396:, Ferguson was responsible for bringing in a "new sense of vitality", and creating a programme that was “more in touch” with the “real world” than it had been over the last year. Ferguson altered the way the episodes were produced, changed the way the storylines were conceptualised and introduced a far greater amount of location work than had previously been seen. As a consequence of these changes, a large number of characters were axed in early 1990 as the new production machine cleared way for a new direction and new characters. Among the characters he introduced were the
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Ferguson started his career as a stage actor and director with the
Theatre Centre, a touring company visiting schools, before joining the BBC as an assistant floor manager and training to be a director there. He began directing for the BBC in the 1960s on television shows such as
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during “its most popular period” when it switched in 1987 from a series to a “soap-style” twice-weekly half-hour format. Because of
Ferguson's success with the programme,
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had come under criticism due to falling ratings and "comic storylines" which many viewers felt were stretching its credibility. According to
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167:(14 June 1937 – 4 October 2021) was a British television director and producer. His early career included directing four serials of the
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Ferguson had two daughters, Tracy and Nikki, by his first wife Susan; Nikki predeceased him. Ferguson died in
October 2021, aged 84.
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and was promoted to become its producer (1988–1989), and as executive producer of the BBC
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Ferguson was responsible for storylines such as the return of runaway
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352:(1984). In 1985 Ferguson began directing for ITV's police drama
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He remained with the BBC, producing the hospital drama series
449:. His last directorial credit for the programme was in 2002.
432:, and the murder of Eddie Royle. Ferguson decided to leave
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in Cyprus and north Africa. He trained as an actor at the
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in
Wimbledon. He performed his national service with the
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and most notably the
Mitchell brothers and their sister
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Alumni of the London
Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
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208:. He then produced the BBC medical drama series
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575:"Classic Doctor Who's Great Unsung Director"
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328:(1976), directed and produced the spy drama
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378:. Ferguson took over from series producer
659:. URL last accessed on 18 September 2006.
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315:(1972), before moving to rival network
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653:Profiles: EastEnders Kemp and McFadden
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518:Hayward, Anthony (14 October 2021).
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759:20th-century British Army personnel
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181:(1966–1971). He later directed
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520:"Michael Ferguson obituary"
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769:BBC television producers
372:'s flagship soap opera,
294:The Ambassadors of Death
550:The EastEnders Handbook
185:'s police drama series
794:People from New Malden
721:Executive Producer of
273:(1969 & 1971) and
488:. BFI. Archived from
400:family, pub landlord
224:King's College School
589:"Bill, The (1984- )"
492:on 12 November 2007
486:"FERGUSON, Michael"
322:At ITV he directed
366:executive producer
288:The Seeds of Death
270:Out of the Unknown
141:(divorced)
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674:. Retrieved
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62:(2021-10-04)
41:14 June 1937
18:
754:2021 deaths
749:1937 births
715:Mike Gibbon
426:Nick Cotton
418:Mark Fowler
402:Eddie Royle
394:Colin Brake
380:Mike Gibbon
346:(1982) and
309:(1975) and
297:(1970) and
158:2 daughters
743:Categories
732:Pat Sandys
723:EastEnders
461:References
434:EastEnders
430:Dot Cotton
422:Mo Butcher
410:EastEnders
390:EastEnders
386:EastEnders
375:EastEnders
276:Doctor Who
218:Early life
197:EastEnders
193:soap opera
178:Doctor Who
112:EastEnders
100:Doctor Who
45:New Malden
37:1937-06-14
676:30 August
598:30 August
529:7 January
496:30 August
474:Researcha
398:Tavernier
337:Flambards
319:in 1976.
90:1962–2003
51:, England
625:(1995).
447:The Bill
442:Casualty
420:'s HIV,
358:The Bill
354:The Bill
340:(1979),
334:(1978),
291:(1969),
285:(1966),
267:(1965),
261:(1964),
211:Casualty
188:The Bill
155:Children
118:Casualty
106:The Bill
343:Airline
312:Colditz
306:Quiller
258:Compact
175:series
143:
139:
125:Spouses
635:
557:
246:Z-Cars
238:Career
49:Surrey
672:. BFI
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699:IMDb
678:2007
633:ISBN
600:2007
555:ISBN
531:2022
498:2007
370:BBC1
204:and
202:Phil
57:Died
31:Born
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657:BBC
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593:BFI
406:Sam
368:of
317:ITV
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39:)
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