Geoff Posner

Geoffrey Harold Posner (born 7 July 1949) is a British television producer and director. Posner has directed and produced some of Britain's most successful comedy shows since the early 1980s.

Career Starting off as a director on the satirical show Not the Nine O'Clock News, he also directed Revolting Women for BBC Manchester in 1981, a sketch show featuring amongst others Jeni Barnett and Linda Broughton, and in 1982 went on to direct the groundbreaking BBC2 anti-sitcom The Young Ones. Working also as an assistant producer on that show, he went on to produce in the same year the unaired pilot of the Rowan Atkinson historical sitcom Blackadder. One of his biggest successes came in 1985, when he produced and directed the multi-award-winning Victoria Wood As Seen On TV, a sketch show written by (and starring) the comedian.

Posner has since produced and directed some of the most popular British television comedies of the 1990s and 2000s. They include Harry Enfield's Television Programme, French & Saunders, Paul Calf's Video Diaries, and dinnerladies. More recently, he was one of the TV directors covering the Live 8 concert. He was also producer of the second and third series of Little Britain.

His shows have won six BAFTA awards and been nominated for another seven.

Posner formed Pozzitive Television with fellow TV producer David Tyler in 1992.

Posner also directed the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest in Birmingham and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert in 2012.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex in 2016.

Television productions Revolting Women, director, episode one, 1981 Top of the Pops, director, five episodes, 1980-1981 Not the Nine O'Clock News, director, series 4, 1982 Blackadder, director, pilot, 1982 Blankety Blank, director, one episode, 1982 The Young Ones, director, 1982 Carrott's Lib, director, 1982 - 1983 The Lenny Henry Show, director, 1984-1988 Madness The Pilot, director, TV short, 1984 Lenny Henry Tonite, director, 1986 French and Saunders, director, 1987-1988 The Robbie Coltrane Special, director, 1989 Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV, director/producer, 1989 John Sessions' Tall Tales, director, 1991 Josie, director, 1991 Paul Merton: The Series, director, 1991 Harry Enfield's Television Programme, director, 1992 Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast, director, 1992 It's A Mad World, World, World, World, director, 1994 Paul Calf's Video Diary, director / producer, 1994 Victoria Wood: Live In Your Own Home, director/ producer, 1994 A Christmas Night With the Stars, director, 1994 Pauline Calf's Wedding Video, director/ producer, 1994 Coogan's Run, director/ producer, 1995 The Tony Ferrino Phenomenon, director/ producer, 1997 Harry Enfield and Chums, director/ producer, 1997 Victoria Wood: Live, director/ producer, 1997 Eurovision Song Contest 1998, director, 1998 Stephen Fry's Live From The Lighthouse, director/ producer, 1998 Steve Coogan: The Man Who Thinks He's It, director/ producer, 1998 dinnerladies, director/ producer, 1998-2000 tlc, director/ producer, 2002 The Prince's Trust 30th Birthday: Live, director/ producer, 2006 Little Britain series 2 and 3, director/ producer, 2004-2006 Music Hall Meltdown, director/ producer, 2007 Giles Wemmbley-Hogg Goes Off... to Glastonbury, director/producer, 2007 Marcus Brigstocke: Planet Corduroy, director/producer, 2007 Saturday Live Again, director/ producer, 2007 Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, 'The Aftermath', director, 2009 Big Top, director/ producer, 2009 The Angina Monologues, director/ producer, 2010 The One Ronnie, director/ producer, 2010 Come Fly With Me, producer, 2010-2011 The One Griff Rhys Jones, director/ producer, 2012 Catherine Tate's Nan, director/ producer, 2014-2015 Victoria Wood: From Soup to Nuts, executive producer, 2018

Other work Posner also produced and directed a number of live events, including the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, and the Jubilee Gala 2013.

Notable awards and nominations

Carrott's Lib, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - winner, 1984 Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - winner, 1986 Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - winner, 1987 a Victoria Wood on TV, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - winner, 1988 French and Saunders, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - nominated, 1989 The Lenny Henry Show, BAFTA, Best Light Entertainment Programme - nominated, 1989 Pauline Calf's Wedding Video (as Three Fights, Two Weddings, and a Funeral), BAFTA, Best Television Comedy - winner, 1995 dinnerladies, BAFTA, Television Comedy - nominated, 1999 Eurovision Song Contest, Best Live Outside Broadcast Coverage - nominated, 1999 dinnerladies, BAFTA, Situation Comedy - nominated, 2000