Mark Shivas
Encyclopedia
Mark Shivas was a British
television producer, film producer and executive. He began his career at BBC Television
in the 1960s, and quickly became one of the department's noted producers. He achieved particular success with the costume drama The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970) and Dennis Potter
's Casanova (1971), the former of which earned three Emmy Award
nominations in 1972.
Other notable productions he oversaw included the anthology series Black and Blue
(1973), which included the play Secrets
by Michael Palin
and Terry Jones
. The play was wiped from the archives, as was common practice at the time, but a recording made by Shivas on an early domestic video
format from the mastertape at the BBC
and transferred onto VHS
in the 1980s preserved a copy, later allowing it to be released as an extra feature on the Ripping Yarns
DVD
set. In 1981 Shivas produced The Borgias, which was poorly received by critics.
In 1988 Shivas became Head of Drama
at the BBC, a position he occupied until 1993 when he moved across to head up the Corporation's fledgling film arm
. In later years, he returned to producing as a freelancer. Some of his most noted later productions included the second series of Alan Bennett
's Talking Heads
monologues in 1998 and the 2003 espionage
drama Cambridge Spies
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television producer, film producer and executive. He began his career at BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
in the 1960s, and quickly became one of the department's noted producers. He achieved particular success with the costume drama The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970) and Dennis Potter
Dennis Potter
Dennis Christopher George Potter was an English dramatist, best known for The Singing Detective. His widely acclaimed television dramas mixed fantasy and reality, the personal and the social. He was particularly fond of using themes and images from popular culture.-Biography:Dennis Potter was born...
's Casanova (1971), the former of which earned three Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nominations in 1972.
Other notable productions he oversaw included the anthology series Black and Blue
Black and Blue (TV series)
Black and Blue was a BBC TV comedy-drama series, first broadcast in 1973. It was so named because of the black and blue humour.The show consisted of 6 episodes of 50–60 minutes duration, each episode was a separate self-contained playlet...
(1973), which included the play Secrets
Secrets (play)
Secrets is a one-hour 1973 BBC Television play by Michael Palin and Terry Jones, starring Warren Mitchell as the owner of a chocolate factory...
by Michael Palin
Michael Palin
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
and Terry Jones
Terry Jones
Terence Graham Parry Jones is a Welsh comedian, screenwriter, actor, film director, children's author, popular historian, political commentator, and TV documentary host. He is best known as a member of the Monty Python comedy team....
. The play was wiped from the archives, as was common practice at the time, but a recording made by Shivas on an early domestic video
Videocassette recorder
The videocassette recorder , is a type of electro-mechanical device that uses removable videocassettes that contain magnetic tape for recording analog audio and analog video from broadcast television so that the images and sound can be played back at a more convenient time...
format from the mastertape at the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and transferred onto VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
in the 1980s preserved a copy, later allowing it to be released as an extra feature on the Ripping Yarns
Ripping Yarns
Ripping Yarns is a British television comedy series, shown on BBC 2 from 1976 to 1979. It was written by Michael Palin and Terry Jones of Monty Python fame...
DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set. In 1981 Shivas produced The Borgias, which was poorly received by critics.
In 1988 Shivas became Head of Drama
BBC television drama
BBC television dramas have been produced and broadcast since even before the public service company had an officially established television broadcasting network in the United Kingdom...
at the BBC, a position he occupied until 1993 when he moved across to head up the Corporation's fledgling film arm
BBC Films
BBC Films is the feature film-making arm of the BBC. It has produced or co-produced some of the most successful British films of recent years, including An Education, StreetDance 3D, Fish Tank, Stage Beauty, A Cock and Bull Story, Nativity! and Match Point.It aims to make strong British films with...
. In later years, he returned to producing as a freelancer. Some of his most noted later productions included the second series of Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett is a British playwright, screenwriter, actor and author. Born in Leeds, he attended Oxford University where he studied history and performed with The Oxford Revue. He stayed to teach and research mediaeval history at the university for several years...
's Talking Heads
Talking Heads (plays)
Talking Heads is a series of dramatic monologues written for BBC television by British playwright Alan Bennett. The two series were first broadcast in 1988 and 1998, and have since been broadcast on BBC Radio and included on the A-level and GCSE English Literature syllabus.A West End theatre...
monologues in 1998 and the 2003 espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
drama Cambridge Spies
Cambridge Spies
Cambridge Spies is a 2003 four-part BBC television drama concerning the lives of the best-known quartet of the Cambridge Five Soviet spies from 1934 to the 1951 defection of Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean to the Soviet Union...
.
External links
- Mark Shivas at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- CV at pfd.co.uk
- Obituary in The Daily Telegraph
- Obituary in The Guardian
- Obituary in The Times
- Obituary in The Independent
- A BAFTA Tribute to Mark Shivas, filmed BAFTA event, March 2009