Steven Canny

{{short description|British television producer}}

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

Steven Canny is an Executive Producer for BBC Studios Comedy and has written a number of plays.{{Cite web|url=http://www.pbjmgt.co.uk/artists/steven-canny/credits|title = PBJ Management}}

Education

Canny attended Filton High School, Bristol, before going to St. Brendan's Sixth Form College, Bristol, and the University of Surrey.

Career

Canny moved into his career as a theatre director and writer after several years working at London's National Theatre. He was associate director for theatre company Complicite from 1999 to 2004 where productions included Mnemonic, The Noise of Time, The Elephant Vanishes, Light and he was also associate director on Al Pacino's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2002/legit/reviews/the-resistible-rise-of-arturo-ui-3-1200545356/|title = The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui|date = 21 October 2002}} He was the dramaturg on Complicite's production of Measure for Measure at the National Theatre.

In 2009 he won the Sony Gold Drama Award with Mr Larkin's Awkward Day, a comedy radio play by Chris Harrald, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday, 29 April 2008 as the Afternoon Play.{{cite news |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/5310477/Sony-Radio-Academy-Awards-2009-the-winners.html |title=Sony Radio Academy Awards 2009: the winners – Telegraph |last=Staff |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=12 May 2009 |location=London |issn=0307-1235 |oclc=49632006 |access-date=3 May 2011}} The Sony Gold citation said: "Assured direction, excellent performances and concise, skilfully-researched writing all made this deceptively straightforward story a masterpiece. Funny and touching by turns, a single, seemingly insignificant incident in the life of Philip Larkin brought out the humanity and humour of a poet whose personal life is not commonly associated with either."

In 2010 he won the Sony Gold Drama Award with People Snogging in Public Places by Jack Thorne. It was broadcast on Radio 3's The Wire. The Sony Gold citation said: "The judges described this as a wonderfully written and performed, highly original piece of radio drama in which the production perfectly mirrored the subject. Painful and funny, it was a bold exciting listen." The production was also shortlisted for the 2010 Prix Italia and the Tinniswood Award.{{cite web |url= http://www.radioawards.org/winners/2010/production-awards/best-drama/ |title=The Sony Radio Academy Awards – Winners – 2010 – Production Awards – Best Drama |last=Staff |work=radioawards.org |year=2011 |access-date=3 May 2011}}

Canny was listed as the Executive Producer of the winners of the Gold, Silver and Bronze Sony Awards for Best Comedy in 2011.{{Cite web |url=http://www.radioacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2011-Sony-Radio-Academy-Award-Winners-Nominees.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-06-17 |archive-date=2011-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928055912/http://www.radioacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2011-Sony-Radio-Academy-Award-Winners-Nominees.pdf |url-status=dead }} He was Executive Producer of the pan-BBC initiative for the Edinburgh Festival in 2011.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/edinburgh/2011/ BBC Edinburgh Fringe – 2011 – Home]

Canny was Executive Producer of more than 300 hours of comedy on Radio 4 including: News Quiz, Tom Basden's Party, Rudy's Rare Records, Radio 4's Advent Calendar and The Show What You Wrote.https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/be-inspired/steven-canny {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}

Plays written include: A Dulditch Angel,[https://www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/content/articles/2005/11/14/dulditch_angel_review_feature.shtml BBC – Suffolk – Entertainment – A Dulditch Angel] Spyski (revived as The Importance of Being Honest),[http://www.peepolykus.co.uk/spyski-the-importance-of-being-honest PEEPOLYKUS: SPYSKI! (The Importance of Being Honest)] Origins,{{Cite web |url=http://www.pentabus.co.uk/index.php/current-programme/origins |title=Pentabus Theatre : Current Programme : Origins |access-date=2012-12-14 |archive-date=2011-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111024210311/http://www.pentabus.co.uk/index.php/current-programme/origins |url-status=dead }} No Wise Men,[http://www.peepolykus.co.uk/no-wise-men PEEPOLYKUS: No Wise Men] The Hound of the Baskervilles The Arthur Conan Doyle Appreciation Society,{{Cite web |url=http://www.traverse.co.uk/whats-on-buy-tickets/the-arthur-conan-doyle-appreciation-society |title=The Arthur Conan Doyle Appreciation Society at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh |access-date=2013-01-04 |archive-date=2013-01-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116121206/http://www.traverse.co.uk/whats-on-buy-tickets/the-arthur-conan-doyle-appreciation-society |url-status=dead }} and The Time Machine; A Comedy (nominated for an Olivier Award 2024).{{cite web | url=https://www.originaltheatre.com/our-productions/the-time-machine | title=The Original Theatre Company | Award-winning UK based touring theatre company }}

By Spring 2023 The Hound of the Baskervilles has had more than 200 theatrical productions worldwide with the majority being in the US.{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/nyregion/a-review-of-the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-at-the-new-jersey-repertory-company.html?_r=0 | work=The New York Times | first=Michael | last=Sommers | title=A Review of 'The Hound of the Baskervilles,' at the New Jersey Repertory Company | date=12 May 2012}}

In September 2013, the BBC announced that they had appointed Canny as Executive Producer, BBC Comedy Scotland.[http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/people/bbc-comedy-lures-back-princess-exec/5060524.article BBC comedy lures back Princess exec | News | Broadcast] There he has been the Executive Producer of Mammoth, Miller's Mountain[http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/millers_mountain/ Mountain Goats – BBC1 Sitcom – British Comedy Guide] (winner Scottish BAFTA Best Comedy 2014),[http://www.bafta.org/scotland/awards/ceremony/nominees-winners/2014#comedy-entertainment British Academy Scotland Awards: Winners in 2014 | BAFTA] Bob Servant (winner Best Comedy RTS Scotland Award),Bob Servant Don't Drop the Baton,[http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/dont_drop_the_baton/ Don't Drop The Baton – BBC1 Scot Sketch Show – British Comedy Guide] Comedy Playhouse: Where it All Began,[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3704046/ Comedy Playhouse: Where It All Began (TV Movie 2014) – IMDb] What's Funny about the Indyref,[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01sfbt5 BBC Two – What's Funny About the Indyref?] Still Game Live,[https://www.amazon.co.uk/504/dp/B00OMYITZS Still Game – Live in Glasgow [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Ford Kiernan, Greg Hemphill, Michael Hines, Pati Marr, Laura Marks: DVD & Blu-ray] Radges,[http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/radges/ Radges – BBC3 Sitcom – British Comedy Guide] Sketchland, Two Doors Down (winner Best Comedy RTS Scotland Award),[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b072wv8z BBC Two – Two Doors Down] Mrs Brown's Boys (winner of BAFTA, Scottish BAFTA, IFTA, RTS and National Television Award),{{Cite web|url=http://bbc.in/1FZEqBc|title=BBC One - MRS Brown's Boys}} Gary: Tank Commander Election Special,[http://www.scotsman.com/news/nicola-sturgeon-gets-election-grilling-from-gary-tank-commander-1-4107078 Nicola Sturgeon gets election grilling – from Gary: Tank Commander – The Scotsman] Stop/Start,[http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/stop_start/ Stop/Start – BBC1 Sitcom – British Comedy Guide] Porridge,{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7448858/|title = Porridge|website = IMDb|date = 6 October 2017}} Pumped,{{Cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/online/pumped/|title=Pumped - BBC3 Sitcom|website=British Comedy Guide }} British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves,{{Cite web|url=http://bbc.in/2ceA56Z|title=BBC Four - British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves}} A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong,{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7766092/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm|title = A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong (TV Movie 2017) - IMDb|website = IMDb}} Lost Sitcoms{{Cite web|url=http://bbc.in/2b5bzQB|title=BBC Four - Lost Sitcoms}} and Still Game series 7, 8 & 9.{{Cite web|url=http://bbc.in/1Q8hmC6|title=BBC One - Still Game}}

Personal life

Canny is married to theatre director Orla O'Loughlin, currently the Vice Principal and Director of Drama at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. They have two children and live in Edinburgh.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09fb5w1|title = BBC Radio Scotland - Stark Talk, Orla O'Loughlin}}

References