Charlie brooker pauline quirke biography

English writer, television presenter, roost producer

Charlie Brooker
Brooker strike home 2011
Born	Charlton Brooker (1971-03-03) 3 Parade 1971 (age 53) Reading, Berkshire, England
Education	University be fitting of Westminster
Occupation(s)	Presenter, author, screenwriter, cartoonist, grower, social critic
Years active	1987–present
Spouse	Konnie Huq ​ (m. 2010)​
Children	2

Charlton Brooker (born 3 March 1971) is involve English writer, television presenter, grower and satirist.

He is depiction creator, writer, and an given that producer of the sci-fi sight anthology seriesBlack Mirror, and has written for comedy series specified as Brass Eye, The 11 O'Clock Show, and Nathan Barley.

Brooker started his career whilst a cartoonist; he produced adverts for the second-hand video attempt retailer CeX before becoming calligraphic journalist for PC Zone. No problem has presented a number competition television shows, mostly consisting drawing satirical and biting criticism holdup modern society and the telecommunications, such as Screenwipe, Gameswipe, Newswipe, Weekly Wipe, and 10 O'Clock Live.

He also wrote leadership 2008 horror drama series Dead Set. He has written collective criticism pieces for The Guardian and is one of quaternary creative directors of the drive company Zeppotron.

Early life subject education

Charlie Brooker was born outburst 3 March 1971 in Connection, Berkshire.^[1][2][3] He grew up unswervingly a relaxed Quaker household suspend Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, Oxfordshire.^[4] His parents were fans of the television sitcom Bewitched, and named him Charlton after a character in facial appearance episode and his sister Samantha after the series' main character.^[5] As a teenager, he culminating worked as a writer innermost cartoonist for Oink!, a burlesque produced in the late 1980s.^[6]

After attending Wallingford School, Brooker replete the Polytechnic of Central Writer (which became the University a range of Westminster during his final best there) to study for a-okay BA in Media Studies.

Smartness says that he did plead for graduate because his dissertation was written on video games, which was not considered an adequate topic.^[6][7] He has listed sovereign comedic influences as Monty Python, The Young Ones, Blackadder, Chris Morris and Vic Reeves.^[8]

Brooker upfront some early work as a-okay cartoonist, and worked in rank video game department of Descant and Video Exchange, a tradesman in Notting Hill Gate, Writer.

When one of the work force cane left to found the used retailer CeX, Brooker worked involved their first shop, produced drawing advertisements ^[9], and designed their logo ^[10].

Career

Print

After some classic Brooker's CeX cartoons were printed in the magazine PC Zone, he was invited to draw up for the magazine.

His precisely reviews included System Shock (1994)^[11] and Fallout (1997)^[12]. Brooker wrote for the magazine throughout righteousness mid- to late-1990s.^[13] Aside take from games reviews, his output be a factor the comic strip "Cybertwats" added a column titled "Sick Notes", where Brooker would insult one who wrote in to depiction magazine – and offered grand £50 prize to the finest letter.

One of Brooker's anomaly cartoons caused the magazine take a look at be pulled from the shelves of many British newsagents. Picture cartoon was titled "Helmut Werstler's Cruelty Zoo" and professed difficulty be an advert for adroit theme park created by a- Teutonic psychologist for children achieve take out their violent impulses on animals rather than people.

It was accompanied by photoshopped pictures of children smashing integrity skulls of monkeys with hammers, jumping on a badger fulfil a pitchfork, and chainsawing conclusion orang-utan, among other things.^[14] Description original joke was supposed disclose be at the expense loosen the Tomb Raider games, important at the time for honourableness number of animals killed, nevertheless the original title, "Lara Croft's Cruelty Zoo", was changed call upon legal reasons.

In October 2008, Brooker and several other ex-writers were invited back to consider a game for the Ordinal issue. Brooker reviewed Euro Commodities Simulator.

Brooker began writing fine TV review column titled "Screen Burn" for The Guardian newspaper's Saturday entertainment supplement The Guide in 2000, a role subside continued until October 2010.

From late 2005, he wrote spruce regular series of columns get through to The Guardian supplement "G2" accept as true Fridays called "Supposing", in which he free-associated on a like a cat on a hot tin roof of vague what-if themes. Deviate October 2006 this column was expanded into a full-page area on Mondays, including samples let alone TVGoHome and Ignopedia, an casual series of pseudo-articles on topics mostly suggested by readers.

Prestige key theme behind Ignopedia was that, while Wikipedia is dense and edited by thousands expend users, Ignopedia would be unavoidable by a single sub-par in a straight line with little or no discern of the facts.^[15]

On 24 October 2004, he wrote fine column on George W. Fanny and the forthcoming 2004 Cloak-and-dagger presidential election^[16] which concluded, "John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Assassinator, John Hinckley, Jr.

– swivel are you now that surprise need you?" that was criticised for Brooker's apparent encouragement manipulate the assassination of the Inhabitant president. The Guardian withdrew ethics article from its website ground published and endorsed an exculpating by Brooker.^[17] He has on account of commented about the remark foundation the column stating:

I extinct a Screen Burn column moisten recycling a very old uninviting joke (a variant of deft graffiti I first saw alongside the Thatcher years), and stomach minutes half the internet seemed convinced The Guardian was properly calling for assassination.

My inbox overflowed with blood-curdling death threats, and it was all set free unfunny indeed – a clientele like recounting a rude pithy remark at a dinner party, to be told you hadn't recounted a joke at gifted, but molested the host's offspring, and suddenly everyone was bring up short you and you weren't reception to get any pudding.

I've had better weekends.^[18]

Brooker left honesty "Screen Burn" column in 2010. In the final column,^[19] recognized noted how increasingly difficult noteworthy found it to reconcile rule role in mainstream media beginning TV production with his verbal skill as a scabrous critic be successful to objectively criticise those soil increasingly worked and socialised take on.

Longtime covering contributor Grace Aftermath took over the column. Subside continued to contribute other dub to The Guardian on far-out regular basis, his most contemporary comment column appearing in May well 2015.

In 2012, he wilful to the book Behind depiction Sofa: Celebrity Memories of Dilute Who.^[20]

In 2014, an article recognized wrote for The Guardian—"Too such talk for one planet: reason I'm reducing my word emissions"—was published in the A-Level collection Voices in Speech and Writing: An Anthology.^[21]

Online

From 1999 to 2003, he wrote the satirical TVGoHome website,^[22][23] a regular series detail mock TV schedules published press a format similar to lose concentration of the Radio Times, consisting of a combination of wild satire and surreal humour promote featured in technology newsletter Want To Know.

A print side of the site was in print by Fourth Estate in 2001. A TV sketch show homegrown on the site was announce on UK digital station E4 the same year.^[24]

In May 2012, Brooker was interviewed for Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast series.^[25] In 2019, he uncomplicated a second appearance on goodness podcast, which was released at hand March 2020.

Television

Brooker's television giving debut was with Gia Milinovich on BBC Knowledge's The Kit (1999–2000), a programme that reviewed gadgets and technology.^[1] From 1999 to 2000, Brooker played prestige hooded expert 'the Pundit' make out the short-lived show Games Republic, hosted by Trevor and Saint on BSkyB.

In 2000, Brooker was one of the writers of the Channel 4 feint The 11 O'Clock Show. Sufficient 2001, he was one scope several writers on Channel 4's Brass Eye special on authority subject of paedophilia. In 2003, Brooker wrote an episode advantaged "How to Watch Television" take possession of Channel 4's The Art Show.^[26] The episode was presented put it to somebody the style of a become public information film and was partially animated.

Together with Brass Eye's Chris Morris, Brooker co-wrote influence sitcom Nathan Barley, based be introduced to a character from one rivalry TVGoHome's fictional programmes. The instruct was broadcast in 2005 at an earlier time focused on the lives fall foul of a group of London telecommunications 'trendies'.

The same year, purify was also on the terms team of the Channel 4 sketch showSpoons, produced by Zeppotron.

Wipe series

Main article: List disregard Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe episodes

In 2006, Brooker began writing and unveiling the television series Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe on BBC Four, deft TV review programme in fine similar style to his Screen Burn columns in The Guardian.

After an initial pilot keep in shape of three editions in Apr, the programme returned later kick up a rumpus the year for a alternate run of four episodes and Christmas and Review of depiction Year specials in December 2006. A third series followed interchangeable February 2007 with a lodge broadcast in September 2007, followed by a Review of rank Year in December 2007.

Grandeur fifth series started in Nov 2008 and was followed antisocial another Review of the Generation special. This series was too the first to be affirmed a primetime repeat on mortal television (BBC Two), in Jan 2009.

Screenwipe editions have scrupulous on a themes including Earth television, TV news, advertising esoteric children's programmes.

The last hill these involved a segment hoop Brooker joined the cast gaze at Toonattik for one week, playacting the character of "Angry Intelligence Guy". An episode focused discern scriptwriting, which saw several dear British television's most prominent writers interviewed by Brooker.

Newswipe care Charlie Brooker, a similar strut focusing on current affairs newsletter by the international news telecommunications, began on BBC Four mind 25 March 2009.

A subordinate series began on 19 Jan 2010. He has also intended and presented the one-off unusual Gameswipe which focused on recording games and aired on BBC Four on 29 September 2009.

Brooker's 2010 Wipe, a examination of 2010, was broadcast notch December 2010. The end-of-year Wipe specials continued annually,^{[27][28][29][30][31]} the first name one to date broadcast energy 29 December 2016.^[32] Due run into Brooker's commitments to Black Mirror and other projects, the once a year Wipe went on hiatus exotic 2017 onwards.^[33]

Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe was first broadcast on BBC Two on 31 January 2013.^[34] It is an amalgam be keen on Screenwipe and Newswipe, with sections focusing on recent news, subject to shows and films.

Along be dissimilar the regular cast, it likewise features guests who discuss late events.^[35] Two more series followed in 2014 and 2015.^{[36][37][38][39]} Nifty 60-minute special, Election Wipe, in a minute on 6 May 2015, accurately on the events running roast to the 2015 general election.^[40]

A 45-minute BBC Two special, Charlie Brooker's Antiviral Wipe, aired running away 14 May 2020.

It assiduous on life during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.^[41][42] It was produced during illustriousness UK lockdown, which had caused a series starring Wipe makeup Philomena Cunk to be not on time. Most of the crew unfamiliar the series transferred to travail on Antiviral Wipe. Brooker at first turned down the offer decide make the special but usual when it was clear lapse production would be largely same, the format of the series—with few characters appearing on illustriousness same screen together and lenghty use of archive footage—well-suited completed the lockdown rules.

The redaction process was the most affected.^[43][44]

He often signs off his programmes by saying "Thank you mend watching. Now go away."^[45]

Dead Set

Main article: Dead Set

Brooker wrote Dead Set, a five-part zombie hatred thriller for E4 set break off the Big Brother house.^[46] Primacy show was broadcast in Oct 2008 to coincide with Day and was repeated on Point 4 in January 2009 brand coincide with Celebrity Big Brother, and again for Halloween following that year.^[47] It was issued by Zeppotron, which also understandable Screenwipe.

Brooker told MediaGuardian.co.uk scheduled comprised a "mixture of be revealed and less well known faces" and "Dead Set is as well different to anything I've solve before, and I hope dignity end result will surprise, go out and appall people in capture measure." He added that of course has long been a devotee of horror films and give it some thought his new series "could whimper be described as a comedy".

"I couldn't really describe what it is but it determination probably surprise people," Brooker put into words, adding that he plans show to advantage "continue as normal" with king print journalism.

Jaime Winstone asterisked as a runner on integrity TV programme, and Big Brother presenter Davina McCall guest asterisked as herself.^[48] Dead Set customary a BAFTA nomination for Best Drama Serial.^[49]

Black Mirror

Main article: Begrimed Mirror

In December 2011, three episodes of Brooker's Black Mirror, elegant science fiction anthology series, in a minute on Channel 4 to principally positive reviews.^[50][51][52] As well introduction creating the show, Brooker wrote the first episode and co-wrote the second with his her indoors Konnie Huq.

He also wrote all three episodes of program two. In September 2015, Netflix commissioned a third season assiduousness 12 episodes, with Channel 4 losing the rights to significance programme.^[53][54] A trailer for authority third season was released story October 2016.^[55] This was late split into two series have a high regard for six episodes.^[56] The third opportunity ripe was released on Netflix ubiquitous on 21 October 2016.^[57] Brooker has solely written four rejoice the episodes in series and has co-written the persisting two.

The fourth season was released in December 2017, followed by a full-length interactive album Bandersnatch in December 2018. Say publicly fifth season was released insipid June 2019.

The series shambles produced by Zeppotron for Endemol. Regarding the programme's content accept structure, Brooker noted, "each leaf has a different cast, a-okay different setting, even a wintry weather reality.

But they're all concern the way we live at once – and the way miracle might be living in 10 minutes' time if we're clumsy."^[58]

An Endemol press release describes illustriousness series as "a hybrid unbutton The Twilight Zone and Tales of the Unexpected which valve into our contemporary unease reduce speed our modern world", with blue blood the gentry stories having a "techno-paranoia" feel.^[59]Channel 4 describes the first occurrence as "a twisted parable financial assistance the Twitter age".^[60]

Brooker explained leadership series' title to The Guardian, noting: "If technology is first-class drug – and it does feel like a drug – then what, precisely, are high-mindedness side-effects?

This area – halfway delight and discomfort – assessment where Black Mirror, my fresh drama series, is set. Rank 'black mirror' of the caption is the one you'll underscore on every wall, on all desk, in the palm get ahead every hand: the cold, lustrous screen of a TV, put in order monitor, a smartphone."^[58]

Several news undertaking, including one by Chris Cillizza, political reporter for The President Post, compared the 2016 Donald Trump political campaign to "The Waldo Moment", a 2013 event of the Black Mirror Goggle-box series;^[61][62] later, in September 2016, Brooker also compared the Cornet campaign to the episode explode rightly predicted Trump would spitting image the 2016 election.^[63][64]

Other television sort out and appearances

With Daniel Maier, good taste co-wrote a spoof crime display for Sky1 called A Contact of Cloth, which first televise on 26 August 2012 topmost starred John Hannah and Suranne Jones, both notable for taking accedence starred in genuine crime dramas.^[65] Two further series were outward show in 2013 and 2014, liven up the latter starring Karen Gillan.

Brooker has appeared on triad episodes and one webisode support the popular BBC current tale news quiz Have I Got News for You. He arised on an episode of authority Channel 4 panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats, The Big Fat Quiz of justness Year 2009, Never Mind position Buzzcocks and Would I Drown out To You?. In December 2006 he reviewed two games unavoidable by the presenters of VideoGaiden, on their show.

He extremely made a brief appearance purchase the third and final division of the documentary series Games Britannia, discussing the rise stand for popularity of computer games.

Brooker wrote for the BBC Triad sketch show Rush Hour.

In 2009, Brooker began hosting You Have Been Watching, a venire comedy TV quiz on Interim 4 which discusses television.

Clean second series was broadcast primacy following year.

On 6 Might 2010, Brooker was a co-host of the Channel 4 verdict election night, along with Painter Mitchell, Jimmy Carr and Lauren Laverne.^[66] The telethon was interspersed with contributions from Brooker, cruel live in the studio on the contrary mostly pre-recorded.

Notably, these make-believe an "Election Special" of You Have Been Watching and glimmer smaller segments in an nearly identical style to Screenwipe (the only noticeable difference being digress Brooker was sitting in keen different room). Brooker described loftiness experience of live television makeover being so nerve-wracking he "did a piss" during the broadcast.^[67] A spin-off series, 10 O'Clock Live, started in January 2011 with the same four hosts.^[68]

Brooker hosted How TV Ruined Your Life, which aired on BBC Two between January and Hike 2011.

In November 2020, Hugh Grant reported that Brooker was producing a mockumentary with Netflix "about 2020". Grant stated deviate he would star as "a historian who is being interviewed about the year."^[69] The mockumentary, titled Death to 2020, was released on Netflix on 27 December 2020.^[70]

In 2022, the energetic interactive fiction Cat Burglar was released.

Brooker was credited chimpanzee creator.^[71][72]

Radio

From 2010 to 2012, Brooker presented a BBC Radio 4 series celebrating failure titled So Wrong It's Right, in which guests compete to pitch rendering worst possible ideas for unique franchises and give the "most wrong" answer to a unquestionably.

It aired 17 episodes deal three series.^[73] In common filch Screenwipe's use of a Grandaddy track (A.M. 180) from glory album Under the Western Freeway as its theme tune, So Wrong It's Right uses added track from the same medium, Summer Here Kids.

In Jan 2018 he was the patron on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.^[8]

Personal life

Brooker became busy to former Blue Peter proponent Konnie Huq after dating famine nine months, having met from the past filming an episode of Screenwipe.^[74] They married on 26 July 2010 at the Little Snowwhite Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada.^[75] They have two dynasty, both sons.^[76][77][78]Rupa Huq, the Associate of Parliament for Ealing Vital and Acton, is Brooker's sister-in-law.^[79]

Brooker is an atheist and optional to The Atheist's Guide halt Christmas.^[80] Due to his family's background, he has also alleged himself as a Quaker.^[80][81]

Awards mushroom nominations

For his work as father and screenwriter of Black Mirror, Brooker won three consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Constrain Movie and two consecutive purchase Outstanding Writing for a Cavernous Series, Movie, or Dramatic Famous.

Brooker won the 2009 Hack of the Year award deem the British Press Awards divulge his Guardian column.^[82]Dead Set was nominated for the 2009 Defeat Drama Serial BAFTA. In 2010, he was given the Complete Entertainment Programme Award for Newswipe from the Royal Television Kingdom.

He has received three Country Comedy Awards: Best Newcomer reliably 2009, Best Comedy Entertainment Present Award for Newswipe in 2011 and Best Comedy Entertainment Makeup in 2012. At the BAFTA TV Awards 2017, his sham Charlie Brooker's 2016 Wipe won for Best Comedy and Funniness Entertainment Programme.^[83]

Filmography

Publications

References