Simon Spencer (producer) facts for kids
Simon Spencer (born June 26, 1959) is a British producer, director, and writer. He works in both television and theatre.
Spencer started his career in theatre. Later, he joined BBC Television and worked on many entertainment shows. He then became a freelance producer. He moved into children's television, where he has been nominated for three BAFTA awards.
Spencer is also the writer and producer of a new British musical. It is called Are You As Nervous As I Am? This musical opened in London in October 2022.
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Early Career in Theatre
In 1977, Simon Spencer began his career in theatre. He started as an assistant stage manager at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester.
He then became a puppeteer at the DaSilva Puppet Company. This company was known for being Britain's largest puppet company without government funding. Spencer performed with many types of puppets. These included shadow puppets, bunraku puppets, rod puppets, and marionettes.
Spencer later became a stage manager at the Torch Theatre in Wales. At that time, he was the youngest stage manager in a repertory theatre in the UK. In 1983, Spencer joined BBC Television as a Floor Assistant.
Television: Entertainment Shows
From 1989, Simon Spencer directed many popular entertainment shows. He worked his way up in TV production.
He directed stand-up comedy, sketch shows, and talk shows. He also worked on situation comedies and music programs.
Notable Entertainment Programs
Some of his well-known shows as a director include:
- The Paul Daniels Magic Show (1989)
- In Sickness and in Health (1990)
- Rory Bremner (1991)
- Wogan (1992)
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Spencer also helped direct The Laurence Olivier Awards from 1993 to 1995. Two of his BBC shows, Rory Bremner (1991) and The Rudy Coby Show (1994), were shown at the Golden Rose of Montreux festival. His ITV comedy series Gayle's World won a Royal Television Society (RTS) Award in 1997. It was named Best New Light Entertainment program.
Children's Television
In 1995 and 1996, Spencer produced and directed TV specials for The Walt Disney Company. One of these was On The Trail Of The Lion King. This special featured Australian singer Dannii Minogue.
Since 1999, Spencer has focused on children's television. He directs and produces international preschool TV series. These shows often mix animation, live action, puppets, and animatronics.
Popular Children's Series
Some of his well-known series include:
- Moptatop's Shop (1999–2003)
- Jim Henson's Construction Site (2001–2002), which was nominated for a BAFTA award.
In 2003, Spencer helped relaunch the classic Thomas & Friends series. He developed the five-minute format for the live-action show. This version aired on PBS in the United States and Channel 5 in the UK (2003–2008). This work earned him his second BAFTA nomination.
Other important shows where Spencer was both showrunner and series producer include:
- Waybuloo (BBC 2008–2011), a very popular preschool show for CBeebies. It was also nominated for a BAFTA.
- Zack & Quack (Nickelodeon 2011–2014)
- Jessy and Nessy (Amazon Prime 2018–19)
Writing for Children's TV
Spencer also wrote several 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 join the BAFTA TV committee. He had a special interest in children's TV. He was part of the BAFTA Kids committee for six years. From 2021 to 2023, Spencer produced the musical CBeebies series Nick Cope’s Popcast. This show also combined live action with animation.
Musical Theatre: 'Are You As Nervous As I Am?'
In 2016, Simon Spencer started working on a new musical. He teamed up with lyricist Shaun McKenna and composer Leighton James House. The musical is called Are You As Nervous As I Am?.
The show's opening was delayed due to the pandemic. It finally premiered at London's Greenwich Theatre on October 1, 2022. The musical ran until October 23, 2022.
The musical tells a powerful story. It focuses on a strong female character. The story explores important life experiences. It features memorable characters and original songs.
