Graham Linehan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Graham Linehan
Linehan in 2013
Birth name	Graham George Linehan
Born	May 1968 (age 57) Dublin, Ireland
Medium	Television
Nationality	Irish
Education	Catholic University School
Years active	1991–present
Genres	Observational comedy, surreal humour
Spouse	Helen Serafinowicz ​ ​ (m. 2004; div. 2020)​
Children	2
Notable works and roles	Father Ted, Black Books, The IT Crowd

Graham George Linehan (born May 1968) is an Irish comedy writer. He is known for creating or co-creating popular TV shows like Father Ted (1995–1998), Black Books (2000–2004), and The IT Crowd (2006–2013). He has also written for other shows, including Count Arthur Strong and The Fast Show. Early in his career, he worked closely with writer Arthur Mathews. Linehan has won five BAFTA awards for his comedy work.

Later in his career, Linehan became involved in discussions about transgender issues. He has shared strong opinions on these topics. He believes that his views have caused him to lose work and affected his personal life.

Life and Career in Comedy

Linehan was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1968. He went to a Catholic secondary school for boys. In the 1980s, he started working at a magazine called Hot Press. There, he met Arthur Mathews, who would become his writing partner.

Early Collaborations

Linehan and Mathews worked together on many sketch shows. These included Alas Smith and Jones and Harry Enfield & Chums. They also created the "Ted and Ralph" characters for The Fast Show. Their first full TV series together was Paris in 1994.

Their most famous show, Father Ted, ran from 1995 to 1998. It was a very popular comedy about three priests living on a remote island. Father Ted won BAFTA awards for Best Comedy in 1996 and 1999. Linehan and Mathews were even named among the 50 funniest people in television by The Observer magazine.

Graham Linehan with Jon Ronson at TAM London 2010

Solo Work and Success

After working with Mathews, Linehan wrote for other shows like Brass Eye (1997). He also teamed up with actor Dylan Moran to create the sitcom Black Books (2000–2004).

In 2006, Linehan wrote and directed The IT Crowd for Channel 4. This show was different from many British comedies at the time because it was filmed in front of a live studio audience. The IT Crowd became very successful. In 2008, Linehan won an International Emmy for the show. In 2014, he won his fifth BAFTA award for Best Writer, Comedy, for his work on The IT Crowd.

He also wrote and directed The Walshes in 2013. He helped write the first series of the BBC sitcom Motherland.

Future Projects and Challenges

In 2018, Linehan and Mathews planned a Father Ted musical. However, the musical was cancelled by its producers. This happened because of the public discussion around Linehan's views on transgender rights.

In late 2024, Linehan shared plans to move to Arizona. He intends to work on a new sitcom and start a production company there.

Memoir

Linehan's book, Tough Crowd: How I Made and Lost a Career in Comedy, was published in October 2023. The book talks about his childhood, his career in comedy, and his experiences with activism.

Reviewers had mixed opinions about the book. Some found his stories about comedy entertaining. Others felt the book showed a strong focus on his activism.

Other Creative Work

Linehan's children provided voices for characters in an episode of the cartoon Adventure Time in 2012. Linehan directed them over the phone. He had ideas for a follow-up episode, but it was never made. In 2023, Linehan also performed a stand-up comedy show in London.

Views on Transgender Issues

Linehan has been involved in discussions about transgender rights. He began sharing his views online after an episode of The IT Crowd in 2008, called "The Speech," received criticism. Some people felt the episode was unfair to transgender women. Channel 4 later removed the episode from streaming services in 2020. Linehan felt the joke in the episode was harmless.

He has expressed concerns about certain ideas related to gender identity. He has also voiced worries about medical treatments for young transgender people. He used social media to share his opinions.

Online Activity and Public Statements

In 2018, Linehan supported protesters at a London Pride event who were raising concerns about transgender activism. Later that year, he had legal disagreements with a transgender woman. Police gave him a warning about contacting her.

In a 2020 interview, Linehan compared the use of certain medical treatments for children to very harmful historical practices. This comparison led to criticism from others.

In 2019, Linehan expressed concern about a charity for transgender children receiving a large grant. He encouraged people to contact the funding organization to review the decision. In response, a YouTuber held a long fundraising event that raised a lot of money for the charity.

In June 2020, Linehan commented on discussions about author J. K. Rowling's views on transgender rights. He shared screenshots of negative comments Rowling had received.

Social Media Account Suspensions

On June 27, 2020, Linehan's Twitter account was permanently suspended. Twitter stated this was due to "repeated violations of our rules against hateful conduct." He tried to use other accounts to continue posting, but these were also banned.

In February 2021, Linehan posted screenshots from a dating app. In March 2021, he spoke to the House of Lords about online freedom of speech.

In interviews in 2022 and 2023, Linehan said that his activism had taken over his life. He stated it caused him to lose work and led to financial difficulties. He also said it contributed to the end of his marriage. He believes he has been negatively affected by "cancel culture."

Linehan's Twitter account was restored in December 2022 after Elon Musk took over Twitter. However, in April 2023, his account was temporarily banned again after a tweet he made about counter-protesters at an event. It was reinstated days later.

In July 2023, Linehan made a strong comment about actor David Tennant after Tennant wore a T-shirt supporting transgender youth. In August, Linehan performed a comedy show outside the Scottish Parliament after his original venues cancelled his bookings. He attended the Conservative Party Conference in October 2023. He said he was "the most cancelled person in this room." He also stated he had been dropped by his television agent.

Personal Life

Linehan married English writer Helen Serafinowicz in 2004. They have two children. Their marriage ended in 2020. Linehan said the difficulties caused by his activism, including legal and financial problems, affected their relationship.

Linehan is an atheist. He helped promote the Atheist Bus Campaign in 2009. He is also an honorary associate of the National Secular Society. In 2018, Linehan had successful surgery for cancer.

Linehan has been a very active user of Twitter. In 2009, he started a "BadMovieClub" on Twitter. He also created the #welovetheNHS campaign on Twitter in response to criticism of the UK's National Health Service. In 2011, he played a joke on Twitter, claiming that Osama bin Laden was a fan of The IT Crowd.

Credits

Television Writer

• The Day Today (1994)
• Paris (1994)
• The Fast Show (1994–1996)
• Father Ted (1995–1998) (also co-creator)
• Brass Eye (1997)
• Big Train (1998) (also co-creator)
• Black Books (2000) (also co-creator, director)
• The IT Crowd (2006–2013) (also creator, director)
• Count Arthur Strong (2013–2017) (also creator, director)
• The Walshes (2013) (also director)
• Shrink (2017)
• Motherland (pilot episode, 2016)

Television Director

• Black Books (2000)
• Little Britain (2003)
• The IT Crowd (2006–2013)
• The Walshes (2013)
• Count Arthur Strong (2013–2017)
• Motherland (pilot episode, 2016)

Film Director

• Hello Friend (short film, 2003)

Film Writer

• Never Mind the Horrocks (television film, 1996)
• The Matchmaker (1997)

Book Writer

• Tough Crowd: How I Made and Lost a Career in Comedy (2023 memoir)

Awards and Nominations