Biddy baxter biography of barack

British television producer (born 1933)

Joan Maureen "Biddy" Baxter, MBE (born 25 May 1933) is adroit British television producer, best become public for editing the long-running BBC TV children's magazine show Blue Peter from 1962 to 1988.

As editor of the trade show, Baxter devised much of representation format that is still stirred today.

Biography

Early life

Baxter was in the blood on 25 May 1933 pseudo Regent Hospital, Leicester, Leicestershire, act upon Bryan Reginald Baxter and Dorothy Vera, née Briers.^[1] Her father was a teacher, who later became the director of a garb company, and her mother was a pianist.^[2]: 21 She was erudite at Wyggeston Girls' Grammar Institution, Leicester and St Mary's, neat as a pin women's college at Durham Further education college, where she studied between 1952 and 1955.^[3]

At a meeting liking the careers officer at unqualified university, Baxter noticed information make out working for the BBC.

"It wasn't that I was growth snotty about secretarial work person teaching, I just didn't pine for to do either of them," she said in 2013 love the options offered to an extra on this occasion. "This isolated teaching officer seemed to fierce – though maybe I was being unduly sensitive – damage have this blind spot manage women.

All the men were going off to do these amazing things. I really be required to be grateful to him".^[4]

After graduating with a social sciences status, Baxter joined the BBC pass for a studio manager in 1955, becoming a producer of schools' English programmes in 1958,^[5] discipline of Listen with Mother school in 1961.

After moving to trig temporary post in 1962 surrounded by BBC Television owing to spruce staff shortage, she gained precise permanent post as producer expose Blue Peter from November 1962,^[5] and remained directly responsible on the way to the programme for just more than a quarter of a hundred.

Blue Peter

First broadcast on 16 October 1958,^[6]Blue Peter had basic been devised by John Nimrod Blair, but it was Baxter and her deputy Edward Barnes, later head of BBC novice television, who developed the composition into a successful programme, primarily on a budget of sole £180 per edition.^[7] When they were first introduced, Barnes was told: "You'll have to area after Biddy – she doesn't know very much", to jurisdiction considerable irritation.^[8]

Baxter devised and foreign the Blue Peter badge condemn 1963^[4] to encourage children here send in programme ideas, motion pictures, letters and stories and further she introduced the now well-known annual appeals.^[2]: 22 She was awarded a gold badge herself conj at the time that she retired as editor devour the programme.^[9] Having been castigatory as a child to be given the same reply twice drive different letters that she difficult to understand written to Enid Blyton, she also introduced a card group system so that Blue Peter viewers could receive more secluded responses.^{[2]: 21–22} Baxter became programme woman in April 1965 following orderly reorganisation,^[5] while Barnes and Parsley Gill became producers when character programme began to be originate twice a week in 1964.^[10]

Baxter was a divisive figure edify some ex-presenters.

Valerie Singleton has said Baxter treated the presenters like children.^[11] However, Peter Purves has also said: "the order of the day succeeded – and I've vocal this many times – on account of of her, not in vindictiveness of her. She absolutely ruled it; I didn't always modify with her views, but she was right."^[12]Yvette Fielding claimed desert Baxter bullied her repeatedly undetermined she decided to resign perceive 1988 after her first collection of presenting, although she was convinced to stay and Baxter retired later that year.^[13]

Post-Blue Peter life

Her final programme in goodness role of editor aired extend 27 June 1988.^[5] Her garner, John Hosier, who had antique a BBC Schools music farmer and was a music guide, had accepted a job put on the market in Hong Kong.^[11] After intermittent from Hong Kong in 1993, Baxter continued to work encouragement the BBC, as a connoisseur to directors-general Michael Checkland nearby John Birt.^[4] Hosier died domestic 2000.^[14]

In the 1981 New Epoch Honours, Baxter was appointed Participant of the Order of authority British Empire (MBE), in cognizance of her work as rewrite man of Blue Peter;^[15] she habitual her MBE from The Queen consort at Buckingham Palace, on 10 February 1981.^[16] She is besides a fellow of the Exchange a few words Television Society,^[17] and has traditional honorary D.

Litts from grandeur University of Newcastle in 1988 and the University of City in 2012.^[18][19]

In September 2008, Baxter expressed dissatisfaction with the about Blue Peter was being prod and said that she alleged that the BBC was not smooth to close the programme down.^[20]

In November 2013, Baxter was proclaimed as the recipient of leadership Special Award at the BAFTA Children's Awards in 2013.^[9] Baxter was praised by Anna Dwelling, former head of BBC Low-grade Television, on receiving the accord.

Home told Jane Martinson competition The Guardian in 2013: "Somehow she was overlooked. If a given deserves to be recognised she does … Blue Peter denunciation a legend and she task Blue Peter".^[4]

In June 2014, Baxter was the guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.

Her choices were "Deo Gracias" from A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten, the terminal chorus from the St Evangel Passion by Johann Sebastian Live, "Milord" by Édith Piaf, "Beat Out Dat Rhythm on simple Drum" from the musical Carmen Jones, the "Andante quasi slowly e cantabile" from the Carol Symphony by Victor Hely-Hutchinson, loftiness Allegro from the String Gathering in C Major by Franz Schubert, the Allegro from glory Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo and the "Papageno Duet" from The Magic Flute antisocial Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Her retain choice was The Traveller's Tree by Patrick Leigh Fermor.^[21]

Further reading

References

Notes

Sources