Geoff Posner

Geoffrey Harold Posner (born 7 July 1949) is a British television producer and director.[1] Posner has directed and produced some of Britain's most successful comedy shows since the early 1980s.

Geoff Posner
Born	Geoffrey Harold Posner 7 July 1949
Occupation	Television producer, director
Years active	1981–present

Career

Starting off as a director on the satirical show Not the Nine O'Clock News, he also directed Revolting Women for BBC Manchester in 1981, a sketch show featuring amongst others Jeni Barnett and Linda Broughton, and in 1982 went on to direct the groundbreaking BBC2 anti-sitcom The Young Ones. Working also as an assistant producer on that show, he went on to produce in the same year the unshown pilot of the Rowan Atkinson historical sitcom Blackadder.[2] One of his biggest successes came in 1985, when he produced and directed the multi-award-winning Victoria Wood As Seen On TV, a sketch show written by (and starring) the popular comedian.[3]

Posner has since produced and directed some of the most popular British television comedies of the 1990s and 2000s. They include Harry Enfield's Television Programme, French & Saunders, Paul Calf's Video Diaries, and dinnerladies. More recently he was one of the TV directors covering the Live 8 concert. He was also producer of the second and third series of Little Britain.[2][4][5]

His shows have won six BAFTA awards and been nominated for another seven.[6]

Posner formed Pozzitive Television with fellow TV producer David Tyler in 1992.[7]

Posner also directed the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest in Birmingham and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert in 2012.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex in 2016.[8]

Television productions

• Revolting Women, director, episode one, 1981
• Top of the Pops, director, five episodes, 1980-1981 [9]
• Not The Nine O'Clock News, director, series 4, 1982[10]
• Blackadder, director, pilot, 1982[11]
• Blankety Blank, director, one episode, 1982[12]
• The Young Ones, director, 1982[13]
• Carrott's Lib, director, 1982 - 1983[14]
• The Lenny Henry Show, director, 1984-1988[15]
• Madness The Pilot, director, TV short, 1984[16]
• Lenny Henry Tonite, director, 1986[17]
• French and Saunders, director, 1987-1988[18]
• The Robbie Coltrane Special, director, 1989[19]
• Victoria Wood as Seen on TV, director/producer, 1989[20]
• John Sessions' Tall Tales, director, 1991[21]
• Josie, director, 1991[22]
• Paul Merton: The Series, director, 1991[23]
• Harry Enfield's Television Programme, director, 1992[24]
• Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast, director, 1992[25]
• It's A Mad World, World, World, World, director, 1994[26]
• Paul Calf's Video Diary, director / producer, 1994[27]
• Victoria Wood: Live In Your Own Home, director/ producer, 1994[28]
• A Christmas Night With the Stars, director, 1994[29]
• Pauline Calf's Wedding Video, director/ producer, 1994[30]
• Coogan's Run, director/ producer, 1995[31]
• The Tony Ferrino Phenomenon, director/ producer, 1997[32]
• Harry Enfield and Chums, director/ producer, 1997[33]
• Victoria Wood: Live, director/ producer, 1997[34]
• The Eurovision Song Contest, producer, 1998[35]
• Stephen Fry's Live From The Lighthouse, director/ producer, 1998[36]
• Steve Coogan: The Man Who Thinks He's It, director/ producer, 1998[37]
• dinnerladies, director/ producer, 1998-2000[38]
• tlc, director/ producer, 2002[39]
• The Prince's Trust 30th Birthday: Live, director/ producer, 2006[40]
• Little Britain series 2 and 3, director/ producer, 2004-2006[41]
• Music Hall Meltdown, director/ producer, 2007[42]
• Giles Wemmbley-Hogg Goes Off... to Glastonbury, director/producer, 2007[43]
• Marcus Brigstocke: Planet Corduroy, director/producer, 2007[44]
• Saturday Live Again, director/ producer, 2007[45]
• Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, 'The Aftermath', director, 2009[46]
• Big Top, director/ producer, 2009[47]
• The Angina Monologues, director/ producer, 2010[48]
• The One Ronnie, director/ producer, 2010[49]
• Come Fly With Me, producer, 2010-2011[50]
• The One Griff Rhys Jones, director/ producer, 2012[51]
• Catherine Tate's Nan, director/ producer, 2014-2015[52]
• Victoria Wood: From Soup to Nuts, executive producer, 2018[53]

Other work

Posner also produced and directed a number of live events, including the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998, the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and the Jubilee Gala 2013.

Notable awards and nominations

• Carrott's Lib, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - winner, 1984[54]
• Victoria Wood as Seen on TV, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - winner, 1986[55]
• Victoria Wood as Seen on TV, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - winner, 1987[56] a
• Victoria Wood on TV, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - winner, 1988[57]
• French and Saunders, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - nominated, 1989[58]
• The Lenny Henry Show, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - nominated, 1989[58]
• Harry Enfield's Television Programme, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - nominated, 1993[59]
• Pauline Calf's Wedding Video (as Three Fights, Two Weddings, and a Funeral), BAFTA, Best Television Comedy - winner, 1995[60]
• dinnerladies, BAFTA, Television Comedy - nominated, 1999[61]
• The Eurovision Song Contest, Best Live Outside Broadcast Coverage - nominated, 1999[62]
• dinnerladies, BAFTA, Situation Comedy - nominated, 2000[63]

References

1. "Search The Collection". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
2. "Geoff Posner". IMDB. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
3. Brandwood, Neil (2002). Victoria Wood – The Biography (1st ed.). London: Boxtree. ISBN 1-85227-982-6.
4. "Little Britain TV Series Two". davidwalliamsfans.com. Archived from the original on 2007-04-09. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
5. "Little Britain TV Series Three". davidwalliamsfans.com. Archived from the original on 2008-02-03. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
6. "Geoff Posner - Awards". IMDB. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
7. Comedy, Pozzitive. "Pozzitive: Welcome to Pozzitive". pozzitive.co.uk.
8. "Graduation 2016 at the University of Essex". University of Essex. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
9. "Top of the Pops[29/01/81] (1981)". BFI.
10. "Shame" – via www.imdb.com.
11. Posner, Geoff (April 23, 2016). "'I felt spoiled to be there.' Geoff Posner remembers Victoria Wood" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
12. "Episode #5.1" – via www.imdb.com.
13. "The accidental humorist". The Independent. November 17, 1995.
14. "The Best of Carrott's Lib" – via www.imdb.com.
15. "The Lenny Henry Show". www.bbc.co.uk.
16. "Madness the Pilot" – via www.imdb.com.
17. "Lenny Henry Tonite". September 25, 1986. p. 76 – via BBC Genome.
18. "BFI Screenonline: French and Saunders (1987-)". www.screenonline.org.uk.
19. "The Robbie Coltrane Special" – via www.imdb.com.
20. Ashfield (June 2018), Steve. "Victoria Wood As Seen on TV". Television Heaven.
21. "John Sessions's Tall Tales". September 15, 1991. p. 52 – via BBC Genome.
22. "Josie[08/05/91] (1991)". BFI.
23. "Episode #1.1" – via www.imdb.com.
24. "Harry Enfield's Television Programme (1992)". BFI.
25. "Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast" – via www.imdb.com.
26. "It's a Mad World, World, World, World" – via www.imdb.com.
27. "Paul Calf's Video Diary (TV Short 1993) - IMDb" – via www.imdb.com.
28. "Victoria Wood: Live in Your Own Home (1994)". BFI.
29. "Episode dated 27 December 1994" – via www.imdb.com.
30. "Three Fights, Two Weddings and a Funeral Pauline Calf's Wedding Video (1994)". BFI.
31. "Coogan's Run". www.bbc.co.uk.
32. Guide, British Comedy. "The Tony Ferrino Phenomenon - BBC2 Comedy". British Comedy Guide.
33. "THE NEW HARRY ENFIELD & CHUMS | British Board of Film Classification". bbfc.co.uk.
34. "Victoria Wood: Live" – via www.imdb.com.
35. "The Eurovision Song Contest" – via www.imdb.com.
36. "Live from the Lighthouse" – via www.imdb.com.
37. "Steve Coogan: The Man Who Thinks He's It" – via www.imdb.com.
38. Guide, British Comedy. "Geoff Posner". British Comedy Guide.
39. Deans, Jason (April 8, 2002). "TLC to inject humour into the NHS" – via www.theguardian.com.
40. "The Prince's Trust 30th Birthday: Live" – via www.imdb.com.
41. "Little Britain (TV Series 2003–2006) - IMDb" – via www.imdb.com.
42. "BBC Four - Music Hall Meltdown". BBC.
43. "Giles Wemmbley Hogg Goes Off.... to Glastonbury" – via www.imdb.com.
44. "Marcus Brigstocke: Planet Corduroy" – via www.imdb.com.
45. "Saturday Live Again!" – via www.imdb.com.
46. "The Aftermath: Part 2 - Sliding Gaz" – via www.imdb.com.
47. Guide, British Comedy. "Big Top - BBC1 Sitcom". British Comedy Guide.
48. "The Angina Monologues" – via www.imdb.com.
49. "BBC One - The Ones, Series 1, The One Ronnie". BBC.
50. "Come Fly with Me (TV Series 2010–2011) - IMDb" – via www.imdb.com.
51. "The One Griff Rhys Jones" – via www.imdb.com.
52. "Catherine Tate's Nan" – via www.imdb.com.
53. "BBC Radio 4 - Victoria Wood - From Soup to Nuts, From Soup..." BBC.
54. "BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
55. "BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
56. "1987 Television Light Entertainment Programme | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
57. "1988 Television Light Entertainment Programme | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
58. "1989 Television Light Entertainment Programme | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
59. "BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
60. "BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
61. "BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
62. "BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
63. "BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.

External links

• Geoff Posner at the BBC Programme Catalogue