Graham Linehan
Encyclopedia
Graham Linehan is an Irish
television writer, actor
, comedian
and director who, often in partnership with Arthur Mathews
, has written or co-written a number of popular television comedies. He is most noted for his involvement in Father Ted
, Black Books
and The IT Crowd
.
, followed by Catholic University School
, a Roman Catholic secondary school for boys located on the southside of central Dublin, before joining Hot Press
. He also had a column with the magazine In Dublin before moving to London
. Linehan's wife Helen is the sister of Peter Serafinowicz
.
. In their early collaborations they were responsible for segments in many high profile sketch shows including Alas Smith and Jones
, Harry Enfield and Chums, The All New Alexei Sayle Show
and the Ted and Ralph characters in The Fast Show
(the characters were created by Linehan and Mathews and played by Charlie Higson
and Paul Whitehouse
).
However, it was with Father Ted
(three series, 1995–1998) that Linehan and Mathews made their biggest splash on the public imagination. They then wrote the first series of the sketch show
Big Train
, but Linehan bowed out for the second series.
They also wrote the "Dearth of A Salesman" episode for the series Coogan's Run
, which featured the character Gareth Cheeseman. In late 2003, they were named one of the 50 funniest acts to work in television by The Observer
.
Linehan has since written for other shows, including Brass Eye
. With Dylan Moran
, he co-wrote the first series of Black Books
, a series to which Mathews also contributed. Linehan has also contributed material to Blue Jam
, and its television adaptation Jam
.
Linehan wrote and directed the 2006 Channel 4
sitcom
The IT Crowd
, in which he sought to move away from the recent British trend towards mock-documentary
comedies, and to return to an old-fashioned style of sitcom, recorded before a studio audience. In November 2008, he was awarded with an International Emmy for The IT Crowd.
On 12 December 2009 Linehan was presented with the Ronnie Barker Award for writing at the British Comedy Awards
, and received a standing ovation from the crowd.
In November 2011 The Ladykillers the stage adaptation of the Ealing Studio classic by Linehan will be at The Gielgud Theatre
, London
with Peter Capaldi
and Ben Miller
.
They have also contributed to various magazines and written surreal liner notes for the popular Volume
series of alternative music compilations.
Linehan made his debut in directing films
with the comedy horror
short Hello Friend
, which he also co-wrote. This film appears as an extra on The IT Crowd: Version 1.0 DVD.
He was also an executive producer of the first series of The IT Crowd, and an associate producer of one episode of Father Ted
.
I'm Alan Partridge
as two Irish men considering Alan Partridge
(Steve Coogan
) for a contract.
Linehan has also appeared in The Day Today
and in two episodes of Garth Marenghi's Darkplace
, and has had cameos in Black Books
(Season One Episode 2, as "I love books" Guy, and 5 as Fast Food Customer), the "Flight Into Terror", "Entertaining Father Stone", "Cigarettes, Alcohol and Rollerblading" and "Good Luck Father Ted" episodes of Father Ted
. He had cameos in four episodes of The IT Crowd as Messy Joe's Restaurant Musician in Season One, Episode 3, the blind sorcerer in Season Two, Episode 6, as an audience member of Jen's speech in Season Three, Episode 4, and as Beth Gaga Shaggy in Season Four, Episode 3. He appeared in the Identity Parade round of Never Mind the Buzzcocks
. He has also appeared in the pilot of Little Britain
, as well as in Series 1 Episode 4, as a bystander who gets in the way of character Kenny Craig when he is attempting to hypnotise a man, from a distance, whose car he has crashed into. Linehan was one of the writers interviewed by Charlie Brooker
in an interview special episode of the fifth series of Brooker's Screenwipe program and again on Brooker's Gameswipe in 2010. Linehan also appeared as a guest panellist on Have I Got News for You
in 2011
In 2007, a documentary about Graham, his life and his career was produced by Wildfire Films for RTÉ One
. Offering unique entry into his fascinating world, this documentary explored the art, craft and deeply competitive business of creating contemporary television comedy. The programme features interviews with several of the UK's most successful television comedy writers and performers including Steve Coogan
, Matt Lucas
, David Walliams
, Paul Whitehouse
, Griff Rhys Jones
and Ardal O'Hanlon
, all of whom have worked with Graham and in their own distinctive way have also broken the television comedy mould. It was directed by Adrian McCarthy and produced by Martha O'Neill and Adam Rynne.
to discuss his adapting the Ealing comedy film The Ladykillers
for the West End stage. During this appearance, Linehan took issue with Today programme presenter Justin Webb
over what he saw as the attempted staging of an artificial argument between himself and the critic Michael Billington. He later expanded on this criticism in an article published in the Guardian newspaper, saying "I'm talking about that very specific, very artificial, very Today programme format of a presenter acting as referee between two people who have been chosen to represent the opposing sides of a manufactured argument. It is a binary view of politics, of life and, as a result, it is also a dishonest one. Replace it with anything – anything – because anything would be better."
being a fan of The IT Crowd.
. At 9pm exactly, over 2,000 Twitter users simultaneously pressed 'Play' on the film The Happening
(dir. M. Night Shyamalan
2008) and continued to tweet whilst watching, creating a collective viewing experience which generated 40,000 tweets in under 2 hours. The BadMovieClub was repeated at 12 midnight on Saturday 14 February, hosted by Phill Jupitus
.
In August 2009, when the National Health Service
was being attacked by the Republican Party
of the United States
during an attempt by President
Barack Obama
to reform the healthcare system there, Linehan created the #welovetheNHS campaign on Twitter in an attempt to fight back in defence of the NHS.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
television writer, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and director who, often in partnership with Arthur Mathews
Arthur Mathews (writer)
Arthur Mathews is an Irish comedy writer and actor who, often with writing partner Graham Linehan, has either written or contributed to a number of popular television comedies, most notably Father Ted. He is a graduate of the Dublin Institute of Technology...
, has written or co-written a number of popular television comedies. He is most noted for his involvement in Father Ted
Father Ted
Father Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May...
, Black Books
Black Books
Black Books is a British sitcom television series created by Dylan Moran and Graham Linehan and produced by Nira Park, first broadcast on Channel 4 from 2000 to 2004...
and The IT Crowd
The IT Crowd
The IT Crowd is a British sitcom by Channel 4, written by Graham Linehan, produced by Ash Atalla and starring Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson and Matt Berry...
.
Personal life
Linehan attended Plunkett's School in WhitehallWhitehall, Dublin
Whitehall is a Northside suburb of Dublin City, Ireland.Whitehall is on the northern outskirts of Dublin's inner city, located on the N1 road leading to Dublin Airport, Swords and Belfast, between Santry and Drumcondra. North of Whitehall, the N1 becomes a motorway, the M1...
, followed by Catholic University School
Catholic University School
Catholic University School is a Roman Catholic secondary school for boys located on the southside of central Dublin, Ireland. It is run by the Marist Fathers.-Origins:...
, a Roman Catholic secondary school for boys located on the southside of central Dublin, before joining Hot Press
Hot Press
Hot Press is a fortnightly music and political magazine based in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it had a circulation of 19,215 during 2007...
. He also had a column with the magazine In Dublin before moving to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Linehan's wife Helen is the sister of Peter Serafinowicz
Peter Serafinowicz
Peter Szymon Serafinowicz is an English actor, comedian, writer, composer, voice artist and occasional director.-Early life:Serafinowicz was born in Liverpool, England. He attended Our Lady of the Assumption Roman Catholic Primary School and St Francis Xavier Secondary School...
.
Career
Linehan hooked up with Mathews, whom he had worked alongside at Irish Rock Music magazine Hot PressHot Press
Hot Press is a fortnightly music and political magazine based in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it had a circulation of 19,215 during 2007...
. In their early collaborations they were responsible for segments in many high profile sketch shows including Alas Smith and Jones
Alas Smith and Jones
Alas Smith and Jones is a British comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1984 to 1998...
, Harry Enfield and Chums, The All New Alexei Sayle Show
The All New Alexei Sayle Show
The All New Alexei Sayle Show was a comedy sketch show broadcast on BBC2 television for a total of twelve episodes, over two series in 1994 and 1995...
and the Ted and Ralph characters in The Fast Show
The Fast Show
The Fast Show, known as Brilliant in the US, was a BBC comedy sketch show programme that ran for three series from 1994 to 1997 with a special Last Fast Show Ever in 2000. The show's central performers were Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Simon Day, Mark Williams, John Thomson, Arabella Weir and...
(the characters were created by Linehan and Mathews and played by Charlie Higson
Charlie Higson
Charles Murray Higson , more commonly known as Charlie Higson - also Switch - is an English actor, comedian, author and former singer...
and Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse is a Welsh actor, writer and comedian. He became known for his work with Harry Enfield and as one of the stars of the popular BBC sketch show, The Fast Show. In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was in the top 50 comedy acts voted for by comedians and comedy insiders...
).
However, it was with Father Ted
Father Ted
Father Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May...
(three series, 1995–1998) that Linehan and Mathews made their biggest splash on the public imagination. They then wrote the first series of the sketch show
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
Big Train
Big Train
Big Train is a surreal British television comedy sketch show created by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan, writers of the successful sitcom Father Ted...
, but Linehan bowed out for the second series.
They also wrote the "Dearth of A Salesman" episode for the series Coogan's Run
Coogan's Run
Coogan's Run was a 1995 UK TV series featuring Steve Coogan as a series of odd characters living in the fictional town of Ottle. It was written by various people including Coogan, Patrick Marber, David Tyler, Graham Linehan, Arthur Mathews, Geoffrey Perkins and Henry Normal...
, which featured the character Gareth Cheeseman. In late 2003, they were named one of the 50 funniest acts to work in television by The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
.
Linehan has since written for other shows, including Brass Eye
Brass Eye
Brass Eye is a UK television series of satirical spoof documentaries. A series of six aired on Channel 4 in 1997, and a further episode in 2001....
. With Dylan Moran
Dylan Moran
Dylan Moran is an Irish stand-up comedian, writer, actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his sardonic observational comedy, the UK television sitcom Black Books , and his work with Simon Pegg in Shaun of the Dead and Run Fatboy Run...
, he co-wrote the first series of Black Books
Black Books
Black Books is a British sitcom television series created by Dylan Moran and Graham Linehan and produced by Nira Park, first broadcast on Channel 4 from 2000 to 2004...
, a series to which Mathews also contributed. Linehan has also contributed material to Blue Jam
Blue Jam
Blue Jam was an ambient radio comedy programme created and directed by Chris Morris. It aired on BBC Radio 1 in the early hours of the morning from 1997 to 1999....
, and its television adaptation Jam
Jam (TV series)
Jam was a postmodern British dark comedy series created, written and directed by Chris Morris, and broadcast on Channel 4 during March and April 2000...
.
Linehan wrote and directed the 2006 Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
The IT Crowd
The IT Crowd
The IT Crowd is a British sitcom by Channel 4, written by Graham Linehan, produced by Ash Atalla and starring Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson and Matt Berry...
, in which he sought to move away from the recent British trend towards mock-documentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
comedies, and to return to an old-fashioned style of sitcom, recorded before a studio audience. In November 2008, he was awarded with an International Emmy for The IT Crowd.
On 12 December 2009 Linehan was presented with the Ronnie Barker Award for writing at the British Comedy Awards
British Comedy Awards
The British Comedy Awards is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year.-History:...
, and received a standing ovation from the crowd.
In November 2011 The Ladykillers the stage adaptation of the Ealing Studio classic by Linehan will be at The Gielgud Theatre
Gielgud Theatre
The Gielgud Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, London, at the corner of Rupert Street. The house currently has 889 seats on three levels.-History:...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with Peter Capaldi
Peter Capaldi
Peter Dougan Capaldi is an Academy Award and BAFTA award winning Scottish actor and film director. In 1995, his short film Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life won the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film...
and Ben Miller
Ben Miller
Bennet Evan "Ben" Miller is an English comedian, actor and director. He is perhaps best known as one half of comedy double act Armstrong and Miller, along with Alexander Armstrong. Together the pair wrote and starred in Channel 4 sketch show Armstrong and Miller, and the more recent BBC television...
.
Books
Linehan and Mathews have had one book published, Father Ted: The Complete Scripts (Paperback – Boxtree – October 20, 2000) ISBN 0-7522-7235-7.They have also contributed to various magazines and written surreal liner notes for the popular Volume
Volume magazine
Volume was a magazine in the form of a series of compact disc compilation albums that were published in the UK in the early to mid 1990s. The albums typically contained exclusive tracks and remixes from a diverse range of indie artists. Each album was packaged with a 192-page booklet that contained...
series of alternative music compilations.
Directing
Linehan has directed the following television shows:- 24 episodes of The IT CrowdThe IT CrowdThe IT Crowd is a British sitcom by Channel 4, written by Graham Linehan, produced by Ash Atalla and starring Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson and Matt Berry...
, 2006-10 (all episodes of the series are directed by Linehan) - 1 episode of Little BritainLittle BritainLittle Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
, 2003 - 6 episodes of Black BooksBlack BooksBlack Books is a British sitcom television series created by Dylan Moran and Graham Linehan and produced by Nira Park, first broadcast on Channel 4 from 2000 to 2004...
, 2000 - 6 episodes of Big TrainBig TrainBig Train is a surreal British television comedy sketch show created by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan, writers of the successful sitcom Father Ted...
, 1998 - 8 episodes of Father TedFather TedFather Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May...
, 1997
Linehan made his debut in directing films
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
with the comedy horror
Comedy horror
Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a literary and film genre, combining elements of comedy and horror fiction. The comedy horror genre almost always inevitably crosses over with the black comedy genre; and in some respects could be considered a subset of it.The short story "The Legend...
short Hello Friend
Hello Friend
Hello Friend, sometimes written as Hello, Friend, is a short comedy horror film directed and written by Graham Linehan. The film was Linehan's directorial debut. The film stars Martin Savage as a man, John Ward, but credited as the "Subject", who buys some new internet software for his computer,...
, which he also co-wrote. This film appears as an extra on The IT Crowd: Version 1.0 DVD.
He was also an executive producer of the first series of The IT Crowd, and an associate producer of one episode of Father Ted
Father Ted
Father Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May...
.
Television appearances
Both Linehan and Mathews have made cameo appearances in programmes they have written. They also made an appearance in the sitcomSituation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
I'm Alan Partridge
I'm Alan Partridge
I'm Alan Partridge is a BBC situation comedy starring Steve Coogan, of which two series of six episodes each were produced — the first in 1997 and the second in 2002...
as two Irish men considering Alan Partridge
Alan Partridge
Alan Gordon Partridge is a fictional radio and television presenter portrayed by English comedian Steve Coogan and invented by Coogan, Armando Iannucci, Stewart Lee and Richard Herring for the BBC Radio 4 programme On The Hour...
(Steve Coogan
Steve Coogan
Stephen John "Steve" Coogan is a British comedian, actor, writer and producer. Born in Manchester, he began his career as a standup comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early nineties, Coogan began creating...
) for a contract.
Linehan has also appeared in The Day Today
The Day Today
The Day Today is a surreal British parody of television current affairs programmes, broadcast in 1994, and created by the comedians Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris. It is an adaptation of the radio programme On the Hour, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1991 and 1992...
and in two episodes of Garth Marenghi's Darkplace
Garth Marenghi's Darkplace
Garth Marenghi's Darkplace is a British dark comedy show made for Channel 4 by Matthew Holness and Richard Ayoade. Following on from Garth Marenghi's Netherhead, which won the 2001 Perrier Awards, the show revolves around fictional horror author Garth Marenghi and his publisher Dean Learner...
, and has had cameos in Black Books
Black Books
Black Books is a British sitcom television series created by Dylan Moran and Graham Linehan and produced by Nira Park, first broadcast on Channel 4 from 2000 to 2004...
(Season One Episode 2, as "I love books" Guy, and 5 as Fast Food Customer), the "Flight Into Terror", "Entertaining Father Stone", "Cigarettes, Alcohol and Rollerblading" and "Good Luck Father Ted" episodes of Father Ted
Father Ted
Father Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May...
. He had cameos in four episodes of The IT Crowd as Messy Joe's Restaurant Musician in Season One, Episode 3, the blind sorcerer in Season Two, Episode 6, as an audience member of Jen's speech in Season Three, Episode 4, and as Beth Gaga Shaggy in Season Four, Episode 3. He appeared in the Identity Parade round of Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
. He has also appeared in the pilot of Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
, as well as in Series 1 Episode 4, as a bystander who gets in the way of character Kenny Craig when he is attempting to hypnotise a man, from a distance, whose car he has crashed into. Linehan was one of the writers interviewed by Charlie Brooker
Charlie Brooker
Charlton "Charlie" Brooker is a British journalist, comic writer and broadcaster. His style of humour is savage and profane, with surreal elements and a consistent satirical pessimism...
in an interview special episode of the fifth series of Brooker's Screenwipe program and again on Brooker's Gameswipe in 2010. Linehan also appeared as a guest panellist on Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
in 2011
In 2007, a documentary about Graham, his life and his career was produced by Wildfire Films for RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
. Offering unique entry into his fascinating world, this documentary explored the art, craft and deeply competitive business of creating contemporary television comedy. The programme features interviews with several of the UK's most successful television comedy writers and performers including Steve Coogan
Steve Coogan
Stephen John "Steve" Coogan is a British comedian, actor, writer and producer. Born in Manchester, he began his career as a standup comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early nineties, Coogan began creating...
, Matt Lucas
Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard "Matt" Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars, Tweedledee and...
, David Walliams
David Walliams
David Edward Walliams is an English comedian, writer and actor, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the TV sketch show Little Britain and its predecessor Rock Profile...
, Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse is a Welsh actor, writer and comedian. He became known for his work with Harry Enfield and as one of the stars of the popular BBC sketch show, The Fast Show. In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was in the top 50 comedy acts voted for by comedians and comedy insiders...
, Griff Rhys Jones
Griff Rhys Jones
Griffith "Griff" Rhys Jones is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, television presenter and personality. Jones came to national attention in the early 1980s for his work in the BBC television comedy sketch shows Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones along with his comedy partner Mel Smith...
and Ardal O'Hanlon
Ardal O'Hanlon
Ardal O'Hanlon is an Irish comedian and actor, best known for his roles in television sitcoms as Father Dougal McGuire in Father Ted and George Sunday in My Hero.-Early life:...
, all of whom have worked with Graham and in their own distinctive way have also broken the television comedy mould. It was directed by Adrian McCarthy and produced by Martha O'Neill and Adam Rynne.
Radio appearances
On June 6th 2011, Linehan appeared on BBC Radio 4's Today ProgrammeToday programme
Today is BBC Radio 4's long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, now broadcast from 6.00 am to 9.00 am Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am to 9.00 am on Saturdays. It is also the most popular programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks...
to discuss his adapting the Ealing comedy film The Ladykillers
The Ladykillers
The Ladykillers is a 1955 British black comedy film made by Ealing Studios. Directed by Alexander Mackendrick, it stars Alec Guinness, Cecil Parker, Herbert Lom, Peter Sellers, Danny Green, Jack Warner and Katie Johnson...
for the West End stage. During this appearance, Linehan took issue with Today programme presenter Justin Webb
Justin Webb
Justin Oliver Webb is a British journalist who has worked for the BBC since 1984. Since August 2009, he has presented on the Today programme.-Early life:...
over what he saw as the attempted staging of an artificial argument between himself and the critic Michael Billington. He later expanded on this criticism in an article published in the Guardian newspaper, saying "I'm talking about that very specific, very artificial, very Today programme format of a presenter acting as referee between two people who have been chosen to represent the opposing sides of a manufactured argument. It is a binary view of politics, of life and, as a result, it is also a dishonest one. Replace it with anything – anything – because anything would be better."
Social media
Linehan is an active user of several social media websites, and in 2011 perpetrated a Twitter hoax revolving around Osama Bin LadenOsama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
being a fan of The IT Crowd.
Awards and nominations
Taken from IMDbInternet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
| Year | Nominated For | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Father Ted Father Ted Father Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May... |
BAFTAs | Best Comedy (Programme or Series) | |
| 1996 | Father Ted | Writers' Guild of Great Britain Writers' Guild of Great Britain The Writers' Guild of Great Britain, established in 1959, is a trade union for professional writers. It is affiliated with both the Trades Union Congress and the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds .-Activities:... |
TV - Situation Comedy | |
| 1997 | Father Ted | BAFTAs | Best Comedy (Programme or Series) | |
| 1997 | Harry Enfield and Chums Harry Enfield's Television Programme Harry Enfield's Television Programme was a British sketch show starring Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse... |
Writers' Guild of Great Britain | TV - Light Entertainment | |
| 1999 | Big Train Big Train Big Train is a surreal British television comedy sketch show created by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan, writers of the successful sitcom Father Ted... |
BAFTAs | Best Light Entertainment (Programme or Series) | |
| 1999 | Father Ted | BAFTAs | Best Comedy (Programme or Series) | |
| 2001 | Black Books Black Books Black Books is a British sitcom television series created by Dylan Moran and Graham Linehan and produced by Nira Park, first broadcast on Channel 4 from 2000 to 2004... |
BAFTAs | Situation Comedy Award | |
| 2007 | The IT Crowd The IT Crowd The IT Crowd is a British sitcom by Channel 4, written by Graham Linehan, produced by Ash Atalla and starring Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson and Matt Berry... |
BAFTAs | Best Situation Comedy | |
| 2008 | The IT Crowd | BAFTAs | Best Situation Comedy | |
| 2009 | The IT Crowd | BAFTAs | Best Situation Comedy | |
| 2009 | The IT Crowd | IFTAs Irish Film and Television Awards The Irish Film and Television Awards were first awarded in 2003. Its sole aim is to celebrate Ireland's notably talented film and television community... |
Best Script for Television |
Other work
On Friday 13 February 2009, Graham Linehan hosted the first BadMovieClub on TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
. At 9pm exactly, over 2,000 Twitter users simultaneously pressed 'Play' on the film The Happening
The Happening (2008 film)
The Happening is a 2008 science fiction thriller film written, co-produced and directed by M. Night Shyamalan that follows a woman, her husband, the husband's best friend, and the friend's daughter as they try to escape from an inexplicable natural disaster. The plot revolves around a mysterious...
(dir. M. Night Shyamalan
M. Night Shyamalan
Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan,known professionally as M. Night Shyamalan, is an Indian-born American screenwriter, film director, and producer known for making movies with contemporary supernatural plots that climax with a twist ending. He is also known for filming his movies in and around...
2008) and continued to tweet whilst watching, creating a collective viewing experience which generated 40,000 tweets in under 2 hours. The BadMovieClub was repeated at 12 midnight on Saturday 14 February, hosted by Phill Jupitus
Phill Jupitus
Phillip Christopher Jupitus is an English stand-up and improvised comedian, actor, performance poet, musician and podcaster....
.
In August 2009, when the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
was being attacked by the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during an attempt by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
to reform the healthcare system there, Linehan created the #welovetheNHS campaign on Twitter in an attempt to fight back in defence of the NHS.
External links
- The I.T. Crowd Official Channel 4 minisite.
- Why, That's Delightful Graham Linehan's blog.
- Graham's Twitter profile
- Now That I Have Your Attention Another Graham Linehan blog.
- Neon Magazine Complete scans of Graham's articles written for Neon Magazine.
- Writing for Performance Graham Linehan interviews and writing advice.