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 famous for creating or co-creating popular TV shows. These include Father Ted (1995–1998), Black Books (2000–2004), and The IT Crowd (2006–2013). He also wrote for other shows like Count Arthur Strong and The Fast Show.

Early in his career, he worked with another writer, Arthur Mathews. Linehan has won five BAFTA awards for his comedy work. This includes an award for Best Writer, Comedy, for The IT Crowd in 2014.

Later, Linehan became known for his views on gender identity. He believes that some ideas about gender identity might affect women's rights. He has said that these views have caused him to lose work.

Early Life and Education

Graham Linehan was born in Dublin, Ireland, in May 1968. He went to Plunkett's School in Whitehall. After that, he attended Catholic University School. This was a Catholic secondary school for boys in Dublin. Later, he joined the staff of Hot Press magazine.

Comedy Career Highlights

In the 1980s, Linehan worked at Hot Press, a magazine about politics and music in Dublin. There, he met Arthur Mathews, who would become his writing partner. They started by creating short segments for sketch shows. These included Alas Smith and Jones and Harry Enfield & Chums. They also created the "Ted and Ralph" characters for The Fast Show.

Linehan and Mathews worked together on several TV series. These were Paris (1994) and Father Ted (1995–1998). They also wrote the first series of the sketch show Big Train. In 2003, The Observer newspaper named them among the 50 funniest people in television. Father Ted won BAFTA awards for Best Comedy in 1996 and 1999.

Graham Linehan with Jon Ronson at TAM London 2010

Linehan also wrote for other shows. These included the satirical series Brass Eye (1997) and Blue Jam (1997–1999). He 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. He wanted this show to be different from other British comedies at the time. It was filmed in front of a live studio audience. In 2008, The IT Crowd won an International Emmy.

In 2013, he wrote and directed the sitcom The Walshes. He also helped write the first series of the BBC sitcom Motherland. In 2014, Linehan won his fifth BAFTA award. This was for Best Writer, Comedy, for his work on The IT Crowd.

In 2018, Linehan and Mathews planned a Father Ted musical. They wanted it to finish the story as they had originally planned. However, the musical was cancelled by its producers. This happened because of discussions about Linehan's views on gender identity. In 2024, Linehan announced plans to move to Arizona. He wants to work on a new sitcom and start a production company there.

TV Appearances and Documentaries

Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews have appeared briefly in shows they wrote. They were also in the sitcom I'm Alan Partridge. In this show, they played two Irish TV producers.

Linehan has made small appearances in many other shows. These include The Day Today and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. He also had cameos in Black Books and Father Ted. He appeared in four episodes of The IT Crowd. He was also on Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Little Britain.

In 2007, a documentary about Linehan's life and career was made. It was produced by Wildfire Films for RTÉ One. The documentary looked at how TV comedy is created. It included interviews with many successful comedy writers and performers. These included Steve Coogan, Matt Lucas, and David Walliams.

Linehan was interviewed by Charlie Brooker in 2008 for Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe. He also appeared on Charlie Brooker's Gameswipe in 2010. In 2011, Linehan was part of Channel 4's Father Ted Night. He also appeared as a guest on Have I Got News for You in 2011 and 2012. In 2013, he was a guest on the BBC show QI.

Memoir Publication

Linehan's memoir, a book about his life, is called Tough Crowd: How I Made and Lost a Career in Comedy. It was published in October 2023. Before it came out, it was one of the most pre-ordered books on Amazon. It reached number ten on Sunday Times bestseller list. In the book, Linehan writes about his childhood and his comedy career. He also writes about his views on gender identity.

Reviewers had different opinions about the book. Some found his stories about his comedy career charming. Others felt the book showed a strong focus on his views about gender identity.

Other Creative Work

Linehan's children provided voices for characters in a 2012 episode of Adventure Time called "Goliad". Linehan directed his children while taking instructions over the phone. He had planned to write another episode for the show. However, Adventure Time ended in 2018, so the episode was never made. In 2023, Linehan performed a stand-up comedy show in London.

Views on Gender Identity

Graham Linehan has expressed strong views on gender identity. He began sharing these views online after a 2008 episode of The IT Crowd, which he wrote, received criticism. Some people said the episode used stereotypes and made light of issues faced by transgender women. Channel 4 later removed the episode from streaming services in 2020. Linehan felt the joke was harmless and did not understand the strong reaction. He argued that a character with certain views did not mean he or the episode shared those views.

Linehan has expressed doubts about the idea of gender self-identification. He has said that "anyone suffering from gender dysphoria needs to be helped and supported." However, he has also voiced concerns about early medical steps for children regarding gender identity. He used social media to discuss what he calls "trans ideology." He believes this misrepresents transgender people and lesbians.

Social Media Activity and Bans

In 2019, Linehan expressed concern about a charity for transgender children and teenagers called Mermaids. The charity was set to receive a large grant. He encouraged people to contact the funding organization to reconsider. The grant was reviewed but still went ahead. In response, a YouTuber held a long fundraising event that raised a lot of money for Mermaids.

In June 2020, Linehan's Twitter account was permanently suspended. Twitter said he had repeatedly broken their rules against hateful conduct. In December, Linehan used another account to get around the ban. This account pretended to be a transgender man. He used it to criticize someone for signing a letter supporting transgender equality. This account was also banned. Linehan later said he had created another account.

In February 2021, Linehan created a fake account on a dating app for lesbians. He then publicly shared screenshots of non-binary people and transgender women using the app. The app's creators stated that transgender women are welcome on their platform. In March 2021, Linehan spoke to the House of Lords about freedom of speech online. He discussed his Twitter ban during this session.

Linehan has said that his views on gender identity have taken over his life. He stated that these views have caused him to lose work and face financial difficulties. He also mentioned that the Father Ted musical was cancelled due to his involvement. He believes this happened because of "cancel culture." He said that comedians feel pressured to follow certain opinions.

Twitter Reinstatement and Later Events

Linehan's Twitter account was restored in December 2022. This happened after Elon Musk took over Twitter and changed some of its rules. However, in April 2023, Linehan was banned again from Twitter. This was after he tweeted something that was seen as threatening. His account was reinstated a few days later.

In August 2023, Linehan performed a stand-up comedy show outside the Scottish Parliament. This happened after his original venues cancelled his bookings because of his views. Some of his supporters attended the show. In October, he attended the Conservative Party Conference. He said he was "the most cancelled person in this room." He also stated that his television agent had dropped him. In November 2023, he appeared on an Irish radio show. He talked about his experiences and promoted his memoir.

Personal Life

Graham Linehan married English writer Helen Serafinowicz in 2004. They have two children. They used to live in Norwich.

Linehan's marriage to Serafinowicz ended in 2020. He has said this was due to his views on gender identity. He then moved to London. He also mentioned that legal and financial problems affected his relationship. Linehan has said he has been taking medication for anxiety for several years.

Linehan is an atheist. In 2009, he helped promote the Atheist Bus Campaign. He is also connected with the National Secular Society. In 2018, Linehan had successful surgery for testicular cancer.

Linehan has been a very active user of Twitter. He once called it "part of [his] nervous system." In 2009, he hosted the first "BadMovieClub" on Twitter. He also started the "#welovetheNHS" campaign on Twitter in 2009. In 2011, he created a Twitter hoax. He joked 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) (Also co-creator, writer)
• Little Britain (2003)
• The IT Crowd (2006–2013) (Also creator, writer)
• The Walshes (2013) (Also writer)
• Count Arthur Strong (2013–2017) (Also creator, writer)
• Motherland (pilot episode, 2016)

Film Director

• Hello Friend (short film, also co-writer, 2003)

Film Writer

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

Book Writer

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

Awards and Nominations