大象传媒

He is the only man who's run the 大象传媒, Channel 4 and ITV. In this six-part series, Michael Grade tells the inside story of Britain's television industry. It's a story that takes us from Alexandra Palace in London to Southfork Ranch in Dallas. The series examines the key milestones in the story of TV seen from Michael's unique and personal viewpoint.

In 1973, Michael Grade joined London Weekend Television as Deputy Controller of Programmes (Entertainment) on a salary of 拢11,000. His life would never be the same again, "I realised that TV was destined to be the entertainment medium of the future".

In the opening programme, 'New Dawn', Michael considers the arrival of ITV - "commercial television" - and examines the impact the new network had on the 大象传媒's television monopoly.

Michael recalls the creation, and later demise, of 'The South Bank Show' with Melvyn Bragg. He visits 165 Eaton Place, the home of 'Upstairs, Downstairs' with its co-creator Jean Marsh. Plus, he remembers the reasons why Thames Television undertook the landmark documentary series 'The World at War'. The programme also examines the impact of 'Coronation Street' in 1960, how the LWT sit com 'Agony' helped to launch the career of Maureen Lipman and why Michael was so keen to reunite the husband-and-wife acting team of Pauline Collins and John Alderton in 'No Honestly'.

The series features a wealth of newly recorded personal interviews and this programme includes contributions from Melvyn Bragg, David Frost, Roger Bolton, Jon Snow, Jeremy Isaacs, TV Drama Executive Mal Young, Historian Asa Briggs, Professors Anthony Smith and Christopher Frayling, Academic Dorothy Hobson and former Channel Controllers Paul Fox and Brian Tesler.

Written and produced by Malcolm Prince.