born april british television film producer graduating 1970s began television career television current affairs series world action moving freelance work directed produced programmes channel production company 1980s appointed controller newly created comedy department decade produced executive produced critically acclaimed series including family cold feet portfolio expanded include drama productions worked bafta winning television play deal began work producing queen released critical acclaim spent years itv network increasingly dissatisfied management itv corporate merger publicly criticized network announced contract departed form produced television series strike married single feature film damned united television series development addition awards won programmes worked given special achievement award bafta contributions british television year ranked guardian media married novelist director family daughter jackson jack finn niece nephew early life education born scotland april grew england receiving primary education secondary education public grew aspiring war correspondent vietnam investigative journalist idols left college age poor level results reporter newspaper time newspaper raised awareness politics sought understanding studying university applied northern universities break away southern middle class lifestyle accepted stayed hull continued work holidays university developed interest music journalism found outlet writing reviews early career leaving hull moved london work news agency writing diary pieces advice friend applied position researcher manchester understand appeal television production result turned away interviews hired shortly hired taken aside news producer asked read air bulletin nightly broadcast read news months night condensed minute bulletin minutes attributed stage caused speak fast rest production crew ready news items leaving standing silence minutes recalled interview producer bulletin called office telling deserve television longer reading news morrison remarks angered point assaulted man aware going lose job contacted colleague got new job london centre took age pursuing interest investigative journalism worked researcher current affairs programme world action met achieved success exposing alleged corruption involving chairman investigated irregularities investigation success admits programme didn blind bit difference freelance channel left moved freelance producing directing directed documentary series africa beginning collaboration films peru god novelist president working editions arena directing corporate video met assistant day ross invited direct pilot chat developed based late night david_letterman pilot success ross found television audience resort aired formed production company called decade produced ross incredibly strange film comedian film directed edited number performances henry guardian film critic called direction 1990s began direction production ross channel production company documentary executive produced musical history script ghosts written wife year developed script called beat film described variety bizarre remake hard day night featuring briefly fashionable band brit comic development budget sent morgan research trip taking route lasted days second career controller comedy edinburgh festival fringe personally bought television rights evening comedy play written based group england fans world cup smith bet able adaptation television world cup tried selling smith england screenplay bbc channel_4 avail bbc offered produce studio play wanted length film distinguish original play playing london west end reluctant offer script previous experience company accepted position controller comedy evening disappointed pressure management forced replace original stage cast england replaced leaving original actor edinburgh fringe played important role early commissions fond traditional styles comedy looking alternative included got away bbc offered produce shows failure commissioned write love series short comedy films series presents turning offer number position channel_4 extending contract controller entertainment comedy commissioned negotiating second series bbc years later series included family sitcom featuring working class northern family aired bbc episodes filmed studio audience approve scrapped episodes laugh track family returned special achievement described giving greater pleasure spin commissioned based son played programme critical failure blamed bbc commissioned comedy drama bbc radio producer time writer like evening perfect match based football received respectable reviews interested producing comedy dramas based success american programmes like assigned producer work developed broadcast commissioned series won collected executive produced series george panel produced came sue programme itv following success channel casting couch low viewing figures recommissioned comedies commissioned produced included dark ages wonderful life began developing dark ages sitcom set turn 2nd millennium work writer time proposed writer liked idea wrote episodes dark ages aired nightly christmas period second series proposed said hit stride itv wonderful life ratings disaster blamed publicly criticised network director channels drama film brief september portfolio significantly expanded appointed controller drama following commissions included doctor henry_viii itv provide hour approached broadcaster remaining funds following merging brief expanded include films significant year drama output approached idea drama documenting pact labour_party leadership election chief executive keen producing deal persuaded itv initially agreed pulled filming began offered channel_4 took hours deal critical success won year brought drama serial prime suspect produced star quit agreed return prime suspect witness years later returned seventh final serial entitled final act character confronts alcoholism sub plot created prime suspect critical decision drunk saying started drinking heavily character ranked number list powerful figures british drama compiled industry experts radio_times read watched actors production staff react like queen pre production follow deal focus royal family week following death diana princess wales return writer signed director suggested play queen agreed film produced released september numerous awards nominated bafta award best film won despite success film expressed disappointment itv giving backing interview month queen released criticised management itv deeply arrogant expressed disappointment drama channel good end year announced contract company entertainment industry commentators suggested set independent production company present rumours start company possibly circulated 1990s predictions came fruition announced formation immediately took share british production house receive investment concern conflict interest publicly funded bbc guardian wrote deal door way getting rules preventing bbc producing programmes british rivals commented investment limit future prospects tied bbc proposed produce features films year television series company television commission series based novels series association swedish company bbc broadcast november december second series followed feature film damned united adapted david peace novel released broadcast comedy series school comedy crime drama father son comedy drama series married single filmed itv broadcast executive produced blair trilogy special relationship broadcast hbo networks united_states august acquired majority stake acclaim inception lead listed guardian media making entry number end year listed broadcast producers described outstanding drama producers awarded special award honour december radio_times ranked number faces feature compilation biggest names coming stars year ahead broadcast ranked number executive producers category received academy_award nomination producer queen saw run academy award nominations winning conferred fellowship outstanding contributions broadcasting industry personal life married writer director july couple children jack finn identical twins born conceived experience worked storyline basis novel life cameo queen little girl hands flowers queen outside buckingham palace jack appeared channel comedy lab pilot subsequent series produced finn appears sketch entitled continuity errors clone jack character jack finn run successful youtube channel attracted million subscribers million subscribers november producing south bank profile ghosts remained good friends spoke funeral april filmography
Andy Harries