Obituary: Paul Watson, film-maker

Fly-on-the-wall observational television shows are two a penny these days, but when British documentary maker Paul Watson released his ground-breaking series The Family in 1974, it broke new ground in the art of bringing ordinary lives to life on people’s screens. While not totally original — it was based on a similar United States series — the amount of reality Watson packed into his reality TV took people aback and unexpectedly provoked controversy. Watson, a Londoner who learned his trade working with Alan Whicker, continued in the same genre for the rest of his career and produced many memorable films, perhaps most notably 1999’s Malcolm and Barbara: A Love Story, an unflinching study of dementia. Watson was given a special achievement Bafta award in 2008. He died on November 18, aged 81. — Agencies