Skip to content
MovieCove
Sydney Newman

Sydney Newman

Writer · Died October 30, 1997, aged 80 · Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Sydney Cecil Newman, OC (April 1, 1917 – October 30, 1997) was a Canadian film and television producer, who played a pioneering role in British television drama from the late 1950s to the late 1960s. After his return to Canada in 1970, Newman was appointed Acting Director of the Broadcast Programs Branch for the Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC) and then head of the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). He also occupied senior positions at the Canadian Film Development Corporation and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and acted as an advisor to the Secretary of State. During his time in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s, he worked first with the Associated British Corporation (ABC, now Thames Television), before moving across to the BBC in 1962, holding the role of Head of Drama with both organisations. During this phase of his career, he was responsible for initiating two hugely popular television programmes, the spy-fi series The Avengers and the science-fiction series Doctor Who, as well as overseeing the production of groundbreaking social realist drama series such as Armchair Theatre and The Wednesday Play. The Museum of Broadcast Communications describes Newman as "the most significant agent in the development of British television drama." His obituary in The Guardian declared that "For ten brief but glorious years, Sydney Newman ... was the most important impresario in Britain ... His death marks not just the end of an era but the laying to rest of a whole philosophy of popular art." In Quebec, as commissioner of the NFB, he attracted controversy for his decision to suppress distribution of several politically sensitive films by French Canadian directors. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 1, 1917
Died
October 30, 1997 (aged 80)
From
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Works as
Writer
Titles
12 on MovieCove · 85 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 4% in 30 days

What are Sydney Newman's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Short3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 97th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Short movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
36%
Bonds
26%
Survival
14%
Power
13%
Morality
9%
Society
3%
Identity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 6 · Serious 2 · Dark 0

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 1 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 4 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 6 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 3

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 8 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Thrilling
4
Joyful
3
Melancholic
2
Warm
2
Absurd
2
Other
4

How their films linger

Fun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet3
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Sydney Newman's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Sydney Newman's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

85 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Daleks in Colour(2023)

    Original Series Creator

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Doctor Who: Galaxy 4 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show Creator

  • Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Creator

  • Doctor Who: The Night of the Doctor(2013)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Doctor Who: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Creator

  • Meanwhile, in the TARDIS: Part 2(2010)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Verity Lambert: Drama Queen(2008)

    as (Archive Footage)

  • Doctor Who: Time Crash(2007)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Doctor Who(2005)

    Show Creator

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Comic Relief: Doctor Who - The Curse of Fatal Death(1999)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Avengers(1998)

    Creator · Series Writer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Doctor Who: The Movie(1996)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Utilities (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Associate Producer

  • Doctor Who: The Power of the Daleks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Creator

  • Adam Adamant Lives! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show Creator

  • Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.(1966)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Dr. Who and the Daleks(1965)

    Creator · Writer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Tea Party (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Producer

  • The Wednesday Play (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show Creator

  • The Trial of Dr. Fancy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Producer

  • Doctor Who(1963)

    Show Creator

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Festival (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 32 episodes · Producer

  • Afternoon of a Nymph (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Producer

  • The Fishing Match (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Producer

  • The Hard Knock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Producer

  • Out of This World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · Producer

  • Night Conspirators (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Producer

  • Tune On the Old Tax Fiddle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Producer

  • The Rose Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Producer

  • Plateau of Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show Creator

  • The Ship That Couldn't Stop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Producer

  • Danger! Men Working (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Producer

  • Pathfinders to Venus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 8 episodes · Creator · Producer

  • Honeymoon Postponed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Producer

  • The Avengers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show Creator

  • Pathfinders to Mars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 6 episodes · Creator · Producer

  • My Representative (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Producer

  • I'll Have You to Remember (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Producer

  • Pathfinders in Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 7 episodes · Creator · Producer

  • Police Surgeon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show Creator

  • A Night Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Producer

  • Target Luna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 6 episodes · Creator · Producer

  • After the Funeral (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Producer

  • Counter-Attack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 7 episodes · Producer

  • Where I Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Producer

  • Lord Arthur Savile's Crime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Producer

  • Doctor Kabil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Producer

  • The Thought of Tomorrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Producer

  • After the Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Producer

  • The Scent of Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Producer

  • The Bird, the Bear and the Actress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Producer

  • Hot Summer Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Producer

  • I Can Destroy the Sun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Producer

  • Armchair Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show Creator

  • Flight Into Danger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Supervising Producer

  • The Canadian Howdy Doody Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 2 episodes · Producer

  • Space Command (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 13 episodes · Supervising Producer

  • Talent Showcase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Director · Producer

  • Inside Newfoundland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Director · Producer

  • Screaming Jets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Producer

  • Struggle for Oil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Producer

  • Red Runs the Fraser (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Producer

  • Summer Is for Kids (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Producer

  • A Capital Plan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Producer

  • Newfoundland: Atlantic Province (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Director

  • Passport to Canada (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Producer

  • Pay-Off In Pain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Producer

  • Choral Concert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Producer

  • Inside The Atom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Producer

  • It's Fun to Sing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Producer

  • Science in Bloom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Producer

  • Johnny at the Fair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Producer

  • Canada Dances (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Producer

  • Careers and Cradles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Producer

  • Montreal by Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Producer

  • Ski Skill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Producer · Writer

  • The New North (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Producer

  • Suffer Little Children (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Director · Editor · Producer

  • Flight 6 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Director

  • Train Busters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Director

  • Trans-Canada Express (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Producer

  • Fighting Sea-Fleas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

  • Banshees Over Canada (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Producer

  • Fighting Norway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • Penitentiary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

Career shape

A full career of 79 titles, 78 of them dated from 1943 to 2023.

Biggest box office

The Avengers (1998)

$23M worldwide

Highest rated

Doctor Who: The Night of the Doctor (2013)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

The Avengers (1998)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 79: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting8 of 79: 4 only directing, 4 with another roleWriting3 of 79: 1 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing59 of 79: 50 only producing, 9 with another roleEditing2 of 79: 0 only editing, 2 with another roleOther crew18 of 79: 14 only other crew, 4 with another role

79 titles, 9 with more than one role — producing and other crew overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1940s23 · crew1950s15 · crew1960s32 · crew1980s1 · crew1990s1 · crew2000s2 · 1 acting · 1 crew2010s2 · crew2020s2 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it.

How do Sydney Newman's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 60th percentile, the median of the 9 of 10 with a score; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 74th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 11 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 11 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser1
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · writer

The Daleks in Colour (2023)

50th percentile spread · 19% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Doctor Who: The Night of the Doctor (2013)

Midcredits 99th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 57/100 and the plot and story 47/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Sydney Newman work with?

People who share at least 2 of Sydney Newman's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; C.E. Webber shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers