Graeme MacDonald
Encyclopedia
Graeme MacDonald was a British
television producer and executive.
Working for BBC Television
from the early 1960s, he became a producer in the drama department, working particularly on anthology play series such as The Wednesday Play
(for which he produced some of Dennis Potter
's early work) and Theatre 625
. In the 1970s he became the producer of the single play strand Play for Today
, the successor to The Wednesday Play, during which he worked on many acclaimed pieces, such as Jack Rosenthal
's Bar Mitzvah Boy
(1976).
By this time one of the senior producers working in the BBC's drama department, in 1977 he was promoted to become the Head of Serials. This department was merged with the Series department in 1979, and MacDonald became head of the new larger Series & Serials department which ensued. In 1981, he was promoted again to succeed Shaun Sutton
as the overall Head of Drama at BBC Television.
MacDonald was promoted again in 1983, becoming the Controller of BBC Two
, the first ever BBC channel controller to come from a background in the drama department. He was controller of the channel until 1987 (combining it with his Head of Drama role until he left this post in 1985), during which the Zircon affair
erupted surrounding an edition of the Secret Society documentary series due to be shown on the channel.
MacDonald left the BBC in 1987 and became chief executive of Anglia Films (1988-94) and later Ardent Productions (1994-97).
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 and executive.
Working for 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...
from the early 1960s, he became a producer in the drama department, working particularly on anthology play series such as 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...
(for which he produced some of Dennis Potter
Dennis Potter
Dennis Christopher George Potter was an English dramatist, best known for The Singing Detective. His widely acclaimed television dramas mixed fantasy and reality, the personal and the social. He was particularly fond of using themes and images from popular culture.-Biography:Dennis Potter was born...
's early work) and Theatre 625
Theatre 625
Theatre 625 is a British television drama anthology series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC2 from 1964 to 1968. It was one of the first regular programmes in the line-up of the channel, and the title referred to its production and transmission being in the higher-definition 625-line...
. In the 1970s he became the producer of the single play strand Play for Today
Play for Today
Play for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted...
, the successor to The Wednesday Play, during which he worked on many acclaimed pieces, such as Jack Rosenthal
Jack Rosenthal
Jack Morris Rosenthal CBE was an English playwright, who wrote 129 early episodes of the ITV soap opera Coronation Street and over 150 screenplays, including original TV plays, feature films, and adaptations.-Biography:...
's Bar Mitzvah Boy
Bar Mitzvah Boy
Bar Mitzvah Boy is a British television play, written by Jack Rosenthal and originally transmitted in the Play for Today anthology series on BBC1...
(1976).
By this time one of the senior producers working in the BBC's drama department, in 1977 he was promoted to become the Head of Serials. This department was merged with the Series department in 1979, and MacDonald became head of the new larger Series & Serials department which ensued. In 1981, he was promoted again to succeed Shaun Sutton
Shaun Sutton
Shaun Alfred Graham Sutton OBE was an English television writer, director, producer and executive, who worked in the medium for nearly forty years from the 1950s to the 1990s...
as the overall Head of Drama at BBC Television.
MacDonald was promoted again in 1983, becoming the Controller of BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
, the first ever BBC channel controller to come from a background in the drama department. He was controller of the channel until 1987 (combining it with his Head of Drama role until he left this post in 1985), during which the Zircon affair
Zircon affair
The Zircon affair was an incident in 1986 that raised many important issues in the British constitution.During the winter of 1985–1986, journalist Duncan Campbell was commissioned by the BBC to make six half-hour television documentaries under the title Secret Society...
erupted surrounding an edition of the Secret Society documentary series due to be shown on the channel.
MacDonald left the BBC in 1987 and became chief executive of Anglia Films (1988-94) and later Ardent Productions (1994-97).
External links
- Graeme MacDonald 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...