Mark Burton (writer)
Encyclopedia
Mark Burton is a British screenwriter
specialising in comedy.
, Oxfordshire
and after attending Langtree School
, Woodcote
, and The Henley College, Henley-on-Thames
, went on to study History at York University
, where he was a contemporary of Harry Enfield
. It was Enfield who advised him to go along to the open meetings for BBC Radio 4
’s Week Ending
.
Radio's Light Entertainment Department, Burton teamed up with John O'Farrell
and the two were commissioned for Week Ending by Harry Thompson
(who later named his two pet rats Burton and O’Farrell). The pair won the BBC
Light Entertainment Contract Award, and went on to write or contribute to a number of radio series, including Little Blighty on the Down, McKay the New and with Pete Sinclair, the multi-award winning A Look Back at the Nineties and Look Back at the Future in which Burton also performed. Burton also created the BBC Radio 4 panel game We've Been Here Before presented by Clive Anderson.
Burton and O’Farrell were commissioned for Spitting Image
in 1988 and the following year became two of the lead writers on the show. They also wrote for Clive Anderson
Talks Back, Nick Hancock on Room 101, Murder Most Horrid
, and co-wrote some of the Heads to Heads for Alas Smith and Jones
. In 1993, they left Spitting Image and became the first writers credited for the scripted parts of Have I Got News For You
. Also for Hat Trick Productions
they wrote a BBC1 sitcom The Peter Principle starring Jim Broadbent
(known as ‘The Boss’ in the US).
. but after a decade of collaboration, Burton and O'Farrell began to work on separate projects. Although he continued to do some TV comedy scriptwriting (with credits for 2DTV
, Never Mind the Buzzcocks
and Mike Bassett: Manager
) Burton began to focus on screenwriting, most notable with the Dreamworks animation Madagascar
. Other major screenplay credits include Wallace and Gromit: the Curse of the Were-Rabbit (which won an Oscar in 2006 for Best Animated Feature Film), Gnomeo and Juliet
and Aliens in the Attic. He adapted the novel of his former writing partner for the ITV
film 'May Contain Nuts' and also wrote and produced the BBC short film One of those Days.
, near Reading, Berkshire
, and is married with two grown up children.
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
specialising in comedy.
Early life
Burton grew up in Whitchurch-on-ThamesWhitchurch-on-Thames
Whitchurch-on-Thames is a village and civil parish on the Oxfordshire bank of the River Thames, about northwest of Reading, Berkshire. Opposite Whitchurch on the Berkshire bank is the village of Pangbourne.-History:...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
and after attending Langtree School
Langtree School
Langtree School is a comprehensive school for students aged 11–16 in the village of Woodcote, South Oxfordshire, England. It became a DfES Specialist Performing Arts College in 2006....
, Woodcote
Woodcote
Woodcote is a village in the civil parish in South Oxfordshire, about southeast of Wallingford and about northwest of Reading, Berkshire. It is in the Chiltern Hills, and the highest part of the village is above sea level....
, and The Henley College, Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
, went on to study History at York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
, where he was a contemporary of Harry Enfield
Harry Enfield
Henry Richard "Harry" Enfield is a BAFTA-winning English comedian, actor, writer and director.-Early life:...
. It was Enfield who advised him to go along to the open meetings for BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
’s Week Ending
Week Ending
Week Ending... was a satirical radio current affairs sketch show, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4, usually on Friday evenings. It was devised by writer/producers Simon Brett and David Hatch, and was originally hosted by Nationwide presenter Michael Barratt.The show's title was always announced as...
.
Television and radio career
After turning up at BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Radio's Light Entertainment Department, Burton teamed up with John O'Farrell
John O'Farrell
John O'Farrell is a British author, broadcaster and comedy scriptwriter.-Early life:O’Farrell grew up in Maidenhead, Berkshire the youngest of three children, attending Courthouse Primary School and then Desborough Comprehensive...
and the two were commissioned for Week Ending by Harry Thompson
Harry Thompson
Harry William Thompson was an English radio and television producer, comedy writer, novelist and biographer....
(who later named his two pet rats Burton and O’Farrell). The pair won the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Light Entertainment Contract Award, and went on to write or contribute to a number of radio series, including Little Blighty on the Down, McKay the New and with Pete Sinclair, the multi-award winning A Look Back at the Nineties and Look Back at the Future in which Burton also performed. Burton also created the BBC Radio 4 panel game We've Been Here Before presented by Clive Anderson.
Burton and O’Farrell were commissioned for Spitting Image
Spitting Image
Spitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....
in 1988 and the following year became two of the lead writers on the show. They also wrote for Clive Anderson
Clive Anderson
Clive Anderson is a British former barrister, best known for being a comedy writer as well as a radio and television presenter in the United Kingdom...
Talks Back, Nick Hancock on Room 101, Murder Most Horrid
Murder Most Horrid
Murder Most Horrid is a BBC dark comedy anthology series starring comedian Dawn French. It ran for four series runs, in 1991, 1994, 1996 and 1999....
, and co-wrote some of the Heads to Heads for 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...
. In 1993, they left Spitting Image and became the first writers credited for the scripted parts of 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...
. Also for Hat Trick Productions
Hat Trick Productions
Hat Trick Productions is a British independent production company that produces television programmes, mainly specialising in comedy.-History:...
they wrote a BBC1 sitcom The Peter Principle starring Jim Broadbent
Jim Broadbent
James "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
(known as ‘The Boss’ in the US).
Screenwriting
The pair are credited for ‘additional dialogue’ for the Aardman film Chicken RunChicken Run
Chicken Run is a 2000 British stop-motion animation film made by the Aardman Animations studios, the production studio of the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit films...
. but after a decade of collaboration, Burton and O'Farrell began to work on separate projects. Although he continued to do some TV comedy scriptwriting (with credits for 2DTV
2DTV
2DTV is a British satirical animated television show that was broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom, directed by Tim Searle.2DTV employs the same satirical style as Spitting Image, but using animation rather than puppets. The animation was produced on computer, frequently with animators working up...
, 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...
and Mike Bassett: Manager
Mike Bassett: Manager
Mike Bassett: Manager is a British TV comedy series, which began transmitting from 29 September 2005 on ITV. It is a follow-up to the film Mike Bassett: England Manager, and stars Ricky Tomlinson in the title role Steve Edge as his assistant, and Amanda Redman as his long-suffering wife, Karine...
) Burton began to focus on screenwriting, most notable with the Dreamworks animation Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. Other major screenplay credits include Wallace and Gromit: the Curse of the Were-Rabbit (which won an Oscar in 2006 for Best Animated Feature Film), Gnomeo and Juliet
Gnomeo and Juliet
Gnomeo & Juliet is a 2011 computer-animated family comedy film based on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. The film is directed by Kelly Asbury, and the two main characters are voiced by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt. The film was released on , 2011.-Plot:Mrs. Montague and Mr. Capulet are...
and Aliens in the Attic. He adapted the novel of his former writing partner for 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...
film 'May Contain Nuts' and also wrote and produced the BBC short film One of those Days.
Composing
Burton is an accomplished musician and songwriter, having composed the music for the comedy rock musical The Next Big Thing which he wrote and produced with [Pete Sinclair. He also shares the credit for the original music in 'One Of Those Days' and has written songs and parodies for a number of radio shows.Personal
Burton lives in CavershamCaversham, Berkshire
Caversham is a suburb and former village in the unitary authority of Reading, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, within the royal county of Berkshire, on the opposite bank from the rest of Reading...
, near Reading, Berkshire
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, and is married with two grown up children.
External links
- Berlin Associates — Burton's profile on his agent's website
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p004s4x4 - BBC Short film 'One Of Those Days'.