Kay Mellor
Encyclopedia
Kay Mellor, OBE
(born Kay Daniel in 1951) is an English
actress, scriptwriter, and director best known for her work on several successful television
drama series.
, Yorkshire
to a Catholic
father and a Jewish mother. She attended Bretton Hall College at the University of Leeds
and graduated in 1983. She still lives in Leeds
and has been married to her husband Anthony since 1967. She has two daughters: actress Gaynor Faye
and television producer Yvonne Francas.
in the 1980s, writing for their hugely popular soap opera
Coronation Street
, the most watched programme on the ITV
network. In 1989 Mellor also wrote seven episodes for the popular Channel 4
soap Brookside
.
She also wrote for the anthology drama series Dramarama, before in 1988 co-creating the long-running children's drama Children's Ward
with her Coronation Street colleague Paul Abbott
. She also created the soap opera Families
, which aired from 1990 until 1993.
Since then she has written a host of highly-acclaimed and popular television drama serial
s, including Band of Gold (1995), Playing the Field
(1998) for BBC One
, Fat Friends
(2000), Between the Sheets
(2003) and Strictly Confidential
(2006) for ITV
.
Outside of television, in 1999 she both wrote and directed the feature film
Fanny and Elvis, starring Ray Winstone
.
In her parallel career as a television actress, Mellor has appeared in her own adaptation of Jane Eyre
(1997) and in other series such as the comedy drama Stan the Man (2002) and in Gifted (2003).
In July 2006 another of her dramas aired on BBC One, called The Chase
.
She both wrote and directed the two-part drama "A Passionate Woman" appearing on BBC One in April 2010.
Mellor was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born Kay Daniel in 1951) is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actress, scriptwriter, and director best known for her work on several successful television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
drama series.
Early life
Mellor was born in LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
to a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
father and a Jewish mother. She attended Bretton Hall College at the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
and graduated in 1983. She still lives in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and has been married to her husband Anthony since 1967. She has two daughters: actress Gaynor Faye
Gaynor Faye
Gaynor Faye is an English actress. She is famous for playing the role of Judy Mallett in the British soap opera Coronation Street from 1995 until 1999...
and television producer Yvonne Francas.
Career
As a writer, she began working for Granada TelevisionGranada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
in the 1980s, writing for their hugely popular soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, the most watched programme on the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network. In 1989 Mellor also wrote seven episodes for the popular 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...
soap Brookside
Brookside
Brookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...
.
She also wrote for the anthology drama series Dramarama, before in 1988 co-creating the long-running children's drama Children's Ward
Children's Ward
Children's Ward is a British children's television drama series produced by Granada Television and broadcast on the ITV network as part of its Children's ITV strand on weekday afternoons...
with her Coronation Street colleague Paul Abbott
Paul Abbott
Paul Abbott is a BAFTA award-winning English television screenwriter and producer. Abbott has become one of the most critically and commercially successful television writers working in Britain today, following his work on many popular series, including Coronation Street, Cracker and Shameless,...
. She also created the soap opera Families
Families (TV series)
Families was a daytime soap opera produced by Granada Television and created by Kay Mellor. It followed two families; the Thompsons, based in Cheshire, England , and the Stevens, living in Sydney, Australia....
, which aired from 1990 until 1993.
Since then she has written a host of highly-acclaimed and popular television drama serial
Serial (radio and television)
Serials are series of television programs and radio programs that rely on a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential episode by episode fashion. Serials typically follow main story arcs that span entire television seasons or even the full run of the series, which distinguishes them from...
s, including Band of Gold (1995), Playing the Field
Playing the Field
Playing the Field is a BBC television drama series following the lives of the Castlefield Blues, a fictitious female football team from South Yorkshire.-Outline:...
(1998) for BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
, Fat Friends
Fat Friends
Fat Friends is an ITV drama , following a group of overweight people, their laughter and pain and addresses the absurdities of dieting in our modern age. The drama looks at people and how they relate to one another and use body weight as an excuse for all sorts of failings in their relationships,...
(2000), Between the Sheets
Between the Sheets (TV series)
Between the Sheets is a 2003, British television mini series. This carnal drama is based around the love life and sexual hangups of several different couples that we find are all linked in some way...
(2003) and Strictly Confidential
Strictly Confidential (TV series)
Strictly Confidential is a six part drama, written by Kay Mellor and originally shown on ITV during November and December 2006.It stars Suranne Jones as Linda, a bisexual ex police officer turned sex therapist, who shares a practice in Leeds with her brother-in-law, played by Tristan Gemmill...
(2006) for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
.
Outside of television, in 1999 she both wrote and directed the feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
Fanny and Elvis, starring Ray Winstone
Ray Winstone
Raymond Andrew "Ray" Winstone is an English film and television actor. He is mostly known for his "tough guy" roles, beginning with that of Carlin in the 1979 film Scum and as Will Scarlet in the cult television adventure series Robin of Sherwood. He has also become well known as a voice over...
.
In her parallel career as a television actress, Mellor has appeared in her own adaptation of Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre (1997 film)
Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre has been the subject of numerous television and film adaptations. This version appeared on the A&E Television Network in 1997....
(1997) and in other series such as the comedy drama Stan the Man (2002) and in Gifted (2003).
In July 2006 another of her dramas aired on BBC One, called The Chase
The Chase (TV series)
The Chase is a BBC drama series that first aired on 16 July 2006. The Chase centered around a family run veterinary practice.It was co-written by Gaynor Faye , the daughter of the show's creator, Kay Mellor...
.
She both wrote and directed the two-part drama "A Passionate Woman" appearing on BBC One in April 2010.
Mellor was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.