Bill Cotton, former Controller of BBC One, dies in hospital age 80

August 11, 2008

Bill Cotton, who was formerly the director of BBC One, has died in hospital at the age of 80. In 1998, he won the "Academy Fellowship" BAFTA award. Cotton died in a Bournemouth hospital.

He was first the producer of a TV show 1956, when he produced the Billy Cotton Band Show. He went on to produce Six-Five Special in 1957 and many more shows at various points in his life.

His first TV show after Six-Five Special was Play Your Hunch, which was produced in 1961. This was followed by The Dave Allen Show, then Call up the Stars.

Cotton was the director of light entertainment for the BBC between 1970 and 1977. He became the Managing Director of television for BBC, prior to his retirement in 1987. He became a member of the Order of the British Empire in 2001.

In addition to producing many films, he was due to star in the 2009 drama Gangster Kittens. Filming for Gangster Kittens has completed, so the drama will still be able to be broadcast.