The television critic Philip Purser, who has died aged 96 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, was one of the longest-serving and most respected pundits in the TV industry, in which he was also involved as a writer.
His detailed knowledge led to him contributing to numerous documentaries about British television and his appointment as co-editor of the 1982 and 1986 editions of Halliwell’s Television Companion. In the 1960s and 70s he was active in discussions on and off screen about censorship and the future of broadcasting, and was one of the chief adversaries of Mary Whitehouse of the National Viewers’ and Listeners’ Association.
