of a one man Parkinson show but it was well worth the wait.

Parkinson was once again riding high in the BBC schedules and was deemed the obvious choice to anchor the corporation’s coverage of the millennium celebrations. This coverage was unlike any broadcast which had gone before. Twenty eight hours of continuous broadcasting as significant places around the world brought in the new millennium alongside an unprecedented smorgasbord of entertainment. Heading up an elite broadcasting team that included: Gaby Roslin, Michael Buerk, David Attenborough, Lenny Henry and Jamie Theakston, Parkinson acted as chairman, guiding viewers through proceedings. There was even time for a special edition of the chat show featuring David Attenborough and Dame Edna Everage before counting down to that all important time.

Parkinson had now regained his place as one of the most popular faces on television and his universal admiration for talent made him the dream booking for entertainment shows. In 2001 he guest starred in the chat show/sitcom spoof The Kumars At Number 42 where Meera Syal’s grandmother character referred to him as “a silver haired mongoose’, a name which seemed to stick. This began a long association with Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal who became regulars on the chat show. This association resulted in the 2003 return of the legendary Christmas Night With The Stars where Michael introduced an all star lineup including The Kumars, Emma Bunton, Ricky Tomlinson and his good friend Ronnie Corbett. With a very special Christmas special of Parkinson featuring the hilariously unpredictable Dame Edna, 2003 had been a successful year for the veteran broadcaster who had now been in entertainment for over four decades. Yet he has never predicted what would happen next.

In August 2003 the BBC discovered that it had won the rights to broadcast Premier League highlights from the following season which heralded the long awaited return of Match Of The Day. It had been a long time since Parkinson and Match Of The Day had co-existed in the same Saturday night lineup and the two had grown and changed dramatically since Bill Cotton’s stewardship of the 1970’s. In a world where there is only enough room for one Saturday night headliner, the corporation had left it very late to find a suitable solution to this scheduling dilemma. The suggestion of moving Parkinson to a Wednesday evening didn’t sit well with the undisputed king of chat who began to look for alternatives avenues and Mark Welles at ITV seemed to have the perfect answer.

First broadcast on Saturday 4th September 2004 with guests Billy Connolly, Tom Cruise and Kelly Holmes, Parkinson on ITV almost immediately felt the same reliable, cosy style. However, Welles’s vision to book left field individuals to receive the Parky magic ultimately backfired and unsettled the trusted formula. The overly elaborate Hollywood set somehow failed to match its basic, journalistic roots and although there were moments of TV gold, couldn’t compete with the magnitude of its former standing within the corporation. Parkinson on BBC always acted as an ardent showcase of everything that they stood for and remained a vibrant carnival of entertainment for thinkers. It didn’t revel in how big the star was or how popular their new song or TV show could be because the fact that they were in the chair talking to Parky was enough to cement their purpose.

After just three years at ITV, Parky decided to call time on the show who had defined his career. On 22nd December 2007, a stellar lineup of Billy Connolly, Sir Michael Caine, Sir David Attenborough, David Beckham, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Edna Everage and Peter Kay, joined Michael for a feature length send off. Judi Dench performed a personal tribute written by Michael Ball and arranged by Laurie Holloway while Dame Edna delivered a very special message. For someone who had spent a lifetime profiling others, Parkinson was never good at taking praise or receiving plaudits. Yet arguably his contribution to broadcasting warranted much more than a single two hour tribute.

Now it was time for Parkinson to turn the tables and join the chat show circuit as a guest when he released his long awaited autobiography Parky in 2009. This prompted an appearance on the in depth BBC interview series Mark Lawson Talks To where he revealed a dispute with ITV over their attitude towards the series which ultimately resulted in its premature ending. By this time he had been knighted by The Queen in her 2008 birthday honours list and was starting to enjoy the slower pace of life. Yet in 2012 when Sky Arts came calling with an idea for a new spin on the TV talk show, he couldn’t say no.

Parkinson: Masterclass brought together the interview style show and a showcase of a performance packed into a forty-five minute episode. This appealed to his passion for analytical insight alongside exhibiting talent. It was an idea that he originally developed in the 1970’s but failed to entice interest from a broadcaster. Yet now he could utilise his unrivalled reputation as one of Britain’s most trusted presenters to get such an idea off the ground. Over two series, Parky profiled everyone from Ellie Goulding to Eddie Izzard in this unique interview setting and forged friendships in the award winning ballet dancer Carlos Acosta. Sadly, this was to be Parkinson’s final television vehicle but his reputation still gained him new opportunities.

After a lifetime of watching and reviewing the very best in live entertainment, with the help of his son of his namesake, Parkinson embarked on a series of live theatre shows celebrating his long career in television. Playing to packed out theatres throughout the country proved that there was still a soaring appetite for the slightly more analytical side of entertainment and while he was no longer a frequent fixture on our television screens, people still cared for what he had to say. I attended his live stage show three times and was always amazed by his precise recounting of events from over half a century ago. His innate ability to read and analyse human behaviour was fascinating and even well into his eighties, this gift never left him.

I fulfilled a lifetime ambition earlier this year when I had the absolute honour to meet Sir Michael Parkinson at the Hay Festival in May. Obviously frail and overcoming a recent illness, he took to the stage alongside his son as they profiled his new book My Sporting Life. For this, he went back to the beginning and revisited his written interviews and articles penned in his tenure as a sports journalist first for the Manchester Guardian and then the Sunday Express. In a way, it seemed that Parkinson had gone full circle and was now back where it all began over sixty years ago. At the end of the interview, his son concluded the event which was met by a resounding standing ovation from the whole audience which brought a tear to the eye of the broadcasting legend. The hairs on the back of my neck stood rigid and I recognised that I was now experiencing a significant moment in entertainment history.

Straight after his show, Parkinson entered the book shop tent where he commenced a signing session. A long queue instantly formed and I knew that this was my moment to meet my hero. For over an hour and a half we waited as the line gradually became smaller and smaller until I found myself face to face with the broadcasting legend, merely separated by a portable table. This was one of the most defining moments of my life and had been over a quarter of a century in the making and now I was there, talking to my hero. Extremely frail and struggling with his mobility, I was very mindful not to take too much of his time but when his son offered a photo opportunity, there was no way I could decline. My photo of me and Sir Michael Parkinson now is the centrepiece on the worktop in my study. What better inspiration for me to use to enhance my own interview platform than the legendary king of chat himself.

The sad death of Sir Michael Parkinson in August 2023 brings to an end a wonderful era of pioneering entertainment which possibly will never be beaten. The talk show format is one which has proven extremely difficult to perfect as television networks continue to struggle with finding the perfect balance between individuality and marketability. In an era where chat shows are used as an entertainment platform for media propaganda, Michael Parkinson had both the talent and integrity to burst through this bureaucratic red tape and always got to the heart of people and their lives. Yet above all, he was arguably one of Britain’s greatest broadcasters and that should forever be his legacy.

There is no doubt that the broadcasting fraternity will continue to thrive irrespective of the absence of Sir Michael Parkinson and his generous offering to the next generation. But for future generations who have a desire to learn about the origins of popular culture, they will surely need to look no farther than the Parkinson archive. The only broadcaster who realised and understood the future historical significance of the cultural interview, Michael Parkinson remains arguably the most important figure in the history of television’s cultural awakening and became an ever-present narrator of showbiz’s ever-changing landscape. Yet above all he was the best presenter in the history of television proving that Parkinson may be gone but with the outstanding legacy he created, it would be entirely impossible for him to be forgotten. Long live British television!

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Character actor and writer Michael Knowles joined such an elite group when he was cast as the stereotypical English gentlemen Captain John Ashwood in Perry and Croft’s wartime sitcom It Ain’t Half Hot Mum in 1974. Yet this was merely the television highlight of a career which has spanned over half a century and has seen Knowles share the screen with some of the biggest names in comedy. We met at Frank Williams’ 90th birthday celebrations at the Leicester Square Theatre in London before arranging a follow up interview to celebrate his remarkable career in British comedy. Unfortunately due to technical issues, the interview no longer exists but hopefully the following article will go some way to making up for a grave mistake.

Like most actors of his generation, Michael began his career in rep before joining Jimmy Perry’s repertory company at the Watford Palace Theatre during the early sixties. Despite being in the company of future sitcom legends Frank Williams and Jeffrey Holland, it was Michael’s chemistry with fellow actor Donald Hewitt which became most significant. It didn’t take long for the pair to be in sync with the other’s breathing patterns and generated a sixth sense of determining what each other were about to say. This had an enormous advantage over the quality of the productions which Jimmy Perry put on as the pair had an unrivalled connection which could adapt itself to any role. Unbeknown to both Knowles and Hewitt, this rapport would be a significant relationship in the direction of both of their careers and would prevail for over a quarter of a century.

This association with Jimmy Perry and indeed Donald Hewitt would prove vital for Michael in the coming years and in 1969 secured a cameo in the third episode of the second series of Dad’s Army entitled The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker. Having known the majority of the cast and crew from his days at the Watford Palace Theatre, Michael fitted right in with the production of Dad’s Army and this was to remind Jimmy Perry of his versatility as an actor. David Croft always liked to create a family atmosphere on set and those who passed the test could expect a long association with the sitcom heavyweight. Therefore although his appearance in Dad’s Army was a very fleeting one, it remains a very significant role in the course of his career and one which he shall forever treasure.

Such a role would have enormous repercussions for Michael as in 1972 he was cast as the pompous, English gentlemen Captain John Ashwood in Perry and Croft’s next sitcom venture It Ain’t Half Hot Mum alongside Windsor Davies, Michael Bates and Melvyn Hayes. The sitcom was inspired by David Croft’s posting to India during the Second World War and Jimmy Perry’s experiences as a comic in the camp concert party. Set in the fictional village of Tin Min in Burma, during the last months of the Second World War, It Ain’t Half Hot Mum was the ultimate ensemble of carefully crafted eccentric characters combined with Perry and Croft’s genial use of verbal dexterity. Reunited with Donald Hewitt, Knowles’s Ashwood represented the comedy found in the pomposity and stupidity found in military authority and the sense of entitlement surrounding it.

The use of language played a dominant role in It Ain’t Half Hot Mum as it gained the prestigious accolade of the first bilingual sitcom. Actor Michael Bates was born in India and could speak fluent Urdu therefore Perry and Croft were determined to incorporate this aspect into the series. As an actor, Knowles was in awe of Bates’s ability to switch between languages at the drop of a hat and this added to the authenticity of the show. For eight series and fifty six episodes, It Ain’t Half Hot Mum proved a hit and the onscreen chemistry between Captain John Ashwood and Lieutenant Colonel Reynolds alias Michael Knowles and Donald Hewitt became one of the most endearing aspects of the sitcom. The chemistry which they nurtured at the Watford Palace Theatre was now being rekindled on screen in one of the biggest sitcoms of the day. For Michael, it was of real benefit to be able to interpret the actions and behaviour of his co-star and believes that this was one of the components in making It Ain’t Half Hot Mum one of Britain’s best and most enduring situation comedies.

Beyond his acting credentials, Michael also carved out a successful career as a writer. In 1980 together with David Croft, he successfully adapted the scripts of Dad’s Army for the radio version of the legendary sitcom. The series was fortunate enough to rely on the talents of the original cast which was a major component to the show’s success. The mission was to maintain the authenticity of the TV series while applying the disciplines of radio. Having known the majority of the cast for many years, Michael was able to determine the phrases and mannerisms unique to each character. Not only was he familiar with the characters and their various idiosyncrasies, he also knew the abilities of each actor so could tailor the dialogue and action to fit each member of the cast. Such a task would not have been possible without Knowles’s extensive knowledge of Dad’s Army, its characters and most importantly, the actors involved. In short Michael was the perfect candidate to perform this craft and remains extremely proud of his involvement in the Dad’s Army story.

His association with the Perry and Croft franchise wasn’t over and in 1988 reunited with Donald Hewitt for one last time in You Rang M’Lord alongside Paul Shane, Su Pollard and fellow Watford Palace Theatre alumni Jeffrey Holland. Cast as The Honourable Teddy Meldrum; the brother of Lord Meldrum (Donald Hewlett), owner of Meldrum House, who takes matters into his own hands when he hires new servants to run the home. This ensemble cast of three of David Croft’s best loved sitcoms: It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, Hi-De-Hi and Allo Allo were all carefully cast as the last outing for such an enduring formula. Such familiarity encouraged Perry and Croft to experiment with the principles of sitcom and instead of adhering to the standard thirty minute time slot, the sitcom legends updated the genre by making each episode fifty minutes in length. Despite not being as celebrated as Perry and Croft’s earlier work, Knowles insists that You Rang M’Lord remains a comedy classic and is still one of TV’s biggest exports.

Sadly this proved to be Michael’s last regular TV role as he embarked upon a well deserved retirement. In 2016 he was enticed by a cameo in the star studded BBC One sketch show Walliams and Friend which was the ultimate acknowledgment of his comedy pedigree. Yet as complimentary as it is to be a sitcom legend, Knowles remains content to enjoy a relaxed and fruitful retirement. Despite his vast achievements as a writer and actor, he takes pleasure in the knowledge that he was part of an elite group of comic actors who helped to define the British sitcom in the seventies and eighties. Fads and fashions in television come and go but Michael Knowles was part of a comedy franchise which will never be forgotten. There’s not many better testimonies for one’s career than making an indelible mark on one’s industry and our subject has definitely achieved this. It was an absolute pleasure to meet and interview the legendary Michael Knowles and with a formidable career behind him, he most certainly has earned a long and prosperous retirement of holidays, watching live comedy and celebrating the golden era of the British situation comedy.

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Barton Manor, the former East Cowes home of legendary music impresario Robert Stigwood is no stranger to historic and defining moments but between 6 and 8pm on Saturday 30th April, in association with Medina Bookshop, current owners Dawn and Alex Haig-Thomas of Barton Manor will be hosting an evening of drinks, canapes, charity and insight, with proceeds going to the Ukrainian Appeal.  Canapés with a Ukrainian twist will be served by the highly acclaimed team at ‘All About Catering’ and guests will be treated to a short piano performance by acclaimed Island Pianist, Tom Nuckley.

Proceeds will go to the charity MAD-Aid, which is based in East Cowes and has been sending shipments out to Ukrainian refugees in Moldova with the support of Red Funnel.  The founder Victoria Dunford BEM has organised nine shipments so far of essential items donated by islanders.  With an estimated 400,000 people fleeing Ukraine into the Republic of Moldova, there is still great need for further assistance.  Victoria will share her insights followed by Stephan Roman the author of ‘Isle and Empires – Romanov Russia, Britain and the Isle of Wight’ who will provide some historical context and give a short account of his grandparents fleeing the tyranny of Russia through Ukraine exactly 100 years ago.

Tickets are £25 and can be purchased at: Barton Manor & Medina Bookshop Ukrainian Fundraising Event – Medina Book Shop. The evening which takes place from 6pm until 8pm on Saturday 30th April also includes a raffle with prizes being donated by both Island residents and businesses. After two years where it seemed like the world stood still, it’s great to be able to take part in a live shared experience once again and in aid of a good cause. So together let’s all partake in the shared experience of community as we come together to understand and appreciate the full extent of the war in Ukraine.

While the world finds itself in a state of chaos and unrest, we can draw some solace and consistency from the great people of Britain who are always willing to fight for peace. It’s clear that we can’t rid the world of its political and social pitfalls which remain at the heart of each and every conflict. Yet by using the power of education and insight to highlight the grave atrocities taking place, it makes the clear statement that hate shall never win and peace will forever prevail.

The post Isle of Wight Ukraine Fundraising Event appeared first on Beyond The Title.

Photos courtesy of Graham McCann and Wikimedia commons

This week Britain woke to yet another reminder of the fading light of the pioneering generation of British comedy when it was revealed that legendary executive Beryl Vertue had sadly passed away aged 90. A trailblazer in the world of television and pioneer of literary representation, in an unprecedented career spanning an astonishing seven decades, Beryl Vertue forever remained on the cutting edge of the Arts and was beloved by her industry. Yet her formidable contribution to British comedy remains somewhat unrecognised amongst the general consensus of the public eye which is a travesty. Still her death in February 2022 possibly marks the end of an era for the original generation of post-war entertainment.

Answering a job advert in the local newspaper in 1953 would, unbeknown to her, welcome Vertue into a unique world which she would come to dominate for the next six decades. Associated London Scripts based above a greengrocers on Uxbridge Road in Shepherd’s Bush was originally established merely as a basic way for Spike Milligan to submit Goon Show scripts to the BBC in his frequent spells of manic depression. Landlord of The Grafton Arms turned BBC announcer Jimmy Grafton had previously acted as Milligan’s representative when negotiating deals but even the unconventional brain of Spike Milligan realised the need for theatrical representation. Therefore she may only have been on the wages of a tea lady though under Vertue’s pioneering leadership, Associated London Scripts went from merely an access point to one of the most creative, influential and successful talent agencies in Britain.

Whilst at ALS, Vertue realised the increasing value of the output which was occurring out of this creative hotbed. By such time she was single-handedly representing influential creative figures including; Spike Milligan, Eric Sykes together with Ray Galton and Alan Simpson and a young Johnny Speight. Such a task was proving increasingly harder as each writers’ workload grew and the agency expanded to incorporate representation for entertainers. For this, Beryl recruited a handful of junior secretaries and in turn helped to cultivate and nurture the next generation of literary and theatrical agents, something which seemed revolutionary for its time. Everyone from Tessa Le Bars to Norma Farnes benefited from Vertue’s groundbreaking foresight and remained with their charges throughout their careers.

This coincided with the emergence of the American television market which now became interested in exportation of British comedy vehicles for the very first time. Again, Beryl saw the value in such a concept and treated it as a business agreement rather than merely an international exchange. Having overseen the successful transition of Hancock’s Half Hour from radio to television in 1956, she quickly realised the benefits of selling such formats across the pond. Yet while ALS was a creative hotbed, all members were content merely writing for British audiences and playing around with their own brand of off the wall humour. This was all about to change as the conservative fifties gave way to the swinging sixties and Britain’s public conscience was born.

In 1962 Head of Light Entertainment Tom Sloan offered Vertue’s clients Ray Galton and Alan Simpson the opportunity to pen six different sitcom pilots following the departure of their sole performer; Tony Hancock. Comedy Playhouse took the form of six self contained sitcoms starring some of the biggest names in comedy and theatre in a bid to land a reoccurring series. As an agent, it fell to Vertue to act as the middle man between the corporation and the comedy writing stalwarts and developed an excellence for negotiating a deal. This resulted in the long running bittersweet sitcom Steptoe and Son starring theatre actors Wilfred Bramble and Harry H. Corbett. While at this stage of her career, Vertue was merely concerned with securing the right deals for her various charges, her knowledge and insight of the TV fraternity was rapidly growing. This slowly gained her recognition amongst elite showbiz circles and it wasn’t long before Beryl Vertue would become one of the most important figures in Light Entertainment.

Associated London Scripts disbanded in 1966 as the major campaigners each agreed to go their separate ways merely as a natural progression for their respective careers: Spike Milligan and Eric Sykes set up home at Orme Court in Kensington. While Galton and Simpson joined Frankie Howerd as part of Tessa Le Bars Management who remained loyal to them until their respective deaths. Meanwhile Beryl Vertue had already been headhunted by theatrical impresario Robert Stigwood who was looking to expand his growing empire to incorporate the newly financially lucrative world of British comedy.

With Vertue’s unrivalled insight and experience of the British comedy landscape, she became a vital tool in the media expansion of the Robert Stigwood Organisation. Bringing with her the rights to major TV comedy formats, Beryl continued to sell British comedy vehicles to the American market including Johnny Speight’s Till Death Us Do Part which she became an ardent supporter of despite accusations of blatant racism and xenophobia. Vertue was quick to understand the satirical tone in which Till Death Us Do Part was intended and as an associate of Speight, felt compelled to defend it. On 12th January 1971 CBS premiered the first episode of All In The Family based on Johnny Speight’s controversial sitcom classic which paved the way for a succeeding comedy formats to cross the Atlantic in the search of international success. Yet it was Beryl Vertue’s vision which was the catalyst for transatlantic exchange.

Beyond comedy, The Robert Stigwood Organisation was one of the most reputable names in theatre and music. The management team behind music heavyweights; The Bee Gees and Cream, Robert Stigwood spearheaded a multi functional entertainment factory which was a first of its kind. Stigwood’s theatrical domination would offer Beryl the opportunity to widen her entertainment expertise as the theatrical impresario tasted success with the West End adaptation of Hair before collaborating with Andrew Lloyd-Webber for the award winning Saturday Night Fever. Yet Stigwood’s flair for entertainment made him realise that in Vertue he had probably the best comedy scout in the business and he was certain to make the most of it. 

Beryl’s unrivalled grounding in British comedy offered the organisation another string to an already generous sized bow. Inheriting Associated London Scripts, Stigwood quickly established Associated London Films, making Vertue executive producer. This new company became responsible for classic British comedy films including The Plank; the silent movie written by and starring Eric Sykes alongside Tommy Cooper. Indeed throughout her tenure at The Stigwood Organisation, Vertue never forgot the talents of her former clients at Associated London Scripts and was always eager to find them platforms to showcase their unique talents in the way that only she knew.

Embracing the new phenomenon of the TV movie, under Beryl’s leadership Associated London Films now had the platform to offer Britain’s biggest names in comedy the opportunity to hit the big screen. This included movie spin-offs of sitcoms Steptoe and Son and Till Death Us Do Part into feature length movie specials. Having enjoyed such a close relationship with both Johnny Speight and Galton and Simpson, Beryl had seen their success from penning early scripts to witnessing their work on screen. Therefore she had developed a nose for comedy and instantly knew which pieces had potential for upscaling to a 90 minute movie. Just like Stigwood himself had a specialism in music and theatre production, Beryl Vertue had created an unrivalled expertise which proved vital to Stigwood’s growing empire.

After the best part of fifteen years at the Robert Stigwood Organisation, Beryl made the brave decision to step out on her own and created her very own production company Hartswood Films in 1979. Their early work was mostly dominated by selling British television formats to American networks which had been the staple of Vertue’s tenure at both ALS and The Stigwood Organisation. In partnership with daughter Sue, Beryl’s knowledge and experience of the television fraternity together with her developing skills as a producer, helped Hartswood Films go from niche independent production house to one of the most prolific content providers in the world.

Forever a champion of comedy, in 1992 Hartswood Films became responsible for an early evening sitcom written by Simon Nye. Broadcast as part of ITV’s early evening line-up, Men Behaving Badly starred Martin Clunes and Harry Enfield as two young flatmates Gary and Dermot coping with the challenges of early nineties Britain. Crucified by TV critics and unable to find a loyal pre-watershed audience, Men Behaving Badly was dropped by ITV after just two series. Yet with Beryl’s foresight, she wasn’t ready to give up on the sitcom and following some vital tweaks to the format, took the adult concept to BBC Head of Light Entertainment James Moir who saw its potential.

In 1994 Men Behaving Badly premiered on post watershed BBC1 to rave reviews and provided the perfect social compliment to mid nineties lad culture. Brassy, edgey and on point with the zeitgeist of Britpop, Men Behaving Badly grew to represent the social freedom of the era and became a visual shorthand for the liberal revolution now taking place. Just like with Hancock and Till Death Us Do Part, Beryl continued to champion the sitcom irrespective of her own social preferences through simply having an innate ability to know those shows which would identify with a particular demographic. Continuing for another four award winning series on the BBC, Men Behaving Badly proved a ratings juggernaut and heralded Hartswood Films as a formidable television powerhouse.

As the new millennium dawned, TV comedy was now required to embrace the contemporary internet generation. Now into her fifth decade in comedy, Beryl Vertue produced the latest offering from the Hartswood Films production. Coupling starring Jack Davenport and Sarah Alexander centred around the dysfunctional relationships of two couples in their late twenties. Running for four series and 28 episodes written by Vertue’s celebrated son-in-law Steven Moffat, Coupling became a post millennium cult classic and helped to establish a whole new generation of acting talent and despite never reaching the same heights as Men Behaving Badly, Coupling still had all the ingredients of a modern comedy classic.

For her final project, Beryl Vertue escaped the safe realms of the TV sitcom for the enigmatic world of the TV murder mystery drama in the form of a modern twist on the tales of Sherlock Holmes. Embracing the cutting edge techniques of television drama, Sherlock brought the gripping stories of Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle bang up to date in a big budget, cinematic production and made stars of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. First broadcast on Sunday 25th July 2010, Sherlock instantly became a hit and gave Beryl that familiar taste of success in her 57th year in showbusiness. Becoming a Sunday night favourite, Sherlock became one of the BBC’s biggest exports and top ratings juggernaut. It was clear that the Vertue magic hadn’t disappeared yet.

I had the enormous pleasure to meet the legendary Beryl Vertue in 2018 on the set of BBC Radio 4 Extra’s The Comedy Controllers, recorded at the BBC Radio Theatre in Shepherds Bush. Obviously by this time, she was well into her eighties and walked with a thin, pink, glittery walking stick which lit up with every step she made. As I sat and watched her wax lyrical about radio comedy of the past, it occurred to me that I was in the presence of one of the pioneers of British comedy. She may not have directly made audiences laugh but in her time Beryl Vertue had been pivotal to hours and hours of laughter. After the show, Paul Jackson kindly introduced me to the great lady when I explained that I had spent a long time attempting to interview her. “Sorry about that!” she said jokingly as I gave her a CD copy of my radio documentary. Alas, sadly we never got to do that interview but I always wish we had and can only imagine the incredible insight and wonderful anecdotes which it would have generated. Beyond The Title is poorer for it…

Beryl Vertue’s death in February 2022 possibly marks the end of a formidable era of the symbiotic relationship between the writer and performer. From the experimental revolution of the early 1950’s to the multi platform generation of the post millennium era, Beryl Vertue encapsulated the entire story of post war entertainment. Forever astute, ever loyal and with one of the most creative minds in showbusiness, Beryl’s incredible talent took her from tea lady to one of the most influential women in British television. As for her legacy, it’s impossible to define just for the formidable repertoire which she was so integral to. Encompassing her vast contributions to entertainment, it’s evident that Beryl Vertue may be gone but never forgotten.

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Born in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, John discovered his passion for entertainment when his parents took him to watch twice nightly variety shows at the Theatre Royal in Portsmouth where he would later enjoy a whole host of successful interviews. These were the final days of traditional theatrical variety and John was lucky enough to watch some of the icons of the art on that famous stage. Everyone from Barry Took to Benny Hill travelled south to perform at the Theatre Royal and thus sparked John’s lifelong passion for the stars of the big and small screen. This ignited his fascination with showbusiness but with showbiz journalism not yet recognised as a profession, John was forced to find alternative employment outside the glamorous world of entertainment.

As a salesman for Britain’s leading biscuit manufacturer United Biscuits which was the umbrella company for McVities for thirty years from 1969 – 1998, John took pride in his job and was loyal to the company for many years. While it lacked the bright lights of Hollywood, United Biscuits offered John consistency and freedom to indulge his passion for entertainment which began a long association with local publication The Isle of Wight Weekly Post and then followed by The Isle of Wight County Press. This coincided with the rediscovery of Summer Seasons on the island and John was commissioned to write a weekly column entitled Stage Talk where he would interview the stars performing at either Sandown Pier or Shanklin Theatre. These two theatres welcomed some of the biggest names in entertainment including; Cilla Black, Tommy Cooper, Jimmy Tarbuck and Bob Monkhouse who all were the subjects of John Hannam’s Stage Talk as the biscuit salesman began to build an unrivalled catalogue of celebrity insights.

Contributing articles to the entertainment magazine The Stage, John tasted his first brush with national acclaim. Yet despite being extremely passionate about fame and celebrity, the local journalist never craved it for himself and was more interested in the showbiz careers of the figures whom he admired rather than furthering his own entertainment journey. In later years he was delighted when Desmond Carrington from BBC Radio 2 contacted him in his quest to use a clip from his interview with a Hollywood legend. To Carrington’s surprise, John waived the broadcast fee explaining that it was never about the money for him. Instead the thought of one of his interviews being played on BBC Radio 2 was a joyous feeling which no amount of money could ever buy.

By 1990 the Isle of Wight had won the licence to create its own dedicated radio station based in Newport. In the same year, John took the somewhat brave decision to leave his job at McVities and follow his dream to become a full time showbiz writer and journalist. The newly formed Isle of Wight Radio promptly offered him the Sunday lunchtime slot in which he would interview significant figures from the world of entertainment who each had a link to the island. For over a quarter of a century John Hannam Meets became a staple of the radio schedule and was the perfect accompaniment to roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Unphased by fashions, fads and current affairs, John Hannam Meets became a local slice of pure unadulterated showbusiness which provided much needed escapism in a troubled world.

Forever devoid of analytical commentary, John was never fussed by the intellectual and superior approach of modern journalism and instead created all his interviews in the same informal style. He absolutely loved everything about entertainment and this became evident from his line of questioning. The analysis of entertainment was for straight talking journalists with political bias but for John, he just wanted to revel in his subject’s showbusiness credentials and this was his unique appeal. Personally I find it impossible to create an interview without an analytical approach so although John made asking informal questions look natural, this style is really difficult to execute. It’s only embracing this aspect of his career that one is able to fully appreciate the sheer talent of John Hannam.

A tireless supporter of local entertainment, John became the resident host of the annual Island Theatre Awards and took much pleasure from charting the success of many local artists. He was extremely proud of his Isle of Wight roots and frequently featured celebrities with a local connection. Everyone from Mark King from Level 42 to the broadcaster and campaigner David Icke benefited from John’s generosity and support over the years. Here was a man who took pride in showcasing what the Isle of Wight had to offer and was eager for local stars to shine. Having such a unique way of interacting with people, John always had his finger on the pulse when it came to local talent and just wanted to lend a hand to their showbiz plight.

His association with the community didn’t simply end with showbusiness. Following a successful start to his Isle of Wight Radio tenure, he realised that his audience didn’t just want to learn about the lives of celebrities. Instead he expanded the show’s remit to encapsulate the strong sense of community on which the island is based. Suddenly it wasn’t just the rich and famous whose voices were being heard on a Sunday lunchtime. People from all walks of life were now being featured and through John’s enthusiastic tone, the listening audience were able to obtain an insight into their surroundings from someone who would never have been given a platform. It might have only been a local radio show but for many islanders, John Hannam embodied the very essence of entertainment.

It was for this very reason that myself and John got to know each other very well. With a shared love for all things entertainment, it seemed obvious that we would get along…and we did. Unfortunately I only met John later in his life when I was embarking on a project surrounding the history of theatrical agents in the UK. The first time I met John was at the entrance to Medina Theatre as I was waiting to meet the great Jimmy Tarbuck ahead of the Isle of Wight leg of his nationwide tour. Tarbuck had given me strict instructions to make myself known to the reception staff who would then inform him of my arrival. As we were waiting, the automatic doors to the theatre opened and in walked John carrying his infamous briefcase containing his sound equipment and carefully crafted notes. The receptionist then directed him to Tarbuck’s dressing room where the pair reunited for a chat. When the receptionist returned, she asked me if I’d ever met John and recommended him as a useful ally. This was the start of a blossoming friendship between myself and Mr Hannam which spanned almost a decade.

Over the years, I was lucky enough to witness firsthand John’s precision and dedication to his craft. On one occasion, on the lead up to the launch of my radio documentary in 2016, I accompanied him up to the BFI Southbank where he recorded a special edition of John Hannam Meets with the major contributors to my radio documentary: the musical director Mike Dixon and comedy writer and author Colin Edmonds. Ever prepared, John had piles of colour coded notes and made use of the hour ferry journey to undertake some crucial last minute preparation. Each subject matter took on a different colour so that John could cover all aspects of their career. It’s pertinent here to note that it was very seldom for John to prepare deliberate questions for his subjects as he always strove to make the interview appear as informal as possible. Therefore such preparation was invaluable for John to feel in control of the interview without making it seem forced or contrived.

When we arrived at the BFI, John quickly realised that there was another guest in our presence which he hadn’t accounted for and I began to panic on John’s behalf. Ever confident and professional, John interviewed Colin and Mike effortlessly with his trademark showbiz style which island residents had grown so familiar with for generations. Now it came to the third impromptu guest who had no idea that he was an unexpected addition to the episode. I felt so incredibly sorry for John as without research or preparation, surely it would be impossible for him to do the interview? Yet this was John Hannam: an unrivalled master of broadcasting and communication. The interview was flawless and John was able to use his forty year experience to get him out of what would have been a tight situation. On the ferry trip on the way home, I said “were you expecting that third guest?” To which he replied “no, but I think I got away with it!”. Therefore it just shows that even the great John Hannam was able to wing it from time to time.

This wasn’t the only time that John embarked on a journey to interview fascinating characters from the world of entertainment and despite the locality of the show, John remained forever eager to travel all over England in order to interview the great and good of showbiz. When interviewing the legendary comedy actress June Whitfield in her hometown of Wimbledon in London, she was so honoured that John had made the trip on the train that she agreed to collect him from the station. Such a simple gesture meant a lot to the humble man who had grown up listening to Take It From Here on the wireless and this produced one of thousands of anecdotes which he was never afraid to draw upon. Whether it was going to dinner with Jimmy Tarbuck or stepping onto those famous cobbles of Coronation Street, John never took his position for granted and was always in awe of the status he had created. 

Embracing new technologies in 2015, the veteran broadcaster moved what had since become the legendary John Hannam Meets to an online podcast available on all streaming services. This wasn’t the only new project that he had up his sleeve as following the advice of his good friend Marty Wilde, John collated his favourite interviews into a book featuring music stars of the fifties and sixties. In developing the book he realised that there was scope to replicate the process to celebrate figures from the whole breadth of entertainment. Such an idea spawned the publication of three more books in the succeeding years which filled him with immense pride.

Just four years later as he was putting the finishing touches on his fourth and final book within the John Hannam Meets series, he fulfilled a lifetime’s ambition when he secured an interview with his heroine Dame Judi Dench. This meant so much to him after a whole career of attempting interviews with some of the biggest names in entertainment and Dame Judi didn’t disappoint. In the same year, he and his new partner Bertie were personally invited to a garden party in the grounds of Buckingham Palace where they met members of the Royal family. After a lifetime of interviewing and researching the biggest names in entertainment, it seemed that showbusiness was starting to give back to the man who had devoted his life to it.

Thursday 23rd September 2021 shall forever be a very dark day for local showbusiness journalism as the Isle of Wight slowly woke to the sad death of the multi-talented John Hannam. His legacy is one which is difficult to quantify and summing up his extraordinary contribution to island entertainment remains even harder. Yet through his comprehensive archive of interviews with some of the most prolific figures of the latter half of the twentieth century, his work is immortalised for future generations to learn from. Therefore John Hannam may be gone but as long as there’s audio equipment, he’ll never be forgotten.

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It had been seventeen years since Parkinson bid farewell to BBC1 as it swapped sides to ITV in a controversial move following the corporation reclaiming the rights to Premiership football in 2004. The proposed solution of moving the series to the Wednesday evening slot did not sit well with the production crew including Parky himself. Therefore ITV and Head of Entertainment Mark Welles saw an opportunity to poach the chat show heavyweight and offered him his normal Saturday night slot as it went up against the newly reinstated Match of the Day on his former channel. Parkinson survived on ITV for another three years, merely a year less than its decade anniversary of its second incarnation. Despite commercial popularity, the show never regained its former BBC supremacy and on Sunday 16th December 2007 a host of stars including Billy Connolly, Judi Dench, Michael Caine and Sir David Attenborough were amongst a stellar cast as Parky signed off from the show which had defined his career.

Ending such an iconic show in the history of British television somehow never felt right doing it on anything other than prime time BBC1. Despite ITV’s long successful history of Light Entertainment shows such as Blind Date, The South Bank Show and Des O’Connor Tonight, the network perhaps lacked the cultural integrity to preserve the show’s original mission. After all, it was Head of Light Entertainment Bill Cotton’s initial vision to see the interactions between three significant figures from the world of entertainment, sport and politics and give the watching audience the opportunity to see well known faces in a natural setting for the very first time. Producer Richard Drewitt, Cotton and Parkinson had a shared passion for the glitz and glamour of the great Hollywood era of the forties and fifties which formed the inspiration of the show’s calibre of guest. Therefore the first outing of the show was dominated by Hollywood’s hall of fame including John Wayne, Ingrid Bergman and James Cagney. In what became a somewhat bleak decade for Britain, Parkinson brought much needed glamour to our Saturday night and set the formula for the television interview.

Michael Parkinson had gone from the Daily Express to a researching role on an ITV cultural current affairs show entitled Scene At 6:30 where he reported on the days biggest talking points. As a reporter, it was his role to preside over a range of stories from entertainment to politics to local stories from the Manchester area. Boasting the first interview with Mick Jagger and charting the rise of The Beatles, Parkinson was in the perfect position to record the birth of Britain’s popular culture. This contribution suddenly put the young reporter on the radar of many TV executives and in 1968 he secured his first television vehicle Cinema which reviewed the biggest movies at the box office. The ITV equivalent to the BBC’s Film show, the programme saw Michael getting up close to the world’s biggest movie stars and reviewing the latest cinema releases. This helped to cultivate Parkinson’s laid back style which he would unknowingly hone in the succeeding years.

Talk shows and celebrity interviews weren’t anything new for the BBC; vehicles such as In Town Tonight and Face To Face had been a staple of fifties and sixties television entertainment. Everyone from Martin Luther King jr to Diana Rigg had been subjects of Face to Face presented by Jeremy Issacs from 1959 to 1962 which stripped a figure down to their foundations in a deeply concentrated and psychological conversation. The complete antidote to this interview style arrived in 1967 when the BBC plucked a young, brash DJ Simon Dee from the newly formed Radio 1 and gave him a prime time Saturday night talk show featuring some of the biggest names in entertainment. Dee Time was a product of its time: sassy, cheeky, irreverent and was aimed at the youth demographic. Yet a shift in management at the BBC as Bill Cotton was made Head of Light Entertainment meant that Dee Time’s days were numbered and was promptly cancelled in 1969.

With no talk show in his Light Entertainment department, Bill Cotton began to assess his options. After toying with the possibility of giving the format to an eager Bruce Forsyth, Cotton realised that a straight talking chat show wouldn’t serve an accomplished entertainer or comedian in the same way as Johnny Carson in America and therefore he’d been looking in the completely wrong place for his perfect candidate. He wanted the glitz and glamour of Hollywood but with the class and integrity of a broadsheet newspaper. Such a clear vision made him determined to find the right candidate and the recruitment of producer Richard Drewitt assisted in this process. This resulted in a trip to Granada to see the young journalist on the set of Scene At 6:30 and pitched the show to an eager Michael Parkinson and the rest is history.

Parkinson was first broadcast on Saturday 19th June 1971 and was part of BBC1 brand new stellar lineup consisting of: Bruce Forsyth’s Generation Game, Morecambe and Wise, The Two Ronnies and Match of the Day. These were halcyon days for the corporation who dominated the Saturday night schedule for almost a decade, providing a slice of entertainment for all. Bill Cotton had the strong belief that he could deliver a better night staying in than going out and with staggeringly high unemployment, this seemed a viable option. A simpler time with just three channels made for mass viewing figures and while a remote control was still a futuristic concept, once the audience had been enticed in, they remained so for the entire evening. Parkinson proved the perfect climax to such a feast of entertainment and rightfully earned its place alongside the great formats of this era.

Originally intended for an eight week summer filler, the first series of Parkinson featured among others; John Lennon and Yoko Ono, George Best, Orson Welles and Michael Caine. Unfortunately due to the BBC’s oversight for cultural preservation, this series was disposed of promptly after its transmission, leaving little record of its existence. When asked to comment on the subject by Radio Times, Parkinson stated “The BBC had a committee that sat down and decided what they would get rid of. They thought, ‘Nobody wants to watch that.’ I mean, why would you do that?” (Radio Times, 28/0821). Irrespective of motives, actions or the value of the lost first series, the show was an overnight hit with the audience and what began as a schedule filler was slowly becoming one of the most popular shows on television.

Perhaps the secret of its popularity was that it provided the opportunity to showcase what the corporation could deliver. Unlike other BBC Light Entertainment shows of the day, it didn’t benefit from colourful sets, extravagant opening titles or excitable audiences. Michael Parkinson was himself very understated, modest and elegant and the show echoed this. Actor Henry Kissinger played to an empty studio apart from production crew and entourage yet as a viewer, we didn’t know any different as in almost every context, the studio audience are merely passengers to the unfolding dialogue between Parkinson and his guest. Nevertheless, the audience was still an extremely vital part of the show and added to the magical awe of seeing these figures in a natural setting for the first time. The show promised big stars, insightful dialogue and shiny floor entertainment and time after time we weren’t let down.

Beyond the glamorous side of the show, Parkinson was also in the perfect position to chart the rise and fall of a star. The most obvious example of this was the great Mohammed Ali who made his debut on the show in 1971 following his first professional defeat to Joe Frazier. Through his four interviews with the international cultural icon between 1971 and 1982, Parkinson was able to chart the entirety of his professional boxing career from being crowned the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world to the beginning of his devastating illness which would first rob him of his charismatic persona and eventually lead to his death in 2016. Ali was not just a boxer, he was an entertainer, comedian, poet and ardent civil rights activist. This, combined with his soaring passion for the things he believed in together with Parkinson’s analytical line of interviewing, made for appointment to view television. Never frightened to ask emotive questions to the deeply passionate and gifted individual, Parkinson and Ali enjoyed a turbulent relationship through their four encounters and touched upon everything from religion to what perhaps might be known today as mental health. These moments didn’t just move the chat show format to uncharted territory but helped to extend our understanding of popular culture.

Following being declined the opportunity to take the series to the American style five nights per week chat show, Parkinson ended the first incarnation of the show in 1982 when he joined forces with David Frost, Angeles Rippon and Anna Ford for the short-lived TV-AM. Anchoring the BBC panel show Give Us a Clue from 1984 until 1992 and inheriting Radio 4’a flagship Desert Island Discs maintained Michael Parkinson’s presence in the world of broadcasting. He also made two series of Parkinson for ITV between 1987 and 1988 interviewing the likes of Elton John, Billy Connolly and Toyah Wilcox. As one of Britain’s leading television presenters, he was regularly the obvious choice to preside over entertainment specials such as the death of Eric Morecambe and The British Comedy Awards. Despite television and radio success in the succeeding years, Michael Parkinson was still synonymous with the chat show format and his seventies TV series was now being celebrated as landmark vintage British television at its very best.

Such a resurgence in popularity inspired the BBC to commission a retrospective series in which Parky looked back at iconic moments with memorable interviews from the eleven year run. The show was a hit which prompted the BBC to consider the possibility of reviving the iconic chat show for a twenty-first century reboot. On the evening of Saturday 9th January 1998, following a sixteen year hiatus, a sixty-two year old Michael Parkinson walked down those famous stairs to an extravagant vibrant studio and made his way to the famous chair. The benefits of both his age and now vast television experience made him extra confident in his ability to deliver a feast of entertainment and the calibre of his guests echoed this. Many of his younger subjects who had grown up watching the early incarnation of the show, now saw an appearance on Parkinson as a tangible indication of success and were more overwhelmed by appearing on the show than talking about themselves or their latest project. Therefore Parkinson took on a whole new dimension as it became a rite of passage not just for the watching public but for his guests as well. This was a watershed moment for Light Entertainment and the television interview never looked back.

To reprise a twenty five year old format and make it relevant to the viewing audience of today is a task which very few have achieved. Forever one step ahead of the zeitgeist, television has a responsibility to echo the fashion and fads of the time in order to stay relevant to its audience. This was the era of celebrity gossip, lad magazines and the birth of reality television and in the preceding decade before social media, the public demanded to have access to their favourite stars like never before. A softer approach than Jonathan Ross,subtler in style than Clive Anderson and with more integrity than Ruby Wax, Parkinson’s individuality was his journalistic straight talking approach to his interviews which was a welcome relief from the anarchic presentation of his nineties contemporaries.

Despite welcoming new and emerging talent to the famous blue chair, Parkinson always maintained a healthy relationship with the original clientele of the 1970’s show and cultivated a fascinating way of continuing this throughout the series. As both a friend and huge fan of David Attenborough, it was interesting to see the show chart not just the various landmarks of the broadcaster’s career but his individual contribution to our shared understanding of the natural world. There’s not many concepts that are able to record a figure’s reactions to witnessing the seemingly endless wonders of life but between 1971 and 2007, Attenborough recounted his endless experiences with wild animals, rare plants and the emerging threat of global warming to civilisation. Such an extensive list of fascinating topics for stimulating conversation made David Attenborough one of the series’ recurring figures and too one of Parkinson’s favourite guests.

Indeed, personally this relationship with Britain’s homegrown stars was what made Parkinson unique and whether he was partaking in friendly banter with Jimmy Tarbuck, talking sex with John Cleese or reminiscing about the sixties with Cilla Black, the audience always felt part of the conversation. It’s difficult to find another broadcaster with such deep insight and connections with some of the biggest names in entertainment and maybe that’s what made Parkinson so unique and successful for generations. Irrespective of his many iconic interviews with Mohammed Ali, Rod Hull, Meg Ryan and George Best, what is evident through all of it is a man who the audience likes and trusts. There’s no doubt that the talk show format has evolved and changed since he bowed out in 2007. Yet the standard in which he set for future generations remains as visible as ever. Therefore he might not have followed his father’s proposed career path and played cricket for Yorkshire but arguably Michael Parkinson’s contribution to public service broadcasting remains as significant as any Ashes win.

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The Grade brothers: Lew, Bernie (Delfont) & Leslie

Since the very conception of this website, I have thrived upon the opportunity to chart and celebrate some of the defining stars of the British Light Entertainment industry. Along with their supremely talented peers, these figures have become part of the fabric of Britain and been responsible for the continued success of television. Yet behind these genial performers lies a whole fraternity of producers, directors and senior TV management who are integral to the evolution of the medium. For a television viewer, the structure of a television corporation is something that is rarely considered in relation to the quality of the broadcaster’s output. Yet as we are about to find out, they can have a dominant effect on the course of entertainment and remain the real masterminds behind our favourite shows.

Over the next few weeks, Beyond The Title shall be both celebrating and charting the careers of a whole host of significant figures in the TV management from the past six decades. We’ve been lucky enough to obtain interviews from executives who represent each and every era of post-war entertainment which offers a unique insight into behind the scenes of the entertainment industry from its initial conception to the multi platform landscape of today. However, as by way of an introduction and to put the interviews into some sort of context, it may help if I offer some insight into this enigmatic world and the legendary heroes behind it.

The story of television management is almost as varied and colourful as the Light Entertainment tale itself but unfortunately there’s very little record of the actions of the following figures in what became a defining generation for entertainment. Many of whom had been bred on theatre and had either dealt with big egos or been one themselves. Almost forgotten about in this age of disposable content, these figures created the formula of television which continues to be built upon by their creative contemporaries. To do this, we have to go back to a simpler time before most of us were even alive and remember the characters responsible for the development of British television in its infancy. 

Television wasn’t always the centrepiece of mass entertainment and during the Second World War, Variety theatres were still thriving with diverse shows with a whole host of acts on the bill. Theatres like This Windmill gained cult status for the parade of nude women which became one of the most popular underground attractions of London’s thriving West End. To break up the art of the blatant nudity, The Windmill employed a roll call of speciality acts, jugglers, singers and comedians to fill the spaces between the raunchiness and thus modern Variety was born.

Alas, just like entertainment itself, the influx of content, channels and platforms has spawned an infinite number of opportunities to emulate the pioneers of the art and over the next few weeks we shall witness the changing face of television through the eyes of its creators. 

Lew Grade

Lew Grade

Born Lovatz Winogradsky, in Tokmak Ukraine on the 25th December 1906, Lew Grade’s flair for Charleston dancing had made him a promising child star. Yet a diagnosis of water on the knee would put a premature end to his dancing career and the young entertainer was forced to explore alternative outlets for his talents. Joining  Joe Collins’ talent agency following the family’s move to England, it wasn’t long before Collins saw promise in the former dancer and offered him a percentage of the company making it The Collins Grade Agency. By 1945 Lew was ready for a change and left Collins to form a new talent agency with younger brother Leslie, first calling it Lew and Leslie Grade Ltd before settling on the more recognisable Grade Organisation. 

Forever on the lookout to remain on the cutting edge of entertainment, in 1954, together with managing director of the London Palladium; Val Parnell, Grade was victorious in his bid to win the licence for commercial television. On the 25th September 1955 ATV was launched with the first airing of Sunday Night At The London Palladium which became a significant part in the popularity of the new network for over a decade and gave birth to stars including Bruce Forsyth and Norman Wisdom. Despite the emergence of homegrown talent, Lew realised the benefits of having an internationally acclaimed talent agency when enticing the biggest stars to appear on the Palladium stage. Over the next decade, everyone from Mario Lanza to Beryl Reid graced the legendary theatre and made Sunday Night At The Palladium one of the most influential shows of all time.

This interest in international stars encouraged Lew to consider TV formats for the American market. Puppeteer Jim Henson had been rejected from the major US TV networks and was looking for an opportunity to showcase his unique talent. Lew realised the potential in this unique entertainment and offered him a much needed platform. Other US exports which fell under the ATV umbrella were:  I Love Lucy, Dragnet and Highway Patrol. Not content with merely purchasing success, Grade also was eager to produce and create his own programming based on the winning formulas which had served Hollywood with so many triumphs. Recruiting the American movie phenomenon Tony Curtis and Roger Moore for the cult action series The Persuaders made the network relevant to the transatlantic audience and catapulted ATV into worldwide domination.

Despite transatlantic success, Lew also recognised the requirement to nurture and champion homegrown talent. Defending controversial claims ATV was flashy, trashy and cheap, he wasn’t frightened to stay true to the brash commercialism which ATV represented. Commissioning the often parodied Crossroads with its wobbly sets, clumsy camera angles and occasional dubious character acting, ATV aimed to offer something different from the conservative attitudes of the BBC. Yet despite industrial scrutiny, Lew always maintained his vision to bring commercialised entertainment to the masses.

Approaching seventy, Lew realised that he was nearing the ITA’s maximum age limit for retirement. Having given his ATV boardroom seat to Robert Holmes in 1982, he became chairman of Embassy Pictures. This was followed by a collaboration with the film director John Hough in establishing The Grade Company which became one of his last ventures within the world of entertainment. Lew Grade passed away on the 14th December 1998 at the astonishing age of 92 leaving an endless legacy of stars, drama and laughter in his wake.

Val Parnell

Son of one of the twentieth century’s greatest music hall ventriloquists Fred Russell, Valentine Charles Parnell was born on the 14th February 1892 in London. Working as a office boy for the Music Hall circuit from the age of thirteen, it wasn’t long before he was on the radar of theatrical impresarios Edward Moss and Oswald Stoll who had architected many of London’s best loved theatres. Beginning as a junior clerk for this formidable theatrical company, Val quickly ascended the ranks and following the sudden death of George Black in 1945, was promoted to managing director of the London Palladium. This coincided with a subtle change in entertainment and Parnell was able to be extremely forward thinking regarding the Palladium’s purpose in wider society.

In partnership with Lew Grade, Parnell raised the three million pound licence for commercial television with the Palladium offering much of the studio space following his decision to modernise the theatre. On 25th September 1955 ATV was launched and the climax of the opening night of the new channel resulted in the very first airing of Val Parnell’s Sunday Night At The London Palladium which became an instant hit with the public. Parnell was insistent that he didn’t just want to be the theatre provider and instead wanted the public to be in no doubt as to the identity of the Palladium’s ringleader. A formidable authority figure, anyone who ever worked either behind the scenes or on the famous stage instantly felt the power of Parnell’s leadership and irrespective of the egos of his stars, he was always in charge.

In addition to Sunday Night At The Palladium, Parnell also commissioned Val Parnell’s Saturday Spectacular produced by upcoming executive Brian Tesler who was also responsible for the Sunday equivalent. Variety was what the theatre was made for and Val was determined to make the most of it. Investment in the latest cameras and recording technology weren’t about to go to waste and in a matter of years, Parnell had transformed the London Palladium from a West End theatre to a television phenomenon. 

The success of his venture through entertainment encouraged Val to explore alternative money making schemes which led him into the property market. Unfortunately as a result of his split interest, he was forced to relinquish his position on the board of Moss Empires which became the gentle catalyst of his decline in his television supremacy. He was later bought out by Lew Grade and was forced to resign from his post at ATV following suspicions of adultery had been leaked. Accepting his fate, Val Parnell fled to France only to return to London where he passed away from a heart attack aged 72. 

Sidney and Cecil Bernstein

Sidney Bernstein

The creation and development of commercial independent television opened up unlimited opportunities for businessmen and media moguls to view entertainment as potential for lucrative investment. Born ironically in Iford, Essex to Jewish ancestry on 30th January 1899, Sidney Lewis Bernstein had grown up in the affluent areas of Greater Manchester with his parents and younger brother Cecil. In 1925 he founded The London Film Society with lifelong friend Alfred Hitchcock which was to surge his passion for the Arts as he became responsible for importing many European productions. Together with Hitchcock, Bernstein went about celebrating his Jewish roots in a controversial political documentary entitled German Concentration Camps: Factual Survey to critical acclaim. Narrated by writer and actor Colin Wells, the documentary features rare footage caught by Second World War cameramen of life in a typical German concentration camp and the barbaric living conditions which people suffered. Remastered in 2014, this groundbreaking documentary remains the closest artefact to witnessing first hand the atrocities of Nazi Germany.

Purchasing his father’s estranged theatre The Edmonton Empire in 1922, Bernstein successfully returned the theatre to the beating heart of the community by enticing the biggest stars of the day to perform. Everyone from Little Titch to Will Hay to Gracie Fields played The Empire which helped to develop Sidney’s flair for entertainment. These were the halcyon days of variety which arguably gave birth to the first generation of Britain’s homegrown stars. The Granada Theatre Company was founded in 1930 by Sidney and younger brother Cecil as they aimed to take advantage of London’s booming live entertainment scene. By 1934 the company was rebranded to Granada Ltd as the Bernsteins saw real potential for upscale. In the forgotten age before television, theatres and music halls were the staple of entertainment for the upper middle class and aristocracy. Yet the thrill of mass vaudeville had yet to reach a universal audience.

Northern England was one of the most affected areas of war torn Britain and the lack of industrial infrastructure resulted in mass unemployment and poverty. The popularity of The Empire encouraged Bernstein to think further afield about his next venture. In 1954 Bernstein won a percentage of the licence for commercial television which completed the deal between Lew Grade and Val Parnell. Granada Television was named after Bernstein’s successful theatrical company Granada Theatres which had proved popular either side of the Second World War. Moving into television, Bernstein realised the importance of staying true to his roots and thus Granada Television was born.

On the evening of Thursday 3rd May 1956, Granada Television went live for the first timeThe first programme on Granada’s opening night was Meet The People, a grand parade of all those who had helped Granada to set up shop in Manchester. The Master of Ceremonies was Quentin Reynolds, a personal friend of Bernstein’s who had helped to steer the ship during the unpredictable days of its initial airing. For the first twelve years of its existence, Granada was solely available in the north west and Yorkshire area until 1968 when it was broadcast nationwide Monday to Friday on the ITV network.

Bernstein wasn’t just a pioneer of television content. In 1956, four years prior to the opening of BBC Television Centre, Sidney and Cecil unveiled Granada Studios soon to be known simply as Granadaland. This was the UK’s first purpose built television factory equipped with the latest camera technology in order to capture this new era of entertainment. With this, Granada became a powerhouse of drama, current affairs and Light Entertainment and nurtured the careers of some of the brightest stars in the business. Up until it’s closure in 2013, Granada Studios played host to thousands of hours of televisual entertainment and remained at the beating heart of ITV for over half a century. Everything from World In Action, University Challenge and even the cobbles of Coronation Street owe a huge debt to the forward thinking approach of both Granada and the Bernsteins.

This was the first time that performers with regional accents had been fairly represented as opposed to the conservative BBC Received Pronunciation. Granada came live from Manchester and Bernstein believed that both its content and ethos should echo the values of northern working class Britain which had suffered more poverty and hardships than most of England. Hiring regional presenters who spoke similarly to its audience added a touch of legitimacy to the new network. No longer was national television restricted to London centred programming because this was Granada from the north.

In 1969 Bernstein’s services to entertainment were recognised when he was made a life peer as Baron Bernstein of Leigh in Kent. He was named a Fellow of the British Film Institute and received the International Emmy Directorate Award in 1984. He died in 1993, aged 94. From all of the great pioneers of television celebrated within this paper, Bernstein’s legacy is probably the easiest to quantify for the simple reason that over sixty years since the conception of Granada Television, one of its early incarnations still remains one of the most popular and watched shows on British television. For this reason along with his vast contributions to the evolution of television, Sidney Bernstein may be gone but never forgotten.

Ronnie Waldman

Frequently credited as the BBC’s first Head of Light Entertainment in 1955, Ronnie Waldman’s journey through entertainment had been a diverse one. Beginning his career as an actor and radio producer in 1935, Waldman had experienced both sides of the entertainment industry. Becoming a Light Entertainment producer in 1950 in the days when the BBC had very little in the way of a robust management structure, it wasn’t long before Waldman found himself as a senior member of the board. By 1955 he had been made Head of Light Entertainment which coincided with a severe sea change at the corporation. Commercial television had ended the BBC’s twenty three year monopoly and the corporation realised that they were required to reinvent themselves to compete with the glamourised Hollywood feel of commercial television.

Following ATV’s shock move to poach the BBC’s biggest radio stars; Billy Cotton and give him his own big budget variety show, Waldman was forced to act.Cotton found that television was eating up most of his stage act which had served him well in the theatre for many years. Likewise theatre tours were still paying the band’s wages and television was merely a distraction. Ever astute and business minded, Waldman understood this issue and negotiated with Billy’s son; Bill Cotton jnr to preserve some of his routines for his own tour. They agreed on a fortnightly show to give the band the opportunity to tour and this became a marriage made in heaven. Therefore it fell to the producer of the series Brian Tesler, to ensure that all material for the television show was totally independent from Cotton’s live shows. This mutual understanding between Waldman, Tesler and the entertainers representatives proved vital to maintaining Billy Cotton’s star power during the infant stages of television.

As Head of Light Entertainment, Waldman launched the careers of many of Britain’s most enduring stars. Following her memorable performance at the 1948 Royal Variety Performance, Ronnie offered the young Julie Andrews her first television show which became the springboard to her long and successful career in showbusiness. Unfortunately the other act which got an opportunity from Waldman wasn’t so lucky when he commissioned a comedy series entitled Running Wild starring the unknown comedy double act Morecambe and Wise. Slammed by the critics, Running Wild spawned the now infamous review “The definition of a television: The box they buried Morecambe and Wise in”.

Waldman remained as Head of Light Entertainment until 1958 when he was promoted to Business Manager of BBC Television before taking up the post as General Manager of BBC Enterprises. Yet his unrivalled contributions to BBC Light Entertainment were never forgotten and was what he’s mostly remembered for. Ronnie Waldman passed away on the 10th March 1978 aged 64. Throughout his career he didn’t architect theatres or financially invest in the Arts compared to some of his contemporaries. Yet in bringing the first generation of homegrown entertainment to the masses, Waldman arguably created the footprint for mass televisual entertainment which we know today. What an accomplishment! 

Sir Bill Cotton 

Arguably the most significant figure in the history of BBC Television, Sir Bill Cotton was born into the world of entertainment with his father being one of the twentieth century’s greatest ever bandleaders. Having been discovered in Southport in 1925, Billy Cotton became one of Britain’s first national stars performing to big audiences throughout the isles. Idolising his larger than life father, the young Bill Cotton was bred on variety and music hall and spent most of his childhood in theatres and music halls watching the legendary bandleader do what he did best. Born William Fredrick Cotton on the 23rd April 1928, the young Bill enrolled at Ardingly College in Sussex where he spent the majority of his childhood.

Joining Michael René music publishing services in the early fifties, Bill was on the cutting edge of the new phenomenon of Rock n Roll. This was the era when the early shoots of creativity were slowly emerging in prominent areas of Tin Pan Alley and Carnaby Street and Bill was in the perfect place to chart such a cultural change. In 1956 Cotton swapped Tin Pan Alley for Light Entertainment when he secured the post as a junior producer under the watchful eye of the Head of Light Entertainment Ronnie Waldman. The creation of independent television just a year previously had scrapped the BBC’S twenty year monopoly and for the first time in their history the corporation were under threat and for the next thirty years, Cotton made it his mission to regain their supremacy.

As producer of The Billy Cotton Band Show, Bill unarguably had an advantage over his contemporaries, having grown up with the concept and seeing it successfully transform from stage to radio and then later television. Yet he wasn’t afraid to put allegiances aside for the good of entertainment and when the Variety show was starting to look dated and tired, it was Bill who ultimately would make the big call. Such vision attracted the attention of senior BBC management and he was promptly put in line to ascend the ranks. In 1967 he became the BBC’s Head of Variety, overseeing the biggest shows of the day including David Frost’s That Was The Week That Was and Cilla which he created the formula for all pop shows of the following decade.

Never afraid to compromise the status quo in the name of entertainment, Cotton also acted as an arbiter of taste and when the doyen of 1960’s pop culture Simon Dee was building TV’s first huge ego, Cotton realised that he had to act. Identifying that Dee’s edgy presenting style wasn’t right for the conservative ethos of the BBC, his contract was promptly cancelled and he never worked for the corporation again. This cut throat authoritative attitude made Bill Cotton one of the most prolific executives of his generation and a formidable figure among showbusiness circles. 

When Morecambe and Wise’s ATV contract was up for renewal in 1968, Cotton realised the significance in returning them to the bedrock of the BBC. It had been over a decade since the disaster of Running Wild and Bill had the ambition to build upon the comedic patter which writer’s Hills and Green had forged during their ATV tenure. Having a close association with talent agent Michael Grade who was then looking after Eric and Ernie’s professional affairs at the entertainment division of the Grade Organisation, Cotton took him out for lunch where they did the deal which meant Morecambe and Wise were BBC bound.

This wasn’t the only double act which fell under Cotton’s radar. Following the tragic death of Tom Sloan in May 1970, Bill Cotton was promoted to the BBC’s Head of Light Entertainment which heralded a new era for television entertainment. Attending the 1970 Bafta Awards with BBC1 controller Paul Fox, he was delighted to sit and watch David Frost preside over an evening celebrating the best moments in cinema and television. Yet disaster struck when in the middle of proceedings, the London Palladium suffered a power cut. Ever prepared, David Frost organised some impromptu entertainment performed by Frost On Sunday regulars Ronnie Corbett and Ronnie Barker. The pair stormed the show which gave Bill an idea as he turned to Paul Fox and said “How would you like these on your channel?” To which Fox replied “But they’re signed to ITV!” Cotton then told him not to worry about that and arranged a meeting with David Frost where he made him a handsome offer which meant that Corbett and Barker were returning to the BBC and became Light Entertainment giants.

In cultivating the perfect Saturday night lineup, there were many different elements that were required to entice the audience to remain throughout the evening. Cotton realised that in order to do this, he had to devise a schedule which would have universal appeal and offer something for everyone. He wanted to create a showcase of BBC entertainment which would embrace and celebrate the very best that the corporation could offer. As inspiration, he observed Light Entertainment from around the world to establish if he could adapt transatlantic concepts to the British audience. While in Holland, he was invited to a recording of a two hour game show entitled One Out Of Eight in which teams of two would compete in a series of everyday tasks to claim victory. As he sat in the audience avidly watching the action unfold, Bill saw great scope in members of the public undertaking such activities and despite being unable to understand the interactions which were taking place, he still recognised the magic of the show.

On his return to BBC TV Centre, Cotton showed a tape of One Out Of Eight to an unsuspecting Bruce Forsyth who was under the assumption that the corporation wanted him to front a new chat show. It was Bill’s vision to transform this two hour extravaganza into a forty-five minute early evening game show with Forsyth at the helm together with star guests, colourful sets and chaotic contestants. As soon as Bruce realised Bill’s vision for this show, a pilot was commissioned where Bruce fell in love with the show and would go on to dominate the rest of his career. Bruce Forsyth’s Generation Game was first broadcast on Saturday 2nd October 1971 and set the benchmark for early evening Saturday night entertainment for the next half a century.

Having perfected the early part of the Saturday night line-up, Bill set to work on the climax of the schedule. The ever popular Match of the Day had already carved out the now infamous late night slot which was a guaranteed ratings winner but now Cotton had the impossible task to find the perfect accompaniment to the heavyweight football highlights show. The BBC hadn’t had a popular long-standing chat show since the controversial Dee-Time which Cotton decided to bring to a premature end in light of Dee’s maverick behaviour. Therefore the corporation was on the lookout for a new talk show which would embrace the breadth of worldwide entertainment. As a huge fan of the great Hollywood era, Bill wanted to make an interview based Light Entertainment show featuring some of the biggest names on the planet with a presenter who wasn’t an entertainer, but a journalist.

For this he looked to rival network Granada who had featured a former Fleet Street journalist who was now a reporter on the early evening arts show Scene At 6:30. Michael Parkinson had turned down cricket trials for Yorkshire to be one of the most prolific journalists of his generation and was responsible for the first television interview with Mick Jagger. Cotton and Parkinson shared the same passion for the great Hollywood era of the forties and fifties and were both excited about the potential to meet some of their heroes. Parkinson immediately accepted and producer Richard Drewitt was brought in to finalise the concept.

Cotton had strong views on the production of the show and had the desire to play strongly on the glamour of the Hollywood elite. Yet Parkinson and Drewitt realised the scope to see the interactions between actors, comedians, sportsmen and statesmen and women. Thus began a friendly battle between the three men over the calibre of guests, yet ultimately Cotton left all creative decisions to Parkinson and Drewitt only to pull the occasional disgruntled looks when walking passed their office on the fourth floor of TV centre. Eventually, following the huge success of Parkinson, Cotton admitted that the mix of personalities was what made the show unique and more importantly popular. Unbeknown to all three men, in honing this much debated concept, they had created the footprint for what became one of the most prolific and enduring Light Entertainment formats in television history which would survive for the next half century.

Bill Cotton would remain as the BBC’s Head of Light Entertainment until 1977 when he was promoted to Controller of BBC1 when he spearheaded the BBC charity fundraising television extravaganza Children In Need and launched the UK’s first breakfast television show with Frank Bough. He also poached Noel Edmonds from the safe confines of Multicoloured Swap Shop on Saturday mornings and united him with fellow DJ Mike Smith for The Late Late Breakfast Show which later became Noel’s House Party. Working his way up to Managing Director of the BBC, Cotton retired from the corporation in 1988 when he became chairman of Meridian Television before assisting his friend Jan Kennedy with the talent agency Billy Marsh Associates.

Accepting the BAFTA Fellowship for his services to Light Entertainment in 1998 before being knighted in 2001, Sir Bill Cotton spent his golden years celebrating and regaling his remarkable career in public service broadcasting. Writing his autobiography Double Bill in 2000 to rave reviews, Bill’s significant contribution to Light Entertainment was slowly being acknowledged by a wider audience. Bill Cotton passed away from cancer on the 11th August 2008 which triggered an outpouring of tributes from some of the legendary figures of television whom he helped to nurture. By how fondly he’s remembered by those who knew him together with the vast contributions to televisual Light Entertainment from its early conception to the heady days of 1970’s variety, it’s clear that Cotton’s legacy shall forever be felt across the whole television community. In short, Bill Cotton put the colour into Light Entertainment and for that the art shall forever be in his debt.

Grace Wyndham Goldie

Like most industries during the fifties and sixties, television management was extremely male dominated with severe bias towards heritage and elite social status. In an era before social equality, women were often scandalously overlooked when it came to positions of television management. Born on the 26th March 1900, Grace Wyndham-Goldie remains a significant trailblazer within the history of television management in what was an extremely difficult industry to break into. Beginning her career in 1935 as a columnist for the media magazine The Listener, Wyndham-Goldie spent six years reprinting and providing analysis for significant BBC texts. This offered huge insight into what would become her world for the rest of her career.

Joining the BBC as a radio producer in June 1944 in the midst of the Second World War when radio was arguably more important and popular than ever before. Yet it wasn’t just radio that Grace would have a dominant influence over at such a pivotal time for Britain. When Prime Minister Clement Atlee called the election, the BBC decided that full and uninterrupted coverage of the results together with political analysis was required to guide the public through the action. With her unrivalled background in political analysis, Wyndham-Goldie was put forward to produce such a defining moment in television. Anchored by BBC wartime stalwart Richard Dimbleby, the coverage was a success and set the benchmark for all future special broadcasts, thus making Grace Wyndham-Goldie into one of the most prolific executives of her generation.

Using both studies at Alexandra Palace, Wyndham-Goldie ordered the use of twelve feet maps of Great Britain, a library ladder on wheels for Dimbleby to reach all areas on the map and a long snooker shaped pointer for him to point to the selected constituents in question. She realised that despite being a serious evening of current affairs, analysts and debate, it also was required to entertain and captivate the audience in order to maintain their interest for the remainder of the evening. This was considered groundbreaking for the time when wrap around programming seemed totally incomprehensible and yet under Wyndham-Goldie’s pioneering leadership, television was finally being tested to its fullest potential.

Her association with Richard Dimbleby resulted in the relaunch of the current affairs programme Panorama which had failed to strike a chord with the public. Yet with the straight talking approach of Dimbleby, the programme earned much needed weight which made Panorama one of the corporation’s most enduring and successful programmes of all time. This paved the way for an influx of political analysis shows which offered unbiased insight into the biggest stories of the day. As a journalist herself, Grace realised the significance in selecting the most appropriate broadcaster to hold such a programme together and promptly poached ITV’s news anchor Robin Day to the safe confines of the BBC. For the next twenty years, Robin Day became synonymous with election night coverage and other high profile live events across the corporation, bringing television closer to the defining moments which would shape the nation.

Despite her soaring passion for politics, Wyndham-Goldie also recognised the significance of the BBC’s role to both entertain and offer alternative views on the day’s events. In 1963 she became instrumental to the booming underground satire movement when she contributed to the commissioning of the seminal satirical sketch show That Was The Week That Was which fused current affairs with Light Entertainment under the presiding tone of David Frost. Still in the conservative era when the corporation was heavily influenced by the reigning government of the day, Wyndham-Goldie wasn’t afraid to rock the establishment and move television into a new era. Although merely surviving for just one series That Was The Week That Was set the benchmark for all comedy satire hereafter and Wyndham-Goldie had the vision and foresight to make it happen.

As a woman in what was a hugely male dominated industry, it would have been easy for Wyndham-Goldie to be a passive subservient to the advancements in television which were taking place. Yet the ability to hold court with formidable executives including David Attenborough, Anthony Jay and Alistair Milne illustrated her drive and ambition as a professional. In an age before Women’s Lib and equal pay, here was a highly talented and experienced executive who had earned her position at the largest and influential broadcaster in Britain.

Retirement came in 1965 when she had reached the corporation’s maximum age for employment. By this time she had been promoted to the BBC’s Head of Talks and was responsible for the factual and serious side of television. Despite this, Wyndham-Goldie remained passionate and captivated by the corporation’s position within the British nation, something which never left her. She passed away on the 3rd June 1986 at the grand age of 86 yet her vast contributions to the development of British television are difficult to overlook and has truly earned her status as a broadcasting pioneer.

Dennis Main Wilson

Described by BFI Screenonline as “Arguably the most important and influential of all comedy producers/directors in British radio and television”, Dennis Main Wilson saw British Light Entertainment from its modern conception to the money making powerhouse it is today. Joining the BBC in 1941 aged 17 as a junior production assistant in the midst of the Second World War, Main Wilson quickly understood the corporation’s purpose in serving the nation throughout such a dark time. For his first mission he was recruited by the Documentary Unit of West Germany’s de-Nazification programme to help in the creation of political propaganda films which were marked to the British audience.

Once demobbed, Main-Wilson found himself deployed to the Variety Department of the BBC as a junior producer. This coincided with a significant boom in comedy as folk who had spent the war entertaining the troops were now on the lookout for another outlet for their talent. Encountering a nineteen year old former RAF servicemen named Bob Monkhouse, Main-Wilson saw potential in the young comedian and offered him a spot on the popular radio show Variety Bandbox which became the catalyst to his remarkable career. 

Monkhouse wasn’t the only comedian who Main Wilson championed during the conceptual stages of BBC comedy. Having been tipped off by fellow BBC Radio employee Jimmy Grafton, he met Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers who had been putting on comedy shows in a room above Grafton’s pub in Richmond. Originally calling themselves The Crazy People: a nod to Bud Flanagan’s wartime comedy show, the group had been performing off the wall material written by Spike Milligan. Main-Wilson liked what he saw and offered them a thirteen episode series. The Goon Show was first broadcast on the 29th May 1951 on the BBC radio Light Programme and became a landmark in the history of British comedy. However the conservative management at the corporation upheld some strong concerns over the show being able to fall in line with BBC protocol given its irreverent, surrealist tone. Main-Wilson therefore reassured the board that the BBC values would be upheld at all times which gave The Goon Show the green light to change the course of British comedy forever.

The success of The Goon Show made Dennis Main-Wilson one of the most in demand producers of his generation and writers and performers were queuing up to collaborate with the BBC’s brightest executives. Variety stalwart Derek Roy’s radio show was now looking a little tired and a dip in ratings had prompted Main-Wilson to act. For this he recruited a pair of scriptwriters who had met in a hospital when both were recovering tuberculosis. Ray Gallon and Alan Simpson were jobbing writers who were members of Spike Milligan’s talent agency Associated London Scripts who were looking to emulate their good friend and enter the world of radio comedy. Main-Wilson was impressed by the quality of Gallon and Simpson’s material and promptly placed them with the former Windmill Theatre comedian Tony Hancock which began a long standing partnership between the three men which thrived throughout the 1950’s.

Television was now gathering momentum and Main-Wilson was promptly deployed to the BBC’s television Light Entertainment department to take advantage of the new revolution. His responsibilities expanded to Variety and Light Entertainment which resulted in him producing the groundbreaking music show Six Five Special in 1957. Yet it wasn’t long before his comedy roots came to the forefront and when comedy powerhouse Charlie Chester wanted to try his hand at television, Main-Wilson was quick to oblige. Producing the domestic sitcom The Two Charleys starring Chester alongside actress Eleanor Summerfield as a touring Variety act offered the comedian his first television vehicle. 

As the fifties gave way to the sixties, Main-Wilson was conscious to echo the changing face of comedy. In 1960 he produced Sykes and a… which was the first time the public got a glimpse of the unrivalled chemistry between Eric Sykes and Hattie Jacques which would last for the next twenty years.  It was on the set of Sykes And a…that Main-Wilson encountered an up and coming writer called Johnny Speight who he saw promise in. He remembered him in 1965 when developing the concept for the BBC’s Comedy Playhouse which offered writers the opportunity to pitch and pen pilots of potential situation comedies. For this, Speight pitched the early incarnation of Till Death Us Do Part: a sitcom surrounding a middle aged, lower class tori loving bigot who struggles to understand the modern society of the sixties. Controversial with both the audience and critics, Till Death Us Do Part forever struggled to find a perfect balance between satire and xenophobia and it was Main-Wilson’s role to defend the show which he did with great vigor.

This support of Speight proved vital for the next part of the BBC’s comedy outpost as having faith in Main-Wilson encouraged Speight to remain loyal to the corporation. Everyone from Jimmy Tarbuck to James Bowlam were queuing up to work with these two trusted masters of comedy and this was something that Main-Wilson exploited. Never scared to blaze a trail, in 1979, Main-Wilson produced the BBC One sitcom Tea Ladies set in the House of Commons with a predominantly female cast including Mollie Sugden, Dandy Nichols and Patricia Hayes. Written by sitcom stalwarts Ray Galton and Johnny Speight,  Tea Ladies told the story of waitresses working for the. government which was sadly short-lived.

Other comedy productions which fell under the production of Dennis Main-Wilson during this period included: The Rag Trade (BBC, 1961-63), Lance at Large (BBC, 1964) starring Lance Percival; a one-off special with American comedian Allan Sherman, Allan in Wonderland (BBC, tx. 29/8/1964); and three BBC specials of Scott On… which originally united the talents of Terry Scott and June Whitfield prior to their sitcom success. It was clear that this period was extremely rich for creative talent and Main-Wilson had the foresight to both nurture and exploit this creativity to the benefit of the watching audience.

The other comedian to blossom under Main-Wilson’s leadership was the bug eyed enigma Marty Feldman who had previously been known for writing the 1950’s radio comedy Round The Horne in partnership with Barry Took. Having written for a whole host of comedy shows during the fifties and sixties, Feldman seeked his own comedy vehicle and Main-Wilson made this a reality when in 1968 he produced Marty followed by It’s Marty written by figures who world go on to dominate British comedy for the next two decades: John Cleese, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin and Terry Jones. Despite the short-lived series, this team would prove successful and spawned influential shows including Monty Python’s Flying Circus and The Goodies. 

Remaining loyal to the role of the comedy writer throughout his career, Main-Wilson was forever on the lookout for creative talent. Being passed a script by a scene shifter on the set of Dad’s Army, Main-Wilson honoured his request to take a look. By 1977 that scene shifter had been made into a TV comedy writer and his debut sitcom Citizen Smith aired on BBC1 on the 12th April and John Sullivan became one of the most exciting comedy writers of his generation and in a few years would create the heavyweight Only Fools and Horses. This was all down to the remarkable nouse of Dennis Main-Wilson who recognised Sullivan’s flair for TV comedy.

Approaching retirement, Main-Wilson returned to BBC radio where he collaborated on documentaries celebrating the history of BBC comedy. He passed away from lung cancer on 20th January 1997 aged 72. From championing post-war comedy to bring the driving force behind the British sitcom boom of the 1970’s, Dennis Main-Wilson was integral to just about every revolution in British comedy during the latter half of the twentieth century and his legacy is felt in almost each and every Light Entertainment show from that era. So just like our favourite comedy stars who he nurtured and championed from the great era, Main-Wilson may be gone but never forgotten.

So this has been my definitive celebration of the forgotten pioneers behind television who were integral to some of the defining moments of our popular culture. In order to fully appreciate and celebrate significant TV of yesterday, there’s potentially a requirement to assess the workings of management who were integral to some of Britain’s most defining television moments. The above names may not have the star appeal of the figures which they helped project, yet in their time they were pivotal to the evolution of Britain’s rich and diverse popular culture. That’s quite an achievement!

The post THE BARONS OF TV MANAGEMENT appeared first on Beyond The Title.

The reason for my blogging absence is because I’ve been hard at work writing another book celebrating and documenting over forty of my favourite interviews from the past three years. So hopefully this article will wet your appetite for wanting to purchase a copy. If not then at least you wouldn’t have spent your hard earned cash on a load of crap! However for those of you who are interested I hope you’ll like the smorgasbord of celebrity insights which await you. Once again I have been overwhelmed by the calibre of people who have given up their precious time to be subjected to my frequently bizarre line of questioning and have each done it with the utmost joyful enthusiasm. So if you’re feeling brave, let’s relive the past twelve months in the life of Beyond The Title:

Stanley Johnson

Former MEP turned reality star Stanley Johnson gave me his take on Boris’s rise to fame just six months prior to him taking office and becoming Prime Minister.

Stella Duffy 

The celebrated author and performer reflected on her New Zealand upbringing. 

Tony Slattery 

The actor and comedian remembered his time spent with the legendary Peter Cook. 

Larry Lamb

For our Christmas issue the incomparable actor and broadcaster unpicked the magic of Gavin and Stacey.

Simon Greenall 

The comic actor and voice artist reflected on the beginnings of the famous felines from the Compare The Market adverts.

Krishnan Guru-Murthy

The journalist and broadcaster explained what makes Channel Four News so unique. 

Kenny Lynch

The legendary entertainer shared his memories of the late Cilla Black.

Edwina Currie

The former Health Minister reflected on the 1980’s salmonella outbreak. 

Dame Esther Rantzen 

The broadcasting titan reflected on the first ever BBC Children In Need. 

Julie Hesmondhalgh

The former Coronation Street actress told us of her huge privilege of playing a role in breaking down the barriers of the perception of transgender families in the 21st century.

Jon Snow

Channel Four News anchor revealed his brush with dictator Idi Amin. 

Paul Bradley

The celebrated actor told us about a remarkable lady called Esther who he met through his work with Comic Relief.

George Layton 

The legendary comedy actor told us about the beginnings of the ITV sitcom Doctor In The House.

Julian Dutton

The writer and comedian remembered Roy Hudd’s warm up prior to a recording of The News Huddlines.

Gordon Kennedy

The comedian and broadcaster recalled the development of The National Lottery. 

Vicki Michelle

The allo allo legend remembers her time on Noels House Party.

Jeffrey Holland

The sitcom stalwart reminisced about the core members which spawned three successful sitcoms

Robert Ross

The celebrated comedy historian analysed the tragic demise of Benny Hill 

Johnny Ball

The legendary entertainer waxed lyrical about his immense pride for daughter Zoe 

So there you have it, twelve months in the life of Beyond The Title condensed down into one pocket sized blog. Through the above interviews I have been able to obtain a clear representation of the British entertainment landscape in 2019 and what it takes to become supremely successful in any chosen discipline. I remain extremely grateful to the above subjects for giving up their time to take part in a short interview for my website and though not holding any weight within the industry, I feel very fortunate to be able to keep up this amazing standard. Now as we look forward to 2020 I can’t wait to see where Beyond The Title will take me next!

The post Beyond The Title – A Year in Review 3.0 appeared first on Beyond The Title.