Kate Harwood

Kate Harwood is a British television producer. She is to become the managing director of a revived Euston Films in the summer of 2014.

Early life

Kate graduated from the University of Birmingham with a degree in Drama before becoming an Arts Council Trainee director with Century Theatre and then Literary Manager of the Royal Court Theatre.

Television career

Harwood has spent over 15 years working at the BBC, and became an executive producer in the BBC Drama Serials department. As a Producer, she has worked on dramas including The Beggar Bride, Close Relations, The Echo, David Copperfield, Man and Boy and BAFTA winner Charles II: The Power and The Passion (released in the US under the title The Last King: the Power and the Passion of Charles II, in a heavily edited version on the A&E cable network). In her role as Executive Producer in BBC Drama Serials, she has been responsible for programmes including Crime and Punishment, Daniel Deronda, The Lost World, and Final Demand. Harwood was appointed the executive producer of EastEnders in February 2005,[1] a position she retained until October 2006 when she was succeeded by Diederick Santer. During her time, EastEnders started facing more media criticism and ratings fell to 3.9 million - its lowest ever ratings. In December 2012, Harwood took the position as BBC's Head of Drama, replacing John Yorke.[2]

In March 2014, it was announced that Harwood was to leave the BBC to take up a position as managing director of Euston Films, previously a highly successful producer of British television drama from the 1970s to the early 1990s, now being revived as a company by owners Fremantle Media.[3]

Family

Her grandfather, Commodore Henry Harwood, was commander of Force G during the pursuit which resulted in the scuttling of the German battleship Admiral Graf Spee after the Battle of the River Plate, off Uruguay, in World War II (these events were later the basis of the 1956 film The Battle of the River Plate). Her brother, Anthony Harwood, is Head of News at the British newspaper The Daily Mirror.[4]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/6686
  2. ↑ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a445427/former-eastenders-producer-kate-harwood-named-bbcs-head-of-drama.html
  3. ↑ Conlan, Tara (17 March 2014). "Fremantle set to resurrect Euston Films". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  4. ↑ Trivia section Internet Movie Database Accessed 19 September 2006

External links

Media offices
Preceded by
Kathleen Hutchison		 Executive Producer of EastEnders
2005–06 		Succeeded by
Diederick Santer