Dilys Breese
Encyclopedia
Dilys Breese was a natural history
television producer
for the BBC
and an ornithologist
with the British Trust for Ornithology
, who commemorate her contribution by awarding the Dilys Breese Medal
, funded by her bequest to them.
Breese was brought up in Wales, she was educated at Oswestry Girls' High School, then graduated from St Andrews
in 1954, with an MA in English Literature and Language.
she developed an interest in natural history, and by 1970 was producing the majority of BBC Bristol's natural history output, with presenter Derek Jones. With Jones, she created the successful radio series The Living World and Wildlife.
, where she produced television shows including The World About Us, Wildlife on One
and The Natural World.
She left the BBC in 1991 and set up her own company, Kestrel Productions, making several short programmes until deteriorating health prevented her from working.
project in the world. In 1983, she was the first recipient of the BTO's Golden Jubilee Medal for outstanding service to the Trust.
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
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...
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...
and an ornithologist
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
with the British Trust for Ornithology
British Trust for Ornithology
The British Trust for Ornithology is an organisation founded in 1932 for the study of birds in the British Isles.-Activities:The BTO carries out research into the lives of birds, chiefly by conducting population and breeding surveys and by bird ringing, largely carried out by a large number of...
, who commemorate her contribution by awarding the Dilys Breese Medal
Dilys Breese Medal
The Dilys Breese Medal is a medal awarded by the British Trust for Ornithology to recognise communicators who help to deliver ornithological science to new audiences. It is named in memory of film maker Dilys Breese, who died in 2007, and was inaugurated in 2009, funded by a bequest from Breese...
, funded by her bequest to them.
Breese was brought up in Wales, she was educated at Oswestry Girls' High School, then graduated from St Andrews
University of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
in 1954, with an MA in English Literature and Language.
Radio
After graduation, she applied for a position as a trainee studio manager with BBC radio. While working on shows like Woman's HourWoman's Hour
Woman's Hour is a radio magazine programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the United Kingdom.-History:Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by Alan Ivimey the programme was first broadcast on 7 October 1946 on the BBC's Light Programme . It was transferred to its current home in 1973...
she developed an interest in natural history, and by 1970 was producing the majority of BBC Bristol's natural history output, with presenter Derek Jones. With Jones, she created the successful radio series The Living World and Wildlife.
Television
In 1970, Breese joined the BBC Natural History UnitBBC Natural History Unit
The BBC Natural History Unit is a department of the BBC dedicated to making television and radio programmes with a natural history or wildlife theme, especially nature documentaries...
, where she produced television shows including The World About Us, Wildlife on One
Wildlife on One
Wildlife on One was the BBC's flagship natural history programme, first broadcast in 1977. Each programme ran for half an hour. The narrator was Sir David Attenborough. When repeated on BBC2, the programmes were retitled Wildlife on Two. The programme was terminated in 2005.The 2003 season...
and The Natural World.
She left the BBC in 1991 and set up her own company, Kestrel Productions, making several short programmes until deteriorating health prevented her from working.
Conservation work
Breese became a council member of the British Trust for Ornithology in 1973 and was its Honorary Secretary from 1998–2001. She chaired the working group developing 'Garden BirdWatch', which has since become the largest year-round citizen scienceCitizen science
Citizen science is a term used for the systematic collection and analysis of data; development of technology; testing of natural phenomena; and the dissemination of these activities by researchers on a primarily avocational basis...
project in the world. In 1983, she was the first recipient of the BTO's Golden Jubilee Medal for outstanding service to the Trust.
Notable films
- The Great Hedgehog Mystery (1982) - first film to show hedgehogs mating
- In-Flight Movie (1987) - won at the New York International Film and TV Festival; and at the Wildscreen film festival in 1988
- Meerkats United (1987) - voted the best wildlife documentary of all time by BBC viewers
- Trivial Pursuit: the Natural Mystery of Play (1988) - audience of 12 million