Dennis Vance
Encyclopedia
Dennis Vance was a British
television producer
and director
.
Born in Birkenhead
, Cheshire
, he began his career as an actor in the late 1940s, appearing in small parts in various films before switching to become a producer with BBC Television
in the early 1950s. There he oversaw dramas such as The Scarlet Pimpernel
(1954), before leaving in 1955 to become the first Head of Drama at the ITV
contractor Associated British Corporation
(ABC), who went on air in 1956, serving the Midlands
and the North of England at weekends.
At ABC, Vance oversaw the creation of the anthology drama series Armchair Theatre
, which was networked nationally across the ITV regions on Sunday evenings. It became an important long running landmark in British television drama series, inspiring similar efforts such as the BBC's later The Wednesday Play
. Vance, however, left the Head of Drama role in 1958 for a promotion within ABC, being replaced by Sydney Newman
.
Later in his career he returned to producing and directing work, helming episodes of programmes such as ABC's The Avengers
(1961) and Thames
' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes (1971). He also produced and directed The Misfit
and The Bass Player and the Blonde
for ATV
.
He had been a Fleet Air Arm
pilot during the Second World War, and was married six times with one child from the first three marriages. He died in Wimbledon, London
in 1983, at the age of fifty-nine.
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...
television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
.
Born in Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, he began his career as an actor in the late 1940s, appearing in small parts in various films before switching to become a producer with BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
in the early 1950s. There he oversaw dramas such as The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Scarlet Pimpernel is a play and adventure novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, set during the Reign of Terror following the start of the French Revolution. The story is a precursor to the "disguised superhero" tales such as Zorro and Batman....
(1954), before leaving in 1955 to become the first Head of Drama at the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
contractor Associated British Corporation
Associated British Corporation
Associated British Corporation was one of a number of commercial television companies established in the United Kingdom during the 1950s by cinema chain companies in an attempt to safeguard their business by becoming involved with television which was taking away their cinema audiences.In this...
(ABC), who went on air in 1956, serving the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
and the North of England at weekends.
At ABC, Vance oversaw the creation of the anthology drama series Armchair Theatre
Armchair Theatre
Armchair Theatre is a British television drama anthology series, which ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by Associated British Corporation, and later by Thames Television after 1968....
, which was networked nationally across the ITV regions on Sunday evenings. It became an important long running landmark in British television drama series, inspiring similar efforts such as the BBC's later The Wednesday Play
The Wednesday Play
The Wednesday Play was an anthology series of British television plays which ran on BBC1 from October 1964 to May 1970. Every week's play was usually written for television, although adaptations from other sources also featured...
. Vance, however, left the Head of Drama role in 1958 for a promotion within ABC, being replaced by Sydney Newman
Sydney Newman
Sydney Cecil Newman, OC was a Canadian film and television producer, who played a pioneering role in British television drama from the late 1950s to the late 1960s...
.
Later in his career he returned to producing and directing work, helming episodes of programmes such as ABC's The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
(1961) and Thames
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
' The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes (1971). He also produced and directed The Misfit
The Misfit (TV series)
The Misfit was an ATV sitcom series written by Roy Clarke and was broadcast from 1970 to 1971 on ITV.-Premise:Basil Allenby-Johnson returned from a colonial life in Malaya to an England he no longer recognised...
and The Bass Player and the Blonde
The bass player and the blonde
The Bass Player and the Blonde was a television play in the ITV Playhouse series, first broadcast 14 June 1977. It was followed up with a three-part serial with the episodes given the names of musical terms: Rondo , Allegro , and Andante .In the play and the series, George Manghan, a middle aged,...
for 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 had been a Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
pilot during the Second World War, and was married six times with one child from the first three marriages. He died in Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
in 1983, at the age of fifty-nine.
External links
- Dennis Vance at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
.