Beryl Vertue

Beryl Vertue is an English television producer and media executive. She is founder and chairman of the independent television production company Hartswood Films.

She was originally an agent, representing comedy writers Spike Milligan, Eric Sykes, Johnny Speight, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, and Terry Nation (for whom she famously negotiated to partially keep his rights to his Dalek creation for Doctor Who). She also represented comedians Tony Hancock and Frankie Howerd. [http://www.hartswoodfilms.co.uk/about/beryl.html Hartswood Films website] ]

In 1967 she joined the Stigwood Organisation, specialising in selling British television formats to America. Notable successes include "Steptoe and Son", which became "Sanford and Son" in the US, and Til Death Us Do Part. which became All in the Family in the US. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/06_june/16/coupling_beryl_vertue.shtml BBC biography] ]

In the 1980s she formed Hartswood Films and produced many comedies including "Men Behaving Badly", "Is It Legal?" and "Coupling". The latter was produced by her daughter Sue Vertue and written by son-in-law Steven Moffat.

She received the OBE for services to television in the 2000 New Years Honours List. In 2004, the BAFTA awarded her the Alan Clarke Award for Outstanding Creative Contribution to Television. .

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