Michael Cox obit

Remembering Granada TV's Michael Cox

 

He was not on the list.

We have learned that Michael Cox, producer of the landmark Sherlock Holmes series on Granada TV, has passed away at the age of 86.

His wife Sandra passed along the news that Michael passed away peacefully on January 29 after an extended illness.

Michael Cox was born on November 28, 1934 in Bristol. He began his career in entertainment first as an actor, then as a stage manager, advertising agent, and for an artistic agency before joining the ranks of Granada Television in 1960. He literally worked his way up, beginning as a bus driver and handyman before being given responsibility for local programs and archival material.

He was tapped as an assistant director for Coronation Street in 1965 before joining other shows in the following years, such as Mr. Rose and Pardon the Expression. His fledgling experience as a producer began in 1968 with a couple of episodes of Coronation Street, followed by a proper producing career in 1972 with A Family at War and Holly.

The Sherlock Holmes connection began in 1981, when Cox realized that Granada, which already had a commitment to dramatizations of classics from the likes of H.G. Wells, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Evelyn Waugh, should turn its attention to Sherlock Holmes.

According to the definitive biography of Cox by The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia,

"Cox is really the father of the Sherlock Holmes series. Without him, it would not have existed. Indeed, it was he who, a fine connoisseur and fervent admirer of Arthur Conan Doyle, realized that Sherlock Holmes' stories had finally fallen into the public domain and that the great detective had hardly been seen on television screens for ten years. He was the one who convinced Granada's management that it was possible to achieve a great success by producing a colour version of Sherlock Holmes' adventures for a new generation of spectators."

While the accountants were looking to cut expenses in any way, Cox realized the value for the Granada brand that classics afforded them. While they were never huge ratings successes, these lavishly produced dramas brought the studio respect in the domestic market and exposure on public television in the United States.

David Plowright, managing director (and Michael's boss) at Granada Television, gave Cox two conditions on which he would green-light the production: there had to be a financial commitment from an American partner before production began, and they needed someone of star quality — "Someone like Jeremy Brett," he said.

As they listed their criteria, the casting directors determined that they were unable to find "someone like Jeremy Brett" to fill the role—they could only find Jeremy Brett himself! So that was settled. As to the U.S. partner turned another lovely coincidence is that PBS's popular MYSTERY! series was produced by Joan Wilson, who just happened to be Jeremy Brett's wife.

In bringing the series to life, David Plowright provided another bit of inspiring leadership: he suggested that a full-scale replica of Baker Street be constructed as an exterior set. This iconic thoroughfare lent a great deal of realism and credibility to the Granada series over time, and is as essential and iconic as Brett himself in the title role.

The other piece of preparation that Michael Cox introduced to the production, along with associate producer Stuart Doughty and researcher Nick Cooney, was The Baker Street File. Now a collector's item, it was described as "A guide to the appearance and habits of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson specially prepared for the Granada Television series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." There were 100 copies published in 1983 for the cast and crew of the series — photocopied typed sheets between manilla card stock. Then in 1997, Calabash Press published a paperback version. We're fortunate to have both.

In addition to such production details, Cox also had to deal with copyright lawyers (because what would a Sherlock Holmes production be without a request from the Conan Doyle Estate?), collaborating with John Hawkesworth to develop the series for teleivions, hiring sceenwriters such as Jeremy Paul, determining which directors to use, scouting exterior locations, and securing other cast members such as David Burke as Dr. Watson and Rosalie Williams as Mrs. Hudson.

The interior set had to be designed, and Michael Grimes was the man for that. Music—such an important part of Sherlock Holmes's personality—had to be commissioned, and Patrick Gowers composed the main theme and incidental music, including period- and geography-specific pieces that were variations of the original.

The series finally debuted on ITV in England in April 1984.

Cox remained attached to the production for its entirety, through The Case-book of Sherlock Holmes in 1991. By that time, Cox was engaged as an independent producer (Granada had cut costs and eliminated a number of executive positions; by 1992, Plowright was outsted as CEO) and Jeremy Brett's health was in a precipitous decline. The age of Sherlock Holmes was over at Granada Television Cox went on to produce one more television movie in 1991: Thatcher: The Final Days.

Since that time, Michael Cox enjoyed retirement and participated in Sherlockian activities from time to time: he traveled to the United States to join the From Gillette to Brett conferences and attended gatherings of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London, which made him an Honorary Member last year (a well-deserved accolade).

His contributions to the world of Sherlock Holmes will forever be with us.

Director

After the War (1989)

After the War

6.5

TV Mini Series

Director

1989

1 episode

 

Sam (1973)

Sam

8.0

TV Series

Director

1973–1975

2 episodes

 

A Family at War (1970)

A Family at War

7.7

TV Series

Director

1970

4 episodes

 

Peter Adamson, Jean Alexander, Johnny Briggs, Margot Bryant, and Doris Speed in Coronation Street (1960)

Coronation Street

5.6

TV Series

Director

1965–1969

18 episodes

 

British Film Academy Awards. A Cinema Special

TV Movie

Director

1968

 

Diane Cilento in Rogues' Gallery (1968)

Rogues' Gallery

7.7

TV Series

Director

1968–1969

 

Doris Hare and Ken Jones in Her Majesty's Pleasure (1968)

Her Majesty's Pleasure

TV Series

Director

1968

1 episode

 

Charles Hyatt and William Lucas in City '68 (1967)

City '68

7.6

TV Series

Director

1968

2 episodes

 

Richard Beckinsale, Freddie Fletcher, Arthur Lowe, Jack Rosenthal, and Paula Wilcox in ITV Playhouse (1967)

ITV Playhouse

7.3

TV Series

Director

1968

1 episode

 

Death by Misadventure? (1967)

Death by Misadventure?

TV Series

Director

1967

1 episode

 

Mr. Rose (1967)

Mr. Rose

8.0

TV Series

Director

1967

6 episodes

 

Robert Dorning and Arthur Lowe in Turn Out the Lights (1967)

Turn Out the Lights

TV Series

Director

1967

2 episodes

 

Arthur Lowe in Pardon the Expression (1965)

Pardon the Expression

7.4

TV Series

Director

1966

25 episodes

 

Actor

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1991)

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes

8.7

TV Series

Zoo Cleaner (uncredited)

1991

1 episode

 

Producer

Sylvia Syms in Thatcher: The Final Days (1991)

Thatcher: The Final Days

6.9

TV Movie

producer

1991

 

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1991)

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes

8.7

TV Series

producer

1991

6 episodes

 

Peter O'Toole and Mare Winningham in Crossing to Freedom (1989)

Crossing to Freedom

6.8

TV Movie

executive producer: Granada

1989

 

After the War (1989)

After the War

6.5

TV Mini Series

executive producer

producer

1989

10 episodes

 

Dead Man Out (1989)

Dead Man Out

6.2

TV Movie

co-executive producer

1989

 

Jeremy Brett in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1988)

The Hound of the Baskervilles

7.8

TV Movie

executive producer

1988

 

The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1986)

The Return of Sherlock Holmes

8.7

TV Series

executive producer

1986–1988

11 episodes

 

Jeremy Brett, Kiran Shah, and John Thaw in The Sign of Four (1987)

The Sign of Four

7.9

TV Movie

executive producer

1987

 

Shades of Darkness (1983)

Shades of Darkness

7.6

TV Series

executive producer

1983–1986

9 episodes

 

Time for Murder (1985)

Time for Murder

6.2

TV Series

executive producer

1985

6 episodes

 

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984)

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

8.7

TV Series

producer

1984–1985

13 episodes

 

Kevin McNally in A Brother's Tale (1983)

A Brother's Tale

TV Series

executive producer

1983

3 episodes

 

Young Sherlock: The Mystery of the Manor House (1982)

Young Sherlock: The Mystery of the Manor House

7.0

TV Series

executive producer (uncredited)

1982

8 episodes

 

Joanne Whalley and Clive Wood in A Kind of Loving (1982)

A Kind of Loving

8.5

TV Mini Series

executive producer

1982

10 episodes

 

Judy Holt in My Father's House (1981)

My Father's House

5.4

TV Mini Series

executive producer

1981

7 episodes

 

Christmas Spirits (1981)

Christmas Spirits

6.5

TV Movie

executive producer

1981

 

The Double Dealer (1980)

The Double Dealer

TV Movie

executive producer

1980

 

Alan Dobie in The ITV Play (1968)

The ITV Play

TV Series

producer

1976–1980

2 episodes

 

Bedroom Farce (1980)

Bedroom Farce

8.6

TV Movie

executive producer

1980

 

Robert Longden in Watch All Night (1980)

Watch All Night

7.7

TV Series

executive producer

1980

1 episode

 

Del Henney in Fallen Hero (1978)

Fallen Hero

7.9

TV Series

executive producer

1978–1979

9 episodes

 

The Danedyke Mystery (1979)

The Danedyke Mystery

7.0

TV Series

executive producer

1979

6 episodes

 

This Year Next Year (1977)

This Year Next Year

8.6

TV Mini Series

executive producer

1977

13 episodes

 

Twiggy in Victorian Scandals (1976)

Victorian Scandals

8.1

TV Series

producer

executive producer

1976

6 episodes

 

Sam (1973)

Sam

8.0

TV Series

producer

1973–1975

39 episodes

 

Don Henderson, Diane Keen, Peter Sallis, and Don Warrington in Crown Court (1972)

Crown Court

7.3

TV Series

executive producer

1974

5 episodes

 

Ray Davies in Late Night Drama (1974)

Late Night Drama

8.7

TV Series

producer

1974

1 episode

 

Brigit Forsyth and Paul Moriarty in Holly (1972)

Holly

TV Series

producer

1972

6 episodes

 

A Family at War (1970)

A Family at War

7.7

TV Series

producer

associate producer

1970–1972

45 episodes

 

Peter Adamson, Jean Alexander, Johnny Briggs, Margot Bryant, and Doris Speed in Coronation Street (1960)

Coronation Street

5.6

TV Series

producer

1967–1968

22 episodes

 

Self

Ian Fleming and Geoffrey Boothroyd in Timeshift (2002)

Timeshift

7.1

TV Series

Self - Producer, 'Sherlock Holmes', ITV

2005

1 episode