Kenton Allen

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Kenton Allen
Free Agents (US)
Threesome
Websitehttps://bigtalkstudios.com/

Kenton Allen is a British television producer and executive. He became Chief Executive of

Big Talk Studios in September 2008. He is a multi-award–winning programme-maker with credits including the BAFTA Award-winning sitcoms The Royle Family[1] and Rev. and the Oscar-winning film Six Shooter. He was the Advisory Chair of the Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival 2012.[2]

Early life

He was born in

Royal School of Music. In 1983, aged 18, he joined the BBC at Pebble Mill in Birmingham. His first BBC job was as a trainee studio manager, working on radio, TV and film productions as a sound recordist on productions including Howards' Way, Pebble Mill at One, and The Archers, where he spent three months doing spot Fx and once played Aunt Laura's dead body wrapped in ¼ inch recording tape.[citation needed
]

Radio

BBC Radio (1986–1990)

In 1986 he moved to

Loose Ends for BBC Radio 4 before moving to BBC Radio 1 in 1988 where he became the station's youngest ever producer.[citation needed] At BBC Radio 1 he produced Simon Bates, Steve Wright in the Afternoon, Walters Weekly presented by John Peel's producer John Walters and created a new series Jonathan Ross Live from Ronnie Scott's, which was broadcast live from Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club on Fridays at 6 pm for 13 weeks. The script for the series was written by Danny Baker and the diverse range of guests included a memorable appearance by Robert Maxwell.[citation needed
]

Television

Channel X (1990–1994)

In 1990 he joined the recently formed independent production company

, and the factual entertainment hit Fantastic Facts for ITV.

Granada (1994–1997)

In 1994, he joined Granada Television's Entertainment Department where he developed and produced a wide range of comedy and entertainment programming including Lucky Numbers, The Shane Richie Experience, Stars in Their Eyes and The Mrs Merton Show. He was appointed Head of Development, and ran all of Granada's entertainment development across the full spectrum of the entertainment genre.

Lucky Dog Ltd (1998–1999)

In February 1998, he became managing director of Lucky Dog Ltd, a member of the Chrysalis Group. He co-devised and produced the adult comedy series A Many Splintered Thing starring Alan Davies for BBC1.

Granada (1997–2001)

In March 1999, he re-joined

Granada Television to continue his creative collaboration with Caroline Aherne. Allen produced two series and two Christmas specials of the multi-award-winning The Royle Family as well as Harry Enfield's Sermon from St Albion's for ITV and an award-winning documentary Back Passage To India for BBC1, which involved dragging Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash
unwillingly around remote Indian villages for three weeks.

Shine (2001–2003)

In January 2001, he was approached by

Shine. Allen was a key member of the launch team that secured the initial start-up financing. He quickly established the core creative divisions and overall creative strategy for the start-up company and recruited the core business affairs, finance, and creative personnel. He also established a talent incubator for comedy film directors in partnership with the UK Film Council and Film4.[4]

BBC Television (2003–2008)

Allen was BBC's Creative Head of Comedy Talent and Comedy North. He joined the BBC as its comedy editor in February 2003, and was responsible for developing and producing all forms of comedy for the four main BBC broadcast networks and running the in-house production teams. He immediately established a department based in Manchester called Comedy North.[5] He produced and executive-produced a diverse range of comedy programming including the BAFTA-winning sketch show That Mitchell and Webb Look (BBC Two), the BAFTA-nominated drama series Funland (BBC Three), The Omid Djalili Show (BBC One), After You've Gone (BBC One), Freezing (BBC Two), The Visit (BBC One and BBC Three), Massive (BBC Three) and four series of Ideal (BBC Two and BBC Three).

Big Talk Studios (2008–present)

Allen became CEO of Big Talk Studios in 2008. There he has produced two six-part comedies which were broadcast to record audiences and huge critical acclaim. The BAFTA-winning Rev. created by James Wood and Tom Hollander for BBC2 scooped four titles at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards and was nominated at the BAFTAs for Best Situation Comedy. Him & Her, the most successful sitcom launch in the history of BBC3, written by Stefan Golaszewski and starring Russell Tovey and Sarah Solemani, picked up Best Comedy Performance for the two stars at the Royal Television Society Awards. Having acknowledged the loyal audience of Him & Her during its first and second series, a third series was commissioned.[6]

Upcoming is a second series for

Paul Ritter, Simon Bird and Tom Rosenthal
. Both are currently in post-production.

Following their successful pilots, Chickens (Sky 1),[7] written by and starring Simon Bird, Joe Thomas and Jonny Sweet, and The Job Lot,[8] a series for ITV written by Claire Downes, Ian Jarvis and Stuart Lane, are both underway for a full series.

Currently shooting is the third series of Him & Her and Big Talk's first three-part contemporary drama The Town (ITV), written by Laurence Olivier award-winning playwright Mike Bartlett. In addition, miniseries A Young Doctor's Notebook, which Big Talk is producing for Sky Arts, and stars Jon Hamm and Daniel Radcliffe, has just finished shooting.

Allen is the Advisory Chair of the 2012 Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival.

Film

In 2005, he was nominated for his third BAFTA for producing the film Six Shooter, written and directed by Olivier award-winning playwright Martin McDonagh. The film won an Oscar at the 2006 Academy Awards.

Personal life

He is married to the writer and author Imogen Edwards-Jones.[9] They have two children, Allegra and Rafe. The difficult conception of Allegra was written about by Edwards-Jones in a recurring Daily Telegraph column[10] that were subsequently collected into a book called The Stork Club.

Awards and recognition

Year Award Work Category Result
1998
British Comedy Awards
The Royle Family Best New TV Comedy Won
1999
BAFTA TV Award
Best Comedy (Programme or Series) Nominated
British Comedy Awards
Best TV Sitcom Won
RTS Television Award Best Situation Comedy/Comedy Drama Nominated
2000
BAFTA TV Award
Situation Comedy Award Won
National Television Award Most Popular Comedy Programme Won
RTS Television Award Best Situation Comedy/Comedy Drama Nominated
BAFTA TV Award
Situation Comedy Award Won
British Comedy Awards
Best TV Comedy Won
TV Quick Award Best Comedy Show Won
2001
BAFTA TV Award
Situation Comedy Award Nominated
2005
BAFTA Film Award
Six Shooter Best Short Film Nominated
British Independent Film Awards Best British Short Won
2006
BAFTA TV Award
Funland Best Drama Serial Nominated
Academy Award
Six Shooter Best Short Film, Live Action Won
Leuven International Short Film Festival Audience Award Won
2011
Banff Rockie Award
Rev. Best Sitcom Nominated
Broadcasting Press Guild Award
Best Comedy/Entertainment Nominated
BAFTA TV Award
Best Situation Comedy Won
Southbank Sky Arts Award Comedy Award Won
2012
BAFTA TV Award
Friday Night Dinner Best Situation Comedy Nominated
Rose d'Or Best Sitcom Won
2013 Satellite Awards A Young Doctor's Notebook Best Television Series Nominated
2014
Broadcast Awards
Best Multichannel Programme Won
BAFTA TV Award
Him & Her: The Wedding Best Situation Comedy Won
2016 Rose d'Or Mum Best Sitcom Nominated
Raised by Wolves Best Sitcom Won
2017 C21 International Drama Awards Back Best Comedy Drama Nominated
Broadcast Awards
Cold Feet Best Drama Series or Serial Nominated
National Television Award Best Drama Nominated
Mind Media Award Best Drama Series Won
Broadcast Awards
Mum Best Comedy Programme Won
Broadcasting Press Guild Awards
Best Comedy Won
2018 British Comedy Guide Awards Back Best New TV Sitcom Won
BAFTA TV Award
Timewasters Best Scripted Comedy Nominated
RTS North West Award
Cold Feet Best Drama Won
British Comedy Guide Awards Friday Night Dinner Best Returning TV Sitcom Won
2019
Broadcast Awards
Mum Best Comedy Programme Nominated
BAFTA TV Award
Best Scripted Comedy Nominated
2020 Edinburgh TV Awards Defending the Guilty Best Comedy Series Nominated
2022
RTS NW Award
Peacock Best Comedy Programme Nominated
RTS West Award
The Outlaws Best Scripted Programme Won
Rose d'Or Best Comedy Drama and Sitcom Nominated
C21 International Drama Awards Best Comedy Drama Series Nominated
2023
RTS West Award
Best Scripted Programme Won

[11] [12] [13] [14]

Credits

Year Production Role Notes
1990
Tonight with Jonathan Ross
Producer TV series
1991 Band Explosion Executive Producer TV series
1993 Saturday Zoo Producer TV series
1994 The Mrs Merton Show Producer TV series
1998 Comedy Lab Executive Producer TV series
A Many Splintered Thing Producer TV short
Babes in the Wood Producer TV series
1999 Sermon from St Albion's Producer TV series
2000 A Many Splintered Thing Producer TV series
1999–2000 The Royle Family Producer TV series
2002 Post Producer Short
2003 Watch with Monkey Executive Producer TV series
Hello, Friend Producer Short
The Crouches Executive Producer TV series
2004 Six Shooter Producer Short
My Life in Film Executive Producer TV series
2005 According to Bex Executive Producer TV series
10:96:Training Night Executive Producer TV
Funland Executive Producer TV series
Harold the Amazing Contortionist Pig Producer Short
2005–2008 Ideal Executive Producer TV series
2006 The Truth Associate Producer Feature
I'm With Stupid Executive Producer TV series
2006–2008 That Mitchell and Webb Look Executive Producer TV series
2007 I'm With Stupid Executive Producer TV
Scallywagga Executive Producer TV series
Sound Executive Producer TV
The Visit Executive Producer TV series
Where Have I Been All Your Life? Executive Producer Short
The Omid Djalili Show Executive Producer TV series
2007–2008 Freezing Producer TV series
After You've Gone Executive Producer TV series
2008 Placebo Executive Producer TV
Massive Executive Producer TV series
2008–2009 Parents of the Band Executive Producer TV series
2010–2011 Him & Her Producer TV series
Rev. Producer (2010), EP (2011) TV series
2011-2020 Friday Night Dinner Executive Producer TV series
2011 King Of... Executive Producer TV series
Show Me The Funny
Executive Producer TV series
Chickens Executive Producer TV series
Free Agents U.S.
Executive Producer TV series
Threesome Executive Producer TV series
2012-2013 A Young Doctor's Notebook Executive Producer TV series
2013 Ambassadors Executive Producer TV series
2013-2016 Raised by Wolves Executive Producer TV series
2014 Our Zoo Executive Producer TV series
2016 Crashing Executive Producer TV series
Houdini and Doyle Executive Producer TV series
2016-2019 Mum Executive Producer TV series
2017-2021 Back Executive Producer TV series
2017-2019 Timewasters Executive Producer TV series
2018-2019 Defending the Guilty Executive Producer TV series
2019-2020 The Goes Wrong Show Executive Producer TV series
2021- The Outlaws Executive Producer TV series
2022- Peacock Executive Producer TV series
2024- The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin Executive Producer TV series
2024- Ludwig Executive Producer TV series

References

  1. ^ "The Royle Family Wins BAFTA Award". IMDb. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  2. ^ Dowell, Ben (3 October 2011). "Kenton Allen takes Edinburgh TV festival role". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  3. ^ Laws, Roz (21 April 2013). "West Midlands drama suffers a TV production crisis". birminghampost.co.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  4. ^ Plunkett, John (22 January 2003). "Allen Jumps Ship to Join BBC". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  5. ^ "BBC Comedy goes up North". BBC. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  6. ^ "Kenton Allen: Faith in his comedy". The Stage. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  7. ^ Plunkett, John (23 February 2012). "Sky1 hopes Chickens will hatch into a comedy hit". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  8. ^ "ITV announce new sitcom pilot with Russell Tovey". comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  9. ^ Anstead, Mark (5 June 2009). "Fame & fortune:Hotel Babylon author Imogen Edwards-Jones". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  10. ^ Allen, Kenton (22 July 2005). "At 7.25, our daughter joined us". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  11. ^ "Awards for The Royle Family". IMDb. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  12. ^ "Awards for Six Shooter". IMDb. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  13. ^ "Awards for Kenton Allen". IMDb. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  14. ^ "Awards for Rev.". IMDb. Retrieved 2 March 2012.

External links