‘Between Grierson and Barnum’: Sydney Newman and the development of the single television play at the BBC 1963-7

The contribution of Sydney Newman (1917-97) to British television drama stretches far beyond Armchair Theatre. In 1963 he was ‘poached’ to become Head of BBC TV’s Drama Group. There, as a management executive, he helped develop such seminal popular drama series as Doctor Who (1963-89), Adam Adamant Lives! (1966-7) and The Forsyte Saga (1967). His was an era of innovation and expansion in the possibilities of British television drama and the aim of this article is to evaluate Newman as a manager between 1963-7, particularly with regard to the single television play at the BBC.