Sandra Levy is an Australian film and television producer who has worked in both public and commercial television.

Early life and family

Levy was born in Sydney. Her parents were Jewish communists from whom she inherited a love of the arts and a capacity for intellectual jousting. She married her second husband Australian television director Michael Carson in the 1970s. They had one son together, Simon, but the couple later divorced.

Career

Levy was born in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, New South Wales. She graduated from the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

with a BA majoring in English literature. While at university she was a fringe member of the

Sydney Push The Sydney Push was an intellectual subculture in Sydney from the late 1940s to the early 1970s. Its politics were predominantly left-wing libertarianism. The Push operated in a pub culture and included university students, academics, manual w ...

. After a short period as a school teacher, Levy joined the ABC as a trainee. In 1987 she was promoted to head of drama at ABC TV. From 1989 to 1998 she was head of drama at Southern Star Endemol. Levy returned to the ABC as director of television from 2001 to 2005. During her stewardship, the audience increased 24 per cent, due to the production of programs including '' Kath and Kim, Spicks and Specks, Enough Rope'' and '' The Chaser''. In 2006 she joined Channel 9 as head of drama and a year later took over from Malcolm Long as CEO of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School for two four-year terms, stepping down on 24 June 2015.

Filmography (selected)

Film

* ''

High Tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables ...

'' (film) (1987) * ''

The Well The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, normally shortened to The WELL or The Well, is a virtual community founded in 1985. It is one of the oldest continuously operating virtual communities. By 1993 it had 7,000 members, a staff of 12, and gross annu ...

'' (1997 film)

Television

* '' Palace of Dreams'' (miniseries) (1985) * '' The Alien Years'' (miniseries) (1988) * '' True Believers'' (miniseries) (1988) * ''

Police Rescue ''Police Rescue'' is an Australian television series which originally aired on ABC TV (Australian TV channel), ABC TV between 1989 and 1996. It was produced by Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC and Southern Star Entertainment, Southern ...

'' (series) 1989–1996) * '' Children of the Dragon'' (miniseries) 1992

Honours and recognition

In 2010 Levy was awarded a Doctor of Letters honoris causa by

Macquarie University Macquarie University ( ) is a Public university, public research university in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the Sydney metropolitan area. ...

in recognition of her thirty years' work in film and television. Levy was made an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

in the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours for "distinguished service to the arts as a film and television director and producer, and through strategic leadership and educational roles".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Levy, Sandra Living people Australian television producers Officers of the Order of Australia Australian women film producers Australian women television producers Year of birth missing (living people) Australian Jews