Education
Born to Sicilian and Welsh immigrant parents, Messina attended school in Johannesburg and joined the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in the 1930s.
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Cedric Messina
Edit Profiletelevision producer and director
Career
He first worked for the British Broadcasting Corporation as a radio announcer and drama producer for a time in 1947, later permanently moving to the United Kingdom and joining British Broadcasting Corporation Radio in the later role during 1958. Joining British Broadcasting Corporation Television in 1962, he was responsible for Doctor Finlay"s Casebook as producer and director for a time before being given responsibility for Theatre 625 on the new British Broadcasting Corporation 2. Becoming the producer of Play of the Month in 1966 he supervised more than 80 productions until 1977, and also produced opera for television
In 1975, while on location at Glamis Castle for a Play of the Month production of The Little Minister by J. M. Barrie, Messina thought he had found the ideal location for Shakespeare"s As You Like lieutenant, an idea which soon grew to the British Broadcasting Corporation undertaking the entire Bardic canon.
The British Broadcasting Corporation Television Shakespeare was the result, and Messina was responsible for the first two seasons (twelve plays) broadcast between 1978 and 1980. The series gained mixed reviews, and the perceived problems were often thought the responsibility of Messina himself.
Clive James complained that Romeo and Juliet, the first screened production, was set "not in Verona, but in that semi-abstract, semi-concrete, wholly uninteresting city known to students as Messina." Susan Willis, in her book on the British Broadcasting Corporation Shakespeare cycle, writes: "That we have the televised Shakespeare series at all is entirely due to Messina. That we have the series we have and not perhaps a better, more exciting one is also in large part due to Messina."
He was chosen to produce The Falklands Play by Ian Curteis.
The Falklands Play was eventually televised in 2002 in a cut version.
Messina"s last production, for the British Broadcasting Corporation as always, was The Happy Valley (1987) with Holly Aird.
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TC1 at British Broadcasting Corporation Television Centre was booked for late January and early February 1987, but the £1 million production was postponed and then cancelled. Messina continued to defend both the play and author with no consideration for the effect it might have on his career.
