Head of Granada Peter Eckersley was cited by Victoria Wood as being highly important in the show's success, and ultimately giving Wood her big break. It was Eckersley who commissioned a television adaption of Wood's 1978 play, Talent, and then commissioned Wood and Walters, which brought Wood and Julie Walters into the public eye. Following Eckersley's death, Wood felt unable to continue without his guidance, and defected to the BBC to launch her award winning series Victoria Wood: As Seen On TV. Wood then worked with Eckersley's widow, the popular actress Anne Reid, on several projects, most notably in her 1998 sitcom Dinnerladies, in which Reid took the lead role of Jean.
