Gerard Glaister
John Leslie Glaister DFC (21 December 1915[1] – 5 February 2005), known as Gerard or Gerrard Glaister,[2][3] was a British television producer and director best known for his work with the BBC. Amongst his most notable successes as a producer were Colditz, The Brothers,[4] Secret Army and Howards' Way.
Biography[edit]
After studying at RADA, Glaister made his West End debut in 1939. With the outbreak of war, he joined the Royal Air Force, commissioned as Pilot Officer on 8 September 1939 and initially flying a Blenheim bomber. He later served as a photo reconnaissance pilot in 208 Squadron RAF in the Western Desert, initially flying Westland Lysanders. It was during these latter duties that he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 6 October 1942, for a hazardous reconnaissance flight in an unarmed Hurricane at extremely low level across the Italian front line. He rose to the rank of Squadron Leader and retired from the RAF on 5 August 1952 (for medical reasons).[5] Glaister later drew on his RAF experiences when, in 1963, he produced Moonstrike, a drama about resistance agents in occupied Europe during the Second World War. From 1962, he worked on the popular Dr Finlay's Casebook.[1] His 1968 production The Expert is based on the work of his uncle, forensic scientist Prof John Glaister FRSE.[6]
Glaister's success ended with the 1991 series Trainer,[1] which was moved from prime time to a weeknight slot because of its perceived failure. However, it sold well overseas.[7]
Glaister was married three times and had three daughters, two from his final marriage, to Joan.[1]
Filmography[edit]
Producer[edit]
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Writer[edit]
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Director[edit]
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References[edit]
- ^ a b c d "Gerard Glaister". The Guardian. 24 February 2005. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ London Gazette, various editions 1939-1952
- ^ Harris M. Lentz III (24 October 2008). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2005: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. McFarland. p. 140. ISBN 978-0-7864-5210-1.
- ^ Paul Cornell; Martin Day; Keith Topping (1996). The Guinness Book of Classic British TV. Guinness. p. 17. ISBN 978-0-85112-628-9.
- ^ London Gazette, various editions 1939 to 1952
- ^ "University of Glasgow - Schools - School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing - About us - A Significant Medical History - Our Famous Scholars - the Glaisters". Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
- ^ Rhys Williams & David Lister (1 March 1999). "Eldorado for the BBC as the world pays a fortune to watch its flops". The Independent. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
External links[edit]
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- 1915 births
- 2005 deaths
- Alumni of RADA
- BBC television producers
- British television directors
- British television producers
- British television writers
- British World War II bomber pilots
- Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
- Royal Air Force officers
- Royal Air Force pilots of World War II
- 20th-century British screenwriters
- British television biography stubs