Julia Smith

Julia Smith (26 May 1927 – 19 June 1997) was an English television director and producer. She is best known for being the co-creator (along with Tony Holland) of BBC One soap opera EastEnders, also working on the series as a director and its first producer.

For other people named Julia Smith, see Julia Smith (disambiguation).
Julia Smith
Smith and Tony Holland, co-creators of EastEnders
Born(1927-05-26)26 May 1927
London, England
Died19 June 1997(1997-06-19) (aged 70)
Kensington, London, England
NationalityBritish
Occupation
Years active1962–1997
TelevisionEastEnders
Eldorado

Early career

London-born Smith became involved in television production in 1962, when she directed the series Suspense. She went on to direct popular BBC series such as Z Cars (also in 1962) and Doctor Who (in 1966); for the latter, she directed the stories The Smugglers and The Underwater Menace. In 1967, Smith directed an adaptation of The Railway Children with Jenny Agutter that was successful enough for it to lead to the fondly remembered 1970 film in which Agutter reprised her role of Roberta.

While working on Z Cars, Smith met Tony Holland, who was a writer for the series. The two of them became an established producer/script-editor team and went on to work for the BBC's long-running hospital drama Angels from 1979-83.

EastEnders

In 1983, the BBC contacted Smith and Holland to create a new popular bi-weekly serial drama. Two ideas were given to them, one about a caravan site, the other about a shopping arcade. Neither of them liked the ideas, and demanded they be able to create something about what they knew — in the words of Smith — 'London - today!' Together they came up with the idea of a serial set in the East End of London, in a Victorian Square. When casting for the soap opera, Smith had the guideline 'only genuine East-Enders need apply'; it was this that gave her the idea for the name of the series, EastEnders, after others were rejected; originally, it was to be called Eastenders, but Jonathan Powell, then Head of Drama at the BBC and who had commissioned the soap opera, made the tentative suggestion that the second 'E' did not look good on paper, and said that perhaps it should be capitalized. It was, for which Smith later said '...we were eternally grateful to him!'

Traditionally, the end music to EastEnders begins with dramatic drums, but occasionally - especially when a character departs - a piano version is used; this, as a homage, is called "Julia's Theme".

Smith's final contribution to EastEnders, along with that of fellow creator Tony Holland, came in early 1989, amid a dispute with BBC bosses as to whether the character of Den Watts (played by Leslie Grantham) could ever return after being shot and supposedly killed. 'Dirty Den' would ultimately return to the series, having apparently survived the shooting, but Smith would not live to see this happen.[1]

Eldorado

After the success of EastEnders, Smith and Holland collaborated again on the ill-fated BBC One soap opera Eldorado. Holland created the series - based on an original idea by Verity Lambert — and Smith was producer. Eldorado was produced by Lambert through her own company Cinema Verity Productions. The BBC obviously hoped that, after EastEnders, Smith and Holland could make drama gold again; however, the series was savaged by the press from day one. Smith was blamed for the programme's shortcomings and thus quit out of stress, which left her bitter towards the BBC, who she believed had not given Eldorado a chance to establish itself. Corinne Hollingworth took over as series producer after Smith left, and helped revive falling ratings, but the series was cancelled, after only one year, by the new controller of BBC1, Alan Yentob

Death

Following the demise of Eldorado, Smith retired from television work. She died of cancer in Kensington and Chelsea,[2] London, in 1997. Several stalwart cast members of EastEnders, including Wendy Richard, attended her funeral.

gollark: Genius.
gollark: So I should put a license on it but never actually release it?
gollark: I would also have to actually use git (or fossil I guess) on it.
gollark: I guess? But people might foolishly expect my software to work and be slightly good if I release it.
gollark: I plan to work on full text search but this may require changing things around.

References
  1. Sabbagh, Dan (8 February 2010). "Is EastEnders the lifeblood of the BBC?". The Guardian.
  2. "Deaths England and Wales 1984-2006".
Media offices
Preceded by
None		 Executive Producer of EastEnders
1985–88		 Succeeded by
Mike Gibbon
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