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Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Part of UK in Australia

13th August 2014

Dr Who mania hits Sydney

doctor who

I no longer cower behind the sofa at the opening bars of the Dr Who theme tune, but it still summons up something of the frisson I remember from Saturday nights in my childhood. Interestingly, I just learned that the melody was composed by an Australian, Ron Grainer, for the first series back in 1963.

So it was a thrill to join some 2,000 “Whovians” at the BBC’s launch of the new Dr Who series in Sydney’s beautiful art deco State Theatre yesterday.  We saw a screening of the first episode then, to screams of delight from the audience, brand new Dr Who Peter Capaldi and his assistant Jenna Coleman came onto the stage to chat. Capaldi talked about the pleasure and challenge of becoming the 12th actor to play the much loved role.

The Dr Who series is one of many BBC programmes that have become hugely popular around the world, though few can match it for longevity. BBC Worldwide is a significant export earner and Australia is one of its most important markets. Just this month the BBC have launched a new cable channel here called BBC First, presenting some of the best of their most recent offerings, including Peaky Blinders and The Musketeers.

About Paul Madden

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017. He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia…

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017.

He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia until February 2015. Prior to this he was British High Commissioner in Singapore from 2007-2011.

A career diplomat, he was previously Managing Director at UK Trade and Investment (2004-2006), responsible for co-ordinating and
implementing international trade development strategies to support
companies across a wide range of business sectors.

As Assistant Director of Information at the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (2003-2004) he was responsible for public diplomacy policy,
including managing the FCO funding of the BBC World Service, the British
Council and the Chevening Scholarships programme. He led the team
responsible for the award-winning UK pavilion at the Aichi Expo in Japan
2005.

He was Deputy High Commissioner in Singapore from 2000-2003 and has
also served in Washington (1996-2000) and Tokyo (1988-92). Between
1992-96 he worked on EU enlargement and Environmental issues at the FCO
in London.

Before joining FCO he worked at the Department of Trade and Industry
(1980-87) on a range of industrial sectors and trade policy, including
two years as a minister’s Private Secretary.

He has an MA in Economic Geography from Cambridge University, an MBA
from Durham University, studied Japanese at London University’s School
of Oriental and African Studies, and is a Fellow of the Royal
Geographical Society. His first book, Raffles: Lessons in Business
Leadership, was published in 2003.

Married to Sarah, with three children, he was born in 1959, in Devon.

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