The television industry is mourning the loss of Joe Rigby, a beloved Granada Television executive who helped shape the careers of numerous prominent producers and directors. He has died at the age of 87.
From Birmingham to Broadcasting
Joe Rigby was a working-class Catholic boy from Erdington, north of Birmingham. Born to Theresa and Charles Rigby, he grew up with two sisters and two brothers. His brother, Terence Rigby, would later find fame as a successful actor.
The family's life was upended during the Second World War when they were evacuated to Upton-upon-Severn in Worcestershire. Upon returning to Birmingham, Joe's youth revolved around his local church, Erdington Abbey, its adjoining school, and the youth club he helped run.
His path into media began with national service in the army, where he worked for Forces Radio in Cologne, Germany. This experience ignited a passion that led directly to his first television role as a transmission controller at Tyne-Tees TV in Newcastle.
A Defining Era at Granada Television
In 1964, Joe Rigby joined the iconic Granada Television in Manchester, starting as a transmission controller. Over a distinguished thirty-year career, he climbed the ranks to become head of presentation and then, from 1973 for two decades, head of programme planning.
In this pivotal role, he was responsible for hiring, inspiring, and nurturing the team of scriptwriters who created the channel's on-air promotions. His eye for talent was exceptional. Many of his protégés, including Andy Harries, David Liddiment, and Dearbhla Walsh, went on to achieve great success as television producers and directors.
One of his most notable early hires was a young man named Jim Grant, who the world now knows as bestselling author Lee Child. Child recalls that Joe was known as the 'Fifth Beatle' because of his fashionable haircut.
Joe thrived during the era of the regional ITV franchises. He loved championing Granada's identity as a defiantly northern company, proudly taking on the London-centric 'big boys' of Thames and London Weekend Television.
Ambassador and Advocate
As head of planning, a significant part of Joe's job was to lobby for Granada's programmes to be given greater prominence on the national ITV schedule. He also served as an ambassador for the company internationally, rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous at television festivals in glamorous locations like Cannes and Monte Carlo.
His time at Granada came to an end in 1994 when the company underwent a significant change in direction. Like many of his colleagues, he was saddened by what he perceived as a new prioritisation of profits over quality programming.
Life After Granada
Following his retirement from television, Joe enjoyed a decade living in Spain before returning to the UK. He settled first in Somerset and finally in Dorchester, Dorset. There, his rich voice became a valued part of the choir at Holy Trinity RC church.
Joe Rigby is survived by his wife, Josie (née Carrick), whom he married in 1965, his three children, Alison, Kate, and the author of the original obituary, four grandchildren, his brother Patrick, and sister Catherine. His brother Terence and another sister, Caroline, predeceased him.
