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

Career

Starting off as a director on the satirical show ''

Not the Nine O'Clock News ''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' is a British television sketch comedy show which was broadcast on BBC2 from 1979 to 1982. Originally shown as a comedy alternative to the '' Nine O'Clock News'' on BBC1, it features satirical sketches on then-curren ...

'', 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 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...

anti-sitcom '' The Young Ones''. Working also as an assistant producer on that show, he went on to produce in the same year the unaired pilot of the

Rowan Atkinson Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born 6 January 1955) is an English actor, comedian and writer. He played the title roles on the sitcoms '' Blackadder'' (1983–1989) and ''Mr. Bean'' (1990–1995), and the film series ''Johnny English'' (2003–201 ...

historical sitcom ''

Blackadder ''Blackadder'' is a series of four period British sitcoms, plus several one-off instalments, which originally aired on BBC One from 1983 to 1989. All television episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as the antihero Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robins ...

''. One of his biggest successes came in 1985, when he produced and directed the multi-award-winning ''

Victoria Wood As Seen On TV ''Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV'' is a British comedy sketch series written by and starring comedian Victoria Wood, with appearances from Julie Walters, Celia Imrie, Duncan Preston, Susie Blake and Patricia Routledge. The show was televised on B ...

'', a sketch show written by (and starring) the comedian. 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 ''Harry Enfield & Chums'' (originally titled ''Harry Enfield's Television Programme'') is a British sketch show starring Harry Enfield, Paul Whitehouse and Kathy Burke. It first broadcast on BBC2 in 1990 in the 9 pm slot on Thursday night ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

Paul Calf Stephen John Coogan (; born 14 October 1965) is an English actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. He is most known for creating original characters such as Alan Partridge, a socially inept and politically incorrect media personality, which ...

's Video Diaries'', and '' dinnerladies''. More recently he was one of the TV directors covering the

Live 8 Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland, from 6–8 July 200 ...

concert. He was also producer of the second and third series of ''

Little Britain Little Britain may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little Britain'' (sketch show), a British radio and then TV show ** ''Little Britain USA'', an American spin-off * "Little Britain", a song by Dreadzone from the 1995 album '' Second Light'' ...

''. His shows have won six BAFTA awards and been nominated for another seven. Posner formed

Pozzitive Television Pozzitive Television is a production company formed by producers Geoff Posner and David Tyler in 1992. Pozzitive have won awards including six BAFTAs, two Golden Roses at Montreux, multiple British Comedy & RTS awards, seven Sony Awards and ...

with fellow TV producer David Tyler in 1992. Posner also directed the

1998 Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest 1998 was the 43rd edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest, held on 9 May 1998 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert in 2012. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the

University of Essex The University of Essex is a public university, public research university in Essex, England. Established by royal charter in 1965, Essex is one of the original plate glass university, plate glass universities. Essex's shield consists of the an ...

in 2016.

Television productions

*''Revolting Women'', director, episode one, 1981 *''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...

'', director, five episodes, 1980-1981 *''

'', director, series 4, 1982 *''

'', director, pilot, 1982 *''

Blankety Blank ''Blankety Blank'' is a British comedy game show which started in 1979 and is still running today, albeit with some sizeable gaps. The original series ran from 18 January 1979 to 12 March 1990 on BBC1, hosted first by Terry Wogan from 1979 un ...

'', director, one episode, 1982 *'' The Young Ones'', director, 1982 *''

Carrott's Lib ''Carrott's Lib'' is a British satirical comedy series broadcast between 2 October 1982 and 30 December 1983. It starred Jasper Carrott and a cast of many comedians. The show was a satirical comedy and sketch show, featuring many comedians who wen ...

'', director, 1982 - 1983 *''

The Lenny Henry Show ''The Lenny Henry Show'' is a comedy sketch show (and in its 1987–1988 incarnation, a sitcom) featuring Lenny Henry. It was originally broadcast between 1984 and 1988, and was later revived twice, in 1995 and 2004–2005. History Original vers ...

'', director, 1984-1988 * Madness The Pilot, director, TV short, 1984 *''Lenny Henry Tonite'', director, 1986 *''

French and 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 al ...

'', director, 1987-1988 *''The Robbie Coltrane Special'', director, 1989 *'' Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV'', director/producer, 1989 *''John Sessions' Tall Tales'', director, 1991 *''Josie'', director, 1991 *'' Paul Merton: The Series'', director, 1991 *''

'', director, 1992 *''

Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast ''Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast'' is a 50-minute television comedy special, written by and starring comedian Victoria Wood. It was broadcast on BBC One on Christmas Day 1992. The show was largely a parody of British daytime TV. The sketches ...

'', director, 1992 *''It's A Mad World, World, World, World'', director, 1994 *'' Paul Calf's Video Diary'', director / producer, 1994 *''Victoria Wood: Live In Your Own Home'', director/ producer, 1994 *''A Christmas Night With the Stars'', director, 1994 *'' Pauline Calf's Wedding Video'', director/ producer, 1994 *''

Coogan's Run ''Coogan's Run'' is a 1995 UK TV series featuring Steve Coogan as a series of odd characters living in the fictional town of Ottle. It was written by various people including Coogan, Patrick Marber, David Tyler, Graham Linehan, Arthur Mathews, ...

'', director/ producer, 1995 *'' The Tony Ferrino Phenomenon'', director/ producer, 1997 *''

Harry Enfield and Chums ''Harry Enfield & Chums'' (originally titled ''Harry Enfield's Television Programme'') is a British sketch show starring Harry Enfield, Paul Whitehouse and Kathy Burke. It first broadcast on BBC2 in 1990 in the 9 pm slot on Thursday night ...

'', director/ producer, 1997 *''Victoria Wood: Live'', director/ producer, 1997 *''

Eurovision Song Contest 1998 The Eurovision Song Contest 1998 was the 43rd edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest, held on 9 May 1998 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster ...

'', director, 1998 *''Stephen Fry's Live From The Lighthouse'', director/ producer, 1998 *''Steve Coogan: The Man Who Thinks He's It'', director/ producer, 1998 *''

dinnerladies Lunch lady, in Canada and the US, is a term for a woman who cooks and serves food in a school cafeteria. The equivalent term in the United Kingdom is dinner lady. The role is also sometimes known as cafeteria lady. Sometimes, a lunch lady also ...

'', director/ producer, 1998-2000 *''

tlc TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...

'', director/ producer, 2002 *''The Prince's Trust 30th Birthday: Live'', director/ producer, 2006 *''

'' series 2 and 3, director/ producer, 2004-2006 *'' Music Hall Meltdown'', director/ producer, 2007 *''Giles Wemmbley-Hogg Goes Off... to Glastonbury'', director/producer, 2007 *''Marcus Brigstocke: Planet Corduroy'', director/producer, 2007 *'' Saturday Live Again'', director/ producer, 2007 *''

Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps ''Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps'' is a British sitcom that ran from 26 February 2001 to 24 May 2011. First broadcast on BBC Two, it starred Sheridan Smith, Will Mellor, Natalie Casey, Ralf Little, Kathryn Drysdale and Luke Gell. Cr ...

'', 'The Aftermath', director, 2009 *'' Big Top'', director/ producer, 2009 *''The Angina Monologues'', director/ producer, 2010 *''

The One Ronnie ''The One...'' is a comedy sketch television series starring Ronnie Corbett, of ''The Two Ronnies'', Lenny Henry of ''The Lenny Henry Show'', Jasper Carrott, comedian and former presenter of ITV game show '' Golden Balls'' and Welsh comedian and ...

'', director/ producer, 2010 *'' Come Fly With Me'', producer, 2010-2011 *''The One Griff Rhys Jones'', director/ producer, 2012 *''

Catherine Tate's Nan ''Catherine Tate's Nan'' (simply referred to as ''Nan'' on-screen) is a BBC One spin-off series of specials which follows the character of Joanie Taylor (Catherine Tate) from the original sketch comedy series ''The Catherine Tate Show''. When th ...

'', director/ producer, 2014-2015 *''Victoria Wood: From Soup to Nuts'', executive producer, 2018

Other work

Posner also produced and directed a number of live events, including the Opening Ceremony of the

London 2012 Olympic Games The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

, the

Royal Wedding ''Royal Wedding'' is a 1951 American musical comedy film directed by Stanley Donen, and starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell, with music by Burton Lane and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. Set in 1947 London at the time of the wedding of Princess ...

Prince William William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educat ...

and

Kate Middleton Catherine, Princess of Wales, (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne, making Catherine the likely next ...

, and the Jubilee Gala 2013.

Notable awards and nominations

, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - winner, 1984 * Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - winner, 1986 * Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - winner, 1987 a *Victoria Wood on TV, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - winner, 1988 *

, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - nominated, 1989 *

, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - nominated, 1993 * Pauline Calf's Wedding Video (as ''Three Fights, Two Weddings, and a Funeral''), BAFTA, Best Television Comedy - winner, 1995 *

, BAFTA, Television Comedy - nominated, 1999 *

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...

, Best Live Outside Broadcast Coverage - nominated, 1999 *

, BAFTA, Situation Comedy - nominated, 2000

References

External links

Geoff Posner at the BBC Programme Catalogue
{{DEFAULTSORT:Posner, Geoff 1949 births Living people British television producers