Oscar Whitbread
{{Short description|Australian producer (1929–2016)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| image =
| caption =
| name = Oscar Whitbread (OAM)
| birth_name = Oscar Ralph Whitbread
| birth_place =England, United Kingdom
| birth_date =26 November 1929
| citizenship = English Australia
| death_date = 16 May 2016 (ahed 86)
| death_place =
| occupation = Film and television producer/director
| years_active = 1956-1997
| known_for = Head of Drama at the ABC, Head of Drama at the Seven Network
| spouse =Corrine Kerby
}}
Oscar Ralph Whitbread {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}} (26 November 1929 – 16 May 2016) was an English-Australian producer who worked extensively in television.[https://archive.today/20130629095848/http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2012/10/10/18/15/oscar-whitbread-a-man-behind-aussie-drama "Oscar Whitbread: a man behind Aussie drama" By Caris Bizzaca Nine New 26 January 2012] accessed 29 June 2013[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-18/australian-tv-pioneer-oscar-whitbread-dead-at-the-age-of-86/7426304 Stephanie Ferrier, "Oscar Whitbread: Australian television pioneer, mentor, dies aged 86" ABC News 18 May 2016]
He moved to Australia in the late 1940s. Whitbread started his career at the ABC in 1956, where he served as the Head of Drama, before switching to the same position with the Seven Network. He was responsible for numerous successful series including Bellbird, The Flying Doctors and the miniseries Power Without Glory.
Whitbread was the senior executive producer at Crawford Productions and also worked in England for the BBC, Thames Television, Granada Television, and London Weekend Television. During the 1970s, he worked as a theatre media studies lecturer, at Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, New South Wales.
Personal life
Whitbread was married to Corinne Kerby.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46238459 |title=CORINNE: Melbourne-type ma'am |newspaper=The Australian Women's Weekly |volume=28 |issue=[?] |date=26 October 1960 |access-date=27 February 2016 |page=69 |via=National Library of Australia}} He died on 16 May 2016 after a long illness.
Select credits
- Ice Circus (1963) (ice skating TV special){{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104250480 |title=Circus Ballet |newspaper=The Canberra Times |volume=37 |issue=10,513 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=18 April 1963 |access-date=27 February 2016 |page=35 |via=National Library of Australia}}
- Beauty and the Beast (1964) (ice skating TV special){{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51975166 |title=RICH FARE FOR HOLIDAY VIEWING |newspaper=The Australian Women's Weekly |volume=31 |issue=31 |date=1 January 1964 |access-date=27 February 2016 |page=13 |via=National Library of Australia}}
- On Approval (1964) (TV movie) – producer
- Corruption in the Palace of Justice (1964) (TV movie) – producer
- The Winds of Green Monday (1965) (TV movie) – producer, director
- Otherwise Engaged (1965) (TV movie) – producer
- Duet on Wednesday (1965) (television play) – producer
- Photo Finish (1965) (TV movie) – producer{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105871569 |title=Photo finish of an 80-year-old |newspaper=The Canberra Times |volume=40 |issue=11,307 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=8 November 1965 |access-date=27 February 2016 |page=17 |via=National Library of Australia}}
- Plain Jane (1966) (TV movie) – producer
- Slow Poison (1967) (TV movie) – producer
- Love and War (1967) (TV movie) – producer
- The Shifting Heart (1968) (TV movie) – producer{{cite magazine|magazine=Filmink|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|access-date=9 August 2024|date=7 June 2021|title=Forgotten Australian TV Plays: The Shifting Heart|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-australian-tv-plays-the-shifting-heart/}}
- Delta (Australian TV series) (1969) (TV series) – director
- Dynasty (1969) (TV series) – director
- Bellbird (1970–77) (TV series) – producer
- A Family at War (1970) (TV series) – director
- The Man Who Shot the Albatross (1972) (TV movie)
- Frank and Francesca (1973) (TV series)
- Marion (1974) (miniseries) – producer, director
- And the Big Men Fly (1974) (TV series) – producer
- Rush (1975) (TV series) – producer, director
- The Professional Touch (1976) (television play)
- Trial of Ned Kelly (1977) (TV movie)
- Power Without Glory (1976) (mini series) – producer
- Catspaw (1978) (TV series)
- The Truckies (1978) (TV series)
- Burn the Butterflies (1979) (TV movie)
- A Wild Ass of a Man (1980) (TV movie)
- Lucinda Brayford (1980) (mini series)
- I Can Jump Puddles (1980)
- Locusts and Wild Honey (1980) (TV series)
- All the Green Year (1981) (mini series)
- Outbreak of Love (1981) (mini series) – producer, director
- The Young Wife (1984) (mini series) – producer, director
- Golden Pennies (1985) (mini series) – producer, director
- The Flying Doctors (1985) (mini series) – producer
- The Flying Doctors (1986) (TV series) – producer, director
- Studio 86 (1986) (TV series) – producer, director
- Acropolis Now (1989) (TV series) – producer
- The Power, The Passion (1989) (TV series) – producer
- Ratbag Hero (1991) (mini series) – producer, director
- Cluedo (1990–92) (TV series) – producer, director
- Bush Patrol (1996) (TV series) – producer
- The Balanced Particle Freeway (1997) (TV movie) – producer
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0924334}}
- [http://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A69476 Oscar Whitbread] at AustLit
{{Oscar Whitbread}}
{{Authority control}}
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Category:Australian television producers
Category:Australian film producers