In a career that spanned both the BBC and the independent channels, Paul Fox, who was died aged 98, made perhaps his greatest mark as controller of BBC One for six years from 1967. One of the most colourful and extrovert of TV chiefs, he made the most of what was arguably the most vital and influential role in the industry.
The enduring favourite programmes whose launch he oversaw were Dad’s Army – of which he had initially been dismissive; Parkinson, the talk show with Michael Parkinson as interviewer; The Generation Game, presented by Bruce Forsyth; and The Two Ronnies, the comedy sketch show featuring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett.
