Ken Grieve


Ken Grieve was a Scottish television director. Originally a cameraman, he moved into directing and began his career with Coronation Street.

Early life and education

Grieve was born and brought up in Edinburgh, the son of Henry Grieve, a plant manager at British Aluminium, and his wife, Lesley, a seamstress. He also had an older brother named Robin. He attended the Edinburgh Academy, where he excelled in geography and history, and won a scholarship to Bryanston School in Dorset.

Career

His first job was as a trainee studio cameraman with Granada Television. He became one of its elite crew, strong and skilled enough to manoeuvre the huge cameras on live pop shows. He later further trained as a director of dramas and documentaries, working on Coronation Street and Crown Court in the mid-1970s. He subsequently directed the 1979 Doctor Who serial Destiny of the Daleks for the BBC, and episodes of The Bill and Peak Practice. In 1988, he shared the direction of Game, Set and Match with Patrick Lau. In 2007, he directed the Casualty episode Stormy Weather.

Other work

In 1975, he directed the location footage of Coronation Street that was used for the opening titles until 1990. He recorded a commentary for the DVD of Destiny of the Daleks with actors Lalla Ward and David Gooderson, which was released in 2007.

Personal life

Grieve had four children with his wife, Fiona. They remained together until her death in 2010.
Through working with Douglas Adams on Destiny of the Daleks, they struck up a friendship that would last Adams' lifetime.
In the mid 1990s, Grieve returned to base himself in Edinburgh and lived in Marchmont. In 2009 he was diagnosed with myeloma and had to withdraw from a film production with Hugh Laurie. He mentored young aspiring film makers at the Edinburgh Filmhouse's youth film group Scottish Kids Are Making Movies.

Television

YearTitleNotes
1974 - 1983Coronation Street
Crown Court
The Bill
1976The XYY Man
Strangers
Bulman
1979Doctor Who : Destiny of the Daleks
1979The Omega Factor
1980Buccaneer
1983ChessgameOnly one episode was made
1985The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes"The Norwood Builder"
1988Game, Set and Match
1990Bergerac"Entente Cordiale" and "Diplomatic Incident"
1992Moon and Son"Star of Fortune", "GI Joe Is Missing"
1993Agatha Christie's Poirot"Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan", "The Chocolate Box"
1995BugsFive Episodes
1997Peak Practice
1997 - 1998Cadfael"The Raven in the Foregate", "The Holy Thief" and "The Pilgrim of Hate"
2005The Royal"It's What's on the Inside that Counts", "Dutybound"
2007Casualty"Stormy Weather"
2010"Community Service"