Graham Linehan
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Graham Linehan (born 1968) is an Irish television writer 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.
He attended the Marist Catholic University School (secondary) on lower Leeson street in Dublin and graduated in 1986. He is a confirmed atheist and an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society. He also enjoys playing poker and has been featured on Celebrity Poker Club. He is brother-in-law to actor and voice artist Peter Serafinowicz.
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[edit] Writing career
[edit] Television
Linehan and Mathews have been 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 & 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.[1]
Linehan has continued to provide material for shows which are held in high regard, in particular Brass Eye. With Dylan Moran, he co-wrote the first series of Black Books, a series to which Mathews also made a much smaller contribution.
Most recently, Linehan wrote and directed the 2006 Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd, in which he sought to move away from the recent trend of mock-documentary comedies, and return to the old-fashioned style of family-friendly sitcom, filmed before a studio audience.[2]
[edit] Books
Linehan and Mathews have had one book published:
- "Father Ted": The Complete Scripts -- Graham Linehan, Arthur Mathews. (Paperback - Boxtree - October 20, 2000) ISBN 0-7522-7235-7
They have also contributed to various magazines and wrote surreal liner notes for the popular "Volume" series of alternative music compilations.
[edit] Directing career
Linehan has directed the following television shows:
- Six episodes of the IT Crowd, 2006
- One episode of Little Britain, 2003
- Six episodes of Black Books, 2000
- Six episodes of Big Train, 1998
He was also an executive producer of the first series of the IT Crowd, and an associate producer of one episode of Father Ted.
[edit] Television Appearances
Both Linehan and Mathews have made cameo appearances in programmes they have written.
They also made an appearance in the sitcom I'm Alan Partridge as two Irish men considering Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan) for a contract. In the absence of a picture, Mathews is the fairer haired of the two in the scene mentioned.
Typically, they went away with a strong urge to employ somebody else (Partridge: "Sunday Bloody Sunday. Really captures the frustration of a Sunday, doesn't it? The kids are running around, you've got all of the papers to read, and you think "Sunday, Bloody Sunday.")
Linehan has also appeared in two episodes of Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, 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 and Good Luck Father Ted episodes of Father Ted and, so far, one episode of The IT Crowd (Season One Episode 3 as Messy Joe's Restaurant Musician).
[edit] References
- ^ The A-Z of laughter The Observer, 7 December 2003
- ^ Interview with Linehan British SitCom Guide, 2006
[edit] External links
- Graham Linehan's CV
- The I.T. Crowd Official Channel 4 minisite.
- Graham Linehan's LiveJournal
