Phil Redmond
Encyclopedia
Phil Redmond CBE
(born 10 June 1949) is an English television producer
and screenwriter
.
He is well-known for creating several popular television series such as Grange Hill
(BBC One
, 1978–2008), Brookside
(Channel 4
, 1982–2003) and Hollyoaks
(Channel 4, 1995—). For over twenty years he also ran his own independent production company, Mersey Television, before selling the company off in 2005. Redmond also created the daytime legal drama
, The Courtroom
which was cancelled after 38 episodes.
, Liverpool
. He passed the 11 plus examination but was given a place at St Kevin's Comprehensive, a large Roman Catholic boys' school in Kirkby
. Upon leaving school at 18 with 4 GCE
O Level passes and one A level, he trained as a quantity surveyor
. Then in his twenties he decided to try for a career as a writer and he gained a Social Studies
Degree from Liverpool University, before writing scripts for TV sitcoms such as The Squirrels
. He came up with the Grange Hill
concept in 1978, for which he drew upon his own experience of the Comprehensive system.
He was the Creative Director of Liverpool's 2008 European Capital of Culture
. He is Chair of National Museums Liverpool
and the Institute of Cultural Capital.
's Emmerdale
brought him in to think of a way to attract larger viewing figures to the soap opera
. His solution was a plane crash over the village, killing and wounding many residents. The timing of the storyline — close to the fifth anniversary of the Lockerbie disaster
— caused complaints.
, where he is encouraging a new, practically-orientated, media studies
course.
He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to drama.
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 10 June 1949) is an English television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and screenwriter
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:...
.
He is well-known for creating several popular television series such as Grange Hill
Grange Hill
Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
(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...
, 1978–2008), 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...
(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...
, 1982–2003) and Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
(Channel 4, 1995—). For over twenty years he also ran his own independent production company, Mersey Television, before selling the company off in 2005. Redmond also created the daytime legal drama
Legal drama
A legal drama is a work of dramatic fiction about crime and civil litigation. Subtypes of legal dramas include courtroom dramas and legal thrillers, and come in all forms, including novels, television shows, and films. Legal drama sometimes overlap with crime drama, most notably in the case of Law...
, The Courtroom
The Courtroom
The Courtroom is a British legal drama created by Phil Redmond, which aired between June and December 2004.The programme was notable for starring many former British soap stars, particularly those who starred in Redmond's other productions Brookside and Hollyoaks....
which was cancelled after 38 episodes.
Early life and career
Redmond grew up in HuytonHuyton
Huyton is a suburb of Liverpool within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, with some parts belonging to the borough of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It is part of the Liverpool Urban Area and has close associations with its neighbour, Roby, having both formerly been part of the Huyton with...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. He passed the 11 plus examination but was given a place at St Kevin's Comprehensive, a large Roman Catholic boys' school in Kirkby
Kirkby
Kirkby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in the metropolitan county of Merseyside in England. The town was developed from the 1950s through 1970s as a means to house the overspill of Liverpool. It is situated roughly north of Huyton, the administrative HQ of the borough and about...
. Upon leaving school at 18 with 4 GCE
General Certificate of Education
The General Certificate of Education or GCE is an academic qualification that examination boards in the United Kingdom and a few of the Commonwealth countries, notably Sri Lanka, confer to students. The GCE traditionally comprised two levels: the Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level...
O Level passes and one A level, he trained as a quantity surveyor
Quantity surveyor
A quantity surveyor is a professional working within the construction industry concerned with building costs.The profession is one that provides a qualification gained following formal education, specific training and experience that provides a general set of skills that are then applied to a...
. Then in his twenties he decided to try for a career as a writer and he gained a Social Studies
Social studies
Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
Degree from Liverpool University, before writing scripts for TV sitcoms such as The Squirrels
The Squirrels (TV series)
The Squirrels is a British television sitcom, written by Eric Chappell, who went on to then later create to write Yorkshire Television sitcoms Rising Damp and Only When I Laugh. It ran for 3 series and 28 episodes and was made and broadcast from 1974 to 1977 on the ITV network, by ATV...
. He came up with the Grange Hill
Grange Hill
Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
concept in 1978, for which he drew upon his own experience of the Comprehensive system.
He was the Creative Director of Liverpool's 2008 European Capital of Culture
European Capital of Culture
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....
. He is Chair of National Museums Liverpool
National Museums Liverpool
National Museums Liverpool, previously known as National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, comprises several museums and art galleries in and around Liverpool, England. All museums and galleries in this group have free admission...
and the Institute of Cultural Capital.
Emmerdale controversy
In 1993, he caused a large amount of controversy after ITVITV
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...
's Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
brought him in to think of a way to attract larger viewing figures to the 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,...
. His solution was a plane crash over the village, killing and wounding many residents. The timing of the storyline — close to the fifth anniversary of the Lockerbie disaster
Pan Am Flight 103
Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan American World Airways' third daily scheduled transatlantic flight from London Heathrow Airport to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport...
— caused complaints.
Honours
In 1989, Redmond was awarded the post of Honorary Professor of Media Studies at Liverpool John Moores UniversityLiverpool John Moores University
Liverpool John Moores University is a British 'modern' university located in the city of Liverpool, England. The university is named after John Moores and was previously called Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts and later Liverpool Polytechnic before gaining university status in 1992, thus...
, where he is encouraging a new, practically-orientated, media studies
Media studies
Media studies is an academic discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history and effects of various media; in particular, the 'mass media'. Media studies may draw on traditions from both the social sciences and the humanities, but mostly from its core disciplines of mass...
course.
He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to drama.
External links
- Phil Redmond at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet 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...
.