Barry Norman
Encyclopedia
Barry Leslie Norman, CBE
(born 21 August 1933 in London
) is a British
novelist, impresario
, film critic and media personality. He was the BBC
film critic on television from 1972 to 1998.
and the brother of script editor and director Valerie Norman
, was educated at a state primary school and at the Highgate School
, a boys' independent school
in North London
. He did not go to university, but instead began his journalistic career at the Kensington News, later spending a period in South Africa
where he developed a hostility to the situation created there by the emergence of apartheid.
By the 1960s, Norman was a prominent journalist, and show business editor of the Daily Mail
until 1971, when he was made redundant. Subsequently, he wrote a column each Wednesday for The Guardian
, also contributing leader columns to the newspaper.
He was one of the collaborators with Wally Fawkes
on the long running cartoon strip Flook
. He has also contributed a column to the Radio Times
for many years, and has written a number of novels.
programme from 1972, becoming the sole presenter the following year. Norman's tenure was broken in 1982 by a brief unhappy spell presenting Omnibus
. After having returned to the Film series in 1983, Norman became increasingly irritated by the BBC
's reluctance to screen the programme at a regular time, and in 1998 he finally accepted an offer to work for BSkyB, where he remained for three years. Jonathan Ross
took his place as the BBC programme's presenter.
Norman has written and presented a number of documentary series for the BBC
, including Hollywood Greats (1977–79, 1983), British Greats (1980) and Talking Pictures (1987).
transport and travel show Going Places and of its sister travel magazine, Breakaway
. He is a former chairman of The News Quiz
on Radio 4
and also presented for the network, The Chip Shop, an early 1980s series dedicated to the emerging home computer industry.
Barry Norman's other passion is cricket
; he is in the process of writing a book on the subject. He is a member of the MCC
and likes spending time at Lord’s
watching cricket.
He is a supporter of the Liberal Democrats
.http://www.politics.co.uk/features/opinion-former-index/legal-and-constitutional/feature-political-celebrities-$1238735.htm
Barry Norman married acclaimed author Diana
in 1957. She died on 27 January 2011 at the age of 77.
. Norman has since adopted the phrase himself, and it is the title of his autobiography
. In a recent ITV documentary on Spitting Image, Norman admitted initially hating the way his puppet looked on the programme (mostly because it had a large inexplicable wart on its forehead), but later somewhat moderated his attitude and felt flattered that the series found him famous enough to include him in its sketches.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 21 August 1933 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
novelist, impresario
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
, film critic and media personality. He was the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
film critic on television from 1972 to 1998.
Early life
Norman, the son of film director Leslie NormanLes Norman
Leslie A. Norman was a British director and producer. His career spanned nearly fifty years, from 1930 until 1978, and in that time he tried his hand at many different jobs, including editor, producer, and writer...
and the brother of script editor and director Valerie Norman
Valerie Norman
Valerie E. Norman is a British script supervisor and director and the daughter of director Les Norman and the sister of film critic Barry Norman. She has directed episodes of the television series Any Day Now.-References:...
, was educated at a state primary school and at the Highgate School
Highgate School
-Notable members of staff and governing body:* John Ireton, brother of Henry Ireton, Cromwellian General* 1st Earl of Mansfield, Lord Chief Justice, owner of Kenwood, noted for judgment finding contracts for slavery unenforceable in English law* T. S...
, a boys' independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
in North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
. He did not go to university, but instead began his journalistic career at the Kensington News, later spending a period in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
where he developed a hostility to the situation created there by the emergence of apartheid.
By the 1960s, Norman was a prominent journalist, and show business editor of the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
until 1971, when he was made redundant. Subsequently, he wrote a column each Wednesday for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, also contributing leader columns to the newspaper.
He was one of the collaborators with Wally Fawkes
Wally Fawkes
Wally Fawkes Wally Fawkes Wally Fawkes (born 1924 in Vancouver, Canada (left in 1931 for England) is a British-Canadian jazz clarinetist and, until recently, a satirical cartoonist...
on the long running cartoon strip Flook
Flook (cartoon)
Flook was a British comic strip which ran from 1949 to 1984 in the Daily Mail newspaper. It was drawn by Wally Fawkes , who signed the strips as "Trog"....
. He has also contributed a column to the Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
for many years, and has written a number of novels.
Film critic
He presented BBC1's FilmThe Film programme
The Film programme is a British film review television programme, broadcast weekly on BBC One, presented by Claudia Winkleman and Danny Leigh. The title of the show changes each year to incorporate the year of broadcast, with the current series being Film 2011, but when referring to successive...
programme from 1972, becoming the sole presenter the following year. Norman's tenure was broken in 1982 by a brief unhappy spell presenting Omnibus
Omnibus (TV series)
Omnibus was an arts-based BBC television documentary series, broadcast on BBC1 in the United Kingdom. It ran from 1967 until 2003, usually being transmitted on Sunday evenings....
. After having returned to the Film series in 1983, Norman became increasingly irritated by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's reluctance to screen the programme at a regular time, and in 1998 he finally accepted an offer to work for BSkyB, where he remained for three years. Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross (television presenter)
Jonathan Stephen Ross, OBE is an English television and radio presenter, best known for presenting the BBC One chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross from 2001 until he left the BBC in 2010. Ross began hosting a new chat show on ITV1 starting 3 September 2011...
took his place as the BBC programme's presenter.
Norman has written and presented a number of documentary series for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, including Hollywood Greats (1977–79, 1983), British Greats (1980) and Talking Pictures (1987).
Radio
Barry Norman was once a regular radio broadcaster. He was the original presenter of the BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
transport and travel show Going Places and of its sister travel magazine, Breakaway
Breakaway (radio programme)
Breakaway was BBC radio's first regular consumer travel programme, conceived by producer Roger Macdonald. It was launched on 29 September 1979 and ran live for an hour at 0900 every Saturday morning for more than a decade, with two regular presenters, first Barry Norman and later Bernard Falk...
. He is a former chairman of The News Quiz
The News Quiz
The News Quiz is a topical panel game broadcast on British radio BBC Radio 4.-History:It was first broadcast in 1977 with Barry Norman as chairman. Subsequently it was chaired by Simon Hoggart, Barry Took , and then again by Simon Hoggart until March 2006. Hoggart was replaced by Sandi Toksvig in...
on Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
and also presented for the network, The Chip Shop, an early 1980s series dedicated to the emerging home computer industry.
Personal life
Barry Norman has a family recipe for pickle that has been passed down through generations, and which was used as the recipe for his own brand of pickled onions, which went on sale in September 2007. These onions are commonly regarded as the strongest and spiciest pickled onions available in the UK.Barry Norman's other passion is cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
; he is in the process of writing a book on the subject. He is a member of the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
and likes spending time at Lord’s
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
watching cricket.
He is a supporter of the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
.http://www.politics.co.uk/features/opinion-former-index/legal-and-constitutional/feature-political-celebrities-$1238735.htm
Barry Norman married acclaimed author Diana
Diana Norman
Diana Norman was a British author and journalist writing historical fiction and non-fiction. She was born in Devon...
in 1957. She died on 27 January 2011 at the age of 77.
Satire
He is associated with the phrase "and why not?", which originated not as his catchphrase but as that of his puppet likeness on the satirical show Spitting ImageSpitting Image
Spitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....
. Norman has since adopted the phrase himself, and it is the title of his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
. In a recent ITV documentary on Spitting Image, Norman admitted initially hating the way his puppet looked on the programme (mostly because it had a large inexplicable wart on its forehead), but later somewhat moderated his attitude and felt flattered that the series found him famous enough to include him in its sketches.