Michael Grade, a renowned figure in the entertainment industry, seemed destined for success due to his lineage. Born in 1943 in London, England, he was the son of Leslie Grade and the nephew of Lew Grade and Bernard Delfont. Grade began his career as a trainee journalist at the Daily Mirror in 1960, later becoming the sports columnist from 1964 to 1966.
In 1973, he took on the role of deputy controller of entertainment programmes at London Weekend Television. Grade's next significant step was becoming the controller of BBC One in 1984, a position he held until 1986. During his tenure, he made several bold and controversial decisions, including delaying the production of Doctor Who for 18 months, criticizing the show in interviews, and replacing Colin Baker as the star.
Grade also commissioned the Dennis Potter play The Singing Detective and gave a prominent twice-weekly slot to the new soap opera EastEnders. He broadcast the Live Aid rock concert and commissioned Blackadder II, which he judged an improvement over the original Blackadder.
Grade's time at the BBC was marked by a significant boost in ratings, thanks in part to the introduction of popular and long-lasting soap operas such as EastEnders, Howards' Way, Casualty, and Neighbours. He became the chief executive at Channel 4 television in 1988, replacing Jeremy Isaacs.
During his time at Channel 4, Grade faced unprecedented criticism and was labelled "the pornographer-in-chief" by the Daily Mail. However, he was also responsible for bringing popular American series such as ER and Friends to British television. Grade eventually left Channel 4 in 1997 and took on major roles at various companies, including First Leisure, Camelot, and the Millennium Dome project.
In 2004, he was appointed Chairman of the BBC, and his successful career in broadcasting was recognized with a CBE in 1998. A supporter of the Conservative Party, Grade was made a peer in 2011 and became known as Lord Grade. In a 2012 interview with the Radio Times, he expressed his admiration for the revival series of Doctor Who, describing it as "a classy, popular triumph for people of all ages and all backgrounds."
