Dan Sefton

Dan Sefton (born 20th century) is a British screenwriter, best known for the dramas Trust Me and The Good Karma Hospital. Prior to screenwriting, he worked as a doctor.

Early life

Sefton's mother was a doctor, while his father was a civil servant. He qualified as a doctor in 1995. Early in his medical career, he worked in South Africa, which would later help inspire Good Karma.{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-07-06/the-good-karma-hospital-itv-writer-doctor-series-2/|title=Meet The Good Karma Hospital writer who gave up surgery for screenwriting|website=Radio Times|access-date=2019-01-07|archive-date=2019-01-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107233055/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-07-06/the-good-karma-hospital-itv-writer-doctor-series-2/|url-status=live}}

Television

Early work included all four of the BBC's popular continuing dramas, Doctors, EastEnders, Casualty and its spinoff, Holby City. In 2017, Sefton created the medical drama The Good Karma Hospital for ITV and Tiger Aspect Productions. The series is shot in Unawatuna in southern Sri Lanka, Thiranagama Golden Beach Restaurant and some other places in Galle District.{{cite web|url=http://dramaquarterly.com/a-dose-of-karma/|title=A dose of Karma|website=Drama Quarterly|access-date=2019-01-07|archive-date=2019-01-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107181124/http://dramaquarterly.com/a-dose-of-karma/|url-status=live}} It was recommissioned for a second series. Filming for the second series started in August 2017 and was broadcast from 18 March 2018.{{cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/news/a823311/itvs-the-good-karma-hospital-is-coming-back-for-a-second-series/|title=ITV's The Good Karma Hospital is coming back for a second series|author=Louise McCreesh|website=Digital Spy|date=13 March 2017|accessdate=24 December 2017|archive-date=25 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171225040608/http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/news/a823311/itvs-the-good-karma-hospital-is-coming-back-for-a-second-series/|url-status=live}}{{cite press release|url=http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/itv-orders-second-series-good-karma-hospital|title=ITV orders a second series of The Good Karma Hospital|publisher=ITV|date=12 March 2017|accessdate=24 December 2017|archive-date=26 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171226020831/https://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/itv-orders-second-series-good-karma-hospital|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-12-22/the-good-karma-hospital-is-coming-back-for-a-second-series/|author=Ben Dowell|title=The Good Karma Hospital is coming back for a second series on ITV|work=Radio Times|date=12 March 2017|accessdate=24 December 2017|archive-date=25 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171225035108/http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-12-22/the-good-karma-hospital-is-coming-back-for-a-second-series/|url-status=live}} Season 3 has been confirmed and will return in 2019.{{cite web |url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-05-04/the-good-karma-hospital-series-3-itv/ |date=April 2018 |author=Eleanor Bley Griffiths |title=The Good Karma Hospital series three confirmed |website=Radio Times |access-date=2019-01-07 |archive-date=2018-05-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508185416/http://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-05-04/the-good-karma-hospital-series-3-itv/ |url-status=live }}

In 2016, he created Delicious, starring Dawn French, and in 2017 Trust Me, starring Jodie Whittaker.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20161202-ten-tv-shows-to-watch-in-december|title=Ten TV shows to watch in December|work=BBC|date=2 December 2016|first=Ben|last=Dowell|access-date=7 January 2019|archive-date=5 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105063341/http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20161202-ten-tv-shows-to-watch-in-december|url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/trustme |title=Dan Sefton's new psychological thriller starring Jodie Whittaker |publisher=BBC Media Centre |date=26 July 2017 |access-date=20 December 2019 |archive-date=21 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221190809/https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/trustme |url-status=live }} Due to Jodie Whittaker's casting as the Thirteenth Doctor in Doctor Who, the second series was set on the neurological unit of South Lothian Hospital, following Syrian tour veteran Captain James 'Jamie' McKay.{{cite web |url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/doctor-who/news/a850688/bbc-one-trust-me-second-series-without-jodie-whittaker/ |title=BBC One's Trust Me will return for a second series WITHOUT Jodie Whittaker |publisher=Digital Spy |date=23 February 2018 |access-date=7 January 2019 |archive-date=25 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125031902/http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/doctor-who/news/a850688/bbc-one-trust-me-second-series-without-jodie-whittaker/ |url-status=live }} In 2019, BBC One broadcast his crime series, The Mallorca Files.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, which impacted the filming of the second series of The Mallorca Files, Sefton returned to medical work.{{Cite news|url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/dan-sefton-mallorca-files-much-po-faced-british-tv-takes-seriously/|title = Dan Sefton of the Mallorca Files: 'Too much po-faced British TV takes itself very seriously'|newspaper = The Telegraph|date = 21 January 2021|last1 = Bullimore|first1 = Emma|access-date = 2 February 2021|archive-date = 1 February 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210201165012/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/dan-sefton-mallorca-files-much-po-faced-british-tv-takes-seriously/|url-status = live}} On 11 January 2022 it was announced Sefton would be developing a drama series about the life of ex-Genesis drummer Chris Stewart.{{cite web |author=Max Goldbart |url=https://deadline.com/2022/01/dan-sefton-to-adapt-ex-genesis-drummers-novel-for-tv-smithsonian-channel-to-spotlight-cassius-clay-muhammad-ali-story-abacus-media-rights-signs-bbc-studios-uktvs-charalambous-global-briefs-1234908006/ |title=Dan Sefton To Adapt Ex-Genesis Drummer's Novel For TV – Global Briefs |publisher=Deadline Hollywood |date=2022-01-11 |access-date=2022-02-23 |archive-date=2022-02-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220215024623/https://deadline.com/2022/01/dan-sefton-to-adapt-ex-genesis-drummers-novel-for-tv-smithsonian-channel-to-spotlight-cassius-clay-muhammad-ali-story-abacus-media-rights-signs-bbc-studios-uktvs-charalambous-global-briefs-1234908006/ |url-status=live }}