Simon Spencer (producer) facts for kids
Simon Spencer was born on June 26, 1959. He is a British producer, director, and writer for TV and theatre. He started in theatre, then joined BBC Television. There, he worked mostly on fun, light entertainment shows. Later, he became a freelance worker. He then focused on children's television. For his work, he has been nominated for three BAFTA awards. These awards are a big deal in the TV and film world! Simon Spencer also wrote and produced a new British musical. It's called Are You As Nervous As I Am?. It first opened in London in October 2022.
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Simon Spencer's Early Career
In 1977, Simon Spencer began his career in theatre. He started as an assistant stage manager at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester. Later, he became a puppeteer at the DaSilva Puppet Company. This company was special because it was Britain's largest puppet company that didn't get government money. While working there, Spencer performed with many types of puppets. These included shadow puppets, bunraku puppets, rod puppets, and marionettes.
Spencer then became an assistant stage manager and later a stage manager at the Torch Theatre in Wales. At that time, he was the youngest stage manager for a repertory theatre in the UK. In 1983, Spencer joined BBC Television as a Floor Assistant.
Working in TV: Fun Shows
From 1989, Simon Spencer moved up in TV production. He directed many popular entertainment shows. These included stand-up comedy, sketch shows, talk shows, and music programs.
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Some of the well-known shows he directed include: The Paul Daniels Magic Show (1989), In Sickness and in Health (1990), Rory Bremner (1991), and Wogan (1992). He also helped direct the The Laurence Olivier Awards from 1993 to 1995.
Two of Spencer's shows were entered into the famous Golden Rose of Montreux festival. These were Rory Bremner in 1991 and The Rudy Coby Show in 1994. He also directed the ITV comedy series Gayle's World. This show won an award in 1997 from the Royal Television Society (RTS) for Best New Light Entertainment program.
Making TV for Kids
In 1995 and 1996, Simon Spencer produced and directed several international TV specials for The Walt Disney Company. One of these was On The Trail Of The Lion King, which featured Australian singer Dannii Minogue.
Since 1999, Spencer has focused on directing and producing TV shows for preschool children. These shows often mix different styles like animation, live action, puppets, and animatronics. Some of his series include Moptatop's Shop (1999–2003) and the amazing Jim Henson's Construction Site (2001–2002), which was nominated for a BAFTA award.
In 2003, writer and producer Jocelyn Stevenson asked Spencer to help remake the classic Thomas & Friends stories. He helped develop the original five-minute show format for a new version of the live action series. This new Thomas & Friends aired on PBS in the United States and Channel 5 in the UK from 2003 to 2008. This work earned Spencer his second BAFTA nomination.
Other important children's shows where Spencer was the main producer include:
- Waybuloo (BBC 2008–2011): This was one of Cbeebies' biggest shows for preschoolers since the Teletubbies. It was also nominated for a BAFTA award. A newspaper called it a "show of wonder and delight."
- Zack & Quack (Nickelodeon 2011–2014)
- Jessy and Nessy (Amazon Prime 2018–19)
Spencer also wrote some episodes for Thomas & Friends:
- Hide & Peep (2007)
- Hector The Horrid (2007)
- Sir Handel In Charge (2007)
- The Party Surprise (2008)
- James Works It Out (2008)
- Don't Go Back (2008)
In 2013, Spencer was chosen to be part of the BAFTA TV committee. He was especially interested in children's TV and served on the BAFTA Kids committee for six years.
From 2021 to 2023, Spencer produced the musical CBeebies series Nick Cope’s Popcast. This show also mixed live action with animation. The musician Nick Cope was the lead singer in a rock band called The Candyskins before making this show.
Simon Spencer's Thoughts on Preschool TV
Simon Spencer has said he has "strong feelings" about the challenges of making new and exciting TV shows for young children. In an interview, he explained:
“You don't even know if kids will like the show till it gets out there. You're trying new characters, new music, a new style and a new format. Your only safeguard is putting together a team of highly experienced professionals who don't underestimate the specialities of pre-school.”
This means it's hard to know if a new show will be a hit. He believes the best way to succeed is to work with a team of very skilled people. These professionals understand how special and important it is to create shows for young children.
Musical Theatre: Are You As Nervous As I Am?
In 2016, Spencer started working with lyricist Shaun McKenna and composer Leighton James House. Together, they created the musical Are You As Nervous As I Am?. The show was delayed because of the pandemic. It finally opened at London's Greenwich Theatre on October 1, 2022, and ran until October 23.
The show was directed by Phoebe Barran. The music was arranged by Dr Matthew Malone. Kevin Jenkins designed the sets and costumes. Mike Robertson did the lighting, and Denni Sayers created the movement. The main actors were Katie Elin-Salt as Peggy, a young girl who loves to sing, and Emma Thornett as Janet, her sister who runs away to find a more honest life.
