Sydney Newman

The Canadian executive who reshaped British TV by rejecting upper-class adaptations to champion working-class stories.

via Wikipedia: Sydney Newman · see source

Sydney Cecil Newman (né Nudelman; April 1, 1917 – October 30, 1997) was a Canadian television producer and screenwriter who played a pioneering role in British television drama from the late 1950s to the late 1960s. He joined the BBC in December 1962 as Head of Drama after working with ABC Weekend TV. During this era, he co-created the science-fiction series Doctor Who and created the spy-fi series The Avengers. His work also included overseeing groundbreaking social realist dramas like Armchair Theatre and The Wednesday Play. The Museum of Broadcast Communications describes him as 'the most significant agent in the development of British television drama'.

Quick Facts

Birth name: Sydney Cecil Nudelman
Born: 1 April 1917
Birthplace: Toronto, Canada
Died: 30 October 1997
Occupation: Producer, screenwriter
Known for: Creating The Avengers and co-creating Doctor Who

Lore & Background

Newman arrived at ABC Weekend TV in 1958 and quickly found British television too focused on 'anyone for tennis' productions that offered a condescending view of working-class people. He declared, 'Damn the upper classes: they don't even own televisions!' His principal tool for change was Armchair Theatre, which he insisted would use only original material written for television. In 1960, he devised Police Surgeon starring Ian Hendry; although it failed quickly, Newman took Hendry and the show's ethos to create The Avengers in January 1961. Later moving to the BBC in December 1962, he initiated The Wednesday Play in 1964, a strand that produced Cathy Come Home, a production by Tony Garnett based on a Jeremy Sandford script that portrayed homelessness.

Reader's Guide

Newman co-created Doctor Who during his tenure at the BBC from 1962 to the late 1960s. He also oversaw Armchair Theatre, which was in the top ten of ratings for 32 out of 37 weeks in 1959 with audiences over 12 million. His career included significant roles in Canada: he worked on over 350 films as an editor at the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) starting in 1941, directed Fighting Norway during World War II, and became executive producer of Canada Carries On in 1944. In 1970, after returning to Canada, he served as acting director of the Broadcast Programs Branch for the CRTC and later as head of the NFB, where he faced controversy in Quebec for suppressing politically sensitive films by French-Canadian directors.

Did You Know?

Sydney Newman was born Sydney Cecil Nudelman on April 1, 1917, the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants.
He attempted to work as a stills photographer and artist drawing film posters but found it impossible to earn enough money to live.
In 1938, he was offered a role with Walt Disney in Hollywood but could not secure a work permit.