Paul Watson

Paul Watson (17 February 1942 – 18 November 2023) was a British television documentary filmmaker. Watson was born on 17 February 1942 in Paddington, London, England, and grew up in Wood Green. Family moved to Bolton in Lancashire after his father obtained work in the textile mills. Attended Altrincham Grammar School, Cheshire. Attained A Level Art aged 16. Watson attended Manchester Regional College of Art, then the Royal College of Art in London, from 1963 to 1966. He started working for the BBC in the mid-1960s, his first job being as a researcher on Whicker's World. He was given his own documentary series, A Year in the Life, followed by singles for the Tuesday's Documentary strand.In 1974, Watson made The Family, one of his most well-known programmes. In the following decade, he worked with Egyptologist John Romer and made singles for Real Lives and 40 Minutes strands, including The Fishing Party in 1985. In 1987, undertook secondment at WGBH in Boston. From 1989, he headed a production unit at BBC Elstree, where he instigated Sylvania Waters. At Elstree, he worked primarily as an executive producer on series such as Present Imperfect. From 1993 to 1994, he was appointed Series Editor of 40 Minutes. He left the BBC in 1994.Beginning in 1995, Watson worked for Granada TV, making singles for the Cutting Edge strand and the first of two films about Malcolm Pointon and his diagnosis with Alzheimer's (Malcolm and Barbara: A Love Story). From 1999/2000, he headed documentary production at United Productions (part of United News and Media, in collaboration with Anglia, HTV and Meridian; United Productions taken over by Granada Media in 2000). Left United Productions in 2002. In 2002, Watson formed his own production company Priory Pictures, making one of his most acclaimed films Rain In My Heart. In 2007, the second of two films about Malcolm Pointon and his Alzheimer's disease was broadcast (Malcolm and Barbara: Loves Farewell). In 2009–2010, he returned to media work, writing and directing radio plays for BBC Radio 4. He lived in Tonbridge, Kent.Watson died from complications of dementia on 18 November 2023, at the age of 81.