Topper Carew
Topper Carew | |
|---|---|
| Born | Colin Anthony Carew[1] July 16, 1943 |
| Education | Yale (B.Arch, M.S.) |
| Occupation(s) | Television producer, screenwriter, television writer, film director |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Spouse | Alyce Sprow (1982-2001, dec.) |
| Children | 2 |
Colin Anthony "Topper" Carew[1] (born July 16, 1943)[1] is an American film director, screenwriter and producer.[2][3][4]
Early life
Carew was born in Boston, Massachusetts,[5] and raised in the Roxbury section of Boston. He attended John D. O'Bryant School of Math & Science.[6] He initially went to college at Howard University, and later transferred to Yale, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Architecture and a master's degree in Environmental Design.[7] He also has a Doctorate in Communications from the Union Graduate School/Institute for Policy Studies.[7]
Career
Carew began his career making documentary films about the relationship between ethnic neighborhoods and the surrounding architecture.[7] In 1966, he founded The New Thing Art and Architecture Center in Boston.[5]
In 1972, he worked at WGBH-TV.[5]
In 1974, he co-founded the non-profit Rainbow Television Workshop in with his late wife, Alyce S. Carew.[5][8]
He was a Community Fellow at MIT,[5] and a Broadcast Fellow at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.[7]
In 2018, he became a faculty fellow at Spelman College's Innovation Lab.[5]
He directed and/or produced several films, including Talkin' Dirty After Dark, D.C. Cab, Breakin’ N’ Enterin’ (1983), and Be Somebody... or Be Somebody's Fool! (1984).[5]
He was the creator and executive producer of the television series Martin.[6][9][10][11][12][13]
Personal
Carew was married to Alyce Sprow Carew,[5] who died from breast cancer in 2001.[8] The couple had two daughters, Cicely and Lena Carew.[8]
Honors and awards
His honors include the "National Media Hero Award," a 2013 MIT Martin Luther King Leadership Award, and more than 40 film and television awards, including four NAACP Image Awards and a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award.[5]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | This Is the Home of Mrs. Levant Graham | Director, Producer | Short documentary |
| 1972 | A Luta Continua | Narrator | Documentary |
| 1983 | Breakin' 'N' Enterin' | Director | Documentary |
| D.C. Cab | Story / Producer | ||
| 1984 | Be Somebody... or Be Somebody's Fool! | Producer | Direct-to-video |
| 1985 | And the Children Shall Lead | Producer | Made-for television |
| 1989 | A Little Bit Strange | Executive producer | Made-for-television |
| 1991 | Talkin' Dirty After Dark | Director / Screenwriter | |
| 2006 | We Don't Die, We Multiply: The Robin Harris Story | Director | Direct-to-video documentary |
Television
| Year | Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Righteous Apples | Producer | 11 episodes |
| 1987 | Bustin' Loose | Executive producer | 27 episodes |
| 1989 | Homeroom | Executive producer | 13 episodes |
| 1992-97 | Martin | Creator / Executive producer | Created 132 episodes / Produced 27 episodes |
| 1998 | The Journey of Allen Strange | Director | 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Cousin Skeeter | Director | Episode "Miracle on 32nd Skeet" |
| 2000-02 | The Jersey | Director | 3 episodes |
| 2001-02 | 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd | Director | 2 episodes |
References
- ^ a b c "Birth date and residence search results for Colin Anthony ("Topper") Carew". FamilySearch.org. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- ^ "BLACK WRITERS AND PRODUCERS ARE WIDENING THEIR FOCUS". The New York Times. 1983-05-29.
- ^ O'Connor, John J. (1992-11-03). "Review/Television; A Macho Image for a Sensitive Soul". The New York Times.
- ^ Ltd, Earl G. Graves (1 April 1980). "Black Enterprise". Earl G. Graves, Ltd. – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Ellis, Dwight (February 8, 2024). Topper Carew: Hollywood Film Director & MIT Media Lab Scientist. Bowie State University.
- ^ a b Lunis, Kwani A. (March 10, 2024). Martin' co-creator, ‘a son of Roxbury,' on education, constructing a life of purpose: Roxbury native Topper Carew shares his journey from the John D. O'Bryant School of Math & Science to Howard University, Yale and M.I.T. led to two successful careers, in Hollywood and in architecture. NBC10 Boston.
- ^ a b c d Colin "Topper" Carew. Former Visiting Scholar. MIT Media Lab. https://www.media.mit.edu/people/tcarew/overview/
- ^ a b c Oliver, Myrna (July 7, 2001). Alyce S. Carew; TV Producer Promoted Diversity. Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Hill, Michael E. (23 August 1992). "'MARTIN' A LONG LEAP FROM LANDOVER TO HOLLYWOOD". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Breaking down the color barrier. Producer Topper Carew uses TV to help shape values". The Christian Science Monitor. 2 February 1988.
- ^ Zauzmer, Julie (2018-03-30). "The ancient ritual". PressReader. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 27, 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
- ^ Robbins, Michael W. (1 March 1971). "The Neighborhood and the Museum". Curator: The Museum Journal. 14 (1): 63–68. doi:10.1111/j.2151-6952.1971.tb00422.x.
- ^ Ltd, Earl G. Graves (1 September 1987). "Black Enterprise". Earl G. Graves, Ltd. – via Google Books.
External links
- Topper Carew at IMDb
- The New Thing Art and Architectural Center (1966-), an autobiographical essay by Topper Carew