Sheridan Morley

Biography

Sheridan Morley (5 December 1941, Ascot, Berkshire − 16 February 2007, London) was an English author, biographer, critic and broadcaster. His best-known work was the biography of Noël Coward, A Talent to Amuse, first published in 1969. Sheridan Morley worked as a late-night newscaster for ITN from 1965, before moving to the BBC to present Late Night Line-Up for BBC 2 from 1967 to 1971, alongside Joan Bakewell and Tony Bilbow. He also presented Film Night for BBC 2 in 1971 and 1972. He presented Kaleidoscope for BBC Radio 4, and an innovatory arts programme for BBC Radio 2 from 1990 to 2004. He had begun The Radio Two Arts Programme in April 1990. He then moved to a new programme format of Melodies For You in 2004, again on BBC Radio 2. He broadcast his last Melodies programme in November 2006 three months before his death in February 2007. He also made frequent appearances as the guest in the Dictionary Corner for the Channel 4 game show Countdown. Morley wrote many biographies including Oscar Wilde (1976), Katharine Hepburn (1984), Elizabeth Taylor (1988), Gene Kelly (1996) and Marilyn Monroe (1998).