Julie Gardner

Julie Gardner (born June 1969) is a Welsh television producer who is currently both Controller of Drama Commissioning at BBC Television and Head of Drama for BBC Wales. Her most prominent work has been serving as executive producer on the 2005 revival of "Doctor Who".

Gardner was born in Neath, and grew up in Glynneath. She attended Neath Tertiary College and read English at the University of London. She initially worked as a teacher at GCSE and A-Level level, before in the mid-1990s she decided to switch to working in the television industry. Her first job was as a producer's secretary on the second production block of the acclaimed BBC Two drama serial "Our Friends in the North" (starring Christopher Eccleston). Subsequently, she became a script reader and then a script editor, before working as a producer on BBC dramas such as "Silent Witness" and "The Mrs Bradley Mysteries."

In 2000, Gardner began working as a Development Producer at London Weekend Television. There, she produced dramas including "Me and Mrs. Jones" and an updated version of "Othello" written by Andrew Davies and starring Eamonn Walker and Christopher Eccleston (in the Iago role). While at LWT, Gardner began working with Welsh writer Russell T Davies on the period drama "Casanova".

In 2003, Gardner returned to the BBC as Head of Drama for BBC Wales, bringing Davies' "Casanova" project with her. Gardner's first assignment from BBC Head of Drama Jane Tranter was to head up the revival of "Doctor Who". Gardner immediately contacted Davies (who had previously expressed an interest in writing and producing "Doctor Who") and began working with him on bringing the programme back to British screens. The new series of "Doctor Who" debuted in March 2005, to critical and popular acclaim.

Gardner was the BBC's representative in the production of the political romantic comedy "The Girl in the Café" (2005), written by Richard Curtis in conjunction with the Make Poverty History campaign. Other BBC One network dramas commissioned by Gardner at BBC Wales have included the multiple personality disorder drama "May 33rd" (2004); domestic abuse-themed one-off "Dad" (2005); courtroom reconstruction "The Chatterley Affair" (2006) and the time travel police series "Life on Mars" (2006–2007), produced independently by Kudos Film & Television.

Gardner and Davies have also overseen two "Doctor Who" spin-offs: "Torchwood", an adult (post-watershed) science fiction drama aired on BBC Three and BBC Two, and "The Sarah Jane Adventures", a children's fantasy thriller aired on BBC One and CBBC.

Gardner wrote the foreword to and said, in an audio commentary, the "Doomsday" music was her "most favourite piece of Murray Gold music". In the monthly Doctor Who Magazine, issue 399, Julie was interviewed about the Doctor Who Prom and it was noted that still, two years on, she still sheds tears during Doomsday, even during the rehearsal!

Julie believes that when the Tenth Doctor says goodbye to his companion Rose Tyler in a scene where he appears as a hologram for two minutes, and fades away after giving the line "and if it's my last chance to say it... Rose Tyler..." that he "absolutely was going to say that he loved her."

In September 2006 it was announced that Gardner would succeed Jane Tranter as the overall Controller of Drama Commissioning at BBC Television, following Tranter's promotion to the new "Head of Fiction" role. [cite web|url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/14211/bbc-vision-appoints-gardner-as-head-of-drama|title=BBC Vision appoints Gardner as head of drama commissioning|publisher=The Stage|date=2006-09-21|accessdate=2006-09-21] However, Gardner will remain in her position at BBC Wales, performing the two jobs simultaneously, until 2009; it has been announced that her roles at BBC Wales and with "Doctor Who" will be assumed by producer Piers Wenger [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2007/12/11/51435.shtml Time For Change] ] .

Gardner has received credit for an increase in drama being made in Wales; in 2007, Cardiff-born writer Andrew Davies called her "the best thing to happen to Welsh drama. Ever." [cite news |first=Hannah |last=Jones |title=The power behind the |url=http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_headline=the-power-behind-the&method=full&objectid=19375569&siteid=50082-name_page.html |work=Western Mail |publisher=Trinity Mirror |date=2007-06-30 |accessdate=2007-07-02 ]

Notes

References

Books:
*Lyon, J Shaun. "Back to the Vortex". (Chapter Three: "The Executive Three", pages 42 and 43). Tolworth. Telos Publishing Ltd. 2005. ISBN 1-903889-78-2.

Magazines:
*Cook, Benjamin & Hickman, Clayton. "Gardner's World". "Doctor Who Magazine". Issue 354. Cover date March 30 2005. Pages 12-19.

External links

*imdb name|id=0307005|name=Julie Gardner
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/wales/juliegardner.shtml BBC Press Office biography]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/03_march/10/who_davies_gardner.shtml BBC Press Office publication on Gardner and Davies producing "Doctor Who"]