However, perhaps his most lasting legacy was the BBC Two serial Our Friends in the North (1996). Written by playwright Peter Flannery, Our Friends in the North was a production Wearing had wanted to bring to the screens since the early 1980s, but due to various difficulties with budgets, potential libel and BBC executives, he had never been able to. Now, with a bulletproof reputation and as Head of Serials the ability to commission the production himself, he was finally able to persuade channel controller Michael Jackson to accept the serial, which was a resounding hit. In 1997, Wearing was given the honorary Alan Clarke Award for outstanding creative achievement in television at the British Academy Television Awards. In 1998 he left the staff of the BBC, although he worked for them subsequently as a freelance producer. References Ahmed, Kamal. "Stifled" BBC drama chief quits. "The Guardian". Friday February 6, 1998 (page 3). External links 1939 births 2017 deaths BBC television producers British television producers