Antony Jay

Cast · Writer · Director

Born

April 20, 1930 · England, UK

Died

August 21, 2016

Birth name

Antony Rupert Jay

Antony Jay joined BBC Television in 1955 and became a founding member of Tonight (1957), the corporation's nightly current affairs television programme, in 1957, becoming the editor in 1962. In 1963 he was made the Head of Television Talk Features. In 1964 he left the BBC to become a freelance writer and producer. He was knighted in 1988. He is best known to television viewers as co-writer, with Jonathan Lynn, of the popular Yes Minister (1980) comedy series and its sequel, Yes, Prime Minister (1986). His other works have included editing the Oxford Dictionary of Political Quotations, contributing articles for newspapers, including The Daily Mail and The Times, and writing reports for the Centre for Policy Studies. Jay is an avowed advocate of market economics and he has articulated strong views on broadcasting. In the 1970s he was a member of the government's influential Annan Committee on the future of broadcasting. His 2008 report for the Centre for Policy Studies, "How to save the BBC", advocated radically reducing the BBC to one mainstream television channel, a radio speech channel and a news department, which provoked a rebuttal from BBC Director-General Mark Thompson in the Daily Telegraph.