| Michael Chaplin | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1951 County Durham |
| Relative(s) | Sid Chaplin (father) |
Michael Chaplin (born 1951, County Durham) is an English radio, television, theatre, and non-fiction writer and former TV executive and producer.
He began his career as a print and television journalist. He moved into documentary and drama production before becoming head of drama and arts at Tyne Tees Television, where he was executive producer for some of the Catherine Cookson adaptations.
He become head of programmes at BBC Wales before turning to full-time writing for radio, theatre and television.
In the late 1990s he created Grafters and Monarch of the Glen. In 2001, he received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for his script for an episode of Dalziel and Pascoe. He contributed several scripts to the third and final season of Robin Hood for the BBC in 2009. Other recent TV work includes as ITV drama about Pickles: The Dog Who Won the World Cup. His next TV project is a forthcoming adaptation for ITV of Michelle Magorian's novel "Just Henry".
From 2006 to 2010 he was a visiting professor at the University of Sunderland in scriptwriting and screenplays.[1]
His play "You Couldn't Make It Up" about Newcastle United F.C., was performed at the Live Theatre in 2009. This was followed in 2011 by "A Walk-On Part", a stage adaptation of the memoirs of former MP Chris Mullin, also at Live Theatre.[2][3]
His radio play "The Song Thief" was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2009 and was adapted for theatrical production at the People's Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne in September 2011. Chaplin's other writing for radio includes two plays for the series "The Stanley Baxter Playhouse": Flying Down to Greenock and Fife Circle (BBC Radio 4, Radio 7, & Radio 4 Extra, 2007-2010); and all six plays in the series Two Pipe Problems: A Streetcar Named Revenge, The Trusty Valet and the Crusty Butler, Two Pipe Problems, Have You Come Far?, Right Old Charlie and The Memory Man Forgets.
His father was writer Sid Chaplin.