Peter Eckersley (TV producer)

Peter Eckersley (born 1935, died 1981 of cancer) was Head of Drama at Granada Television in the 1960s and 70s.

In the 1960s, he was also a writer and producer on "Coronation Street". He wrote 62 episodes between April 1962 and November 1969.cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Coronation Street writers
work =
publisher =corrie.net
date =
url=http://www.corrie.net/profiles/staff/writers.html
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-01-03 ] There he met and married one of its stars, Anne Reid, who played Valerie Barlow. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Anne's swinging sixties
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publisher =This Is London
date =2003-11-14
url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/film/article-7687481-details/Anne's+swinging+sixties/article.do
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accessdate = 2008-01-03 ]

He also produced the sitcom "Nearest and Dearest" with Hylda Baker" and "Jimmy Jewel".

During the late 1970s he spotted and developed a young comedienne Victoria Wood, who went on to become one of the UK's most successful comedy stars. He produced the TV version of her play "Talent", it's follow up "Nearly A Happy Ending" and "Happy Since I Met You" (also by Wood). He also produced the pilot of "Wood and Walters", but died before the series got made. Wood cites him as her biggest influence.cite book
last = Brandwood
first = Neil
title= Victoria Wood – The Biography
edition = 1st Edition
year = 2002
publisher = Boxtree
location = London
id = ISBN 1-85227-982-6
pages = ]

David Liddiment, ITV's former director of programmes said "Peter Eckersley nurtured a new cadre of young northern writers who reflected the realities of post-War urban life for the first time....They were all to make television drama younger, sharper and closer to the experience of the mass audience." [cite web
last =Liddiment
first =David
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Why ITV matters
work =
publisher =transdiffusion.org
date =2005-10-22
url=http://www.transdiffusion.org/emc/itv50/matters/index.htm
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-01-03 ]

References

External links

[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0248597/ Peter Eckersley at IMDB]