Eric Archdale Tayler (4 December 1921 – 6 August 1997) was a New Zealand-born television producer, director and actor, best known for his work for the BBC in the United Kingdom and the ABC in Australia.

Biography

Tayler was born in

Hamilton, New Zealand Hamilton (, ) is an inland city in the North Island of New Zealand. Located on the banks of the Waikato River, it is the seat and most populous city of the Waikato, Waikato region. With a territorial population of , it is the country's List of c ...

, and educated at

Auckland Grammar School Auckland Grammar School (often simplified to Auckland Grammar, or Grammar), established in 1869, is a State school, state, Day school, day and Boarding school, boarding secondary school for Single-sex education, boys in Auckland, New Zealand. ...

. He served in the

New Zealand Army The New Zealand Army (, ) is the principal Army, land warfare force of New Zealand, a component of the New Zealand Defence Force alongside the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Formed in 1845, as the New Zealand Mil ...

during World War II as part of the second

New Zealand Expeditionary Force The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...

. In 1947, Tayler moved to London, where he attended the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...

(RADA) from 1947 to 1950, which was where he met his wife, Welsh-Australian actress

Lyn James Lyn James (13 November 1929 – 31 May 2017), credited also as Marilyn James, was a Welsh-born actress of stage and screen and director, who became known for her career in England and later Australia, particularly as receptionist Helen Gordon in ...

, with whom he had two children. In 1955, Tayler joined the drama department of the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

, working on such programmes as ''

Maigret Jules Maigret (), or simply Maigret, is a fictional French police detective, a '' commissaire'' ("commissioner") of the Paris ''Brigade Criminelle'' ('' Direction Régionale de la Police Judiciaire de Paris:36, Quai des Orfèvres''), created ...

'', ''

Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police and CID detectives in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by ...

'' and a 1962 adaptation of ''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens. It was originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839 and as a three-volume book in 1838. The story follows the titular orphan, who, ...

''. In 1965, Tayler joined the

Australian Broadcasting Commission The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is a ...

as a producer, where he produced several drama series including ''

Contrabandits ''Contrabandits'' is a 1967 Australian TV series about the work of the customs department. Cast Main / regular * John Bonney as Bob Piper * Denis Quilley as Chief Inspector Ted Hallam * Janet Kingsbury as Mardi Shiel * Ben Gabriel as Jim Sh ...

''.

Select credits

* The Affair (1965) * The Pigeon (1966) * Wall to Wall (1966) * Getting along with the Government (1966) *Nice n Jucy (1966) *Contrabandits (1967–68) – won a Penguin for Contrabandits *Australian Plays (1969–70) *Dynasty (TV series) (1970–71) *'' Dead Men Running'' (1971) – director, co writer *The Far Country (1972) *Over There (1972) *Certain Women (1973) *Three Men of the city (1973) *The Fourth Wish (1975) *You Just Can't Win (1976) *''

Arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...

'' (1976) *'' The Emigrants'' (1977) *A Place in the Word (1978) *''

Loss of Innocence Innocence is a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence is prior to the sense of legal guilt and is a primal emotion connected with the sense of self. It is often confused as being the opp ...

'' (1978) – director *Bit Part (1978) *Timelapse (1980) *Friends of the Family (1980) *Levkas Man (1981) *Jonah (1981) *The Groom's Tale (1981) * MPSIB (1981) *Learned Friends (1982) *City West (1984)

References

External links

* 1921 births 1997 deaths New Zealand television producers New Zealand television directors People educated at Auckland Grammar School Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art BBC television producers New Zealand expatriates in England New Zealand emigrants to Australia New Zealand military personnel of World War II People from Hamilton, New Zealand Military personnel from Hamilton, New Zealand New Zealand Army soldiers {{NZ-bio-stub