Ned Sherrin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ned Sherrin
Born Edward George Sherrin
18 February 1931(1931-02-18)
Low Ham, Somerset, England Flag of England
Died 1 October 2007 (aged 76)
Chelsea, London, England Flag of England
Cause of death Throat cancer
Nationality British
Occupation broadcaster, author and stage director

Edward George "Ned" Sherrin CBE (18 February 1931 – 1 October 2007) was an English broadcaster, author and stage director.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Born into a farming family at Low Ham in the Somerset Levels, Sherrin attended Sexey's School, in Bruton, Somerset.[1] Although he read law at Exeter College, Oxford and subsequently qualified as a barrister, he became involved in theatre at Oxford and joined British television at the founding of independent television in 1956, producing shows for ATV in Birmingham.

[edit] Career

Sherrin joined the BBC in 1957 as a temporary Production Assistant, then began working for them as a producer in "Television Talks" in 1963. [2] Specialising in satirical shows, he worked extensively in film production and television.

In 1962 he was responsible for the first satirical television series That Was The Week That Was starring David Frost and Millicent Martin and its successors Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life and BBC-3. His other shows and films included Up Pompeii!, Up the Front, The Cobblers of Umbridge and The Virgin Soldiers. In 1978, he also hosted We Interrupt This Week, a lively and humorous news events quiz featuring two teams of well-known journalists and columnists sparring against one another. The show was a production of WNET/Channel 13 New York.

Sherrin produced and directed numerous theatre productions in London's West End, including Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell and the landmark musical Side By Side By Sondheim. He received an Olivier Award for directing the Ratepayer Theatre's production of Iolanthe.

On BBC Radio 4, from 1986 until his death, he presented a light entertainment show on Saturday evenings called Loose Ends[3], and Counterpoint, a quiz show about all types of music, until forced off the air when his voice succumbed to throat cancer.

He also toured the UK with his one man show An Evening of Theatrical Anecdotes.[3]

Sherrin wrote two volumes of autobiography, several books of quotations and anecdotes, as well as some fiction; and several works in collaboration with Caryl Brahms.

[edit] Personal life

Openly gay,[4] he was a patron of the London Gay Symphony Orchestra.[5] Sherrin was awarded a CBE in the 1997 New Year’s honours list.[6] He died of complications of throat cancer on 1 October 2007, aged 76.[7]

[edit] Selected works

  • Sherrin, Ned (1983), A small thing — like an earthquake, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson 
  • Sherrin, Ned & Shand, Neil (1984), 1956 and all that: a memorable history of England since the war to end all wars (Two), London: M Joseph 
  • Sherrin, Ned (1984), Cutting edge, or, "Back in the knife-box, Miss Sharp": Ned Sherrin's anthology of wit., London: J M Dent 
  • Brahms, Caryl & Sherrin, Ned (1984), Song by song: the lives and work of 14 great lyric writers, Egerton, Bolton: R Anderson Publications 
  • Brahms, Caryl & Sherrin, Ned (1986), Too dirty for the windmill, London: Constable 
  • Sherrin, Ned (1991), Ned Sherrin's theatrical anecdotes: a connoisseur's collection of legends, stories, and gossip., London: Virgin 
  • Sherrin, Ned (1993), Ned Sherrin in his anecdotage: a classic collection from the master raconteur., London: Virgin 
  • Sherrin, Ned (1995), The Oxford dictionary of humorous quotations, Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press 
  • Sherrin, Ned (1996), Sherrin's year, London: Virgin 
  • Sherrin, Ned (1996), Scratch an actor, London: Sinclair-Stevenson 
  • Brahms, Caryl & Sherrin, Ned (1998), The Mitford girls: a musical, London: Warner/Chappell Music 
  • Sherrin, Ned (2004), I wish I'd said that, New York: Oxford University Press 
  • Sherrin, Ned (2005), Ned Sherrin: the autobiography, London: Little, Brown 
  • Frost, David & Sherrin, Ned (1963), That was the week that was, London: W H Allen 

[edit] References

  1. ^ Bio: Ned Sherrin screenonline.org.uk
  2. ^ Briggs, Asa (1995), History of Broadcasting in the United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, p. 158, ISBN 019215964X 
  3. ^ a b Smith, Alistair (2007-10-02), “Satirical trailblazer and broadcaster Ned Sherrin dies”, The Stage, <http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/18389/satirical-trailblazer-and-broadcaster-ned>. Retrieved on 2007-10-04 
  4. ^ Dwyer, Ciara (2005-10-30), “Sherrin and the source of all pleasure”, The Independent, <http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/news-gossip/sherrin-and-the-source-of-all-pleasure-473930.html> 
  5. ^ “London Gay Symphony Orchestra”, Out in the City, July 2007 
  6. ^ “Presenters”, The Right Address, <http://www.therightaddress.co.uk/presenter.php?page=16>. Retrieved on 2007-09-11 
  7. ^ Ned Sherrin, wit, impresario, bon viveur and Radio 4 stalwart, dies at 76. Guardian Unlimited (2007-10-01). Retrieved on 2007-10-01.

[edit] Obituaries


Persondata
NAME Sherrin, Ned
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sherrin, Edward George
SHORT DESCRIPTION
DATE OF BIRTH 1931-02-08
PLACE OF BIRTH Low Ham, Somerset, England
DATE OF DEATH 2007-10-01
PLACE OF DEATH Chelsea, London