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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
Year | Name | Role | Notes |
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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 |
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 |