Jon Canter

{{short description|English television comedy writer}}

{{for|the American tennis player|Jonathan Canter}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

Jon Canter is an English television comedy writer for Lenny Henry and other leading comedians. Canter was born and brought up in the Jewish community of Golders Green, North London and studied law at the University of Cambridge, where he became President of Footlights.

After a spell in advertising, copywriting (and as a housemate of Douglas Adams){{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/core/Content/displayPrintable.jhtml?xml=/arts/2006/04/01/bodoug01.xml&site=6&page=0|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912020425/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/core/Content/displayPrintable.jhtml?xml=/arts/2006/04/01/bodoug01.xml&site=6&page=0|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-09-12|title=The flatmate's guide to the galaxy|accessdate=2007-03-24|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|first=Jon|last=Canter|date=2006-04-01}} he became a freelance comedy writer, setting up home in Aldeburgh with his wife, painter Helen Napper. He became a principal writer for the comedian Lenny Henry, also writing for Dawn French, Angus Deayton, Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones, as well as script editor for Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie.{{cite web|url=http://www.pbjmgt.co.uk/clients/jon-canter |title=Jon Canter |accessdate=2007-03-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070315231002/http://www.pbjmgt.co.uk/clients/jon-canter/ |archivedate=March 15, 2007 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbjmanagement.co.uk/artists/jon-canter|title=View Artist | PBJ Management|website=www.pbjmanagement.co.uk}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/abitoffryandlaurie/|title=BBC Guide to Comedy: A Bit of Fry and Laurie|accessdate=2007-03-25}} He co-wrote the 2003 BBC television satirical comedy Posh Nosh with the co-star Arabella Weir; and the BBC Radio 4 situation comedy Believe It![https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03m36pl BBC Radio 4 - Believe It!] and, with Guy Jenkin, Legal, Decent, Honest and Truthful. He wrote a Radio 4 Afternoon Play, I Love Stephen Fry[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00cbrjn BBC – Afternoon Play – I Love Stephen Fry] in 2008; and in 2017 Radio 4 broadcast the short series Homes and Watford in its 15 Minute Drama slot. His comedy Boswell's Lives (starring Miles Jupp) ran on BBC Radio 4 for four series, 2015–2018. He wrote for the ITV animated cartoon version of Mr. Bean, {{citation needed span|date=September 2024|text=and the screenplay for the film Full Monty 2.}}

His first novel, Seeds of Greatness, a comic story inspired by his upbringing, was published in 2006 ({{ISBN|978-0-224-07773-6}}),{{cite news|url=http://books.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1744722,00.html|title=In a flap with Hornby envy|accessdate=2007-03-24|work=The Guardian|location=London|date=2006-04-02}} and was abridged by Fiona McAlpine as a BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qf5r BBC – Book at Bedtime – Seeds of Greatness] His subsequent novels have been A Short Gentleman (2008) and Worth (2011). An adaptation of A Short Gentleman was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0194n5n|title = BBC Radio 4 Extra - A Short Gentleman}}

Since 2008, he has been a regular contributor to The Guardian's comment pages. In 2014, The Rev. Diaries was published: this was based on the TV programme starring Tom Hollander, and was written with help from Hollander and James Wood.