Patrick Watson
Encyclopedia
Patrick Watson, CC
(born December 23, 1929) has been a prolific and outspoken Canadian
broadcaster, television and radio interviewer and host, author, commentator and television writer, producer and director for five decades. Born in Toronto
, Watson attended the University of Toronto
and graduated with an MA, then completed his doctorate at the University of Michigan
.
Watson's first broadcast, in 1943, was as a radio actor in the CBC's children's dramatic series "The Kootenay Kid." He first achieved national fame (and in some quarters, notoriety) as the co-producer and with Laurier LaPierre
an on-camera host of the CBC Television
current affairs program This Hour Has Seven Days
in the 1960s. Watson went on to write, edit and/or produce The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau
, Witness to Yesterday, and Titans
. He travelled to the United States for a short stint as anchor and principal interviewer of The 51st State with Patrick Watson, a local news program televised in 1972-1973 on WNET
in New York City
. Watson also hosted the CBC's business program Venture
when it was first launched in 1985.
In 1983 he created and performed, solo, a stage version of the Old Testament's "The Book of Job", at first at the Nathan Cohen theatre in Toronto, directed by John McGreevey, and then at the National Arts Centre Theatre in Ottawa. For CBC he hosted and/or produced The Watson Report
and The Canadian Establishment
. He also created the Heritage Minutes, The Canadians: Biographies of a Nation and The Struggle for Democracy series; the latter has since aired in over 40 countries around the world. The Heritage Minutes were an initiative of Watson's begun in 1988 at Charles Bronfman's CRB Foundation (now The Historica Dominion Institute), and as of 2007 were receiving more than 30,000 plays a year on many television stations and cable channels throughout Canada.
Watson was Chairman of the CBC from 1989 until 1994. He was the recipient of honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Mount Allison University in 2002 and the University of Toronto in 2004. He was invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada
on October 21, 1981, then promoted to Companion on October 26, 2002. Watson continues to write, lecture, advise and work in many capacities in broadcasting from his current home in Toronto
. He is married to the Irish writer and scholar, Caroline Furey Bamford, whom he met during a documentary production in Belfast, in 1977. They share homes in Toronto, Mono Township, and Newcastle, Co. Down, Northern Ireland.
Watson has acted in more than 50 dramatic productions, including the movie The Terry Fox Story
, and the HBO movie Countdown to Looking Glass
.
Few in his various audiences realize his slight limp was caused by the amputation of his left leg above the knee in 1960 following an accident. He has often assisted the Canadian disabled community, including serving as Honorary Chair of the Canadian Amputee Sports Association and Chairman Emeritus of the Canadian Abilities Foundation.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(born December 23, 1929) has been a prolific and outspoken Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
broadcaster, television and radio interviewer and host, author, commentator and television writer, producer and director for five decades. Born in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Watson attended the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and graduated with an MA, then completed his doctorate at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.
Watson's first broadcast, in 1943, was as a radio actor in the CBC's children's dramatic series "The Kootenay Kid." He first achieved national fame (and in some quarters, notoriety) as the co-producer and with Laurier LaPierre
Laurier LaPierre
Laurier L. LaPierre, OC is a retired Canadian Senator and former broadcaster, journalist and author. He is a member of the Liberal Party of Canada....
an on-camera host of the CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
current affairs program This Hour Has Seven Days
This Hour Has Seven Days
This Hour Has Seven Days is a controversial CBC Television newsmagazine which ran from 1964 to 1966. The show, inspired by the BBC-TV and NBC-TV satire series That Was The Week That Was, was created by Patrick Watson and Douglas Leiterman as an avenue for a more stimulating and boundary-pushing...
in the 1960s. Watson went on to write, edit and/or produce The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau
The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau
The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau is a nonfiction documentary television series focusing on marine biodiversity, hosted by French filmmaker, researcher and marine explorer, Jacques Cousteau. New episodes of the series aired from 1968 until 1975....
, Witness to Yesterday, and Titans
Titans (Canadian TV series)
Titans was a Canadian docudrama series produced for the 1981/82 season by CBC and Citytv . The premise features staged interviews involving Patrick Watson and an actor who portrays a historical figure, conceptually similar to Watson's earlier series, Witness to Yesterday.The program began as a...
. He travelled to the United States for a short stint as anchor and principal interviewer of The 51st State with Patrick Watson, a local news program televised in 1972-1973 on WNET
WNET
WNET, channel 13 is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey. With its signal covering the New York metropolitan area, WNET is a primary station of the Public Broadcasting Service and a primary provider of PBS programming...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Watson also hosted the CBC's business program Venture
Venture (TV series)
Venture is a weekly Canadian business television series that aired on CBC Television from 1985 to 2007. The show focused mostly on business documentaries, but also aired business-related news pieces...
when it was first launched in 1985.
In 1983 he created and performed, solo, a stage version of the Old Testament's "The Book of Job", at first at the Nathan Cohen theatre in Toronto, directed by John McGreevey, and then at the National Arts Centre Theatre in Ottawa. For CBC he hosted and/or produced The Watson Report
The Watson Report
The Watson Report was a Canadian current affairs television series, seen nationally on CBC from 1975 to 1981. The titular host was Patrick Watson, previously of This Hour Has Seven Days whose interviews for the show included national political leaders. More elaborate filmed features appeared in The...
and The Canadian Establishment
The Canadian Establishment
The Canadian Establishment is the first reference book published in Canada to catalogue the richest families and individuals in the country. It was published in 1975 by economic journalist, Peter C. Newman...
. He also created the Heritage Minutes, The Canadians: Biographies of a Nation and The Struggle for Democracy series; the latter has since aired in over 40 countries around the world. The Heritage Minutes were an initiative of Watson's begun in 1988 at Charles Bronfman's CRB Foundation (now The Historica Dominion Institute), and as of 2007 were receiving more than 30,000 plays a year on many television stations and cable channels throughout Canada.
Watson was Chairman of the CBC from 1989 until 1994. He was the recipient of honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Mount Allison University in 2002 and the University of Toronto in 2004. He was invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
on October 21, 1981, then promoted to Companion on October 26, 2002. Watson continues to write, lecture, advise and work in many capacities in broadcasting from his current home in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. He is married to the Irish writer and scholar, Caroline Furey Bamford, whom he met during a documentary production in Belfast, in 1977. They share homes in Toronto, Mono Township, and Newcastle, Co. Down, Northern Ireland.
Watson has acted in more than 50 dramatic productions, including the movie The Terry Fox Story
The Terry Fox Story
The Terry Fox Story is a 1983 film biopic of Canadian amputee and runner Terry Fox. It was written by Howard Hume, John Kastner and Rose Kastner, and directed by Ralph L. Thomas. The film stars Eric Fryer as Fox, Chris Makepeace as his brother Darrell, and Robert Duvall as Fox's publicist, Bill...
, and the HBO movie Countdown to Looking Glass
Countdown to Looking Glass
Countdown to Looking Glass is a Canadian made-for-television movie that premiered in the United States on HBO on 14 October 1984 and was also broadcast on CTV in Canada. The movie presents a fictional confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over the Strait of Hormuz, the...
.
Few in his various audiences realize his slight limp was caused by the amputation of his left leg above the knee in 1960 following an accident. He has often assisted the Canadian disabled community, including serving as Honorary Chair of the Canadian Amputee Sports Association and Chairman Emeritus of the Canadian Abilities Foundation.
Selected bibliography
- The Struggle for Democracy
- Alter Ego (Novel)
- Zero To Airtime" (Novel)
- The Canadians (Historical Biography)
- Alexander Dolgun's Story: An American in the Gulag, with Alexander DolgunAlexander DolgunAlexander Dolgun was a survivor of the Soviet Gulag who wrote about his experiences in 1975 after being allowed to leave the Soviet Union and return to his native United States.- Pre-Gulag years :...
- Fasanella's City
- This Hour Has Seven Decades, autobiography
- Wittgenstein and the Goshawk, a fable for adults
- Ahmek: A Beaver Odyssey"
- Finn's Thin Book of Irish Ironies" (Poetry)
- Limericks (Original poetry)