Francis Essex
Encyclopedia
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
and stage Producer, Author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and Composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. Essex's career spanned several decades during which he worked for several TV Production Companies, including: Light Entertainment Producer 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...
Channel in the UK from 1954 to 1960; Senior Producer for the ATV (Associated TeleVision
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...
) Network from 1960 to 1965; Controller of Programmes Scottish Television
Scottish Television
Scottish Television is Scotland's largest ITV franchisee, and has held the ITV franchise for Central Scotland since 31 August 1957. It is the second oldest ITV franchisee still active...
from 1965 to 1969; ATV Network Production Controller from 1969 to 1976; Member Board of Directors - 1974; Director of Production from 1976 to 1981 and Chairman 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...
Children's Network Committee from 1976 to 1981.
Essex's numerous works include Bells of St Martins, St Martin's Theatre
St Martin's Theatre
St Martin's Theatre is a West End theatre, located in West Street, near Charing Cross Road, in the London Borough of Camden. It was designed as one of a pair of theatres with the Ambassadors Theatre by W.G.R...
1953, which he wrote and presented. He also devised and directed Six of One, Adelphi 1964, and was the author of the Jolson The Musical, Victoria Palace 1995. Essex's scripts include; The Gentle Flame (for Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
), The Shillingbury Blowers (for Trevor Howard
Trevor Howard
Trevor Howard , born Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith, was an English film, stage and television actor.-Early life:...
), Quincy's Quest (for Tommy Steele
Tommy Steele
Tommy Steele OBE , is an English entertainer. Steele is widely regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star.-Singer:...
), The Shillingbury Tales (Series), the Cuffry Series (for Bernard Cribbins
Bernard Cribbins
Bernard Cribbins, OBE is an English character actor, voice-over artist and musical comedian with a career spanning over half a century who came to prominence in films in the 1960s, has been in work consistently since his professional debut in the mid 1950s, and as of 2010 is still an active...
) and The Silent Scream IMDb - The Silent Scream(House of Hammer). His numerous musical scores include Luke's Kingdom, The Seas Must Live and The Lightning Tree. Essex is also the author of the Shillingbury Tales (imdb.com 1983 and Skerrymor Bay 1984.
Essex's awards and accreditations include: Fellow, 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...
, BAFTA Light Entertainment Award, 1964, Leonard Brett Award, 1964 & 1981 and the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical 1996 for Jolson The Musical.
Francis married Jeanne Shires in 1956 and had two sons, Martin and Stephen (deceased).