Allan McKeown
Introduction '''Allan McKeown''' (born '''John Allan McKeown'''; 21 May 1946 – 24 December 2013) was a British television and stage producer.
Early life McKeown was born in Ealing, London on 21 May 1946.His parents Edith Mabel (née Humphries) and Albert Victor McKeown moved first to Hackney and then to Hainault, Essex. His father was the Clerk of Works at the new estate. Educated at Beal Grammar school in Ilford, he left early and became a trainee hairdresser at Vidal Sassoon in Bond Street. He was a figure in the London scene of the 1960s, and in 1966 he opened his own salon. As a hairdresser, he worked on the TV show ''Sunday Night at the London Palladium'' and the films ''if....'' (1968), ''Villain'' and ''Get Carter'' (both 1971).
Television producer In 1969, he changed course and became a producer at James Garrett and Partners, at the time the largest TV commercials producer in the UK. He was appointed managing director shortly after joining. He left to form a production company Witzend with Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. Initially making commercials, then the feature film ''Porridge'' (US: ''Doing Time'', 1979). McKeown was the executive producer for Central Television's  ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'', with Clement and La Frenais as the show's main writers.He was one of the first independent television producers in the UK. McKeown not only produced in Britain with his company, WitzEnd, but also produced in the US for all of the networks. In 1986, Witzend acquired Selectv, and in the process became a public company. The company grew as it added Alomo, a venture with writers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran to its stable of production companies. In 1990, McKeown was a founding member of the Meridian consortium. The consortium was awarded the ITV television franchise for the South East of England.McKeown was responsible for all of Meridian's comedy programming. In 1994 Selectv (the cable channel) was launched its programming, mainly programs produced by McKeown. In March 1996, McKeown accepted £51 million for SelecTV, now a broadcaster and a major supplier of television programs, from Pearson, then owner of the ''Financial Times''. McKeown returned to the US producing the HBO comedy series, ''Tracey Takes On...'' for wife, Tracey Ullman. The series won six Emmy Awards. McKeown invested in the media launching web site itstv.com, an international distribution web site. The company was sold in March 2000.In 2007, McKeown launched Allan McKeown Presents, Ltd. The company produced the Indian comedy series, ''Mumbai Calling'' as well as ''Tracey Ullman's State of the Union'' (2008–10).
Stage McKeown was involved in the West End production of ''Anyone For Denis?'' (Whitehall Theatre, 1981) via Witzend Productions, and the Broadway show, ''The Big Love'' in 1991, a one-woman show starring Ullman. He produced the highly successful ''Jerry Springer: The Opera'', winning an Olivier Award for Best Musical. He also produced ''Lennon'', a musical based on the life of John Lennon.
Personal life McKeown and Tracey Ullman married in 1983.They had two children and lived in both England and the United States. In 2006, McKeown and Ullman topped the "Wealthiest British Comedians" list, with an estimated net worth of £75 million.
Death McKeown died of prostate cancer in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve 2013, at the age of 67.
Filmography ===Television===YearTitleNotes1979 ''Doing Time'' Producer ''To Russia... With Elton'' Documentary short; producer 1980–1981 ''The Other 'Arf'' TV series; executive producer 1981–1983 ''Astronauts'' TV series; executive producer1982 ''Dead Ernest'' TV series; executive producer ''Shine on Harvey Moon'' TV series; executive producer ''P.O.S.H'' TV short; executive producer 1983 ''Sunset Limousine'' TV movie; producer 1983–1986 ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'' TV series; executive producer1985 ''Mog'' TV series; executive producer ''Roll Over Beethoven'' TV series; executive producer 1985–1986 ''Girls on Top'' TV series; executive producer 1986–1994 ''Lovejoy'' TV series; executive producer 1988 ''Jake's Journey'' TV movie; producer 1989–1994 ''Birds of a Feather'' TV series; executive producer 1990 ''Freddie and Max'' TV series; executive producer 1991 ''So You Think You've Got Troubles'' TV series; producer1992 ''Love Hurts'' TV series; executive producer ''The Old Boy Network'' TV series; executive producer ''Stand by Your Man'' TV series; executive producer1993 ''Tracey Ullman: A Class Act'' Executive producer ''Full Stretch'' TV series; executive producer ''Westbeach'' TV series; executive producer ''Over the Rainbow'' TV series; executive producer ''Tracey Ullman Takes on New York'' Executive producer 1993–1996 ''Goodnight Sweetheart'' TV series; executive producer 1994 ''The New Statesman'' TV series; executive producer 1994–1995 ''Men of the World'' TV series; executive producer 1994–1996 ''Pie in the Sky'' TV series; executive producer1995 ''Sometime, Never'' TV series; executive producer ''An Independent Man'' TV series; executive producer 1996–1999 ''Tracey Takes On...'' TV series; creator; executive producer 2001–2002 ''Tracey Ullman's Visible Panty Lines'' TV series; executive producer 2003 ''Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales'' Executive producer2005 ''Jerry Springer: The Opera'' Executive producer ''Tracey Ullman: Live and Exposed'' Executive producer 2007–2008 ''Mumbai Calling'' TV series; writer; executive producer 2008–2010 ''Tracey Ullman's State of the Union'' TV series; executive producer===Film===YearTitleNotes 1979 ''Porridge'' Producer===Theatre===YearTitleNotes 1991 ''The Big Love''2005 ''Jerry Springer: The Opera'' ''Lennon''
References
External links * * *  Allan McKeown – obituary – The Telegraph*  Allan John McKeown Memorial Tribute