Jon Plowman
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Phillip Jon Plowman (born 1953 in
Welwyn Garden City Welwyn Garden City ( ) is a town in Hertfordshire, England, north of London. It was the second garden city in England (founded 1920) and one of the first new towns (designated 1948). It is unique in being both a garden city and a new town and ...
,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
) is a British television and film producer. He has been a producer at the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
since 1980, when he produced
Russell Harty Frederic Russell Harty (5 September 1934 – 8 June 1988) was an English television presenter of arts programmes and chat shows. Early life Harty was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, the son of greengrocer Fred Harty, who ran a fruit-and-veget ...
's chat show ''Harty''. He moved on to executive producing at the BBC in 1986, working on sketch show ''
A Bit of Fry and Laurie ''A Bit of Fry & Laurie'' is a British sketch comedy television series written by and starring former Cambridge Footlights members Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, broadcast on both BBC1 and BBC2 between 1989 and 1995. It ran for four series and t ...
'', and became Head of Comedy Entertainment in 1994, mainly responsible for sketch shows. He produced the first four series of the BBC comedy show ''
Absolutely Fabulous ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (also known as ''Ab Fab'') is a British television sitcom based on the ''French and Saunders'' sketch, "Modern Mother and Daughter", created by Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. The show was created and written by Saund ...
'' between 1992 and 2001, plus the big screen version in 2016.


Biography

Plowman was educated in
Welwyn Garden City Welwyn Garden City ( ) is a town in Hertfordshire, England, north of London. It was the second garden city in England (founded 1920) and one of the first new towns (designated 1948). It is unique in being both a garden city and a new town and ...
, Hertfordshire and at
University College, Oxford University College (in full The College of the Great Hall of the University of Oxford, colloquially referred to as "Univ") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It has a claim to being the oldest college of the unive ...
, where was a member of the
University College Players The University College Players (or Univ Players for short) are the theatrical society of University College, Oxford. History The first production was in May 1941 when Shakespeare's ''The Comedy of Errors'' was performed in co-operation with M ...
and made friends with others who went on to establish successful careers in comedy. One,
Mel Smith Melvyn Kenneth Smith (3 December 1952 – 19 July 2013) was an English comedian, actor and director. Smith worked on the sketch comedy shows ''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' and ''Alas Smith and Jones'' with his comedy partner, Griff Rhys Jones. ...
, directed Plowman in a production of ''
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' is an absurdist, existential tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966. The play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare's ''Ham ...
''. After Oxford, Plowman followed Smith to the
Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England ...
, where he met the director
Lindsay Anderson Lindsay Gordon Anderson (17 April 1923 – 30 August 1994) was a British feature-film, theatre and documentary director, film critic, and leading-light of the Free Cinema movement and of the British New Wave. He is most widely remembered for ...
. Plowman worked in theatre for a while, then joined
Granada TV ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was its ...
. He was responsible for producing and commissioning programmes produced in-house at the BBC, of which the greatest successes include ''
The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original series o ...
'' and ''
French & Saunders ''French and Saunders'' is a British sketch comedy television series written by and starring comedy duo and namesake Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders that originally broadcast on BBC2 from 1987 to 1993, and later on BBC One until 2017. It is a ...
''. Plowman became Head of Comedy in October 2005, and oversaw the BBC's in-house comedy production, but no longer commissioned programmes. In June 2007, Plowman announced he was quitting his post at the BBC after 27 years. He decided to become a freelance producer for other shows and hoped to carry on his relationship with the BBC, continuing to create programmes "for them and elsewhere." In December 2003, ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...
'' named him in its list of the '50 Funniest or Most Influential People in British Comedy'. On 14 March 2006, he was honoured with the 'Judges' Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Television' at the Royal Television Society awards. Later he moved into the world of theatre. He co-produced ''Lucky You'', the Carl Hiaasen best-seller that premiered as a theatre production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2008.


Honours

Plowman was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the
2013 Birthday Honours The 2013 Birthday Honours were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as part of ...
for services to British comedy.


Films produced

* '' Ab Fab: The Movie'' (2016)


Programmes produced

* ''
A Bit of Fry and Laurie ''A Bit of Fry & Laurie'' is a British sketch comedy television series written by and starring former Cambridge Footlights members Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, broadcast on both BBC1 and BBC2 between 1989 and 1995. It ran for four series and t ...
'' (1986) * ''
French & Saunders ''French and Saunders'' is a British sketch comedy television series written by and starring comedy duo and namesake Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders that originally broadcast on BBC2 from 1987 to 1993, and later on BBC One until 2017. It is a ...
'' (1987) * '' Smith and Jones'' (1989) * ''
Bottom Bottom may refer to: Anatomy and sex * Bottom (BDSM), the partner in a BDSM who takes the passive, receiving, or obedient role, to that of the top or dominant * Bottom (sex), a term used by gay couples and BDSM * Buttocks or bottom, part of th ...
'' (1991) * ''
Absolutely Fabulous ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (also known as ''Ab Fab'') is a British television sitcom based on the ''French and Saunders'' sketch, "Modern Mother and Daughter", created by Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. The show was created and written by Saund ...
'' (1992) * ''
Kit and The Widow Kit and The Widow were a British double act, performing humorous songs in the vein of Tom Lehrer or Flanders and Swann; they also cite Anna Russell as an influence.''London Theatre Record'', 1988, "Kit Hesketh-Harvey (who co-scripted Maurice) is ...
'' (1992) * '' The Stand Up Show'' (1994) * ''
The Vicar of Dibley ''The Vicar of Dibley'' is a British sitcom which originally ran on BBC One from 10 November 1994 to 1 January 2007. It is set in a fictional small Oxfordshire village called Dibley, which is assigned a female vicar following the 1992 changes ...
'' (1994) * '' Alexei Sayle's Merry-Go-Round'' (1998) * '' Goodness Gracious Me'' (1998) * '' The Ben Elton Show'' (1998) * '' This Morning with Richard Not Judy'' (1998) * ''
BBC New Comedy Awards The BBC New Comedy Award first took place in 1995, and it is considered to be one of the top UK comedy newcomer awards. It was axed in 2006, being replaced by a nationwide talent hunt that places its emphasis on sketch writing and filmed perform ...
'' (1999) * '' Gimme Gimme Gimme'' (1999) * ''
Let Them Eat Cake "Let them eat cake" is the traditional translation of the French phrase "'", said to have been spoken in the 17th or 18th century by "a great princess" upon being told that the peasants had no bread. The French phrase mentions brioche, a bread e ...
'' (1999) * '' People Like Us'' (1999) * ''
Sir Bernard's Stately Homes ''Sir Bernard's Stately Homes'' is a British TV comedy series first shown in 1999 on BBC Two and later repeated on Play UK. Only six ten-minute programmes were produced, all written by and starring Matt Lucas (comedian), Matt Lucas and David W ...
'' (1999) * ''
The League of Gentlemen ''The League of Gentlemen'' is a surreal British comedy horror sitcom that premiered on BBC Two in 1999. The programme is set in Royston Vasey, a fictional town in northern England, originally based on Alston, Cumbria, and follows the live ...
'' (1999) * '' Bruiser'' (2000) * '' Life's A Pitch'' (2000) * '' Mirrorball'' (2000) * '' Rhona'' (2000) * ''
The Nearly Complete And Utter History of Everything ''The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything'' is a collection of television comedy sketches, produced in 1999, broadcast in two parts on 2 and 4 January 2000 on BBC One. Based on well-known historical events, it took its title and conce ...
'' (2000) * ''
The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original series o ...
'' (2000) * ''
The Way It Is The Way It Is may refer to: Music * ''The Way It Is'' (Bruce Hornsby album), by Bruce Hornsby and the Range ** "The Way It Is" (Bruce Hornsby song), the title song * ''The Way It Is'' (Glenn Hughes album), or the title song * ''The Way It Is' ...
'' (2000) * ''
Tv to Go ''TV to Go'' is a British television sketch show that aired on BBC One during 2001 and 2002. It starred Mackenzie Crook, Hugh Dennis, Mina Anwar and Debra Stephenson. Notes and references''TV to Go''at BBC Online BBC Online, formerly k ...
'' (2000) * '' Victoria Wood With All The Trimmings'' (2000) * ''
We are History ''We Are History'' is a British comedy series broadcast on the BBC. It ran for two series of six ten-minute episodes. The series was a parody of historical and archaeological documentaries, especially those of the ''Time Team'', ''Meet the Ance ...
'' (2000) * ''
Aaagh! It's the Mr. Hell Show ''Aaagh! It's the Mr. Hell Show!'' is an animated skitcom television show that aired on BBC Two from 28 October 2001 to 18 February 2002. The show was created by David Freedman and Alan Gilbey after the greeting card line about a painfully hone ...
'' (2001) * '' 15 Storeys High'' (2002) * ''
Celeb Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...
'' (2002) * ''
Cyderdelic ''Cyderdelic'' was a BBC Three spoof documentary following the activities of a 'West Country direct action group within the growing anti-capitalist movement'. It was subtitled 'The Revolution Will Be Televised'. ''Cyderdelic'' was narrated by Jo ...
'' (2002) * '' Dead Ringers'' (2002) * ''
Grass Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns a ...
'' (2003) * '' Little Britain'' (2003) * '' The Harringham Harker'' (2003) * '' Doctors and Nurses'' (2004) * '' Comic Aid'' (2005) * '' Extras'' (2005) * ''
The Late Edition ''The Late Edition'' is a British television programme broadcast on BBC Four. It takes the form of a weekly topical chat show in the vein of ''The Daily Show'', presented by comedian Marcus Brigstocke. Each episode typically features comical ne ...
'' (2005) * ''
The Robinsons ''The Robinsons'' is a British comedy television series that debuted on BBC Two on 5 May 2005. The show's central character is a divorced reinsurance actuary, Ed Robinson (played by Martin Freeman), who realises that reinsurance is not his passio ...
'' (2005) * ''
The Thick of It ''The Thick of It'' is a British comedy television series that satirises the inner workings of British government. Written and directed by Armando Iannucci, it was first broadcast for two short series on BBC Four in 2005, initially with a smal ...
'' (2005) * '' The Brown Couch'' (2006) * ''
Jam and Jerusalem Jam is a type of fruit preserve. Jam or Jammed may also refer to: Other common meanings * A firearm malfunction * Block signals ** Radio jamming ** Radar jamming and deception ** Mobile phone jammer ** Echolocation jamming Arts and ente ...
'' (2006) executive producer * ''
The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle ''The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle'' is a British sitcom that was originally aired on BBC Two in 2007. The programme was written and created by Jennifer Saunders and Tanya Byron. The show stars Saunders as the title character of the talk show ...
'' (2007) * '' Beautiful People'' (2008) * ''
Psychoville ''Psychoville'' is a British psychological horror-thriller black comedy mystery television series created and written by and starring '' The League of Gentlemen'' members Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton for the BBC. It debuted on BBC T ...
'' (2009) * ''
Twenty Twelve ''Twenty Twelve'' is a BBC television comedy series written and directed by John Morton. Starring Hugh Bonneville, Jessica Hynes and Amelia Bullmore, the programme is a spoof on-location mockumentary following the organisation of the 2012 Summ ...
'' (2011) * '' Way to Go'' (2013) * ''
W1A The W (Western and Paddington) postcode area, also known as the London W postcode area is a group of postcode districts covering part of central and part of West London, England. The area originates from the Western (W1) and Paddington (W2-14) ...
'' (2014–2017) * ''
Inside No. 9 ''Inside No. 9'' is a British black comedy anthology television programme that first aired in 2014. It is written by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton and produced by the BBC. Each 30-minute episode is a self-contained story with new chara ...
'' (2014 – present)


References


External links

*
Jon Plowman at the BBC Comedy Guide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plowman, Jon 1953 births Alumni of University College, Oxford BBC executives BBC television producers British film producers British television producers Date of birth missing (living people) Living people Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Welwyn Garden City