FRENETIC JANA-UARY CONTINUES
Cooperstown, New York is best known as the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. A village synonymous with such a UK-apathetic sport may seem an unusual starting point for a pivotal figure in modern British TV history, but that’s where former BBC TV boss Jana Bennett was born. She established herself on both sides of the pond, chairing the History channel in the US and BBC TV in the UK. Her time with the Beeb started with the introduction of several animal-oriented programmes, and later brought in smash hits such as the current incarnations of Strictly and Top Gear. The dreaded glioblastoma hit in 2019, eventually leading to her death, aged 66.
A 2020 DDP debutante, her status as a glio bedblocker saw a gradual uptick in picks that culminated with a Drop 40 spot this year. Bafflingly, being a prominent BBC executive seemingly is not enough to get a BBC obit these days, with her instead relying on the Yahoo UK safety net. The current joint leaders (Dead Ends, Shaun of the Dead 69, and Smart Beta) all had her, as did many of the chasing pack.
Jana Bennett
1955 – 11 January 2022, aged 66
34 TEAMS (💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀 + 40 = 11 POINTS)