Allan McKeown
Encyclopedia
Allan McKeown is an English
Emmy-Award winning UK and US television and stage producer.
He worked on a number of films and TV shows, Sunday Night at the London Palladium and films Villain, Get Carter and XYZ.
He left to form a production company Witzend with Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. Initially making commercials then the feature film Porridge.
He was one of the first independent television producers in the UK . McKeown not only produced in Britain with his company, WitzEnd, but also produced in the US for all of the networks.
In 1986, Witzend acquired Selectv, and in the process became a public company. The company grew as it added Alomo, a venture with writers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran to its stable of production companies.
In 1990, McKeown was a founding member of the Meridian consortium. The consortium was awarded the ITV
television franchise for the South East of England. McKeown was responsible for all of Meridian's comedy programming. In 1994 Selectv (the cable channel) was launched its programming , mainly programs produced by McKeown. In March 1996, McKeown accepted £51 million for SelecTV, now a broadcaster and a major supplier of television programs, from Pearson, the owner of the Financial Times
.
McKeown returned to the US producing the HBO comedy series, Tracey Takes On...
for wife, Tracey Ullman
. The series won 8 Emmy Awards.
McKeown invested in the media launching web site itstv.com, an international distribution web site. The company was sold in March 2000.
In 2007, McKeown launched Allan McKeown Presents....
", McKeown turned his attention to theater full-time. He produced the massively successful "Jerry Springer The Opera", winning the Olivier Award for Best Musical. He also produced, "Lennon
", the musical based on the life of John Lennon
.
. He also produced, wife, Ullman's American sketch comedy series, Tracey Ullman's State of the Union
(2008–2010).
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
Emmy-Award winning UK and US television and stage producer.
Early life
Allan McKeown was born in Ealing on 21 May 1946. His parents Edith (Humphries) McKeown and Victor McKeown moved first to Hackney and then to Hainault in Essex. His father was the Clerk of Works at the new estate. Educated at Beal Grammar school in Ilford, he left early and became a trainee hairdresser at Vidal Sassoon in Bond Street. He was a hairdresser and was a figure in the London scene of the 1960s, and in 1966 he opened his own salon.He worked on a number of films and TV shows, Sunday Night at the London Palladium and films Villain, Get Carter and XYZ.
Television producer
In 1969 he changed course and became a TV producer at James Garrett and Ptrs, at the time the largest TV commercials producer in the UK. He was appointed Managing Director shortly after joining.He left to form a production company Witzend with Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. Initially making commercials then the feature film Porridge.
He was one of the first independent television producers in the UK . McKeown not only produced in Britain with his company, WitzEnd, but also produced in the US for all of the networks.
In 1986, Witzend acquired Selectv, and in the process became a public company. The company grew as it added Alomo, a venture with writers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran to its stable of production companies.
In 1990, McKeown was a founding member of the Meridian consortium. The consortium was awarded the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
television franchise for the South East of England. McKeown was responsible for all of Meridian's comedy programming. In 1994 Selectv (the cable channel) was launched its programming , mainly programs produced by McKeown. In March 1996, McKeown accepted £51 million for SelecTV, now a broadcaster and a major supplier of television programs, from Pearson, the owner of the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
.
McKeown returned to the US producing the HBO comedy series, Tracey Takes On...
Tracey Takes On...
Tracey Takes On... is an HBO sketch comedy series created by British-American comedienne Tracey Ullman.In 1993, Ullman returned to television after her hit Fox comedy series, The Tracey Ullman Show, was canceled, with two comedy specials for HBO. Tracey Ullman Takes On New York, and Tracey Ullman:...
for wife, Tracey Ullman
Tracey Ullman
Tracey Ullman is a British stage and television actress, comedienne, singer, dancer, screenwriter and author ....
. The series won 8 Emmy Awards.
McKeown invested in the media launching web site itstv.com, an international distribution web site. The company was sold in March 2000.
In 2007, McKeown launched Allan McKeown Presents....
Stage
The success of the West End's "Anyone For Denis?", and the Broadway show, "The Big LoveThe Big Love
The Big Love, is a non-fiction scandalous biographical account of an alleged love affair between actor Errol Flynn and then 15-year-old actress Beverly Aadland, as told by her mother, Florence Aadland....
", McKeown turned his attention to theater full-time. He produced the massively successful "Jerry Springer The Opera", winning the Olivier Award for Best Musical. He also produced, "Lennon
Lennon (musical)
Lennon is a musical with music and lyrics by John Lennon and book by Don Scardino, who also directed its premiere. The musical is about the life of John Lennon and was notable for Scardino's choice to be almost exclusively-based on Lennon's own words and to focus on Lennon's solo career, with no...
", the musical based on the life of John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
.
Current
McKeown is currently producing the Indian comedy series, Mumbai CallingMumbai Calling
Mumbai Calling is a British-Indian comedy series, starring Sanjeev Bhaskar, set in the fictional Teknobable call centre in Mumbai. The series was shot on location in India. The pilot first aired on ITV on 30 May 2007...
. He also produced, wife, Ullman's American sketch comedy series, Tracey Ullman's State of the Union
Tracey Ullman's State of the Union
Tracey Ullman's State of the Union is an American sketch-comedy series starring comedian Tracey Ullman. The series is written by Ullman along with Hollywood satirist Bruce Wagner. Gail Parent and Craig DiGregorio acted as contributing writers to the series' first season. On May 17, 2010, it was...
(2008–2010).
Personal life
McKeown and wife Tracey Ullman married in 1983. They have two children and live in both England and the United States. In 2006, McKeown and Ullman topped the "Wealthiest British Comedians" list, with an estimated net worth of £75 million.Television
- Porridge
- The Other 'Arf
- Astronauts
- Shine on Harvey Moon
- Sunset Limousine
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- Roll Over Beethoven
- Mog
- Girls On TopGirls On TopGirls On Top was a British television sitcom on ITV from 1985 to 1986. It was conceived by and starred French & Saunders - their first high-profile writing for television - and despite a low budget and poor critical reception received high ratings. It was made for the ITV network by Central.The...
- LovejoyLovejoyLovejoy is a TV series about the adventures of Lovejoy, a British antiques dealer and faker based in East Anglia, a less than scrupulous yet likeable rogue. The episodes were based on a series of picaresque novels by John Grant...
- Freddie and Max
- So You Think You've Got Troubles
- Birds of a Feather
- Tracey Ullman: A Class ActTracey Ullman: A Class ActTracey Ullman: A Class Act is a sketch comedy first aired in 1992.-Summary:Actress-comedienne Tracey Ullman stars in the one-off comedy special, Tracey Ullman: A Class Act. The special studies and skewers the British class system. The show is broken up into three sketches...
- Love Hurts
- The Old Boy Network
- Stand by Your Man
- Westbeach
- Over the Rainbow
- Tracey Ullman Takes On New YorkTracey Ullman Takes On New YorkActress-comedienne, Tracey Ullman, stars in the one-off comedy special, Tracey Ullman Takes On New York, her first HBO project, later launching the series Tracey Takes On....-The Johnsons:...
- Men of the World
- Sometime, Never
- Goodnight Sweetheart
- Pie in the Sky
- Tracey Takes On...Tracey Takes On...Tracey Takes On... is an HBO sketch comedy series created by British-American comedienne Tracey Ullman.In 1993, Ullman returned to television after her hit Fox comedy series, The Tracey Ullman Show, was canceled, with two comedy specials for HBO. Tracey Ullman Takes On New York, and Tracey Ullman:...
- Tracey Ullman in the Trailer TalesTracey Ullman in the Trailer TalesTracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales is a 2003 HBO comedy special starring comedian Tracey Ullman, a spin-off of Ullman's sketch series, Tracey Takes On.......
- Jerry Springer: The OperaJerry Springer: The OperaJerry Springer: The Opera is a British musical written by Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee, based on the television show The Jerry Springer Show. The musical is notable for its profanity, its irreverent treatment of Judeo-Christian themes, and surreal images such as a troupe of tap-dancing Ku Klux...
- Tracey Ullman: Live and ExposedTracey Ullman: Live and ExposedTracey Ullman: Live and Exposed is an HBO stand-up special starring comedian Tracey Ullman. The stage show documents Ullman's life, with reenactments of her childhood, her early days as a dancer, her time on the stage, her music stint, and her television career.Many of Ullman's characters are also...
- Tracey Ullman's State of the UnionTracey Ullman's State of the UnionTracey Ullman's State of the Union is an American sketch-comedy series starring comedian Tracey Ullman. The series is written by Ullman along with Hollywood satirist Bruce Wagner. Gail Parent and Craig DiGregorio acted as contributing writers to the series' first season. On May 17, 2010, it was...
- Mumbai CallingMumbai CallingMumbai Calling is a British-Indian comedy series, starring Sanjeev Bhaskar, set in the fictional Teknobable call centre in Mumbai. The series was shot on location in India. The pilot first aired on ITV on 30 May 2007...
Stage
- The Big LoveThe Big LoveThe Big Love, is a non-fiction scandalous biographical account of an alleged love affair between actor Errol Flynn and then 15-year-old actress Beverly Aadland, as told by her mother, Florence Aadland....
- Jerry Springer The Opera
- LennonLennon (musical)Lennon is a musical with music and lyrics by John Lennon and book by Don Scardino, who also directed its premiere. The musical is about the life of John Lennon and was notable for Scardino's choice to be almost exclusively-based on Lennon's own words and to focus on Lennon's solo career, with no...