Reginald Collin
1927 - 16 December 2011
Director of BAFTA/TV Director
Reginald Collin
1927 – 16 December 2011
A driving force behind the continuing development of BAFTA, Collin began his career at the Old Vic Theatre School before acting in weekly rep and joining ABC Television as a director in 1959. In those early days he created the arts programme Tempo (1961-67), before moving into drama. His best known hit from this period was the series Callan (1967-72) starring Edward Woodward as an embittered British secret agent.
The series was nominated for a Best Drama BAFTA in 1970 and 1971, while Collin himself picked up a number of awards in a long and successful career including a Fellowship from the Royal Television Society given in recognition of his contribution to the medium over the years. Other series he produced include Special Branch (1969-74), The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes (1971) Six Days of Justice (1972-75) and the miniseries Napoleon and Love (1974).
He was closely involved in the work of BAFTA, serving on the Council in 1972 then as co-chairman and later as chair of the Television Committee. He was a Director of the Academy between 1977 and 1987, and was recalled to this post during a critical period for BAFTA between January and May 1994 .
Collin was credited with encouraging the establishment of regional branches of the Academy, including BAFTA in Los Angeles, and forging bonds between BAFTA and AMPAS that endure to this day. In collaboration with Film Committee member Ralph Sheldon he also devised the jury system for Academy voting.
Other key events to which he leant his experience and expertise include a 60 Year Celebration of Oscar winners at Hampton Court; the BAFTA-Shell Great British Rally between London and Cannes to promote British film and television; and star studded Academy tributes at the Odeon Leicester Square to Dirk Bogarde, Julie Andrews and Sean Connery.