54-486: Fresh Fields is a British sitcom starring Julia McKenzie and Anton Rodgers . A ratings success at the time, it was written by John Chapman and produced by Thames Television for ITV , running for four series between 7 March 1984 and 23 October 1986. The series has had reruns in recent years on Drama and currently, Fresh Fields is airing on That's TV in the UK (December 2023) Hester and William Fields (McKenzie and Rodgers) are
108-652: A Special Tony Award , the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre , and the Isabelle Stevenson Award . The awards were founded by theatre producer and director Brock Pemberton and are named after Antoinette "Tony" Perry , an actress, producer and theatre director who was co-founder and secretary of the American Theatre Wing. The trophy consists of a spinnable medallion, with faces portraying an adaptation of
162-567: A Tony Award , recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre . The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in Manhattan . The ceremony is usually held in June. The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances. One is also given for regional theatre . Several discretionary non-competitive awards are given as well, including
216-505: A 1977 Tony Award nomination for her work in the Broadway revue , Side by Side by Sondheim . A six-time Olivier Award nominee, she has twice won the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical ; for the 1982 revival of Guys and Dolls and the 1993 revival of Stephen Sondheim 's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street . She also starred in the original London productions of
270-951: A Musical . For her role in the 1986 West End production of the Alan Ayckbourn play Woman in Mind , McKenzie won the Evening Standard Award for Best Actress . She went on to appear in the original West End productions of two Stephen Sondheim musicals, playing Sally in Follies at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 1987, and the Witch in Into the Woods at the Phoenix Theatre in 1990. She continued her association with Sondheim when she starred as Mrs Lovett in
324-635: A Scandal (2006). She was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1981 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews outside the Royalty Theatre in London. In 2007, she was reunited with Anton Rodgers (again as a husband and wife team) in the ITV comedy You Can Choose Your Friends . Also in 2007, she co-starred with Michael Gambon and Judi Dench in the BBC One costume drama series Cranford , playing Mrs. Forrester,
378-537: A Tony. The name stuck." Nevertheless, the awards were sometimes referred to as the "Perry Awards" in their early years. The 1st Tony Awards was held on April 6, 1947, at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. The first prizes were "a scroll, cigarette lighter and articles of jewelry such as 14-carat gold compacts and bracelets for the women, and money clips for the men". ATW co-founder Louise Heims Beck
432-428: A View . As a director she has staged Stepping Out , Peter Pan , Hey, Mr. Producer! , Steel Magnolias , Putting It Together and A Little Night Music . Throughout the early mid 2000s she played Ariadne Oliver in radio adaptations of Agatha Christie novels starring John Moffatt as Hercule Poirot ; one such novel was Elephants Can Remember . She also recorded an audio book of Lewis Carroll 's Through
486-464: A bit more significant... By adding height, now someone can grip the Tony, raise it over their head in triumph and not worry about keeping their grip. Believe me, you can tell the difference. For the specific Tony Awards presented to a Broadway production, awards are given to the author and up to two of the producers free of charge. All other members of the above-the-title producing team are eligible to purchase
540-476: A chance to win the important awards of Best Play or Best Musical (or Best Score or Best Book for musicals). On the other hand, some people feel that allowing plays and musicals that have been frequently produced to be eligible as "new" gives them an unfair advantage because they will have benefited from additional development time as well as additional familiarity with the Tony voters. The Tony Awards Administration Committee has twenty-four members: ten designated by
594-474: A devoted middle-aged, middle-class couple living an idyllic suburban lifestyle in Barnes , London. William works as an accountant while Hester is a housewife who works part-time in local restaurant Lucy's Kitchen. The title's meaning, and crux of the show, is that Hester combats empty-nest syndrome by livening up her life with new interests and hobbies, to the exasperation of her hard-working husband who just wants
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#1733093505710648-473: A job there. There were three series of 19 episodes made between 5 September 1989 and 8 October 1991, all written by John T. Chapman and Ian Davidson . Philip Bird appears as Peter in several episodes, with Emma finally seen on-screen, now played by Sally Baxter. Ann Beach makes a guest appearance as Sonia in the final episode. The show's main filming location was the Fields's salubrious Victorian detached home, which
702-505: A lifetime honor to all above-the-title producers, to ones who had been active in the previous 10 years. This action disenfranchised scores of Tony voters, including Gail Berman , Harve Brosten , Dick Button , Tony Lo Bianco , and Raymond Serra ). To be eligible for Tony Award consideration, a production must have officially opened on Broadway by the eligibility date that the Management Committee establishes each year. For example,
756-419: A military widow of slender means, very attached to her cow Bessie. In 2008, she was announced as the replacement for Geraldine McEwan as ITV's Miss Marple . She noted: "It's difficult because Agatha Christie wrote her in two ways ... First, very much what Geraldine McEwan played: a slight, rather Victorian creature. Then, a little sturdier and tweedier. I chose the latter. A lot of people say they don't like
810-496: A number that changes slightly from year to year. The number was decreased in 2009 when the first-night critics were excluded as voters. That decision was changed, and members of the New York Drama Critics' Circle were invited to be Tony voters beginning in the 2010–2011 season. The eligible Tony voters include the board of directors and designated members of the advisory committee of the American Theatre Wing, members of
864-536: A person who has won all four is said to have won the EGOT . The Tony Awards are the U.S. equivalent of the United Kingdom 's Laurence Olivier Awards and France 's Molière Awards . Kimberly Akimbo Previous Best Play Leopoldstadt The Outsiders Best Play Stereophonic As of 2014 , there were 26 categories of awards, in addition to several special awards. Starting with 11 awards in 1947,
918-428: A quiet life. The show's opening credits, featuring silhouettes of the characters, reflect this: Hester rides an exercise bike and plays a drumkit while William relaxes in a rocking chair. The family home has an attached granny flat in which Hester's mother Nancy ( Fanny Rowe ) lives following her divorce from Hester's roguish father Guy ( Ballard Berkeley ); he often tries to win her back. (The pair finally remarry in
972-525: Is actually situated in Teddington on the A313, Hampton Road, a short drive from what was Thames TV's main studio complex, where the indoor scenes were shot. All four series of Fresh Fields have been released on DVD, A 7-disc set (containing both the series and the sequel, French Fields) was released in 2011. An Australian release of both series ( Fresh Fields and French Fields ) has the original pilot episode of
1026-490: Is named after Antoinette Perry , nicknamed Tony, an actress, director, producer and co-founder of the American Theatre Wing, who died in 1946. As her official biography at the Tony Awards website states, "At [ Warner Bros. story editor] Jacob Wilk's suggestion, [Pemberton] proposed an award in her honor for distinguished stage acting and technical achievement. At the initial event in 1947, as he handed out an award, he called it
1080-640: Is not "determined… to be a 'classic' or in the historical or popular repertoire", as determined by the Administration Committee (per Section (2g) of the Rules and Regulations). The rule about "classic" productions was instituted by the Tony Award Administration Committee in 2002, and stated (in summary) "A play or musical that is determined ... to be a 'classic' or in the historical or popular repertoire shall not be eligible for an award in
1134-549: Is selected by the Tony Awards Administration Committee. Nominators serve three-year terms and are asked to see every new Broadway production. The Nominating Committee for the 2012–13 Broadway season (named in June 2012) had 42 members; the Nominating Committee for the 2014–2015 season has 50 members and was appointed in June 2014. There are approximately 868 eligible Tony Award voters (as of 2014),
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#17330935057101188-496: The sound design awards in 2014. In 2014, a petition calling for the return of the Sound Design categories received more than 30,000 signatures. Addressing their previous concerns over Tony voters in the category, it was announced that upon the awards' return for the 2017–2018 season, they would be decided by a subset of voters based on their expertise. Some advocates of gender equality and non-binary people have criticized
1242-687: The 1980s sitcom Fresh Fields opposite Anton Rodgers , and its 1990s sequel French Fields , for which she was voted TV Times Favourite Female Comedy Performance for five consecutive years. The role also earned her a 1985 BAFTA nomination for Best Entertainment Performance . She appeared as Mrs Forthby in Blott on the Landscape and as a villager involved in a series of murders in an episode of Midsomer Murders . Film credits include Hotel du Lac (1986), Shirley Valentine (1989), Bright Young Things (2003), These Foolish Things (2006) and Notes on
1296-531: The 1993 London revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street . The role won her a second Olivier Award in 1994. McKenzie appeared in a National Theatre 80th birthday tribute to Lord Olivier , Happy Birthday, Sir Larry , on 31 May 1987 in the presence of Olivier himself. McKenzie's early television credits include the sitcom Maggie and Her (1978–1979), alongside Irene Handl and That Beryl Marston...! (1981), with Gareth Hunt . She went on to greater popularity with British viewers as Hester in
1350-542: The American Theatre Wing, ten by The Broadway League, and one each by the Dramatists Guild, Actors' Equity Association, United Scenic Artists and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. This committee, among other duties, determines eligibility for nominations in all awards categories. The Tony Awards Nominating Committee makes the nominations for the various categories. This rotating group of theatre professionals
1404-559: The BBC and directed by Danny Boyle as part of the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Summer Olympics , doubling for Queen Elizabeth II in the scene where Her Majesty boards a helicopter alongside Daniel Craig as James Bond as her escort to the Olympic Stadium. In 1971 McKenzie married American actor-director Jerry Harte. He died in 2018. McKenzie was appointed a Commander of the Order of
1458-595: The Best Play or Best Musical Category but may be eligible in that appropriate Best Revival category." Shows transferred from Off-Broadway or the West End are eligible as "new", as are productions based closely on films. This rule has been the subject of some controversy, as some shows, such as Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Violet , have been ruled ineligible for the "new" category, meaning that their authors did not have
1512-590: The British Empire (CBE) in the 2018 New Year Honours for services to drama. She is a critic of fox hunting and was among more than 20 high-profile people who signed a letter to members of parliament in 2015 to oppose Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron 's plan to amend the Hunting Act 2004 . Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre , more commonly known as
1566-480: The Broadway theatre community..." The producers "accept the situation ... because just as much as actually winning a Tony, a performance that lands well with the viewing public can translate into big box-office sales." Producer Robyn Goodman noted that, if the presentation at the ceremony shows well and the show wins a Tony, "you're going to spike at the box office". The awards met further criticism when they eliminated
1620-667: The Looking Glass . McKenzie also lent her voice to several animated works for Martin Gates Productions including three films The Snow Queen , Jack and the Beanstalk and The Snow Queen's Revenge and the TV series Bimble's Buckett. In 2018, Julia McKenzie was cast as The Twelve in a Big Finish production The Eighth Doctor – Time War 2 And 4 . In 2012 she appeared in the short film Happy and Glorious , produced by Lisa Osborne for
1674-678: The Sondheim musicals Follies (1987) and Into the Woods (1990). Her film appearances include Bright Young Things (2003) and Notes on a Scandal (2006). McKenzie was born on 17 February 1941, in Enfield , Middlesex , England, the daughter of Kathleen Rowe and Albion McKenzie. She attended Woodside High School. She trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama . McKenzie's early West End musical credits include Maggie May (1966), Mame (1969), and Company (1971). She appeared in
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1728-527: The Tony Awards to be the Oscars of live theatre, critics have suggested that the Tony Awards are primarily a promotional vehicle for a small number of large production companies and theatre owners in New York City . In a 2014 Playbill article, Robert Simonson wrote that "Who gets to perform on the Tony Awards broadcast, what they get to perform, and for how long, have long been politically charged questions in
1782-459: The Tony show sold almost all its advertising slots shortly after CBS announced it would present the three hours. 'It draws upscale premium viewers who are attractive to upscale premium advertisers,' Mr. Sussman said..." The viewership has declined from the early years of its broadcast history (for example, the number of viewers in 1974 was 20 million; in 1999, 9.2 million) but has settled into between six and eight million viewers for most of
1836-455: The West End revue Side by Side by Sondheim in 1976, and made her Broadway debut when the show transferred to New York in 1977, receiving a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical . She also received a Drama Desk Award nomination. For her role as Miss Adelaide in the 1982 West End revival of Guys and Dolls , she won the first of two Olivier Awards for Best Actress in
1890-528: The awards. Audience size for the telecast is generally well below that of the Academy Awards shows, but the program reaches an affluent audience, which is prized by advertisers. According to a June 2003 article in The New York Times : "What the Tony broadcast does have, say CBS officials, is an all-important demographic: rich and smart. Jack Sussman, CBS's senior vice president in charge of specials, said
1944-645: The comedy and tragedy masks, mounted on a black base with a pewter swivel. The rules for the Tony Awards are set forth in the official document "Rules and Regulations of The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards", which applies for that season only. The Tony Awards are the New York theatre industry's equivalent to the Emmy Awards for television, the Grammy Awards for music, and the Academy Awards (Oscars) for film, and
1998-496: The cut-off date for eligibility the 2013–2014 season was April 24, 2014. The season for Tony Award eligibility is defined in the Rules and Regulations. In 2020, the 74th Annual Tony Awards were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On August 21, 2020, it was announced that the 74th Annual Tony Awards would take place digitally later in 2020. A Broadway theatre is defined as having 500 or more seats, among other requirements. While
2052-422: The decade of the 2000s. In contrast, the 2009 Oscar telecast had 36.3 million viewers. The Tony Award medallion was designed by art director Herman Rosse and is a mix of mostly brass and a little bronze , with a nickel plating on the outside; a black acrylic glass base, and the nickel-plated pewter swivel. The face of the medallion portrays an adaptation of the comedy and tragedy masks. Originally,
2106-620: The governing boards of Actors' Equity Association, the Dramatists Guild, the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, United Scenic Artists, and the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers, members of the Theatrical Council of the Casting Society of America and voting members of The Broadway League (in 2000, what was then The League of American Theaters and Producers changed membership eligibility and Tony voting status from
2160-624: The last episode.) Hester and William have two children of their own: the never-seen Tom who lives in New Zealand; and Emma, who is usually only heard (voice of Debby Cummings) telephoning her parents at inconvenient times. Emma's husband Peter ( Philip Bird ) appears occasionally; Emma and Peter later present the Fields with their first grandchild Guy, named after his great-grandfather . The Fields's neighbour Sonia Barrett (played by Ann Beach ) pops round in every episode to borrow items; these appearances would irritate William to comical effect. Sonia had
2214-411: The names and number of categories have changed over the years. Some examples: the category Best Book of a Musical was originally called "Best Author (Musical)." The category of Best Costume Design was one of the original awards. For two years, in 1960 and 1961, this category was split into Best Costume Designer (Dramatic) and Best Costume Designer (Musical). It then went to a single category, but in 2005 it
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2268-427: The physical award. Sums collected are designed to help defray the cost of the Tony Awards ceremony itself. An award cost $ 400 as of at least 2000, $ 750 as of at least 2009, and, as of 2013, had been $ 2,500 "for several years", according to Tony Award Productions. Source: Tony Awards Official Site, Rules For the purposes of the award, a new play or musical is one that has not previously been produced on Broadway and
2322-562: The reverse side had a relief profile of Antoinette Perry; this later was changed to contain the winner's name, award category, production and year. The medallion has been mounted on a black base since 1967. A larger base was introduced and first presented in the 2010 award ceremony. That base is slightly taller – 5 inches (13 cm), up from 3 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (8.3 cm) – and heavier – 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 pounds (1.6 kg), up from 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 pounds (680 grams). This change
2376-414: The rules define a Broadway theatre in terms of its size, not its geographical location, the list of Broadway theatres is determined solely by the Tony Awards Administration Committee. As of the 2016–2017 season, the list consisted solely of 41 theaters: 40 located in the vicinity of Times Square in New York City and Lincoln Center 's Vivian Beaumont Theater . While the theatre-going public may consider
2430-611: The separation of male and female acting categories in the Tony Awards, Academy Awards, and Emmy Awards. Though some commentators worry that gender discrimination would cause men to dominate unsegregated categories, other categories are unsegregated. The Grammy Awards went gender-neutral in 2012, while the Daytime Emmy Awards introduced a single Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series category in 2019 to replace their two gender-specific younger actor and actress categories. In 2023, J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell became
2484-651: The series as an extra, along with a variety special. Julia McKenzie Julia Kathleen Nancy McKenzie CBE (born 17 February 1941) is an English actress, singer, presenter, and theatre director. She has premièred leading roles written by both Alan Ayckbourn and Stephen Sondheim . On television, she is known for her BAFTA Award nominated role as Hester Fields in the sitcom Fresh Fields (1984–1986) and its sequel French Fields (1989–1991), and as Miss Marple in Agatha Christie's Marple (2009–2013). McKenzie has also starred in numerous musicals, receiving
2538-424: The show's only catchphrase : "It's only Sonia!" which she carols as she raps at the Fields's back door and then lets herself in. Sonia's husband John (John Arthur) appears occasionally, as does William's secretary Miss Marigold Denham ( Daphne Oxenford ). Fresh Fields ended in 1986 but three years later the series resumed as French Fields , which saw William and Hester relocating to France after William accepted
2592-526: The show, which aired in 2010, included The Pale Horse , The Secret of Chimneys , The Blue Geranium , and The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side . A sixth series, including adaptations of A Caribbean Mystery , Greenshaw's Folly and Endless Night , began filming in September 2012 and was broadcast in 2013. During 2012, she also played the role of Betty Nicholas in the ITV television series The Town . On 26 December 2013, McKenzie appeared as
2646-586: The title character in the film adaption of David Walliams ' book Gangsta Granny . In February 2015, McKenzie appeared as Shirley Mollison in the BBC mini series The Casual Vacancy . She played the mother of one of the main protagonists in the 2019 TV series, Gold Digger . She joined an ensemble cast in the film Allelujah , released in March 2023. She is a radio performer with a long list of credits, including Blithe Spirit , The Country Wife and A Room with
2700-408: The tweedier version. But they're both genuine." Also, she said: "Just about everybody in the world knows about Miss Marple and has an opinion of what she should be like, so I’m under no illusions about the size of the task ahead." McKenzie's first series of Marple comprised A Pocket Full of Rye , Murder Is Easy , They Do It with Mirrors and Why Didn't They Ask Evans? . The second series of
2754-512: Was divided again. For the category of Best Director of a Play, a single category was for directors of plays and musicals prior to 1960. A newly established non-competitive award, The Isabelle Stevenson Award , was given for the first time at the awards ceremony in 2009. The award is for an individual who has made a "substantial contribution of volunteered time and effort on behalf of one or more humanitarian, social service or charitable organizations." The category of Best Special Theatrical Event
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#17330935057102808-570: Was implemented to make the award "feel more substantial" and easier to handle at the moment the award is presented to the winners, according to Howard Sherman, the executive director of the American Theatre Wing: We know the physical scale of the Oscars , Emmys and Grammys . While we're not attempting to keep up with the Joneses , we felt this is a significant award, and it could feel and look
2862-478: Was responsible for over seeing the organization of the first awards. It was not until the third awards ceremony in 1949 that the first Tony medallion was given to award winners. Since 1967, the award ceremony has been broadcast on U.S. national television and includes songs from the nominated musicals, and occasionally has included video clips of, or presentations about, nominated plays. The American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League jointly present and administer
2916-492: Was retired as of the 2009–2010 season. The categories of Best Sound Design of a Play and Best Sound Design of a Musical were retired as of the 2014–2015 season. On April 24, 2017, the Tony Awards administration committee announced that the Sound Design Award would be reintroduced for the 2017–2018 season. The award was founded in 1947 by a committee of the American Theatre Wing (ATW) headed by Brock Pemberton. The award
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