Charles Curran

Sir Charles Curran (13 October 1921-9 January 1980 ) was the Director-General of the BBC from 1969 to 1977. He was considerably more conservative than Hugh Greene, his more radical predecessor. Generally more sympathetic to the "family values" campaign spearheaded by Mary Whitehouse, he personally apologised to her for the violent content of The Deadly Assassin. He then had producer Philip Hinchcliffe transferred off the programme, and ordered successor Graham Williams to lighten up the tone of Doctor Who.

He nevertheless presided over a period of time that produced some of the all-time classics of British television, such as Fawlty Towers, Are You Being Served?,, and Monty Python's Flying Circus.

He was succeeded by Ian Trethowan.