Michael Grade

For Michael Grade, a distinguished and highly successful career in showbusiness appeared to be in the genes. Born in 1943 in London, England, his father was Leslie Grade and his uncles were Lew Grade and Bernard Delfont. Grade became a trainee journalist on the Daily Mirror in 1960 (he was their sports columnist 1964 - 1966). In 1973 he became deputy controller of entertainment programmes at London Weekend Television. In 1984, Grade gained one of the most prestigious positions in British broadcasting when he became controller of BBC One. He became BBC TV's director of programmes two years later. During his brief but significant stint at the BBC he was noted for his brave and controversial decisions, which included delaying production for 18 months of the corporation's legendary science fiction series Doctor Who (1963), which he openly criticised in interviews, and then ordering that Colin Baker be replaced as its star in 1986, as well as commissioning the controversial Dennis Potter p