Roger Graef Passes Away at 85

The acclaimed documentary TV maker Roger Graef has passed away, Channel 4 announced on behalf of his family.

Graef enjoyed a successful career as a theater director and a documentary filmmaker, first in the U.S. and then the U.K. His work touched on subjects ranging from public health, politics, crime and religion to programs about both public and private institutions.

His first U.K. documentary, One of Them is Brett, demonstrated that the physical challenges of children with Thalidomide did not preclude them from being mentally active. He was the first producer to make documentaries about the workings of the U.K. government in State of the Nation: A Law in the Making. This was followed by documentaries on the European Union as well as private companies including Occidental Petroleum and British Steel. His observational documentary Police, about the Thames Valley Police, led to changes in the handling of rape cases. As a criminologist, he made more than 30 films on the police and the justice system—from race and policing to youth offending and domestic violence.

Graef also directed a number of TV specials, including the first three Amnesty International Comedy Galas between 1976 and 1979, and he co-produced the first Comic Relief with Richard Curtis in 1985.

Graef was a founding board member of Channel 4 between 1982 and 1986 and was also on the board of trustees of the Media Standards Trust.

Alex Mahon, chief executive at Channel 4, said: “Roger Graef was one of the founding Channel 4 Board members. Starting in theater, he became one of broadcasting’s most original and influential documentary filmmakers and remained an advocate and critical friend of Channel 4. He believed in its remit that, in his own words, was ‘committed to creativity and risk-taking in cinema, drama, comedy, documentaries and current affairs. Beyond his contribution to Channel 4, his extensive legacy of documentaries has helped to inform and change people’s views on some of the most challenging aspects of British society and its private and public institutions. Roger was a delight to chat to, to be pushed and provoked by, and his love for television and culture shone through in every conversation. He once said that he wanted his epitaph to be that he made a difference. Without doubt, Roger did exactly that.”

Mark Browning, CEO of Zinc Media Group, said: “The news of the passing of Roger Graef is extremely sad for the Zinc family. Roger was widely celebrated as a powerful and influential voice in documentary-making and journalism, and we feel proud to have been part of his story.

“Roger set up Films of Record in 1979 and it became part of Zinc Media Group (then Ten Alps) in 2008.  Roger stayed with the Group until 2016. He was a trailblazer in program-making and used documentary to open people’s eyes to issues in society and the changing world around them.  He made observational documentaries on a wide range of subjects including social issues, criminal justice and business, current affairs and science.  His pioneering work helped establish documentaries as an authoritative force for positive change in our world,  and this became part of the DNA of Films of Record.  The contribution which Roger made to the genre cannot be underestimated.  His contribution to the industry will be sorely missed, but he leaves behind an industry which is all the better for him having been part of it.”