Leonard Lewis
Leonard Lewis | |
---|---|
Born | Leonard Jack Lewis 29 November 1927 Tottenham, England |
Died | 2 December 2005 Somerset, England | (aged 78)
Occupation | TV Producer/Director |
Years active | 1960–1995 |
Television | EastEnders |
Spouse |
Jean Lewis (m. 1950) |
Children | 3 daughters |
Leonard Jack Lewis (29 November 1927 – 2 December 2005) was a British
Career
After completing
Lewis began directing and later producing for BBC television, on shows such as Z-Cars (1965); Softly Softly (1969–74) and Adam Adamant Lives! (1966). In 1973 he directed and produced for the BBC's adaptation of Jack the Ripper, and he was also the executive producer for the detective series, Barlow at Large, and producer for Second Verdict.[1][2]
In 1976 he produced the BBC series When the Boat Comes In, a north-east drama depicting the hard days of the twenties in the fictional town of Gallowshields. The show was nominated for "Best Drama Series" at the 1976 BAFTAs.[1][3] It has been said that Lewis had a "respect for text and for writers", which brought him "acclaim", but also "a personal and professional crisis" after the BBC ordered him to scrap his writing team for the next series of When the Boat Comes In.[1] Unwilling to betray his colleagues and friends, Lewis resigned from the BBC on principle.[1]
Lewis moved to
In 1990 Lewis began directing for BBC's
Personal life
Lewis was born on 29 November 1927, in Tottenham, North London, but moved to East Barnet when he was about seven. He was educated at the local grammar school, where he met his future wife, Jean. They married in 1950 and remained together til Lewis' death in 2005. He was a father to three daughters, Sian, Tessa and Maria.[1]
Lewis and his wife retired to Somerset in 1995, where he remained active despite health problems.[1] He had a keen interest in traveling, calligraphy and ice-cream making. He was also involved with his local community—three weeks before his death, his production of She Stoops to Conquer, for the South Petherton Drama Group, received "rave reviews".[1] He died suddenly on 2 December 2005, aged 78.[1][3]
Selected filmography
- Z-Cars (1965)
- Adam Adamant Lives! (1966)
- Softly, Softly (1969–1974)
- Barlow at Large (1973)
- Jack the Ripper (1973)
- When the Boat Comes In (1976)
- Flambards (1979)
- The Good Companions (1980)
- The Chinese Detective (1982)
- Juliet Bravo (1981–83)
- Tales of the Unexpected (1983)
- The Prisoner of Zenda (1984)
- Brat Farrar (1986)
- Rockliffe's Babies (1987–88)
- The Franchise Affair (1988)
- EastEnders (1991–94)
- Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time(1993)
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Alan Plater (11 January 2006). "Leonard Lewis". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 October 2007.
- ^ a b "Leonard Lewis". catalogue.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2007.
- ^ a b c d Patrick Newley (16 January 2006). "Leonard Lewis". The Stage. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2007.
- ^ ISBN 0-563-37057-2.
- ^ "EASTENDERS: 11 February 1993". catalogue.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2007.
External links
- Leonard Lewis at IMDb
- Leonard Lewis at the British Film Institute