Record

CodeDS/UK/502
Person NameWillingale; Betty (1927-2021); Script Editor, Television Producer
Dates1927-2021
Dates and PlacesBorn in Rotherhithe, London, 1927.
Died in Battersea, London, 2021.
ActivityWork:

Betty Willingale began working for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in the library at Bush House (International division), 1944.

She later worked in the BBC Script Unit in the Script Library.

She was Script Editor for the BBC drama, 1962-1988, first for the producer Campbell Logan and later with Martin Lisemore, including on adaptations of 'I, Claudius,' 1976, 'Murder Most English,' 1976, and with Jonathan Powell on 'Wuthering Heights,' 1978, 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,' 1979, 'Pride and Prejudice, 1980'

She then became a Producer in her own right for the BBC, 1983-1988, including on 'Mansfield Park,' 1983 and 'Fortunes of War,' 1987.

After retiring from the BBC she worked as a consultant for Carnival Films, 1988-1992, with independent producer Brian Eastman including on 'Jeeves and Wooster,' 1990, for ITV.

For Carnival, she also worked as a Script Editor for 'Agatha Christie's Poirot', 1988-1990. Most notibly, she also worked a Producer for 'Midsomer Murders,' 1996-2009, starring John Nettles, broadcast on ITV.

As an interviewee, Betty made a number of television appearances herself:

2005, 'Drama Connections (I, Claudius)', Brendan O’Hara, BBC
2006, 'Super Sleuths' ('Midsommer Murders', etc), ITV
[?2007, 'The Hunt for Middle England', Collette Camden, 2007]
2010, 'Bafta Tribute Special Award', Jonathan Powell interviewer
2010, 'The People’s Detective', ITV
2013, 'The Crime Thriller Club', ITV

Interviewed for the the British Entertainment History Project, BECTU
Interview date(s): 5 Mar 2003
Interviewer/s: Darrol Blake, Rick Harley
Https://historyproject.org.uk
https://historyproject.org.uk/interview/betty-willingale
Published WorksScript Editor for the BBC:
1962 Compact
1963 Rupert of Henzau 6 Episodes
1964 Silas Marner, 6 Episodes
1964 Smuggler’s Bay, 6 Episodes
1964 The Children of the New Forest
1965 The Count of Monte Cristo, 13 Episodes
1965 Alexander Graham Bell, 6 Episodes
1965 A Tale of Two Cities, 10 Episodes
1965 Poison Island, 6 Episodes
1965 Heiress of Garth, 6 Episodes
1965 Hereward the Wake, 16 Episodes
1966 David Copperfield, 13 Episodes
1970 Boy Meets Girl, 6 Episodes Of 21
1968 Treasure Island, 6 Episodes
1969 Dombey and Son, 13 Episodes
1975 North and South, 4 Episodes
1975 How Green was my Valley, 6 Episodes
1976 Our Mutual Friend, 7 Episodes
1976 I, Claudius, 3 Episodes
1978 The Birds Fall Down, 5 Episodes
1976 Murder Most English, 7 Episodes
1977 A Christmas Carol, 2 Episodes
1978 The Mayor of Casterbridge, 6 Episodes
1978 Wuthering Heights, 5 Episodes
1979 Crime and Punishment, 3 Episodes
1979 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, 7 Episodes
1979 Testament of Youth, 5 Episodes
1980 Pride and Prejudice, 5 Episodes
1980 Therese Raquin, 3 Episodes
1980 We, the Accused, 5 Episodes
1982 Sons and Lovers, 7 Episodes
1982 The Bell, 4 Episodes
1982 The Woman in White, 5 Episodes
1980 Smiley’s People, 7 Episodes
1982 Barchester Chronicles, 6 Episodes
1983 Old Men at the Zoo, 5 Episodes
1985 Bleak House, 7 Episodes

Producer for the BBC
1983 Mansfield Park, 6 Episodes
1986 Tender is the Night, 7 Episodes
1987 Fortunes of War, 12 Episodes

Consultant for Carnival, for ITV
1988-90 Forever Green, 12 Episodes
1988-92 Jeeves and Wooster, 21 Episodes
1992 Harnessing Peacocks

Script Editor for Carnival, for ITV
1988-90 Agatha Christie’s Poirot, 10 Episodes

Producer, for ITV
1995 The Vacillations of Poppy Carew
1996-2009 Midsomer Murders, 75 Episodes
Catalogue
RefNoTitle
BW/1Work for the BBC
BW/1/1Readers Reports and script proposals
BW/1/1/1Reader Reports A
BW/1/1/2Reader Reports B
BW/1/2Correspondence on BBC Productions
BW/1/2/2'I, Claudius,' 1976
BW/1/2/3'Mayor of Casterbridge', 1978
BW/1/2/4'The Barchester Chronicles', 1982
BW/1/2/5'Mansfield Park', 1983
BW/3/26Draft letter from Betty Willingale to Waveney District council on behalf of Mr Adnams
BW/1/2/6'Bleak House,' 1985
BW/1/2/7'Tender is the Night', 1985
BW/1/2/8'Fortunes of War,' 1987
BW/1/3Other BBC Correspondence and ephemera
BW/1/3/1'Instructions'
BW/1/3/10Press cutting, obituary to Edmund Wolf, Director of Programmes at the BBC
BW/1/3/11Eulogy for Michael Barry
BW/1/3/2Transcript, 'As broadcast': 'In Memoriam'
BW/1/3/3Letter from Vincent [Tilsely] to Betty Willingale
BW/1/3/4Poem, 'Trumpeter' by Herbert Corby
BW/1/3/5Letter from Huw Weldon (BBC Television Centre)
BW/1/3/6Article by Sydney Newman, Head of Drama Group, Television, titled, 'Plays for BBC-TV'
BW/1/3/7Letter from 'Pamela' to 'Alison'
BW/1/3/8Various items of correspondence from the BBC in 1988 (Betty's year of retirement)
BW/1/3/9Letter from 'Craig' at BBC Television to Betty Willingale
BW/2Work for ITV
BW/2/2'Jeeves and Wooster,' 1990
BW/2/3'Harnessing Peacocks.' 1993
BW/2/4'The Vacillations of Poppy Carew,' 1995
BW/2/5'Midsomer Murders,' 1997
BW/3Correspondence
BW/3/1Press cuttings and correspondence on the closure of the BBC Script Unit
BW/3/9Letter from Beatrix Collingham to 'Madame la Patronne'
BW/3/10Letter from Ian Curteis to Betty Willingale
BW/3/12Letter from Rebecca Eaton to Betty Willingale
BW/3/13Letter from Tim Fell, at Landmark Productions, to Betty Willingale
BW/3/15Letter from John [John Foster] to Betty Willingale
BW/3/164 postcards from Shelagh Fraser
BW/3/17Correspondence from Richard Harris
BW/3/18Letter from Ian Jones to Betty Willingale
BW/3/21Correspondence with Alan Plater
BW/3/22Letter, undated, from 'JP' [Jonathan Powell] to Betty
BW/3/23Letter from Gillian [?Reynolds] to Betty Willingale
BW/3/24Letter from Teresa Ransom to Betty Willingale
BW/3/25Letter from Paul Vaughan to Betty Willingale
BW/3/27Letter from Tim West to Betty Willingale
BW/3/28Correspondence from the Writer's Guild to Betty Willingale
BW/3/29Letter from 'Betty S' to Betty Willingale
BW/3/30Round Robin letter from 'Shirley, John, Justine, Kaitlin, Sophie, Biggles and the cats' to Betty WIllingale.
BW/2/1Notebook with notes on various projects including 'Forever Green, (1988-1990)' 'Jeeves and Wooster (1988-1992),' and 'Maigret (1992)'
BW/3/32Postcard from 'Martin' to Betty Willingale
BW/3/2Letter from Peter Barber-Fleming, at Saltire Film and Television Productions, to Betty Willingale
BW/3/34One page of a letter from an unknown relative/friend to Betty Willingale
BW/3/35Loose press cuttings and notes
BW/3/3Letter from Taner Baybars to Betty Willingale
BW/3/4Letters from John Bowen to Betty Willingale
BW/3/6Correspondence from Jeremy Brock to Betty Willingale
BW/3/5Printed 'thankyou' from the British Library
BW/3/7Letter from Andrew Brown to Betty Willingale
BW/3/8Letter from Antony Brown to Betty Willingale
BW/4Photographs
BW/4/1Loose photographs
BW/4/2Framed photograph, of Serena Scott Thomas and Pater Davison, from 'Harnessing Peacocks', 1992
BW/5Awards and memorabilia
BW/5/1Broadcasting Press Guild TV Award for 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'
BW/5/2Framed drawing, celebrating the TV adaptation of Mansfield Park, by Jensen
BW/5/3'Certificate of Nomination' for The British Academy of Film and Television Arts, (BAFTA) for 'Bleak House' (The Best Drama Series)
BW/5/4Framed award, Broadcasting Press Guild Television Awards, 1987, for 'Fortunes of War' (Best Drama Series or Serial)
BW/5/5'Certificate of Nomination' for The British Academy of Film and Television Arts, (BAFTA) for 'Fortunes of War', (Best Drama Series)
BW/5/7Framed photograph, '34th Monte Carlo Television Festival: Nymphe D'Or , "Harnessing Peacocks"', (Best Television Film)
BW/5/6Press cuttings relating to RTS [Royal Television Society] Awards, 1988 and 1993
BW/5/8Folder of material relating to the BAFTA celebration of the work and career of Betty Willingale
BW/6Books
BW/7Audio Visual
BW/8Material about Betty Willingale
BW/3/14Letter from Norma Flint to Betty Willingale
BW/3/20Correspondence from the Monte-Carlo film festival, 1998
BW/1/1/3Reader Reports C
BW/1/1/4Reader Reports D
BW/1/1/5Reader Reports E-G
BW/1/1/6Reader Reports H
BW/1/1/7Reader Reports I-J
BW/1/1/8Reader Reports K-L
BW/1/1/9Reader Reports M-N
BW/1/1/10Reader Reports O-R
BW/1/1/11Reader Reports S
BW/1/1/12Reader Reports T
BW/1/1/13Reader Reports U-V
BW/1/1/14Reader Reports W
BW/1/1/15Reader Reports Z
BW/1/2/1'Little Dorrit,' 1975
BWBetty Willingale Archive
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