Description
Described by the Sunday Telegraph as ‘the one genius the BBC ever had on its staff’, Charles Chilton MBE joined the Corporation at fifteen as a messenger boy and went on to carve out a 46-year career as a presenter, writer and producer.
Auntie’s Charlie discusses his life from growing up on the streets of 1920s St Pancras, via early years at the BBC working for the Gramophone Library, to writing the infamous production Oh What a Lovely War for Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop.
While with the BBC Charles was sent to the United States to research, write and produce a number of series based on American western history. One of these, Riders of the Range, lasted for five years until 1953. However, major international recognition came with his science fiction trilogy Journey into Space which he wrote and produced between 1953 and 1958.
Here, for the first time, is Charles Chilton’s story in his own words – an autobiography that is frank, vivid, wry and engaging.