Angus Wright (producer)
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2021) |
Angus Wright | |
|---|---|
| Born | Angus Mackenzie Nicholson Wright 11 April 1934 |
| Died | 15 June 2012 (aged 78) |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Television producer |
| Years active | 1970s–1997 |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 2 |
Angus Mackenzie Nicholson Wright (11 April 1934 – 15 June 2012) was a British television producer; he was co-founder and managing director of The Britt Allcroft Company PLC until his retirement in 1999.[1]
Early life
Wright was born on 11 April 1934 in Sunderland, County Durham. His father was an Anglican vicar and his mother worked as a nurse and a school matron during her life as well as being an active member of the church and a Samaritan. Angus was the eldest of two children - his sister was Alison.
Educated at Durham School, he served two years of national service in the Durham Light Infantry. He went to university at Trinity College, Oxford to read law from 1954 to 1957, where he met his first wife Jill Graham, with whom he had his first three of five children.
At the BBC
Though being of an accomplished legal mind, his interest was drawn to theatre and the performing Arts. Both he and Jill were members of The Oxford Footlights which had fellow members of the time;
Having had his interest in performing arts sparked, after graduation he joined the BBC as a sound studio manager,[2] moving to BBC Television, Light Entertainment and then to Southern Television (Southern T.V.), the commercial television franchise for the south and south east of England.[2] He and Jill moved to the Southern T.V. based in Southampton and after their marriage ended, he remained in Southampton where he then shared a home with his second wife, Britt Allcroft with whom he had two children, from 1973 until the end of their marriage in 1997.
At Southern Television, he was a prominent member of staff in children's television. He had now become a producer and director of programmes in Jack Hargreaves’ children's television department.[2] He was responsible for one of ITV's longest-running children's favourites How as well as Little Big Time and Oliver in the Overworld starring Freddy Garrity and the Dreamers. He also created the popular Houseparty for light entertainment with celebrity cook Mary Morris and guests.
With the change of the Southern TV franchise he stayed on at Southampton, becoming Head of Religious programmes, first for TV South and then for Meridian Television.
The Britt Allcroft Company
In 1985, he resigned from
With the support of Lewis Rudd, then of
In 1986 the company was joined by
In 1987 work began to bring Thomas the Tank Engine to the U.S where it became established on the US Public Television Network (PBS), home of children's TV classic Sesame Street. The resulting success of the characters enabled them to be established in Japan on Fuji Television. In just over ten years the Britt Allcroft Company grew from a two-person start-up to a worldwide operation with offices in New York City, Tokyo and Toronto. At the time of its 1996 launch on the London Stock Exchange, it was producing £6.3 million gross profit on annual turnover of £53 million.
Further productions followed: Britt Allcroft's Magic Adventures of Mumfie in 1994; Wright acted as executive producer for Kate Canning's James the Cat and John Carey's production of The Adventures of Captain Pugwash in 1998.
Retirement
In 1997 at age 63, Wright retired from the Britt Allcroft Company. Wright and Sue Sangway moved to France in 1998, where they were married in 2001, until he died.[3]
Death
Wright died on 15 June 2012 in France, at the age of 78.[1] He is survived by his wife Sue Sangway.[3]
References
- ^ Hampshirechronicle.co.uk. 9 July 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Death of TV producer". Southern Daily Echo. 9 July 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Le 'Monoblétois anglais' Angus Wright nous a quittés". Midi Libre. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
External links
- Angus Wright at IMDb