Generations of TV fans are mourning the passing of Tim Brooke-Hunt, the former head of children’s programming at ABC Australia.
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The veteran producer passed away peacefully on Monday, September 23, at the age of 76, surrounded by family and friends after a prolonged illness, per The Sydney Morning Herald and ABC.
Born in the UK, Brooke-Hunt emerged as one of Australia’s foremost producers of children’s television content. With a career spanning four decades in children’s entertainment, he was instrumental in creating some of Australia’s most cherished programs for young audiences.
After earning his MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and working as a chartered accountant in London. However, he relocated to Australia in the 1970s to embark on his career in television.
He held senior leadership positions at Australian production companies Beyond International and Yoram Gross Film Studios and co-founded Sticky Pictures in 2002. In 2007, he joined the ABC as the Executive Head of Children’s Content, and just three years later, he advanced to the role of Controller of Children’s Content for the network.
Tim Brooke-Hunt Colleagues Praise His ‘Patience’ and ‘Kindness’
While at ABC, Brooke-Hunt spearheaded the launch of ABC3 and the relaunch of ABC4Kids on ABC2. According to ABC, he also oversaw the network’s educational programs and online content for children.
Among the ABC shows he commissioned were the historical drama My Place, the coming-of-age series Dance Academy, and the preschool program Giggle & Hoot.
Brooke-Hunt parted ways with ABC in 2013.
Richard Finlayson, the director of ABC Television, acknowledged the prolific producer’s departure from the network at that time.
“There is no doubt that the dominance of ABC TV in the children’s area has been one of the great success stories for the ABC, and this has been achieved under Tim’s leadership. We wish him well in his future endeavors,” Finlayson told The Guardian then.
After leaving ABC, Brooke-Hunt became the board president of Flying Bark Productions, known for creating Blinky Bill: The Movie in 2015. Additionally, he was a founding director of the Kidscreen Asian Animation Summit event.
Michael Carrington, a former colleague, fondly remembered Brooke-Hunt on LinkedIn.
“[He was ]more than a brilliant industry colleague—he was a friend, and we shared an incredible journey through children’s TV together,” Carrington wrote. “His influence didn’t stop at Australia’s borders—Tim played a key role in international collaborations through his work as a founding director of the Asian Animation Summit, where he mentored countless producers, always with patience, kindness and an unrelenting belief in creative potential.”