Tony Bastable; TV presenter & writer
Hyfler/Rosner
June 2, 2007
Tony Bastable
Television presenter made famous by Magpie who went on to
write, produce and form his own nomadic cricket team
In the early Sixties, while editing a local newspaper, Tony
Bastable spotted an ad for a TV news reporter at Southern
TV. He applied, but didn't get the job. The station did,
however, offer him the job of presenter on its children's
magazine programme. Within 18 months he was working at the
national network station, ATV, first on children's shows and
then on sports magazine programmes.
In 1968 the newly-formed Thames Television asked him to be
one of the three original presenters of the mould-breaking
children's magazine programme Magpie, which ITV saw as a
much needed counter to the BBC's Blue Peter. He presented
the programme for four years before moving on to become the
show's producer. More knowing, more modern and somehow more
grown-up than its BBC counterpart, Magpie was to become so
popular that Bastable was still stopped in the street and
asked "Are you the man from Magpie?" some 30 years later.
His career ranged far wider, however. He wrote and presented
1776, ITV's celebration of the American bicentenary, hosted
the controversial Problems?, a late-night personal
relationship series, and wrote the commentaries for the
award-winning English Gardenhistorical series, presented by
Sir John Gielgud.
Subsequently, he presented Money-Go-Round, the consumer
protection series, which ran for nine years, and was co-host
of Drive-In, and its follow-on Wheels, which together ran
for well over a decade. In Mind Over Matter, which he
devised and presented with Dr Kit Pedler, British television
saw the first scientific investigation of paranormal
phenomena. He had the unusual distinction of being both
editor and presenter of Thames TV's Database through its
four series and performed the same functions for its Channel
4 sister programme For Computer Buffs. In Could Do Better?,
he tackled educational controversies and in People Rule,
local politics.
His expertise lay in an ability to master the facts of a
story very quickly, then to communicate them in a lucid and
enthusiastic way, whether as writer, director or presenter,
and often in a live environment.
This expertise proved particularly fruitful with the
formation of his own production company in the 1980s,
focusing on the market for corporate communications. He
enjoyed long-term relationships with clients such as the
National Bus Company, the Royal Navy, the Department of
Transport and the Institute of Advanced Motorists. But his
biggest client was the Ford Motor Company, for whom he wrote
and directed new vehicle promotional films for many years.
Away from work, his great passion was cricket. In 1972 he
co-founded The Magpies, a nomadic cricket club that
originated from the TV programme, together with assorted
friends. His passion for the game, and his innate sense of
fair play, inspired many like-minded enthusiasts to play for
the club. He, at various times, had taken on the roles of
secretary, captain and president, duties that he carried out
assiduously.
He was always the first to highlight any shortcomings in his
own play, with typical humour. Nothing, however, could
dampen his enthusiasm. His old-fashioned belief that playing
the game was more important than results is enshrined in the
club's constitution.
As his physical ability to play cricket lessened, he took to
administering the sport. He was a qualified umpire, and in
latter years was working closely with the Institute of
Cricket Umpires & Scorers.
He was also a published author, with two books for young
people to his credit, and had written the book and lyrics
for a musical and the libretto for an oratorio.
In his spare time he liked books, old movies and messing
about with his classic Morgan sports car.
He is survived by his wife, Anita, a daughter and two
stepchildren.
Tony Bastable, television presenter, writer and producer,
was born on October 15, 1944. He died of a respiratory
illness on May 29, 2007, aged 62