Michael J. Bird
Encyclopedia
Michael J. Bird was an English
writer.
In addition to several novels, he was perhaps best known for the television
dramas he wrote for the BBC
. His series for the BBC all had the common theme of being set in the Mediterranean - The Lotus Eaters and Who Pays the Ferryman?
were set in Crete
, The Aphrodite Inheritance
was set in Cyprus
and The Dark Side of the Sun took place on Rhodes
. Breaking with this practice, his final series for the BBC, Maelstrom
, was set in Norway
.
Bird also wrote for the following series during his career: Danger Man
, Special Branch
, The Onedin Line
, Arthur of the Britons
, Secret Army and Warship
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
writer.
In addition to several novels, he was perhaps best known for the television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
dramas he wrote 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...
. His series for the BBC all had the common theme of being set in the Mediterranean - The Lotus Eaters and Who Pays the Ferryman?
Who Pays the Ferryman?
Who Pays the Ferryman? was a television series produced by the BBC in 1977. The title of the series refers to the ancient religious belief and mythology of Charon the ferryman to Hades...
were set in Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, The Aphrodite Inheritance
The Aphrodite Inheritance
The Aphrodite Inheritance is a television production made by the BBC in 1978 and which aired in 1979.The eight-part serial, written by Michael J. Bird, was a follow-up to the success of his previous two Mediterranean-set series The Lotus Eaters and Who Pays the Ferryman?...
was set in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and The Dark Side of the Sun took place on Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
. Breaking with this practice, his final series for the BBC, Maelstrom
Maelstrom (TV series)
Maelstrom is a BBC television drama serial transmitted in 1985.The six-part serial was written by Michael J. Bird, produced by Vere Lorrimer and directed by David Maloney. The major cast members included Tusse Silberg, David Beames, Trevor Baxter, Susan Gilmore, Edita Brychta, John Abineri,...
, was set in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
Bird also wrote for the following series during his career: Danger Man
Danger Man
Danger Man is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again between 1964 and 1968. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Ralph Smart created the program and wrote many of the scripts...
, Special Branch
Special Branch (TV series)
Special Branch is a British television series made by Thames Television for ITV and shown between 1969 and 1974. A police drama series, the action was centred on members of the Special Branch anti-espionage and anti-terrorist department of the London Metropolitan Police.The first two series were...
, The Onedin Line
The Onedin Line
The Onedin Line is a BBC television drama series which ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was created by Cyril Abraham.The series is set in Liverpool from 1860 to 1886 and deals with the rise of a shipping line, the Onedin Line, named after its owner James Onedin...
, Arthur of the Britons
Arthur of the Britons
Arthur of the Britons is a British television show about the historical King Arthur. Produced by the HTV regional franchise, it consisted of two series, released between 1972 and 1973...
, Secret Army and Warship
Warship (TV series)
Warship was a popular British television drama series produced by the BBC between 1973 and 1977. It was also dubbed into Dutch and broadcast in the Netherlands as Alle hens...
.