Graham Linehan

Graham Linehan () (born 22 May 1968) is an Irish television writer and anti-transgender activist. He created or co-created the sitcoms ''Father Ted'' (1995–1998), ''Black Books'' (2000–2004) and '' The IT Crowd'' (2006–2013). He has also written for '' Count Arthur Strong'', ''Brass Eye'' and ''The Fast Show''.

After an episode of ''The IT Crowd'' was criticised as transphobic in 2008, Linehan became involved in anti-transgender activism. He argues that transgender activism endangers women and he has likened the use of puberty blockers to Nazi eugenics. In 2020, he was suspended from the social network Twitter for "repeated violations" of the rules. Linehan said he was a victim of cancel culture, and that his views had lost him work and ended his marriage.

As of December 2022, his Twitter account has been restored.

Early life

Linehan attended Plunkett's School in Whitehall, on Dublin's northside, followed by Catholic University School, a Roman Catholic secondary school for boys also in Dublin, before joining ''Hot Press''.

Career

Linehan and Arthur Mathews met while working at ''Hot Press''. In their early collaborations, they were responsible for segments in sketch shows including ''Alas Smith and Jones'', ''Harry Enfield and Chums'', ''The All New Alexei Sayle Show'', ''The Day Today'' and the Ted and Ralph characters in ''The Fast Show''. They continued their collaboration with ''Paris'' (one series, 1994), ''Father Ted'' (three series, 1995–1998), and the first series of the sketch show ''Big Train''.

They also wrote the "Dearth of A Salesman" episode for the series ''Coogan's Run'', which featured the character Gareth Cheeseman. In late 2003, they were named one of the 50 funniest acts to work in television by ''The Observer''.

Linehan has written for other shows, including ''Brass Eye''. With Dylan Moran, he co-wrote the first series of ''Black Books'', a series to which Mathews also contributed. Linehan also contributed material to '' Blue Jam'', and its television adaptation '' Jam''.

Linehan wrote and directed the 2006 Channel 4 sitcom '' The IT Crowd'', in which he sought to move away from the recent British trend towards mock-documentary comedies. Unlike many series of the time, it was recorded before a studio audience. In November 2008, he was awarded an International Emmy for ''The IT Crowd''. In 2013, he wrote and directed '' The Walshes''. He co-wrote the first series of the BBC sitcom ''Motherland'' and directed its pilot episode.

In 2018, Linehan and Mathews announced plans for a ''Father Ted'' musical. In 2021, Linehan said he was still developing the musical and that it would finish the series as they had planned it before the death of lead actor Dermot Morgan. In March 2022, Linehan said the musical had been cancelled by producers following the controversy over his views on transgender rights.

Television appearances

Both Linehan and Mathews have made cameos in programmes they have written. They also made an appearance in the sitcom '' I'm Alan Partridge'' as two Irish TV producers considering Alan Partridge ( Steve Coogan) for a contract.

Linehan has also appeared in ''The Day Today'' and in two episodes of '' Garth Marenghi's Darkplace'', and has had cameos in ''Black Books'' (series one, episode two, as "I love books" Guy, and series one, episode five as Fast Food Customer), and the ''Father Ted'' episodes "Good Luck Father Ted", "Entertaining Father Stone", "Flight Into Terror", "Cigarettes, Alcohol and Rollerblading" and "Chirpy Burpy Cheap Sheep". He had cameos in four episodes of ''The IT Crowd'': as Messy Joe's Restaurant Musician, in series one, episode three; the blind sorcerer, in series two, Episode six; as a member of the audience for Jen's speech, in series three, episode four; and as Beth Gaga Shaggy, in series four, episode three. He appeared in the Identity Parade round of ''Never Mind the Buzzcocks''. He also appeared in the pilot of '' Little Britain'', as well as in series one, episode four, as a bystander who gets in the way of character Kenny Craig when he is attempting to hypnotise, from a distance, a man whose car he has crashed into. He also appeared in series one, episode five, in which he played a journalist called Roy Sloan (from '' Whizzer and Chips'') during a conference with Prime Minister Michael Stevens (Anthony Head). Linehan was one of the writers interviewed by Charlie Brooker in a special interview episode of the fifth series of ''Brooker's Screenwipe'' programme, and again on ''Brooker's Gameswipe'' in 2010. Linehan also appeared as a guest panellist on '' Have I Got News for You'' in 2011 and again in 2012, and he made his debut as a guest on the BBC show '' QI'' in the 11th series (K series) in 2013, receiving a score of −19.

In 2007, a documentary about Linehan, his life and his career was produced by Wildfire Films for RTÉ One. This documentary explored the art, craft and deeply competitive business of creating contemporary television comedy. The programme featured interviews with several of the UK's most successful television comedy writers and performers including Steve Coogan, Matt Lucas, David Walliams, Paul Whitehouse, Griff Rhys Jones and Ardal O'Hanlon, all of whom have worked with Linehan. It was directed by Adrian McCarthy and produced by Martha O'Neill and Adam Rynne. In 2011, Linehan also appeared with several members of the cast in Channel 4's ''Father Ted Night'', an evening of the writer's favourite episodes and two retrospective documentaries.

Radio appearances

On 6 June 2011, Linehan appeared on BBC Radio 4's ''Today'' programme to discuss his adaptation of the Ealing comedy film '' The Ladykillers'' for the West End stage. During this appearance, Linehan took issue with ''Today'' presenter Justin Webb over what he saw as the attempted staging of an artificial argument between himself and the critic Michael Billington. He later expanded on this criticism in an article published in ''The Guardian'', saying "I'm talking about that very specific, very artificial, very ''Today'' programme format of a presenter acting as referee between two people who have been chosen to represent the opposing sides of a manufactured argument. It is a binary view of politics, of life and, as a result, it is also a dishonest one. Replace it with anything – anything – because anything would be better".

Other work

Linehan's children voiced characters in the 2012 ''Adventure Time'' episode "Goliad", with Linehan directing the children while taking the producers' instructions over the phone. Linehan planned to write a sequel episode, and sent versions of the story to the production team. This episode was never made as ''Adventure Time'' ended in 2018.

Anti-transgender activism

Linehan has been noted internationally for his anti-transgender activism.Additional citations covering Linehan's anti-transgender views:
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* He became involved after the airing of a 2008 episode of ''The IT Crowd'', written by Linehan, was widely criticised as transphobic and sexist; critics said it used gender stereotypes and trivialised violence against transgender women. The episode features a man who learns that his girlfriend is transgender and gets into a fight with her. Linehan felt the joke was "harmless" and says he did not understand the "ferocity" of the response, arguing that a transphobic character did not make him or the episode transphobic.

Linehan said he was sceptical of gender self-identification, objecting to "privileged white people saying you must accept anyone who says they are a woman". He said that "anyone suffering from gender dysphoria needs to be helped and supported", but voiced concern over early transgender intervention for children. Until his suspension in 2020, he used the social network Twitter to criticise "trans ideology", which he believes misrepresents transgender people and lesbians.

In 2018, Linehan praised anti-transgender protesters at that year's London Pride event who had carried banners and flyers saying that "transactivism erases lesbians", calling them "heroes". Later that year, Stephanie Hayden, a transgender woman, sued Linehan for harassment. Hayden alleged that Linehan had shared photos on Twitter of Hayden's family and her life before transition, suggested she was a criminal and repeatedly misgendered and deadnamed her. Linehan in turn alleged that Hayden publicised several private addresses linked to his family to silence him. Police issued Linehan a verbal warning not to contact Hayden.

In a December 2018 interview with Derrick Jensen, Linehan remarked that "I'm now in a position where I can answer the question honestly of, if you were around at the time of something terrible happening like Nazism, or whatever it happened to be, would you be one of the people who said 'no, this is wrong', despite being opposed?". He also described the trans movement as providing "cover" for "fetishists, con-men, and simply abusive misogynists". In an interview with the BBC
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