The Aphrodite Inheritance

Production Team

A BBC TV Production
in association with
CYPRUS BROADCASTING
CORPORATION
Production Managers for CBC
Andreas Papayiannis
Ionnis Karaolis

Production Unit Manager
Glyn Edwards

Production Assistant
Robert H Gabriel

Film Cameramen
Peter Chapman
Terry Doe

Film Sound
Bill Wild

Film Editor
Tariq Anwar

Visual Effects
Tony Harding

Studio Lighting
Peter Smee

Lighting Gaffer
Ken Shepherd

Free DHTML scripts provided by
Dynamic Drive
Grip
Roy Caney

Studio Sound
Alan Fogg

Boom Swinger
Terry Elms

Costume Designer
Nicholas Rocker

Make-up Artist
Christine Beveridge

Graphic Designer
Stefan Pstrowski

Music Specially Composed by
George Kotsonis

Designer
Jon Pusey

Producer
Andrew Osborn
Directors
Terence Williams
Viktors Ritelis

Copyright BBC - MCMLXXVIII


TERENCE WILLIAMS - DIRECTOR

Terence Williams started by going to Drama School and Theatre Club, accompanying his sister who was a singer studying acting. Williams was attempting a degree course in Physics and Chemistry, after National Service in the Air Force. He found himself spending so much time and energy doing shows that he neglected his degree course. He eventually decided that the Theatre was much more appealing and took his first job in the professional theatre in the Dundee Repertory Theatre as Stage Manager then Stage Director and part-time director at the York Citizens Theatre trust, where he met his wife Kate, who was Scenic Artist.

Williams joined the BBC in 1956 as a 'Holiday Relief Assistant Floor Manager and stayed for just over ten years, becoming a Floor Manager, Production Manager and Director/Producer. In those days there was a great demand for people with film or theatre skills because of the demand from the new TV companies being formed. Four years after joining the BBC he went on the Director's Course and a year later was directing on the Maigret series. He went on to direct Z Cars, a weekly live fifty minute series, followed by a long string of Drama series in the 1960s.

Williams left the BBC in 1968 to join Yorkshire Television. He produced Gazette, Hadleigh , Parkin's Patch, and set up Emmerdale Farm before leaving and freelancing for the BBC and many 'TV companies. In the mid 1970s he went into Independent Production with three other colleagues.

"We ran this company for four years at a time when there was very much less opportunity than now for Independents. We survived the three-day week but eventually decided that the returns were too small for the large outlay of time, and I returned to freelance work. My previous agent told me that Terry Dudley was about to produce an interesting series, and Terry invited me to come and have a chat." The series was Survivors and he stayed with it for two years.

Following his work on Survivors Williams went to Scotland for a brief spell, followed by The Aphrodite Inheritance. He went on to produce The Chinese Detective for the BBC in 1981-2 (for details see the excellent MediaGems page)




ANDREW OSBORN - PRODUCER

Andrew Osborn was born on 9th April, 1910 in Romford, Essex, England. He began his career as an actor, training at RADA, and later appearing on the London stage and in films such as 'Angels One Five' in 1954. According to The Stage Osborn's first television role was in 1948 when he appeared in a comedy called 'The Truth about Blayds' written by A.A. Milne.

Osborn joined the BBC in 1961 as a staff producer on series such as Dr Finlay's Casebook, and went on to become Head of Drama Series in 1965. Over the next ten years Osborn was responsible for giving us series such as Z Cars, The Troubleshooters, When the Boat Comes In, Sherlock Holmes, Maigret, The Expert, Colditz, and, of course, The Lotus Eaters. He was awarded an OBE in the 1973 New Year's Honours List.

Interviewed early in 1973 Osborn said "I know I am criticised for not being more adventurous or more experimental. I don't think it's true and series like The Onedin Line and Colditz and The Troubleshooters ... even The Lotus Eaters all broke new ground."

In August 1973 'The Stage' reported that Osborn was to leave the BBC in June the following year "to have a break and turn freelance". He was replaced by Ronnie Marsh the, then, Head of Drama Serials. Marsh's position was taken by William Slater, who would later direct and produce Who Pays the Ferryman?

Five years on it was all change again when the BBC decided to combine the two departments - Drama Series and Drama Serials - under Graeme McDonald. The Stage reported that Ronnie Marsh would become "special assistant to the drama group" with particular responsibility for co-productions and co-financings at least until he reached his retirement age of 60 the following year.

The last series Andrew Osborn produced was The Aphrodite Inheritance in 1978/79. Director Viktors Ritelis said Osborn was suffering from cancer of the lymph gland. Osborn died on 13th March, 1985 in Chiltern, Buckinghamshire, England.


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