349:, the satirical TV series broadcast in 1962–63, was an uneasy one. Her biographer John Grist writes: "Grace's dilemma was this; this was not only a Current Affairs programme but it included entertainment, which was a roundabout way of saying she did not want to have anything to do with it. She was right in that it included a show business element in which she was entirely untutored and had no interest."
215:
By 1955, the existence of television on election nights was having a significant effect. It prompted returning officers to hold their counts immediately after the close of polls, so that the results were declared during the early hours of the morning, rather than the following day. In 1955, for the
352:
As "Head of Talks" at BBC Television, she had a huge influence on the development of the serious side of BBC TV broadcasting. She passionately defended public service broadcasting, and advocated keeping the BBC independent of government interference. She retired from the BBC in 1965, at the age of
251:, wrote to her after the first programme: "You did not invent the idea, my dear, of press people questioning politicians; this has already been done in the States. So you have not changed the nature of television, but by God you have changed the whole future of politics in Britain."
315:
Wyndham Goldie had a low opinion of journalists whom she described as "the dirty mac brigade". She did not like the idea of "the story" and thought that scoops were boys' games. However, she respected the serious journalism that was embodied in such publications as
134:; 26 March 1900 – 3 June 1986) was a British producer and executive in television for twenty years, particularly in the fields of politics and current affairs. During her career at the BBC, she was one of the few senior women in an establishment dominated by men.
207:
and the coverage of politics and current affairs on television. The first general election which the television service was able to cover occurred in
February 1950. The BBC engaged in no reporting of the campaign whatsoever because of a cautious reading of the
137:
Beginning as a radio producer, Wyndham Goldie soon moved into television and pioneered many of the formats now taken for granted in
Britain. She became Head of Talks and later Head of the Current Affairs Group at
196:, which reprinted the texts of BBC talks, between 1935 and 1941. She specialised in drama and entertainment, and wrote enthusiastically about the new medium of television. After working as a civil servant at the
212:. However, producer Grace Wyndham Goldie managed to persuade the BBC to transmit a programme on election night to report the results only – there was to be absolutely no prediction of what was to come.
146:
described her as "one of the most influential of television's pioneers During her career she helped and encouraged countless people who were working in the medium and excited by its possibilities."
280:. The first was a nightly news magazine, while the second covered the arts. Among her team of producers and reporters, the so-called 'Goldie Boys', for whom her key word was “balance”, were
623:
227:, which was based on a format imported from US television. Each week four journalists interviewed a leading politician. The first politician to appear was
268:
from ITN to present the programme at the end of the 1950s. She was associated with the successful production of two other influential BBC TV programmes:
356:
Grace
Wyndham Goldie died on 3 June 1986 at the age of 86. A blue plaque marks St Mary Abbot's Court in Kensington, where she lived for over 50 years.
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from 1942 to 1944, she was invited to join the BBC as a radio producer in June 1944. In 1947, she joined the
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Wyndham Goldie developed her interest in broadcasting while as a weekly columnist for
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178:. In 1928, Nisbet married Frank Goldie, an actor who used the stage name
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Head of BBC Television Talks, later Head of BBC News and
Current Affairs
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as the main presenter. She was instrumental in recruiting
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declared on the night (357 of the 630 constituencies).
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Facing the Nation: Television & Politics 1936–76
567:
Blue plaque for BBC TV pioneer Grace
Wyndham Goldie
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223:In 1952 Wyndham Goldie started a new programme,
203:Wyndham Goldie pioneered television coverage of
586:Grace Wyndham Goldie, First Lady of Television
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16:British producer and executive in television
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170:. Nisbet obtained her first degree at
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210:Representation of the People Act 1948
162:. Much of her childhood was spent in
154:She was born Grace Murrell Nisbet in
1574:Alumni of Somerville College, Oxford
443:Husband Wyndham Goldie's full entry
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633:BAFTA Fellowship Award
60:3 June 1986 (aged 86)
780:Richard Attenborough
664:Grace Wyndham Goldie
584:Grist, John (2006),
530:(London 1999) p. 188
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132:Grace Murrell Nisbet
125:Grace Wyndham Goldie
117:Frank Wyndham Goldie
35:Grace Murrell Nisbet
25:Grace Wyndham Goldie
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160:Scottish Highlands
144:David Attenborough
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38:26 March 1900
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1477:Hideo Kojima
1429:Ridley Scott
1405:Alan Simpson
1393:John Carmack
1369:David Braben
1337:Helen Mirren
1302:
1263:Melvyn Bragg
1131:John Boorman
1051:2001–present
988:Sean Connery
932:Maggie Smith
916:Ronald Neame
900:Billy Wilder
860:John Gielgud
704:Denis Forman
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401:. Retrieved
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360:Publications
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290:John Freeman
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247:. Her boss,
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1569:1986 deaths
1564:1900 births
1437:Tim Schafer
1321:Gabe Newell
1313:Alan Parker
1304:Rolf Harris
1219:Dawn French
1195:Will Wright
1155:David Frost
1139:Roger Graef
1123:David Jason
1115:Saul Zaentz
996:Bill Cotton
940:Woody Allen
884:Colin Young
852:Louis Malle
796:Sam Spiegel
788:Hugh Greene
744:John Huston
728:Huw Wheldon
421:, pp. 8–10.
286:Huw Wheldon
231:, then the
79:Nationality
1558:Categories
1525:Meera Syal
1413:Mel Brooks
1401:Ray Galton
1361:Mike Leigh
1147:John Barry
1107:John Mills
1075:Judi Dench
1008:Ernie Wise
980:David Rose
752:Abel Gance
672:David Lean
526:R Samuel,
380:References
150:Early life
64:Kensington
1445:Kate Adie
1171:Ken Loach
1067:John Thaw
720:Lew Grade
640:1971–2000
543:, p. 210.
319:The Times
266:Robin Day
1377:Jon Snow
844:Paul Fox
488:, p. 62.
403:16 April
334:and the
257:Panorama
95:Employer
50:Scotland
46:Lochaber
1485:Ang Lee
504:, p. 91
277:Monitor
271:Tonight
156:Arisaig
82:British
72:England
42:Arisaig
1543:(2024)
1535:(2024)
1527:(2023)
1519:(2023)
1511:(2023)
1503:(2022)
1495:(2021)
1487:(2021)
1479:(2020)
1471:(2020)
1463:(2019)
1455:(2019)
1447:(2018)
1439:(2018)
1431:(2018)
1423:(2017)
1415:(2017)
1407:(2016)
1403:&
1395:(2016)
1387:(2016)
1379:(2015)
1371:(2015)
1363:(2015)
1355:(2014)
1347:(2014)
1339:(2014)
1331:(2013)
1323:(2013)
1315:(2013)
1307:(2012)
1297:(2012)
1289:(2011)
1281:(2011)
1273:(2011)
1265:(2010)
1257:(2010)
1249:(2010)
1241:(2009)
1233:(2009)
1225:(2009)
1221:&
1213:(2008)
1205:(2008)
1197:(2007)
1189:(2007)
1181:(2007)
1173:(2006)
1165:(2006)
1157:(2005)
1149:(2005)
1141:(2004)
1133:(2004)
1125:(2003)
1117:(2003)
1109:(2002)
1101:(2002)
1093:(2002)
1085:(2002)
1077:(2001)
1069:(2001)
1061:(2001)
1042:(2000)
1034:(2000)
1026:(2000)
1018:(1999)
1010:(1999)
1006:&
998:(1998)
990:(1998)
982:(1997)
974:(1997)
966:(1997)
958:(1997)
950:(1997)
942:(1997)
934:(1996)
926:(1996)
918:(1996)
910:(1996)
902:(1995)
894:(1994)
886:(1993)
878:(1993)
870:(1992)
862:(1992)
854:(1991)
846:(1990)
838:(1989)
830:(1988)
822:(1987)
814:(1986)
806:(1985)
798:(1984)
790:(1984)
782:(1983)
774:(1982)
766:(1981)
762:&
754:(1981)
746:(1980)
738:(1980)
730:(1979)
722:(1979)
714:(1978)
706:(1977)
698:(1976)
690:(1976)
682:(1975)
674:(1974)
666:(1973)
658:(1972)
650:(1971)
592:
372:
274:, and
245:Berlin
186:Career
113:Spouse
68:London
164:Egypt
130:(née
105:Title
590:ISBN
405:2021
370:ISBN
353:65.
308:and
57:Died
31:Born
398:BBC
128:OBE
99:BBC
1560::
493:^
396:.
340:.
328:,
322:,
312:.
304:,
300:,
296:,
292:,
288:,
284:,
239:,
142:.
70:,
66:,
48:,
44:,
625:e
618:t
611:v
407:.
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