William Woollard
Encyclopedia
William Woollard is a British
television producer
and presenter.
, he trained as a fighter pilot with the RAF. He worked with an oil company in Borneo
and Oman
. He has worked as a social scientist
on corporate social responsibility
with several American
and Europe
an organisations.
and Channel 4
in the UK, as well as Discovery Channel
, National Geographic and the Public Broadcasting Service
in the US.
He is best known as a producer and presenter on the BBC's science magazine programme Tomorrow's World
and on the BBC's motoring programme, Top Gear. On Tomorrow's World he was a leading presenter for 11 years, winning several awards including Top Science Presenter. He won a reputation for the enthusiasm he brought to his reports, and his skill in turning technical subjects into entertaining television.
He fronted Top Gear for a decade from 1981, during which time it became a prime time show with an audience of up to 5 million. Woollard also presented Rally Report
, an off-shoot of Top Gear, covering the Lombard RAC Rally every year.
Woollard resigned from Top Gear in 1991, despite protestations for him to come back, mainly because of the fact that his own production company took off, producing documentaries for BBC and C4 in the UK and channels such as the Public Broadcasting Service and Discovery Channel in the US.
During the same period he was involved in writing and producing or presenting, a range of other programmes, mainly under the banner of the BBC science documentary strand, Horizon. These included:
In 1986 Woollard was instrumental in setting up one of the first independent production companies making programmes for the world's leading networks. Since that time he has written or produced well over 100 programmes ranging over the fields of science and technology, from evolution
, to space exploration
, and from treasure hunting to the science of bridge building.
William Woollard now works as a scriptwriter on documentaries and he has authored books including one recounting his experience as a practising Buddhist. His documentaries issued on DVD still sell widely in the US and UK.
Buddhism and the Science of Happiness: A Personal Exploration of Buddhism in Today's World ISBN 978-1907652738
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 presenter.
Biography
Educated at a state grammar school in London and at the University of OxfordUniversity of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, he trained as a fighter pilot with the RAF. He worked with an oil company in Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
and Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
. He has worked as a social scientist
Social Scientist
Social Scientist is a New Delhi based journal in social sciences and humanities published since 1972....
on corporate social responsibility
Corporate social responsibility
Corporate social responsibility is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model...
with several American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an organisations.
Television career
In his television career he has been the producer, writer and presenter of many documentaries and series, particularly on science and technology. His programmes have been transmitted on networks including the BBCBBC
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 Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
in the UK, as well as Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, National Geographic and the Public Broadcasting Service
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
in the US.
He is best known as a producer and presenter on the BBC's science magazine programme Tomorrow's World
Tomorrow's World
Tomorrow's World was a long-running BBC television series, showcasing new developments in the world of science and technology. First aired on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003.- Content :...
and on the BBC's motoring programme, Top Gear. On Tomorrow's World he was a leading presenter for 11 years, winning several awards including Top Science Presenter. He won a reputation for the enthusiasm he brought to his reports, and his skill in turning technical subjects into entertaining television.
He fronted Top Gear for a decade from 1981, during which time it became a prime time show with an audience of up to 5 million. Woollard also presented Rally Report
Rally Report
Rally Report was a series of programmes broadcast by the BBC covering the Lombard RAC Rally of Great Britain - then the last round of the World Rally Championship. It ran on BBC2 during the 1980s and 1990s and usually featured previews, a live stage, twice nightly reports and a wrap-up compilation...
, an off-shoot of Top Gear, covering the Lombard RAC Rally every year.
Woollard resigned from Top Gear in 1991, despite protestations for him to come back, mainly because of the fact that his own production company took off, producing documentaries for BBC and C4 in the UK and channels such as the Public Broadcasting Service and Discovery Channel in the US.
During the same period he was involved in writing and producing or presenting, a range of other programmes, mainly under the banner of the BBC science documentary strand, Horizon. These included:
- The Secret War, a 7 part series that revealed the role that Britain's scientists played in the winning of the Second World War.
- Too Hot to Handle. A three-part series looking and the benefits and drawbacks of the nuclear powerNuclear powerNuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
industry. - The Energy Alternative. BBC television's first look at the problem of global warmingGlobal warmingGlobal warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, and the challenge presented by alternative energyAlternative energyAlternative energy is an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels....
technologies. - Skyscraper. An award winning five-part series on the building of a skyscraper in central New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
In 1986 Woollard was instrumental in setting up one of the first independent production companies making programmes for the world's leading networks. Since that time he has written or produced well over 100 programmes ranging over the fields of science and technology, from evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
, to space exploration
Space exploration
Space exploration is the use of space technology to explore outer space. Physical exploration of space is conducted both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft....
, and from treasure hunting to the science of bridge building.
William Woollard now works as a scriptwriter on documentaries and he has authored books including one recounting his experience as a practising Buddhist. His documentaries issued on DVD still sell widely in the US and UK.
Publications
The Reluctant Buddhist ISBN 978-1-906210-35-9Buddhism and the Science of Happiness: A Personal Exploration of Buddhism in Today's World ISBN 978-1907652738