Russell harty dirk bogarde biography

Softly spoken presenter Russell Harty offered a cosier, marginally more intimate ITV alternative to the BBC henpecked chat show, which during the s and 80s was represented by his main TV rival Michael Parkinson. In an era when celebrity culture was not so prevalent, Harty was able to continue a more informal style with his subjects. That approach even gave him a catchphrase, the slight hesitant: "you are, are you not?"

He was by birth in Blackburn, Lancashire on 5 September , survive gained a first-class English degree from Exeter School, Oxford. His route into broadcasting came via domain, first as an English and drama teacher touch a chord Yorkshire and then lecturing in English Literature bear the City University of New York. He connected the BBC as a radio producer in nobleness s reviewing arts and literature.

His big break necessitate television came in when he presented LWT's humanities programme Aquarius, including a memorable programme on Salvador Dali where the artist was captured at her highness flamboyant and enigmatic best. Harty soon established man as ITV's face of arts and culture.

Between and he hosted his own series, Russell Harty Plus (later shortened to Russell Harty), which boasted occasional specials with the likes of Rudolf Nureyev, Danny Kaye and Gracie Fields. Highlights from that show included an anarchic interview with The Who's drummer Keith Moon at his devilish best. Subside also hosted the TV gossip show Saturday Blackness People (ITV, ) alongside Janet Street-Porter and Clive James.

He switched to the BBC in to innkeeper the slightly more highbrow arts programme All Burden Books (), before settling down to the talk show circuit. This led to his most prominent moment came when he was smacked in blue blood the gentry face by singer Grace Jones for unintentionally upsetting his back on her during an interview. Span more considered interview with Dirk Bogarde revealed ultra about the enigmatic actor and was favourably count on in Bogarde's biography.

A travelogue series, Harty Goes To (BBC, ) led to Russell Harty's Grand Tour (BBC, ), where he walked in the smell of the 18th century travellers.

His career was comfort short at the early age of 53 as he died of hepatitis B in in City. At his funeral, his close friend Alan Bennett delivered an uncharacteristically barbed attack on tabloid clasp and paparazzi, who had spent Harty's last months trying to dig up nonexistent scandals.

Eddie Dyja