Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1956 - 2004 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
26.48 m textual records
ca. 4,987 photographs
· 3,647 prints (1,252 col., 2,395 b&w)
· 1,094 slides (953 col., 141 b&w)
· 234 negatives (31 col., 203 b&w)
· 4 CDs
· 2 computer printouts
· 6 photocopies
45 audio recordings
· 2 audio tapes (ca. 2 hrs.)
· 34 DAT cassettes (ca. 41.9 hrs.)
· 9 CDs (ca. 14 hrs)
3, 948 video recordings
· 9 1in. magnetic tapes (ca. 7.5 hrs.)
· 686 ½in. VHS cassettes (ca. 488.1 hrs.)
· 142 ¾in. cassettes (ca. 88.3 hrs.)
· 2903 Beta SP cassettes (ca. 1487.75 hrs.)
· 12 Betacam SX cassettes (ca. 12 hrs.)
· 14 Betamax cassettes (ca. 9.9 hrs.)
· 5 BetaSP cassettes (ca. 90 min.)
· 30 Digital Betacam (ca. 36 hrs.)
· 11 DV cassettes (ca. 17.93 hrs.)
· 4 DVCam cassettes (ca. 7.5 hrs.)
· 6 DVCPro cassettes (ca. 6.6 hrs.)
· 1 DVD (ca. 3.12 hrs.)
· 39 Hi8 cassettes (ca. 33.25 hrs.)
· 31 miniDV cassettes (ca. 31 hrs.)
· 55 video cassettes (ca. 50.6 hrs.)
1 cinefilm
· 1 16mm cinefilm (ca. 20 min.)
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Born in 1929 in London, England, Michael Maclear came to Canada in 1954 after having worked as a print journalist for several years. In 1955 he joined the fledgling CBC television news service and a year later became producer of Newsmagazine, Canada's first weekly television news program. In 1961, after a year co-hosting Background with Alistair Cooke and Malcolm Muggeridge, Maclear was appointed CBC’s first Asia Correspondent (1961-1964), and subsequently its London Correspondent (1964-1971). In 1971, he joined the CTV Network.
In his capacity as a network correspondent, Maclear reported from more than eighty countries. He covered Fidel Castro’s takeover of Cuba, China’s Cultural Revolution, and the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. In 1969, Maclear became the first Western television news correspondent to be admitted to North Vietnam. His television reports on the death of Ho Chi Minh and the U.S. bombing of the North were shown in 90 countries, and his articles were also syndicated by the New York Times. Between 1971 and 1974, Maclear hosted the weekly investigative documentary series Maclear; this experiement in “personal journalism” garnered critical acclaim, including the ACTRA Best Broadcaster award. After a period as Executive Producer of CTV’s Current Affairs department, Maclear left to independently produce the first television history of the Vietnam War (Vietnam: The 10,000 Day War).
Maclear was the 1991 recipient of the Personal Achievement Award from the Canadian Film and Television Producer’s Association, and in 2003 he was awarded a special Gemini by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television for “Exceptional Contribution to the Canadian Television Industry”. In 2004, he was honoured with the Hot Docs festival award for Outstanding Achievement.
Maclear married his wife, Yoko in 1963. They have one daughter (author Kyo Maclear), and two grandchildren.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This fonds divided into 5 series, by format. These series are: Textual Material, Photographic Material, Video Materials, Audio Materials, and Cinefilm Materials.
The first series, Textual Material, includes personal papers, scripts, correspondence, administrative papers, transcripts, budget breakdowns and research material for Maclear’s productions. Of particular significance are the materials for proposals which were never made into complete programs (e.g. Obasan, which was based on Joy Kogawa’s book of the same name, and America’s Sweetheart, which sought to document the life of Mary Pickford).
The second series, Photographic Material, consists of prints, slides and negatives. Many of these were created during Maclear’s time as a foreign correspondent, and the rest were produced during the creation of Maclear’s television programs. Many of the photographs were obtained from archives around the world, and are consequently of considerable historical interest.
The third series, Video Materials, consists of nearly 4000 videotapes (finished productions, field tapes, archival and stock footage) representing the many series, mini-series and individual programs with which Maclear has been involved. Approximately half of these pertain to the program Flightpath.
The fourth series, Audio Materials, consists primarily of narration from the Flightpath series.
The fifth series, Cinefilms, consists of one 16mm film featuring Maclear in Havana immediately following Fidel Castro’s 1959 takeover of Cuba.
This fonds includes textual material relating to a number of productions, including:
Maclear (Television, 1975-1978)
Vietnam: The 10,000 Day War (Film, 1980)
American Caesar (Television, 1982)
The American Century (Television, 1987)
Ken Dryden’s Home Game (Television, 1989)
Acts of War (Television, 1990)
The Greenpeace Years (Television, 1990)
Hunger’s Children (Television, 1993-1994)
A Soldier’s Peace (Television, 1994)
Eco Journeys (Pilot) (Television, 1994)
A Day…Doctors Without Borders (Television, 1994)
The End of Television (Television, 1995)
Flightpath (Television, 1996)
Deadly Seas (Television, 1998)
Niagara: A History of the Falls (Television, 1999)
Eatons: A Canadian Saga (Television, 2001-2003)
History’s Courtroom (Television, 2001-2003)
Flightpath: Top Ten Aircraft (Television, 2002)
Vietnam: Ghosts of War (Television, 2004)
This fonds includes audiovisual material relating to a number of productions, including:
Maclear (Television, 1975-1978)
Vietnam: The 10,000 Day War (Film, 1980)
Greatest Journey (Television, 1981)
Going Great (Television, 1983-1985)
The Canadians (Television, 1986)
The American Century (Television, 1987)
Ken Dryden’s Home Game (Television, 1989)
Beautiful Dreamers (Television, 1989)
Acts of War (Television, 1990)
The Greenpeace Years (Television, 1990)
Hunger’s Children (Television, 1993-1994)
Eco Journeys (Pilot) (Television, 1994)
A Soldier’s Peace (Television, 1994)
The End of Television (Television, 1995)
Flightpath (Television, 1996)
Deadly Seas (Television, 1998)
Niagara: A History of the Falls (Television, 1999)
Eatons: A Canadian Saga (Television, 2001-2003)
History’s Courtroom (Television, 2001-2003)
Flightpath: Top Ten Aircraft (Television, 2002)
Vietnam: Ghosts of War (Television, 2004)
Hot Docs retrospective (Television, 2004)
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Preservation concern may limit access, consult archivist.
Conditions governing reproduction
Media Commons does not own copyright of collection materials. Consult rights holder for reproduction(s).
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Dates of creation revision deletion
Data copied from Drupal by Adam Cavanaugh 2022/04/29
Language(s)
- English
Script(s)
Sources
Profile on IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0533828/
Canadian Who’s Who 2005 (Elizabeth Lumley, University of Toronto Press, 2005; https://librarysearch.library.utoronto.ca/permalink/01UTORONTO_INST/fedca1/cdi_crossref_primary_10_1108_09504120510596517)