Bill Sellars

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name = Bill Sellars

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birth_name = William Sellars
birth_date = 5 June 1921
birth_place = Brighton, England [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/20946 BFI entry on Bill Sellars] ]
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nationality = Flagicon|UK Flagicon|England England
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known_for = Producing several long-running programmes, including, "The Newcomers", "The Doctors" (1969), "The Brothers", and several short series, such as "The Chinese Puzzle". Perhaps most famous for his production of "All Creatures Great and Small" throughout its entire run. Infamous for creating and producing "Triangle", a soap opera cited as amongst the worst television had to offer on "TV Hell".
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employer = BBC
occupation = Television producer
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Bill Sellars was a prolific British television producer, most active from the 1960s to the 80s. His entire career was spent working on projects made and broadcast by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Of these, the show that was his biggest success was undoubtedly "All Creatures Great and Small", which he produced for its entire run. Conversely, his biggest critical failure was likely "Triangle", a soap opera set on board a ferry in the North Sea.

As director

Sellars' first significant creative work for the BBC was as a director. From 1962-1965, he was periodically assigned to some of the more daring shows then on television, such as the upscale soap, "Compact", and the then-new "Doctor Who". For this latter programme, he helmed the "The Celestial Toymaker". [ [http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/y.html Behind-the-scenes description] of the making of "The Celestial Toymaker"] He also directed episodes of "United!" and "199 Park Lane" during this period. However, due to the BBC's policy of wiping and reusing videotape, very little of Sellars' directorial work survives. The only remnant of his work commercially available on DVD as of 2008 may be an episode of "Toymaker".

As producer

After a three-year stint as a contract director, Sellars shifted into production. His first job as full producer was as Verity Lambert's successor on "The Newcomers". [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/series/20837 BFI's page on "The Newcomers"] , showing Sellars firmly the producer from at least May to December 1967] From the mid-1960s to the early 1970s, he moved through a quick succession of soap operas, including "The Doctors" and "The Brothers". By 1973, he had entered a five-year period of directing shorter-form dramas. Most of these endeavours were, like "The Chinese Puzzle" and a portion of the "Lord Peter Wimsey" mysteries, far afield from his usual work in soap opera.

By 1978, however, he found himself back to regular series work. This time, however, he was handed "All Creatures Great and Small". Although he would produce other shows in the downtime from "All Creatures" — such as the notorious "Triangle" and the "Creatures"-clone, "One By One" — he would work on "Creatures" until the close of his active career in 1990. Indeed, it was for "Creatures" that he received his only two significant awards nominations: a BAFTA nomination for Best Drama Series in 1979, and a Primetime Emmy nomination for Best Children's Series in 1990. [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0783286/awards Sellars' awards page at IMDb] ]

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