Acclaimed television executive, Sir Paul Fox, has died, aged 98.
The former Controller of BBC One was behind the launch of major series, including Parkinson, The Two Ronnies and Dad’s Army. He also oversaw the move from black and white, to colour.
After the BBC, he moved to Yorkshire TV and ended up becoming Managing Director.
“Sir Paul had a towering career in television – not just with the BBC – but across the industry,” said BBC Director General, Tim Davie.
“Few people have had such a broad and lasting impact on the TV landscape, commissioning shows that audiences have loved for decades and still love. From Sports Personality of the Year and Panorama to the Two Ronnies, Dad’s Army and Parkinson, his legacy is unmatched.
“He was one of the best TV executives from a golden era in television. He will be hugely missed.”
Born in 1925, he joined the BBC in the 1950s, working as a newsreel scriptwriter. He devised and became editor of Sportsview and came up with BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
He was editor of Panorama in the 1960s but quickly moved around top jobs, including as Head of Public Affairs and Head of Current Affairs.
In the late 60s he helped form a consortium to bid for the ITV franchise in Yorkshire. It failed, but it happened to coincide with his promotion to become controller of BBC One (1967). He held the post for 6 years, and as well as The Two Ronnies and Dad’s Army, he also commissioned the Generation Game and covered the Apollo moon landings.
He headed to Leeds in 1973 as Yorkshire Television’s Head of Programmes and was Managing Director from 1977 until 1988.
He was honoured with a CBE in 1985 and knighted in 1991, the same year he retired.
