A Tribute to Betty Willingale

11 February 10

Producer Betty Willingale receives the Academy’s Special Award as friends and colleagues pay tribute to her achievements in television.

Jonathan Powell interviews producer Betty Willingale as BAFTA pays tribute to her exceptional career in television.

With clips chosen by Betty to reflect her favourite productions the event provides a richly illustrated overview of the history of British TV drama from the last 50 years.

Willingale is also presented with the BAFTA Special Award in recognition of her outstanding creative contribution to Television.

This event was held at BAFTA Headquarters on 2 November 2009.

About Betty Willingale

Betty Willingale’s career in broadcasting spans six decades and shows no signs of stopping any time soon.

Having initially joined the BBC in 1944, Betty made her name at the BBC as a script editor and producer, nurturing new TV writing talent and working on key BBC drama series and serials in the 1960’s and 1970s, including North and South and I, Claudius. She went on to form a strong working partnership with producer Jonathan Powell, script editing many of Powell's most successful drama serials including the hit adaptations of A Christmas Carol, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, The Barchester Chronicles and The Old Men at the Zoo.

Wilingale produced the BBC adaptation of Mansfield Park in 1983, later going on to produce the critically acclaimed adaptations Testament of Youth, Tender Is the Night as well as Bleak House and Fortunes of War, both of which earned her BAFTA nominations.

She continues to work as a Consultant Producer on the ITV detective drama Midsomer Murders.