Mary Marquis
Encyclopedia
Mary Elizabeth Marquis MBE is a Scottish
former television news presenter
.
She was a leading interviewer on BBC Scotland
from the mid 1960s, and became the face of the network's evening news programme Reporting Scotland
until 1988, notably including the whole of the 1970s Nationwide
era when input from BBC regional studios all across the BBC1 network was linked together in a broadcast to the whole of the UK.
and an only child, Mary's family moved to Kirn across the water in Argyll when she was small, to run a small hotel, after her father had suffered a heart attack. As a child she suffered an attack of tuberculosis
and used a wheelchair for a time, which kindled a dream of becoming an actress. At the age of 17 she won a place to RADA
, but instead trained in Glasgow, nearer to her family. RSAMD awards an annual Mary Marquis prize for student performance in television, commemorating her time there.
Two years later she moved to BBC Scotland, travelling all over Scotland to interview people for A Quick Look Round, and then for her own series First Person Singular, before becoming one of the three leading presenters of Reporting Scotland at its inception in 1968, and subsequently the programme's main anchor for the next twenty years. With the start of the enormously popular Nationwide in 1969, she became a frequent face on television across the whole of the UK, and several times covered for its regular presenters in London for two or three weeks. This was at a time when women newsreaders were quite unusual on British television, pre-dating Angela Rippon
.
In the 1970s she was head-hunted by ITN
to become their first female newscaster. But Mary Marquis preferred to stay in Glasgow where she could look after her mother and family, and the job instead went to Anna Ford
in 1978.
Following the death of her mother, and a change of management at the BBC, she stepped down from Reporting Scotland in 1988. She has subsequently been involved with various arts, medical and academic organisations, and also did a series of live interviews at the Edinburgh Festival
. She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1983 New Year's Honours list, and honoured with a special award for 'Special Contribution to Scottish Broadcasting' at the 2007 Scottish BAFTA awards.
s TV columnist Gareth McLean has described the "gloriously imperious" Mary Marquis as "the only newsreader I've ever seen with a beauty spot that wouldn't have looked out of place on Marie Antoinette". Scotland".
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
former television news presenter
News presenter
A news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
.
She was a leading interviewer on BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
from the mid 1960s, and became the face of the network's evening news programme Reporting Scotland
Reporting Scotland
Reporting Scotland is BBC Scotland's national television news programme. The programme first aired on 1 April 1968, with three main presenters - the most famous being Mary Marquis...
until 1988, notably including the whole of the 1970s Nationwide
Nationwide (TV series)
Nationwide was a BBC News and Current affairs television programme broadcast on BBC One each weekday following the early evening news. It followed a magazine format, combining political analysis and discussion with consumer affairs, light entertainment and sports reporting...
era when input from BBC regional studios all across the BBC1 network was linked together in a broadcast to the whole of the UK.
Early life
Born in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and an only child, Mary's family moved to Kirn across the water in Argyll when she was small, to run a small hotel, after her father had suffered a heart attack. As a child she suffered an attack of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and used a wheelchair for a time, which kindled a dream of becoming an actress. At the age of 17 she won a place to RADA
Rada
Rada is the term for "council" or "assembly"borrowed by Polish from the Low Franconian "Rad" and later passed into the Czech, Ukrainian, and Belarusian languages....
, but instead trained in Glasgow, nearer to her family. RSAMD awards an annual Mary Marquis prize for student performance in television, commemorating her time there.
Career
Soon after the death of her father she joined Border TV as an onscreen continuity announcer, initially thinking she would only do it "for a month", but it became her career for the next twenty-seven years. She was the first person seen on screen at Border, opening the station's transmission with the words "Good Evening and welcome to Border Television" when it went on air at 5:45 on September 1, 1961.Two years later she moved to BBC Scotland, travelling all over Scotland to interview people for A Quick Look Round, and then for her own series First Person Singular, before becoming one of the three leading presenters of Reporting Scotland at its inception in 1968, and subsequently the programme's main anchor for the next twenty years. With the start of the enormously popular Nationwide in 1969, she became a frequent face on television across the whole of the UK, and several times covered for its regular presenters in London for two or three weeks. This was at a time when women newsreaders were quite unusual on British television, pre-dating Angela Rippon
Angela Rippon
Angela M. Rippon, OBE, born 12 October 1944, Plymouth, Devon, England, is an English television journalist, newsreader, writer and presenter. Rippon presented radio and television news programmes in South West England before moving to BBC One's Nine O'Clock News, becoming a regular presenter in 1975...
.
In the 1970s she was head-hunted by ITN
Independent Television News
ITN is a news and content provider with headquarters in the United Kingdom. It is made up of four key businesses: ITN News, ITN Source, ITN Productions and ITN Consulting. The ITN logotype can be displayed in any of 4 different colours, each of which represents a business unit. This is the...
to become their first female newscaster. But Mary Marquis preferred to stay in Glasgow where she could look after her mother and family, and the job instead went to Anna Ford
Anna Ford
Anna Ford is a retired English journalist and television presenter, best known as a newsreader....
in 1978.
Following the death of her mother, and a change of management at the BBC, she stepped down from Reporting Scotland in 1988. She has subsequently been involved with various arts, medical and academic organisations, and also did a series of live interviews at the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
. She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1983 New Year's Honours list, and honoured with a special award for 'Special Contribution to Scottish Broadcasting' at the 2007 Scottish BAFTA awards.
Appearance
With her reputation for being cool under pressure, being always "immaculately groomed" often in an elegant neck scarf, and the precision of her drama-school-refined accent and delivery, The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
s TV columnist Gareth McLean has described the "gloriously imperious" Mary Marquis as "the only newsreader I've ever seen with a beauty spot that wouldn't have looked out of place on Marie Antoinette". Scotland".
Personal life
In 1962 she married Jack Anderson, a Glasgow (subsequently also Canada and London)-based architect and lecturer, and a son David was born two years later. Although expecting to be dismissed, she continued to appear on screen almost until the birth (including one interview conducted on a roof), and was back in the studio afterwards within six weeks.External links
- Title sequences for Reporting Scotland, TV ark. Including a 1985 version, seguing to Mary Marquis at the news desk
- Mary Marquis attempting to feed the penguins at Edinburgh Zoo (film clip), BBC News Scotland website
- Reported Scotland: 50 Years of BBC TV News, 60 minute BBC Scotland film, shown 30 September 2007.