John Hawkesworth (producer)
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (April 2022) |
John Hawkesworth | |
---|---|
Born | London, England | 7 December 1920
Died | 30 September 2003 Leicester, Leicestershire, England | (aged 82)
Alma mater | University of Paris University of Oxford |
Occupation(s) | Television producer, screenwriter |
Spouse | Hyacinth Gregson-Ellis[1] |
John Stanley Hawkesworth (7 December 1920 – 30 September 2003) was an English television and film producer and screenwriter, best known for his work on the
.Early life
Hawkesworth was born in London on 7 December 1920, the son of the-then
Career
By the mid-1950s, Hawkesworth was an independent designer, and films he worked on included
After Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins came up with an idea for a period comedy featuring two maids, Hawkesworth, along with John Whitney, turned the idea into the success that became Upstairs, Downstairs. He went on to produce 65 out of the 68 episodes from 1971 to 1975. He also wrote 12 episodes and some of the novelisations. Following this, he produced the BBC drama The Duchess of Duke Street (1976–77), and created as well as produced the 1979 Euston Films series Danger UXB (1979) for Thames Television. During the 1980s, he produced many television programmes including By the Sword Divided (1983), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984) and Oscar (1985).
Later years
Hawkesworth's final work was writing the screenplay for the comedy-drama Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris (1992). He was married to Hyacinth Gregson-Ellis. They had two children. In his biography of the television producer Verity Lambert, Richard Marson describes Hyacinth as "fiercely snobbish", and as someone who "answered to the unlikely nickname 'Pussy'". Pussy occasionally accompanied Hawkesworth to meetings. In his retirement, he spent much time painting. He died in Leicester in 2003 aged 82.
References
- John Hawkesworth, In My Lady's Chamber, Sphere Books Limited, 1973
- Richard Marson, "Inside UpDown - The Story of Upstairs, Downstairs", Kaleidoscope Publishing, 2005
- Richard Marson, "Drama and Delight - The life of Verity Lambert", Miwk Publishing, 2015
External links