David Frost Biography Quotes 8 Report mistakes

Attr: Attr.: Robert D. Ward

8 Quotes
Occup.	Journalist
From	England
Born	April 7, 1939
Died	August 31, 2013
Aged	74 years

Early Life and Education
David Paradine Frost was born in 1939 in Kent, England, the son of a Methodist minister and a mother active in church life. The household valued public service and clear, careful speech, influences that would resonate in his later on-air style. After grammar school, he went to the University of Cambridge, where he immersed himself in student journalism and satire. He became a leading figure in the Footlights, the university comedy club that nurtured many of Britain's future writers and performers. At Cambridge he honed a blend of wit, curiosity, and stagecraft that would define his presence on television.

Breakthrough in Satire
Frost's breakthrough came in the early 1960s with the BBC's That Was the Week That Was, produced by Ned Sherrin. The program mixed satire, music, and current affairs, and Frost's poise as its youthful host made him instantly recognizable. The show aimed sharp humor at authority, capturing the spirit of a changing decade. He followed with The Frost Report, a sketch-and-commentary series whose writers and performers included John Cleese, Ronnie Barker, and Ronnie Corbett. The series welded humor to social observation and proved to be a launchpad for a generation of British comedy, while establishing Frost as a ringmaster who could both provoke and listen.

Interviews and Current Affairs
Alongside satire, Frost moved decisively into hard-edged interviewing. On programs that bore his name, he pressed politicians and business leaders with a courteous but persistent approach. He was associated with London Weekend Television as commercial broadcasting expanded, working with ambitious young producers such as John Birt. Frost saw television not only as entertainment but as a forum for accountability, and he pursued exclusives that resonated far beyond a single broadcast. He developed a knack for asking direct questions without grandstanding, maintaining civility while refusing to let evasions stand.

Transatlantic Career and Entrepreneurship
By the late 1960s and early 1970s, Frost had built a transatlantic profile. In the United States he hosted The David Frost Show, interviewing cultural figures and policymakers in a relaxed, conversational style that drew out revealing moments. Back in Britain he helped form the consortium behind London Weekend Television and later became a key figure in launching TV-am, the UK's pioneering breakfast television service. In those ventures he worked alongside familiar faces such as Michael Parkinson, Anna Ford, Angela Rippon, and Robert Kee, blending editorial judgment with a keen sense of broadcasting as a business. His ability to reinvent formats and identify presenters showed an entrepreneurial side that complemented his on-air role.

The Nixon Interviews
Frost's most famous achievement arrived in 1977 with his extended interviews with former U.S. President Richard Nixon. Undertaken after Nixon's resignation, the project was financed outside traditional networks and produced by Frost's own company, demanding both editorial courage and commercial risk. With a research team that included James Reston Jr. and Bob Zelnick, Frost prepared obsessively. On camera he combined meticulous briefing with a deceptively gentle manner, allowing pauses to do as much work as pointed follow-ups. The conversations culminated in Nixon's acknowledgment of wrongdoing during Watergate and an expression of contrition to the American people. The interviews became a landmark in television journalism, demonstrating how a sustained, carefully framed dialogue could yield accountability from a figure otherwise beyond the reach of formal inquiry.

Formats, Return to Mornings, and Global Reach
In later decades Frost continued to innovate. He co-created and hosted Through the Keyhole, a light-hearted format that examined the homes of well-known people as a clue-filled parlor game for a studio panel, with Loyd Grossman's distinctive voiceover a memorable feature. He returned to politics and public affairs with Breakfast with Frost, a Sunday morning staple that helped set the agenda of the British weekend, drawing in prime ministers and opposition leaders alike. In the 2000s he joined Al Jazeera English, first with Frost Over the World and later The Frost Interview, welcoming global figures to long-form conversations. The move underscored his belief that serious interview television could cross borders and still find a wide audience.

Style and Method
Colleagues often described Frost's style as friendly but unyielding. He prepared voluminously, sorting facts and counter-arguments into a structure that allowed spontaneity without losing direction. He would begin with courteous small talk, then tighten the focus until he reached what he called the crux. Unlike prosecutorial interviewers who rely on confrontation, he favored space and silence, letting guests feel comfortable enough to reveal more than they intended. Comedians such as John Cleese admired his timing, while fellow interviewers like Michael Parkinson noted his patience and stamina over long sessions. Politicians learned that his charm did not mean leniency; it meant they were expected to answer clearly.

Personal Life and Honours
Frost married Lady Carina Fitzalan-Howard, and together they had three sons, Miles, Wilfred, and George. As his career matured, he balanced public commitments with family life, often citing the support of his wife and children during demanding projects and frequent travel. He received numerous honors for his contributions to broadcasting, including a knighthood, which recognized his impact on both British cultural life and the wider field of international journalism. He also accumulated industry awards and honorary degrees that acknowledged the breadth of his work, from satire and entertainment to the most consequential political interviews of his time.

Final Years and Legacy
Sir David Frost remained an active broadcaster into his seventies, still booking major guests and pursuing long-form conversations in an era increasingly dominated by sound bites. In 2013 he died of a heart attack while aboard the cruise ship Queen Elizabeth, where he had been due to deliver a speech. The news prompted tributes from across the spectrum he had traversed: comedians he had encouraged in their early careers, presenters who regarded him as a mentor, and political leaders who, whether admirer or adversary, recognized his place in democratic discourse. Figures such as John Cleese and Michael Parkinson reflected on his collegiality and curiosity, while statements from senior politicians emphasized how often his interviews had shaped public understanding of key events.

Frost's legacy endures in the formats he pioneered and the standards he set for televised interviewing. He showed that seriousness and accessibility need not be opposites, and that the right questions, asked in the right order, could shift public narratives. From the crackling satire of the 1960s to the globally watched Nixon conversations and his later international broadcasts, he expanded the possibilities of television. For audiences who grew up with his Sunday morning programs, as well as those who encountered his work through archival clips and dramatizations, he remains a model of preparation, poise, and persistence. In the long arc of postwar British and international media, David Frost stands as a singular figure who bridged entertainment and accountability, and who made the art of the interview central to public life.

Our collection contains 8 quotes who is written by David, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Love - Parenting - Success.

Other people realated to David: Tom Lehrer (Musician), Graham Chapman (Comedian), Frank Langella (Actor), Bernard Levin (Journalist), Mary Whitehouse (Activist), Millicent Martin (Actress), Eric Idle (Comedian)

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