Trivia

As one of the most powerful men in British television during the 1960s, Sydney Newman was responsible for television legends such as The Avengers (1961), Doctor Who (1963), Cathy Come Home (1966) and The Forsyte Saga (1967).

He was the head of ABC (Associated British Corporation) Drama (1958 - 1962) and the head of BBC Drama (1962 - 1967).

While at the BBC, he recommended actor Barry Letts for a directors' training course. Two years after Newman left the BBC in 1967, Letts was made the producer of Doctor Who (1963), which Newman had created.

When he was interviewed for Melvyn Bragg on TV: The Box That Changed the World (2017), director Ken Loach was effusive in his praise for Newman and said British television no longer had the people who would take risks like he did.