All My Shows Are Great: The Life of Lew Grade
Aurum Press(September 2009)
www.aurumpress.co.uk
Lew Grade was one of the most influential figures in the modern media industry, as well as one of the most fascinating.
Born to Jewish immigrant parents, Lew rose from the estates of the East End to become one of this century’s greatest showbusiness impresarios. After setting up ITC Entertainment, the man often referred to by Private Eye as ‘Low Greed’, commissioned and produced such cult TV series as The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Prisoner, Thunderbirds and The Muppets – indeed, some speculate that the Muppet ‘Dr. Bunsen Honeydew’ is a caricature of Grade. Grade was also creatively involved in film and music, reviving the Pink Panther movie franchise and boldly acquiring the music rights for the Beatles greatest hits.
Lewis Chester's biography draws upon wide research, a sophisticated understanding of the murky world of the media industry, and the skills of an expert writer to create a biography that is humorous, sympathetic, and absorbing – the picture not just of a unique figure, but also of the specific cultural period that shaped him.
'For students of the celebrity culture, and indeed those with an interest in corporate excess, this book is required reading.' -- Spectator Business
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