Paul Burton

Vicki Michelle & Louise Michelle in a scene from Paul Burton's film, Resentment. © Paul Burton

 

 

Paul Burton has over twenty years experience running a variety of his own community theatre, film, TV and radio projects. In more recent times has also become a writer and film & TV historian. The following at-a-glance biography contains just a selection of the amateur theatre, film, television, radio, teletext, plays, DVD, Video & CD credits that Paul Burton has either written, produced, staged, devised, directed and/or appeared in to date. This biography also contains details of the various books that Paul currently has published, or is to have published in the future, and the newspaper features he has written:

 

Theatre: Paul's theatre productions have so far included: A Night on the Town; The Music of the Night; Little Shop of Horrors; An Evening with Galton & Simpson (The Y Theatre, Leicester); The Mating Game (Countesthorpe College Theatre, Countesthorpe, Leicestershire); An Audience with Brian Murphy & Linda Regan (St. Peter's Hall, Oadby, Leicester).

 

Television: Paul is probably best known for his prolific five year association with Cable 7, Leicester's one-time community television channel. The list of of Paul's light entertainment and drama programmes for the channel under its various ownerships include: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall and Reflections (Paul Burton Television for LCL Cable 7 Television); Mirror Image; Sea Reflections; Changes; Televisual (series); Flat to Share (series); Flat to Share - Christmas Special (special); and Memories Evoked (Paul Burton Television for Diamond Cable 7 Television); The Paul Burton Chat Show (series); The Paul Burton Chat Show - Special (special); The Paul Burton Show (two specials); Paul Burton's TV Memories (series); Paul Burton's TV Memories - Christmas Special (special); Five of The Best (compilation programme); (Paul Burton Television for ntl: Cable 7 Television). Whilst at Cable 7 Paul also appeared as a guest on the magazine programme Roundabout; and as a guest presenter on the daily live show Live Lunch. Paul also presented the start of an edition of Light Lunch, and was also interviewed on the same edition by Mel Giedroyc (Princess Productions for Channel 4); appeared as an extra in a sketch on an edition of The Jack Docherty Show (five); and was interviewed on a regional TV news programme about the making of his film I'll Be Seeing You (Matv). Paul's short drama film, A New Start, was broadcast by the community television channel, Briz31 TV, in Brisbane, Australia, in early 2006. In October 2007, Paul was interviewed live on air at itv studios in Birmingham for the regional itv news programme, Central Tonight (East), about a book he co-compiled entitled The Official Carry On Quiz Book. More recently, in January 2009, his short drama film, Amy, which he made at the historic Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, was broadcast by Information TV2. The year 2009 also saw Paul return to Elstree Studios to make a new short film. Entitled Resentment, the film features Vicki Michelle ('Allo 'Allo!, Emmerdale) and her real-life actress daughter, Louise Michelle. The film is destined to be broadcast by Information TV (Freesat 402 & Sky 166), Showcase TV (Sky 216) and QCTV (Brisbane, Australia) during 2010.

 

Film: Paul's film credits include: Memories Evoked, Love in a Hospital (which stars Paul Daniels); Run For the Shadows; I'll Be Seeing You; The Country Murders; Watching Over You; Premonitions and A New Start (all made by Paul Burton Films and shown at Phoenix Arts, Leicester) and Amy (Paul Burton Films). Amy was subsequently first broadcast by Information TV2 during January 2009. As mentioned above, Paul returned to Elstree Studios during 2009 to make a new short film entitled Resentment. The film features Vicki Michelle ('Allo 'Allo!, Emmerdale) and her real-life actress daughter, Louise Michelle. The film will be broadcast by Information TV (Freesat 402 & Sky 166), Showcase TV (Sky 216) and QCTV (Brisbane, Australia) during 2010.

 

Radio: In 2000, Paul made his first radio production, a documentary on the veteran TV producer/director, Dennis Kirkland, who sadly passed away in 2006, for Radio Gwendolen, a hospital radio station in Leicester. In 2006, Paul founded and began to run Paul Burton Radio, a not-for-profit hospital radio project, which made radio plays for hospital radio stations in the UK. This project ran until 2008. The project had a host of well-known patrons, including actor Marc Sinden and actress Vicki Michelle. Paul's broadcast radio plays were: The Wedding, which stars Paul Daniels; and Brides to Be, which stars Jeffrey Holland (Hi-de-Hi!), Judy Buxton (On the Up) and Vicki Michelle ('Allo 'Allo!, Emmerdale). Both radio plays were broadcast on the following hospital radio stations: Ayr Hospitals Radio, Bridge FM, Chorley Hospital Radio, Hospital Radio Bedford, Hospital Radio Chemlsford, Hospital Radio Exeter, Hospital Radio Pulse 1350AM, Hospital Radio Wey, Kendal Hospital Radio, L&D Hospital Radio, Milton Keynes Hospital Radio, Paddington Hospital Radio, Radio Addenbrooke's, Radio Fox, Radio Grapevine, Radio Gwendolen, Radio Halton, Radio Hospitals Blackburn, Radio Law, Radio Nene Valley, Radio Royal, Radio Victoria, Rugby Hospital Radio, Whipps Cross Hospital Radio and Whitechapel Am. Paul has been a guest on several radio stations over the years to promote his various projects including his books. These radio stations have included: BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester, BBC Radio Humberside, BBC Radio Kent, BBC Radio Leicester, BBC Radio Merseyside, BBC Radio Northamptonshire, BBC Radio Shropshire, BBC Radio Stoke, City Talk FM and Radio Clyde 2.

 

Teletext: Paul was interviewed about working with Paul Daniels on his film Love in a Hospital for TV Plus (for teletext on ITV1 and Channel 4). Paul has also contributed research material and comment on the history and on the present British TV industries for the TV Plus and Goldie Oldie sections (for teletext on ITV1 & Channel 4).

 

Books: The Official Carry On Quiz Book (co-compiled), (Apex Publishing Ltd.); Making My Own Space - The autobiography of Paul Burton (Apex Publishing Ltd.), The Morecambe & Wise Quiz Book (JR Books Ltd.) and Paul Wilder: My Quest for TV Fame (SMP Publishers). The latter was officially launched at a special event set to be held at Elstree Studios in early October 2009.

 

DVD/Video: Mail Order releases of Paul's film and/or TV productions on DVD and/or video to date include: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall; Changes; Memories Evoked; Love in a Hospital; Run for the Shadows; I'll Be Seeing You; The Country Murders; Watching Over You; Premonitions, A New Start, Amy and Resentment.

 

CD: Mail order releases of Paul's radio plays on CD included: The Wedding, which stars Paul Daniels, and Brides to Be, which stars Jeffrey Holland (Hi-de-Hi!), Judy Buxton (On the Up) and Vicki Michelle ('Allo 'Allo!). Paul has also produced vocal showreel CDs for the actresses Linda Regan and Vicki Michelle.

 

Film & Television Historian: Paul is also a British film and television historian. His credits include providing the management of Elstree Studios with research material for their archive and running unofficial websites dedicated to Elstree Studios (Elstree Calling) and ATV's years in Borehamwood (ATV Borehamwood). Paul wrote various articles and blogs on the history of film & television production in the Borehamwood area for the Borehamwood & Elstree Times newspaper and their website between 2007 and 2010. The year 2009, meanwhile, saw Paul begin helping ARTS (Association of Reunited Thames Staff) with material for their official website and helping to put them in contact with former Thames TV artistes and staff members). During his time as a film & TV historian, Paul has interviewed numerous actors, actresses and producers & directors etc. including: Robin Askwith, Alexandra Bastedo, Bryan Forbes CBE, Dennis Kirkland, Valerie Leon, Gary Morecambe, Vince Powell, Dave Prowse MBE, Wendy Richard MBE and Greg Smith. 

 

Awards: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall received the Diamond Cable 7 Television Best Drama Production award of 1995; whilst Televisual received the Diamond Cable 7 Television Best Light Entertainment Programme of 1997 award. Also, Mirror Image was nominated for an award for being the Diamond Cable 7 Best Drama Production of 1996; Sea Reflections was nominated for an award for being the Best Drama Production of 1997; Televisual was also nominated for an award for being The Best Programme Of The Year of 1997; and The Paul Burton Chat Show was nominated for an award for being the Best Light Entertainment Series of 1998.

 

Other Information: Other information about Paul includes:

 

Paul was an in-house theatre producer at The Y Theatre, Leicester, from late 1992 to the early part of 1995.

 

Over the last 19 years literally hundreds and hundreds of people have worked for or with Paul's not-for-profit theatre, film, television, and radio production companies and on his various productions. Indeed, the total number of actors, actresses, extras and production team members involved in his self-funded The Big Screen Project in 2002/3 was, alone, over 100 people.

 

Services Available: Paul Burton is a self-employed writer and film & TV historian and would like to hear from any publishers, newspapers, magazines, film, television or DVD companies, performers, companies or groups etc. who wish to engage his services. To read a selection of ways that Paul can help you or your company, please click here.

 

 

Please feel free to contact Paul Burton by clicking onto the following email link: paulburton73@hotmail.co.uk.