Alan Coleman wins inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award

The legendary television producer, director and writer Alan Coleman has been named as the winner of the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award at the Aussie Soap Awards 2008. The Aussie Soap Awards are held each year by online radio station The Soap Show to recognise excellence in this unique art form.

“I am absolutely thrilled to receive this award,” said Coleman, “and to be recognised in this way for doing a job that I love.”

“Alan has pioneered the unique art form that is five nights a week fast turn around drama,” added his agent Darren Gray of Darren Gray Management, “He has launched the careers of hundreds of actors and behind the scenes crew members and his productions have been enjoyed by millions of viewers around the world. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this award than Alan and I am truly delighted to see his enormous contribution to the entertainment industry recognised in this way.”

Alan Coleman was born in Birmingham, England. He trained as an actor with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre before training as a cameraman with ATV in the Midlands during the early 1960s. Alan rose quickly through the ranks and directed the first eight years of Crossroads which was the UKs first five nights a week soap – the series was broadcast live to air. He was then appointed as Head of Children’s Drama at ATV and produced the classic children’s series Escape into Night, The Jensen Code and Kids From 47A.

In 1974 Alan was headhunted by Reg Grundy and flown out to Australia to help set-up and run the Grundy Organization’s Drama Department. Alan was the driving force behind the medical soap The Young Doctors – he produced, directed and wrote the series – and it would go on to become the longest running drama series in Australian television history as well as the first Aussie soap to sell internationally. The Young Doctors became a massive ratings winner in the UK and Alan can be heard giving an audio commentary on the new Young Doctors- Classic Cliffhangers DVD which has been released by Umbrella Entertainment.

Alan has written, produced and directed a wide array of hit soaps including Class of 74 which was Australia’s first teen soap, Class of 75, Glenview High, Prisoner: Cell Block H, Punishment (the male version of Prisoner), Home & Away, Echo Point, Breakers, Going Home and returned to the UK in the 1990s to direct the soap Family Affairs for Channel 5.

He produced the acclaimed mini-series Case For The Defence and has directed a range of other television hits including Secret Valley, The Adventures of the Bush Patrol, Above The Law and TwentyFourSeven.

As an Executive Producer he has worked on Neighbours and established Shortland Street which was New Zealand’s first ever five nights a week soap. In Germany he Executive Produced the hit serial Unter Uns and was also responsible for setting up the soap Goede Tijden – Slechte Tijden in the Netherlands.

After nearly 50 years in the television industry Alan continues to produce and direct in the industry he loves and also runs special workshops for people of all ages teaching them the unique skills and disciplines required to work for the film and television camera. He lives in Sydney, Australia.