Charles Denton (television and film producer)
Encyclopedia
Charles Denton is a British
film
and television
producer and executive.
He first worked for the BBC
as a documentary film
maker for five years from 1963, before he left the corporation to go freelance. Denton formed the short-lived production company Tempest Films with the actor David Swift and fellow documentary maker Richard Marquand
which first involved John Pilger
in working for television and Pilger's first television documentary The Quiet Mutiny, which Denton directed for Granada's World in Action
series. At ATV
he became successively deputy, then Head of Documentaries and later controller of programming. Not long after joining ATV he began the Pilger series which ran for five series between 1974 and 1977. John Pilger recalled: "Pilger was Charles' idea ... It was he who encouraged me to stand in front of the camera and say 'I'.
Denton came under extreme political and diplomatic pressure from both the British
and Saudi governments both before and after ATV part-financed and produced the drama-documentary Death of a Princess
shown on 9 April 1980. The British ambassador to Saudi Arabia was requested to leave the country, and remained away from his post for several months.
In 1981, he sacked Noele Gordon
star of the soap opera
Crossroads, a decision which antagonised viewers: "'I got excrement through the post'", he once said. As an act of revenge Gordon sang a 'love song' to him at the ATV End of Year Party. In the 1982 franchise round, the ITV Midlands broadcaster ATV turned into Central Independent Television
, with Denton remaining in his post. He is an admirer of his former ATV boss, Lew Grade
: "'Those times of meeting Lew in his office at 6.30am and watching him eat his grapefruit were among the happiest working days of my life ... ATV lost its franchise because it was too populist, but Lew would be sensationally right for ITV now.'"
Towards the end of the 1970's, Denton had begun working in the film industry, becoming the Managing Director of Black Lion Films, also a Grade company. The most notable film he worked on during this time was The Long Good Friday
(1980), starring Bob Hoskins
, but the film was unappreciated by Denton's superiors, and was sold to HandMade Films
becoming their second successful film.
In 1984 Denton left Central to become Chief Executive of Zenith Productions
, which was initially financed by Central as one of its programme-making subsidiaries, and partly intended to become involved in the revival of the British film industry which had resulted from Channel Four's investment in films intended for a brief circuit release before a first television screening as part of its regular Film on 4
seasons. Zenith produced a number of successful feature film including Personal Services
and Wish You Were Here
. It was sold to Carlton Television
in 1989 with Denton remaining in his post. In 1993, Carlton sold Zenith and Denton left to re-join the BBC in the role as Head of Drama
; by then dramas shot on videotape using the multi-camera technique were largely restricted to soap operas. Denton's time at BBC Drama coincided with some flops, such as the expensive Rhodes (1996) receiving a negative press, but some critical and popular successes such as the adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (1995) with Colin Firth
as Mr Darcy.
He left the Head of Drama post in 1996, reportedly in protest at the changes carried through by the Corporation's Director General at the time, John Birt
, with Denton complaining of Birt's "'Orwellian'" regime at the BBC. Denton was a member of the Arts Council of England during 1996-1999 and worked for a time for BBC Films. He is a fellow of the Royal Television Society
and of the Royal Society of Arts
.
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...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
producer and executive.
He first worked 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...
as a documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
maker for five years from 1963, before he left the corporation to go freelance. Denton formed the short-lived production company Tempest Films with the actor David Swift and fellow documentary maker Richard Marquand
Richard Marquand
Richard Marquand was a Welsh film director best known for directing the 1983 blockbuster Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi.-Early life:...
which first involved John Pilger
John Pilger
John Richard Pilger is an Australian journalist and documentary maker, based in London. He has twice won Britain's Journalist of the Year Award, and his documentaries have received academy awards in Britain and the US....
in working for television and Pilger's first television documentary The Quiet Mutiny, which Denton directed for Granada's World in Action
World in Action
World in Action was a British investigative current affairs programme made by Granada Television from 1963 until 1998. Its campaigning journalism frequently had a major impact on events of the day. Its production teams often took audacious risks and gained a solid reputation for its often...
series. At ATV
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
he became successively deputy, then Head of Documentaries and later controller of programming. Not long after joining ATV he began the Pilger series which ran for five series between 1974 and 1977. John Pilger recalled: "Pilger was Charles' idea ... It was he who encouraged me to stand in front of the camera and say 'I'.
Denton came under extreme political and diplomatic pressure from both the 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...
and Saudi governments both before and after ATV part-financed and produced the drama-documentary Death of a Princess
Death of a Princess
Death of a Princess is a British 1980 drama-documentary, produced by ATV, produced in cooperation with WGBH in the United States. The drama, be based on the true story of Princess Masha'il, or Mish'al is the story of a young princess from Saudi Arabia Islamic nation and her lover who had been...
shown on 9 April 1980. The British ambassador to Saudi Arabia was requested to leave the country, and remained away from his post for several months.
In 1981, he sacked Noele Gordon
Noele Gordon
Noele Gordon was an English film and television actress.- Early life :Gordon's father was an engineer in the Merchant Navy and she was born in East Ham, London. After attending convent school at Forest Gate, she was taught to dance by the late Maude Wells and later spent several years living in...
star of the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Crossroads, a decision which antagonised viewers: "'I got excrement through the post'", he once said. As an act of revenge Gordon sang a 'love song' to him at the ATV End of Year Party. In the 1982 franchise round, the ITV Midlands broadcaster ATV turned into Central Independent Television
Central Independent Television
Central Independent Television, more commonly known as Central is the Independent Television contractor for the Midlands, created following the restructuring of ATV and commencing broadcast on 1 January 1982. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting...
, with Denton remaining in his post. He is an admirer of his former ATV boss, Lew Grade
Lew Grade
Lew Grade, Baron Grade , born Lev Winogradsky, was an influential Russian-born English impresario and media mogul.-Early years:...
: "'Those times of meeting Lew in his office at 6.30am and watching him eat his grapefruit were among the happiest working days of my life ... ATV lost its franchise because it was too populist, but Lew would be sensationally right for ITV now.'"
Towards the end of the 1970's, Denton had begun working in the film industry, becoming the Managing Director of Black Lion Films, also a Grade company. The most notable film he worked on during this time was The Long Good Friday
The Long Good Friday
The Long Good Friday is a British gangster film starring Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren. It was completed in 1979 but, because of release delays, it is generally credited as a 1980 film...
(1980), starring Bob Hoskins
Bob Hoskins
Robert William "Bob" Hoskins, Jr. is an English actor known for playing Cockney rough diamonds, psychopaths and gangsters, in films such as The Long Good Friday , and Mona Lisa , and lighter roles in family films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Hook .- Early life :Hoskins was born in Bury St...
, but the film was unappreciated by Denton's superiors, and was sold to HandMade Films
Handmade Films
HandMade Films is a British film production and distribution company. Through a series of sales, and acquisitions, the company now known as Handmade Plc owns all the rights and assets of the original HandMade Films Ltd...
becoming their second successful film.
In 1984 Denton left Central to become Chief Executive of Zenith Productions
Zenith Productions
Zenith Productions was a British independent film and television production company which made a number of drama series including Inspector Morse for ITV, and several series including Byker Grove and Hamish Macbeth for the BBC...
, which was initially financed by Central as one of its programme-making subsidiaries, and partly intended to become involved in the revival of the British film industry which had resulted from Channel Four's investment in films intended for a brief circuit release before a first television screening as part of its regular Film on 4
Film4 Productions
Film4 Productions is a British film production company owned by Channel 4. The company has been responsible for backing a large number of films made in the United Kingdom. The company's first production was Walter, directed by Stephen Frears, which was released in 1982.- History :Before 1998, the...
seasons. Zenith produced a number of successful feature film including Personal Services
Personal Services
Personal Services is a 1987 British comedy film directed by Terry Jones and written by David Leland. It is the story of the rise of a madam of a suburban brothel which caters to older men. The story is inspired by the real experiences of Cynthia Payne, the legendary "House of Cyn" madam. The film...
and Wish You Were Here
Wish You Were Here (1987 film)
Wish You Were Here is a 1987 British drama/comedy film starring Emily Lloyd and Tom Bell. The film was written and directed by David Leland. The original music score was composed by Stanley Myers.-Plot:...
. It was sold to Carlton Television
Carlton Television
Carlton Television was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties including the cities of Solihull and Coventry of the West Midlands, south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire,...
in 1989 with Denton remaining in his post. In 1993, Carlton sold Zenith and Denton left to re-join the BBC in the role as Head of Drama
BBC television drama
BBC television dramas have been produced and broadcast since even before the public service company had an officially established television broadcasting network in the United Kingdom...
; by then dramas shot on videotape using the multi-camera technique were largely restricted to soap operas. Denton's time at BBC Drama coincided with some flops, such as the expensive Rhodes (1996) receiving a negative press, but some critical and popular successes such as the adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (1995) with Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
as Mr Darcy.
He left the Head of Drama post in 1996, reportedly in protest at the changes carried through by the Corporation's Director General at the time, John Birt
John Birt, Baron Birt
John Birt, Baron Birt is a former Director-General of the BBC who was in the post from 1992 to 2000.After a successful career in commercial television, first at Granada and then at LWT, Birt was brought in as deputy director-general of the BBC in 1987 for his current affairs expertise...
, with Denton complaining of Birt's "'Orwellian'" regime at the BBC. Denton was a member of the Arts Council of England during 1996-1999 and worked for a time for BBC Films. He is a fellow of the Royal Television Society
Royal Television Society
The Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
and of the Royal Society of Arts
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
.