Corinne Hollingworth
Encyclopedia
Corinne Hollingworth is a British television producer
and executive, best known for her contributions to British soap opera
s, including BBC
's EastEnders
and five's Family Affairs
. Hollingworth has gained a reputation for winning huge drama audiences by concentrating on human interest storylines.
on the BBC's televised adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. She gradually worked her way up the BBC ladder, she was Production Manager or 1st Assistant Director on a number of Doctor Who
series produced by John Nathan-Turner
. She began producing for the BBC in the latter part of 1989, contributing to the BBC soap opera EastEnders initially as a production associate and later as an associate producer, under then producer Mike Gibbon
. She later became co-producer, with Richard Bramall, under new executive producer, Michael Ferguson
in 1990. Following Ferguson's departure, she became co-producer with Pat Sandys, formerly of ITV's The Bill
.
After leaving EastEnders at the end of 1991 she began working on the BBC's ill-fated soap Eldorado
(1992–1993) — for which she was the series producer following Julia Smith
. Hollingworth was brought in to turn the soap around following declining ratings and heavy media criticism, but despite adding a million viewers the soap was eventually axed by the BBC controller, Alan Yentob
, in 1993.
She went on to produce for the popular medical drama Casualty
(1994–1996), pushing up viewing figures to almost 18 million by switching the focus to the love lives of the characters. The changes she implemented were popular with viewers, however they were less popular with some of the cast members, in particular Derek Thompson, who plays the long-running character Charlie Fairhead. Thompson believed the show had become "like a mindless soap opera" and was in danger of losing the edge that had made it one of the most controversial programmes on television. He revealed that he nearly quit the role in protest, but decided to remain when he discovered that Hollingworth was leaving the show in 1996.
In addition to producing for Casualty, Hollingworth returned to EastEnders from 1995 to 1996 as the programme's executive producer
, taking over from Barbara Emile
and eventually replaced by Jane Harris
. At EastEnders she was responsible for storylines such as Michelle Fowler
falling pregnant to her arch-nemesis Grant Mitchell
; and Ricky Butcher
's love triangle with his wife Sam
and girlfriend Bianca Jackson
. Hollingworth's contributions to the soap were awarded in 1997 when EastEnders won the BAFTA for "Best Drama Series." Hollingworth shared the award with producer, Jane Harris.
She left the BBC in 1996 to become the controller of drama for Britain's fifth terrestrial channel, five. Her defection was one of several high-level "poachings" from the BBC by Dawn Airey
, Channel 5's director of programmes. Hollingworth, along with Mal Young
, were the co-creators of the channel's flagship soap opera, Family Affairs, for which she was also the executive producer.
She left five in 2003 and in 2004 she moved to ITV
to become the Head of Continuing Series, taking over from Antony Wood. Her remit covers a wide-range of shows including soaps and returning series such as Bad Girls
, Footballers Wives, Taggart
, Where the Heart Is
, Fat Friends
, The Bill
, Heartbeat and The Royal
. She left this position in March 2008.
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and executive, best known for her contributions to British soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s, including BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
and five's Family Affairs
Family Affairs
Family Affairs was a British soap opera broadcast on Five, from 1997 to 2005. It was the second programme to be broadcast on the channel on 30 March 1997, the channel's launch night...
. Hollingworth has gained a reputation for winning huge drama audiences by concentrating on human interest storylines.
Career
In 1980 Hollingworth worked as an assistant floor managerFloor manager
The Floor Manager is the Director's representative on the studio floor, and is responsible for giving instruction and direction to crew, cast and guests. It is closest to the role of an Assistant Director, as the job frequently entails barking orders to keep a production moving to schedule. The...
on the BBC's televised adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. She gradually worked her way up the BBC ladder, she was Production Manager or 1st Assistant Director on a number of Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
series produced by John Nathan-Turner
John Nathan-Turner
John Nathan-Turner was the ninth producer of the long-running BBC science fiction series Doctor Who, from 1980 until it was effectively cancelled in 1989...
. She began producing for the BBC in the latter part of 1989, contributing to the BBC soap opera EastEnders initially as a production associate and later as an associate producer, under then producer Mike Gibbon
Mike Gibbon
John Michael "Mike" Gibbon is an English television producer and director. Gibbon married Moya McCarthy in July 1976 and they have a daughter, Sophie....
. She later became co-producer, with Richard Bramall, under new executive producer, Michael Ferguson
Michael Ferguson (director)
Michael Ferguson is a British script writer, television director and television producer. Ferguson has been described as a “long term champion of realistic popular drama”. Ferguson was executive producer of the BBC soap opera, EastEnders between 1989 and 1991...
in 1990. Following Ferguson's departure, she became co-producer with Pat Sandys, formerly of ITV's The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
.
After leaving EastEnders at the end of 1991 she began working on the BBC's ill-fated soap Eldorado
Eldorado (TV series)
Eldorado was a British soap opera that ran for only one year, from 6 July 1992 to 9 July 1993. Set in Coín on the Costa Del Sol and based around the lives of British and European expats, the BBC hoped it would be as successful as EastEnders and replicate some of the sunshine and glamour of imported...
(1992–1993) — for which she was the series producer following Julia Smith
Julia Smith
Julia Smith was an English television director and producer.- Early career :London-born Smith became involved in television production when she directed the series Suspense in 1962...
. Hollingworth was brought in to turn the soap around following declining ratings and heavy media criticism, but despite adding a million viewers the soap was eventually axed by the BBC controller, Alan Yentob
Alan Yentob
Alan Yentob is a British television executive and presenter who has worked throughout his career at the BBC.-Early life:...
, in 1993.
She went on to produce for the popular medical drama Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
(1994–1996), pushing up viewing figures to almost 18 million by switching the focus to the love lives of the characters. The changes she implemented were popular with viewers, however they were less popular with some of the cast members, in particular Derek Thompson, who plays the long-running character Charlie Fairhead. Thompson believed the show had become "like a mindless soap opera" and was in danger of losing the edge that had made it one of the most controversial programmes on television. He revealed that he nearly quit the role in protest, but decided to remain when he discovered that Hollingworth was leaving the show in 1996.
In addition to producing for Casualty, Hollingworth returned to EastEnders from 1995 to 1996 as the programme's executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
, taking over from Barbara Emile
Barbara Emile
Barbara Emile is a British television producer. Emile contributed to the BBC soap opera EastEnders for several years. She first started working on the serial as script editor underneath producer Leonard Lewis, and she began producing the programme in 1992. Following the departure of Lewis in 1994,...
and eventually replaced by Jane Harris
Jane Harris (producer)
Jane Harris is a British television director and producer, best known for her contributions to soap operas, including EastEnders and Family Affairs.-Career:...
. At EastEnders she was responsible for storylines such as Michelle Fowler
Michelle Fowler
Michelle Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by actress Susan Tully.Although she was one of the brighter people in Walford, that didn't stop Michelle making some huge mistakes during her time in Albert Square...
falling pregnant to her arch-nemesis Grant Mitchell
Grant Mitchell (EastEnders)
Grant Anthony Mitchell is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders, played by Ross Kemp. Grant first appeared in 1990, introduced by producer Michael Ferguson to revamp the show. Kemp remained until 1999 when he opted to leave...
; and Ricky Butcher
Ricky Butcher
Richard Francis "Ricky" Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sid Owen. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running, male protagonists to feature in EastEnders. Owen originally left the role in 2000 to pursue a music career...
's love triangle with his wife Sam
Sam Mitchell (EastEnders)
Samantha Margaret Priscilla "Sam" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders. The third member of the Mitchell family to be introduced, Sam entered as a 15-year-old school girl in July 1990, played by Danniella Westbrook. Westbrook quit in 1993, but was reintroduced...
and girlfriend Bianca Jackson
Bianca Jackson
Bianca Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Patsy Palmer. The character was introduced by executive producer Leonard Lewis and appeared initially from 1993 to 1999, when Palmer opted to leave. In 2002 executive producer John Yorke brought the character...
. Hollingworth's contributions to the soap were awarded in 1997 when EastEnders won the BAFTA for "Best Drama Series." Hollingworth shared the award with producer, Jane Harris.
She left the BBC in 1996 to become the controller of drama for Britain's fifth terrestrial channel, five. Her defection was one of several high-level "poachings" from the BBC by Dawn Airey
Dawn Airey
Dawn Elizabeth Airey, is a British commercial television executive. She was chairman and chief executive of Channel 5, the UK television station now owned by Richard Desmond's Northern and Shell...
, Channel 5's director of programmes. Hollingworth, along with Mal Young
Mal Young
Mal Young is a British television producer and executive producer.-Background:His initial career was in the Graphic Design industry, and it was not until the age of 27 that he began working in television, on the acclaimed Channel 4 soap opera Brookside.Working on the show for nearly a decade, he...
, were the co-creators of the channel's flagship soap opera, Family Affairs, for which she was also the executive producer.
She left five in 2003 and in 2004 she moved to ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
to become the Head of Continuing Series, taking over from Antony Wood. Her remit covers a wide-range of shows including soaps and returning series such as Bad Girls
Bad Girls (TV series)
Bad Girls is an award-winning British television drama series that was broadcast on ITV from 1999 to 2006. It is produced by Shed Productions, the company which later produced Footballers' Wives and Waterloo Road...
, Footballers Wives, Taggart
Taggart
Taggart is a Scottish detective television programme, created by Glenn Chandler, who has written many of the episodes, and made by STV Productions for the ITV network...
, Where the Heart Is
Where the Heart Is (1997 TV series)
Where the Heart Is is a British television drama series set in the fictional town Skelthwaite.First shown in 1997, it was created by Ashley Pharoah and Vicky Featherstone...
, Fat Friends
Fat Friends
Fat Friends is an ITV drama , following a group of overweight people, their laughter and pain and addresses the absurdities of dieting in our modern age. The drama looks at people and how they relate to one another and use body weight as an excuse for all sorts of failings in their relationships,...
, The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
, Heartbeat and The Royal
The Royal
The Royal is a British medical drama series produced by ITV. The show comprises one hour episodes which were normally first aired on ITV in the Sunday early evening slot....
. She left this position in March 2008.