Will Daws, 57, joint MD of Plum Pictures, has died suddenly this week.
Will Daws, not long after graduating university, picked up a camera on his own dime, took off to a war zone in Liberia and then sold the footage to Channel 4. That was his start in television… He then went to work in current affairs at the BBC where he created a body of unique, genre-smashing content, which included Holidays in the Axis of Evil, Places That Don’t Exist, A Dirty Weekend In Hospital, and The Zimmers. In his early career, Will was both a stand-up comedian and an undercover war cameraman, which combined, sums up the facets of his creative personality.
Will’s eclectic career saw him hit the catwalk at British Fashion Week with James May, be detained working undercover in Kenya, and succeeding in getting a choir of OAPs into the charts.
Will forged long lasting relationships across the years, with many people across the industry, including George Clarke, James May, Simon Reeve, Stefan Gates, Peter Snow, Hannah Fry, Johnny Vegas and to his own great excitement – Ronnie Corbett. Anyone who ever worked with Will always wanted to come back – he was unique and the rarest of people – genuinely brilliant, hugely kind and naturally hilarious.
James May said: “Will Daws was more like the leader of a big, happy gang than someone who fitted the cliched mould of a television executive (a title he loathed anyway). He worked under a simple mantra that said television should be enjoyable to make, otherwise it wouldn’t be enjoyable to watch.
“We discussed this when we met, 18 years ago, and as a result, almost everything I’ve done outside of car programming has been made with Will and Plum Pictures. He was an unrelenting geyser of ideas equally sparkling and idiotic, a motivator, a notorious charmer of commissioners, and a terrible driver.
“He quickly became a great friend, which is more important than any of this stuff. I shall miss him terribly; his positive outlook, his designer cardigan, and his awful ‘Jewish’ jokes, which were really just recycled standard 1970’s jokes in which a Jewish bloke replaced the Scotsman or Welshman walking into a pub.
“I loved this man as did everyone around him. I am profoundly happy to have known him.”
George Clarke said: “I always called him Lord Daws ….and for good reason. He built the most beautiful ocean liner called HMS PLUM. The ultimate amazing space. We all travelled with him aboard his wonderful ship visiting some of the most magical places on earth. Whatever storms we faced on those journeys, Lord Daws always protected us, managing to navigate us to calmer, safer waters. We always laughed with him. We were always in awe of him. We always loved him.
“This week Will dropped us all off, safely at port.
“Always the pioneer, he decided to carry on alone to discover even more beautiful, unimagined spaces.
“And…Always thinking of others, we can all take comfort now, knowing that Lord Daws is making sure the passage ahead is safe, calm and unbelievably beautiful for us. And one day we can all join him on Lord Daws Island to laugh and smile once again. We’ll see you there Sir.”
Will Daws met Stuart Cabb at the BBC, and they left to set up Plum Pictures in 2007, under the Hat-Trick umbrella. Victoria Moss joined the Plum family soon after, and the trio created a hugely successful business. The whole Plum and Hat-Trick team are utterly heartbroken.
Stuart Cabb, Co-Managing Director, Plum Pictures said: “Will was like a brother to me. I’m still in denial that this has happened. He was a wonderful friend and extraordinary business partner. Life will be so much less fun without him.”
Jimmy Mulville, Managing Director, Hat Trick Productions said: “Will was not only a great producer brimming with ideas, he also possessed a wonderful sense of mischief and adventure. He led his Plum Pictures alongside Stuart Cabb with great charm, wit and kindness. We are going to miss him.”
Simon Chinn, co founder of Lightbox, said: “Will was the most luminous, the funniest, most positive and brilliantly imaginative person I had the privilege of knowing and calling my friend. He lit up every room he entered and was loved by everyone. His sudden loss is almost impossible to fathom and leaves a massive void. My heart goes out above all to his wife, Shula, and his lovely kids, Ethan and Noa.”
At Plum Pictures, Will created a raft of international formats including George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces – now in its 13th year – James May’s Toy Stories, James May….Our Man In, and Trainspotting Live. Will set up Plum Pictures in Bristol in 2019, and was a huge creator of property content for Channel 4 for many years.
Ian Katz, Chief Content Officer, Channel 4, said: ‘Will was a much-loved force of nature in the British TV world. After an eclectic early career, he built Plum Pictures into a factual powerhouse, delivering a string of Channel 4 hits, many fronted by his great friend George Clarke. He’ll be remembered as much for his decency and warmth, as his creativity and infectious energy. He was one of the good guys.’
Clemency Green, Senior Commissioning Editor, Channel 4, said: “Will was a special combination of a kind, generous soul and a joyfully creative mind. His gift for finding the heart of a story came from who he was – an unfailingly kind and deeply decent person. Will was a remarkable programme maker, able to elevate ideas with his wit and insight and turn them into shows that people loved to watch. He will be hugely missed by so many people. The mark he leaves on our industry, and on all of us who were lucky enough to work with him, will endure for years to come.”
Will described himself as “10 percent man, 90 percent anecdote.” His love and enthusiasm for television, and those who created it, was unparalleled. He was rarely pragmatic in his approach to creating shows, and that total lack of conformity meant the shows he made were unique, brilliant and brimming with his trademark effervescence.
He leaves behind wife Shula, son Ethan, daughter Noa, mum Dilys and brothers Sam and Joe, together with an entire Plum Pictures family.
Jon Creamer
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