Michael Bakewell | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael John Bakewell (1931-06-07)7 June 1931 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England |
| Died | 11 July 2023(2023-07-11) (aged 92) |
| Alma mater | King's College, Cambridge |
| Occupation(s) | Radio and television producer, radio dramatist |
Michael John Bakewell (7 June 1931 – 11 July 2023) was a British radio and television producer.
Michael John Bakewell was born inBirmingham, Warwickshire, England, on 7 June 1931. His childhood was spent inSutton Coldfield, where he attendedBishop Vesey's Grammar School. After completing hisNational Service in theRoyal Air Force, he studied English literature atKing's College, Cambridge. After graduating from Cambridge in 1954, he was recruited by the BBC'sThird Programme.[1]
Bakewell was best known for his work during the 1960s, when he was the first Head of Plays at the BBC, afterSydney Newman divided the drama department into separate series, serials and plays divisions in 1963.[2] Later, Bakewell produced plays forBBC2'sTheatre 625 anthology strand, includingJohn Hopkins' highly regardedTalking to a Stranger quartet of linked plays.[3][4]
Bakewell also worked in radio drama for the BBC.[5] He adapted (withBrian Sibley)The Lord of the Rings into a1981 radio series, and he adapted 27 ofAgatha Christie'sPoirot novels for broadcast between 1985 and 2007 – the major omission beingCurtain: Poirot's Last Case, the rights to which proved unobtainable – and all 12Miss Marple novels, broadcast between 1993 and 2001.[6] He was also the dubbing director for the English versions of the Japanese television seriesThe Water Margin andMonkey, which were screened by the BBC, among many ofManga Video UK's dubs (and many dubs for bothCentral Park Media andManga Video UK), e.g.,Cyber City Oedo,Devilman,Dominion Tank Police,Patlabor (Manga PAL version - movies 1 and 2),Tokyo Babylon,Genocyber,Roujin Z,Angel Cop,Violence Jack and many others.[7][3]
From 1955 until 1972, Michael Bakewell was the first husband ofJoan Bakewell; the couple had two children, Matthew and Harriet.[8] In the 1960s, Joan had an eight-year affair with the playwrightHarold Pinter.[9]
Following their divorce, Michael remarried to Melissa Dundas in 1975. He lived with Melissa in East Sussex until his death on 11 July 2023, at the age of 92. He hadAlzheimer's disease andmacular degeneration in his later years.[1]
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