RIP Cecil Korer

[Julie T]

From The Times today:

"Cecil Korer, who put It’s a Knockout, Ask the Family and Top of the Pops on British television screens, has died aged 86.

The producer was responsible for some of the best known television programmes of the past five decades, including Countdown and Treasure Hunt, and brought Cheers and Dallas across the Atlantic to Channel 4.

After RAF service he became a gift card salesman and amateur actor before joining the BBC in 1957 as a temporary scene-shifter. In 1981 he was poached to become Channel 4’s first commissioning editor for light entertainment.

He bought a programme called Calendar Countdown from a production company, YTV, and planned to put it out for five weeks, keeping anchorman Richard Whiteley but introducing Carol Vorderman. Almost three decades on, the show is still running."

[Jon Corby]

Shit, who's gonna do the numbers targets now?

[Phil Reynolds]

From The Times today:

Cecil Korer [...] brought Cheers and Dallas across the Atlantic to Channel 4.

When was Dallas on Channel 4?

[Julie T]

From The Times today:

Cecil Korer [...] brought Cheers and Dallas across the Atlantic to Channel 4.

When was Dallas on Channel 4?

Quite right, Phil. The longer obituary has the more accurate statement:

"Nearing early retirement at the BBC, Korer left in 1981 for the new Channel 4, having been head-hunted by the chief executive, Jeremy Isaacs. Korer had latterly been involved in buying programmes such as Dallas for the BBC, and Isaacs offered him head of purchasing. Korer said he was more interested in light entertainment and he ended up in charge of that as well."

Apparently he didn't think much of Countdown:

"Although he thought the format dull, Countdown became the first show to be aired on the channel and is still running. "

The full obit:

"October 14 2011 12:01AM

Television producer who drew big audiences with such popular programmes as Top of the Pops, It’s a Knockout and Ask the Family

Cecil Korer was a television producer who worked on BBC programmes such as Top of the Pops, It’s a Knockout and Ask the Family, before joining Channel 4 at its inception as commissioning editor for entertainment. He was responsible for introducing popular shows including Countdown and Treasure Hunt but left after three years in unhappy circumstances.

Korer was an unashamed advocate of mainstream entertainment, making shows which would attract the biggest audiences and give simple enjoyment. This served him well at the BBC, which set out to cater for all tastes, but less so at Channel 4, with its mission to be distinctive and different.

Cecil Korer was born in Stockport, Greater Manchester, in 1924. His father, an immigrant from Russia, owned a tailoring business in Leeds. Korer trained as an engineering draughtsman at a technical school in Leeds before joining the RAF as a trainee pilot in 1944. While waiting to be demobbed he and another young man called Brian Rix formed a concert party to entertain their fellow airmen who were bored with waiting to go home.

After being discharged, Korer became a travelling gift card salesman, showed talent as an amateur actor and moved into the theatre, becoming a stage manager. Based in the North he worked across five theatres, mainly on pantomimes. But it was precarious work and the comedy actor Terry Scott suggested that he try for television. After many fruitless applications he was taken on by the BBC as a temporary scene shifter in 1957.

In a couple of years he rose from one of the lowest grades in the corporation to a staff post as stage manager. His first important job was working on Top Town, a forerunner of It’s a Knockout, for one of the BBC’s leading light entertainment producers, Barney Colehan. He had a spell in outside broadcasts, overseeing coverage of the Grand National and other big sporting events, while working with Colehan on summer shows and relays from theatres.

He also assisted Colehan on The Good Old Days, the music-hall show transmitted from the City Varieties theatre in Leeds. While recording an entry for the Golden Rose of Montreux the tape machine broke down and Korer kept the audience amused with half an hour of jokes and routines while it was fixed. BBC executives attending the event were so impressed that they assigned Korer to a show in Liverpool with the Beatles.

There was a concert followed by an edition of Juke Box Jury in which the Beatles made up the panel. Korer’s sure handling of the often unruly quartet led to his being appointed assistant producer on the BBC’s new pop music show Top of the Pops in 1964. When tape of the pilot was played back, Korer was dismayed to see a large bald head in the middle of the dancing youngsters. It was his. He needed to be on the studio floor during transmission so the BBC made him a wig.

He stayed with Top of the Pops for a couple of years and in 1967 was promoted to full producer. By this time he had been working with Colehan again, on It’s a Knockout, and in the 1970s he took over. In time the show went European as Jeux Sans Frontières and under Korer reached its peak as a rowdy concoction of grotesque giants, greasy poles and soaking, mud covered contestants, presided over by Eddie Waring and Stuart Hall.

In quieter vein Korer particularly enjoyed Ask the Family, one of several quiz shows which came under his auspices. He insisted that the programme should be fun, rather than a serious test, and personally chose the competing families after visiting them in their homes. An unapologetic lowbrow, he nevertheless struck up a good rapport with the more cerebral host Robert Robinson (obituary, August 15).

Nearing early retirement at the BBC, Korer left in 1981 for the new Channel 4, having been head-hunted by the chief executive, Jeremy Isaacs. Korer had latterly been involved in buying programmes such as Dallas for the BBC, and Isaacs offered him head of purchasing. Korer said he was more interested in light entertainment and he ended up in charge of that as well.

As well as bringing shows such as Cheers and The Munsters, and the Australian comedian Paul Hogan, to Channel 4, he commissioned notable home-grown fare. Although he thought the format dull, Countdown became the first show to be aired on the channel and is still running. He beat the BBC to the game show Treasure Hunt, with Anneka Rice following clues in a helicopter. More controversial was Minipops, a talent show accused of exploiting its child participants with too much make-up and provocative dancing.

Korer claimed that at one time eight of Channel 4’s ten most popular programmes were his, but his populism started to sit awkwardly with fellow executives who thought the channel should be bolder and more distinctive. He complained that while attention was lavished on Greek verse drama and other elitist offerings his own department was being starved of money.

After three years his contract was not renewed. Korer was devastated and felt that Isaacs had failed to defend him against those in Channel 4 who were unhappy with his lowbrow approach. Isaacs later conceded that he had sold Korer short: “I cruelly offered Cecil the job of finding us light entertainment programmes without ever intending to give him the financial means to do it ... Cecil Korer was a good man in a hole. I put him there. I owe him an apology.”

Dorothy Hobson, historian of the Isaacs period at Channel 4, saw Korer’s replacement by Mike Bolland as signalling a change in strategy from wide- ranging, middle-of-the-road entertainment to a more radical and targeted form of comedy. “This was, at its best, youthful and daring, at its worst, self- indulgent and boring,” she said.

After a spell with the ITV company HTV, Korer set up his own production company. Several of his commissions were from Channel 4, including quizzes and a series called Hand in Hand for children with learning disabilities. He produced shows for Frankie Howerd and Roy Hudd. He ran the company until 1992 and then spent five years as a recruitment manager for the National Trust before joining the media consultancy run by his son, Jeremy.

Shortly before his death he completed a memoir, Namedrops Keep Falling From My Head. He is survived by his wife, Jean, his son and a daughter.

Cecil Korer, television producer and executive, was born on October 17, 1924. He died on September 24, 2011, aged 86"

[Julie T]

Shit, who's gonna do the numbers targets now?

Explanation for more recent fans:

Carol used to refer to the numbers target generator as 'Cecil'.

[Charlie Reams]

Shit, who's gonna do the numbers targets now?

Explanation for more recent fans:

Carol used to refer to the numbers target generator as 'Cecil'.

lol

[Jon Corby]

Shit, who's gonna do the numbers targets now?

Explanation for more recent fans:

Carol used to refer to the numbers target generator as 'Cecil'.

lol

Explanation for those not savvy with modern electronic communication idiosyncrasies:

lol is an abbreviation meaning "lots of love".

[Jon O'Neill]

Shit, who's gonna do the numbers targets now?

Explanation for more recent fans:

Carol used to refer to the numbers target generator as 'Cecil'.

Not just Carol, and not just used to. Cecil's the name of the numbers generator. It's a backronym for Countdown's Electronic Computer in Leeds.

http://wiki.apterous.org/CECIL