Lew Grade

The Right Honourable The Lord Grade OStJ KC*SS
1997 artistic portrait by the Earl of Snowdon.
Born	Lovat or Lev Winogradsky (1906-12-25)25 December 1906 Tokmak, Ukraine, Russian Empire
Died	13 December 1998(1998-12-13) (aged 91) London
Cause of death	Heart failure
Resting place	Liberal Jewish Cemetery, Willesden, London, England
Nationality	Russian (1906–12) British (1912–98)
Other names	Louis Grad (as professional dancer) "The Dancer with the Humorous Feet"
Education	Rochelle Street Elementary School
Occupation	Media proprietor Impresario Talent agent
Years active	1926 to mid-1990s
Organization	Independent Television Company (ITC) Associated Television (ATV)
Home town	Bethnal Green, London, England, UK
Television	The Muppet Show (1976–80) Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
Board member of	Grade Organisation Embassy Communications International (Chairman, CEO; 1982–85) Associated Communications Corporation (Chairman, CEO; 1973–82) ITC Entertainment Chairman, Managing Director; 1958–82) Royal Shakespeare Theatre (Governor)
Spouse(s)	Kathleen Sheila Moody (m. 1942)
Children	Paul Nicholas Grade (1952–2012)
Parent(s)	Isaak Winogradsky Olga Eisenstadt
Relatives	Bernard Delfont (brother) Leslie Grade(brother) Rita Grade Freeman (sister) Michael Grade (nephew)
Awards	Knight Commander with Star, Order of St. Sylvester Officer, Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem Fellow, British Academy of Film and Television Arts (1979) Life peerage (1976) Knight Bachelor (1969)
Military career
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Artillery
Battles/wars	World War II
Notes

Lew Grade, Baron Grade, OStJ, KC*SS (25 December 1906 – 13 December 1998), born Louis Winogradsky, was a Ukrainian-born British media proprietor and impresario.

Originally a dancer, and later a talent agent, Grade's interest in television production began in 1954 when, in partnership, he successfully bid for franchises in the newly created ITV network, which led to the creation of Associated Television (ATV). Having worked for a time in the United States, he was aware of the potential for the sale of television programming to American networks, and a subsidiary, the Incorporated Television Company (ITC; commonly known as ITC Entertainment) was formed with this specific objective in mind. Grade had some success in this field, and a number of these television series, such as Gerry Anderson's various Supermarionation series such as Thunderbirds, Patrick McGoohan's The Prisoner, and Jim Henson's The Muppet Show still have an international following. Later, Grade invested in film production. However, several expensive box office failures caused him to lose control of ITC, and ultimately resulted in the disestablishment of ATV after it lost its ITV franchise.

Grade was born in Tokmak, Taurida Governorate, Russian Empire to Isaak and Olga Winogradsky. In 1912, when Grade was six, the Jewish family emigrated to escape Cossack violence and anti-Semitism, from Odessa via Berlin to Brick Lane in Bethnal Green in the East End of London.

...
Wikipedia