Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Creative Director Alan Yentob today led the tributes to Nick Rossiter,
the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ documentary-maker who died on Friday (23 July 2004) at the age
of 43.
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"Nick's death has come as a terrible shock to everyone who knew him.
It is a devastating blow for his family - for his wife Bea Ballard and
their two young daughters Pandora and Alice."
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Alan Yentob continued: "Nick was one of the most talented arts producers
I have ever had the pleasure of working with.
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"The roll-call of programmes for which he was responsible is eloquent
testimony to his talents - Executive Producer of American Visions with
Robert Hughes, Renaissance with Andrew Graham-Dixon, Simon Schama on
Rembrandt - and it was Nick who discovered the hidden talents of Sister
Wendy Beckett - television's most unlikely arts pundit.
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"He was the director of Prince Charles' controversial polemic
on architecture, A Vision of Britain - an arts programme that really
did make waves.
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"Nick always managed to combine journalistic flair and visual panache
in his one-off films.
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"Among my favourites are his documentary detective story about
Sotheby's and Christie's - A Crime Amongst Gentlemen; his revelatory
film about the Government's art collection featuring one Peter Mandelson
and a riveting study of Picasso's Lapin Agile - one of the best of the
Relative Values series.
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"I finally got to work closely with him on the Secret Life of the Mona
Lisa for last year's Leonardo series. As ever it was total commitment
on Nick's part - at once passionate, intellectually curious, witty and
stylish - it was of course quintessential Nick. We are all going to
miss him enormously."
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Glenwyn Benson, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Controller of Factual and Learning, said: "Nick
produced many award winning, high profile films and series for the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
- Nick excelled as the inspirer of these ambitious projects and their
larger than life presenters.
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"He was full of enthusiasm and energy, and set his sights on big
subjects and grand visions.
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"As a colleague, he was always very generous with his ideas, extremely
collaborative and of course, good company."
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Jana Bennett, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Director of Television, who knew and worked with
Nick over the years, said: "Nick brought a deep knowledge and passionate
enthusiasm for the arts, and culture in its widest sense, which he combined
with beautiful film-making to touch TV viewers across the whole of the
UK.
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"His contribution to Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Television will not be forgotten and
he will be greatly missed by friends and colleagues across the organisation."
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Roly Keating, Controller of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TWO and former colleague of Nick's
in the Arts department, added: "Nick was a passionate believer in the
power of arts television to make an impact and change lives, and matched
that belief with a true journalist's eye for a great story.
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"All of us who've worked with him are devastated by the news of
his sudden death."
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Notes to Editors
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Nick Rossiter joined the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ in 1986 on the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's Production Trainee
Scheme.
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Following assignments on Newsnight, Heart of the Matter, Out of Court
and Look North (Newcastle), he joined the Arts Department in 1987.
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