Simon Blackwell

Simon John Blackwell (born 27 May 1966) is an English comedy writer and producer. He is best known for his work on The Thick of It, In the Loop and Veep, and for his collaborations with Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain on Peep Show, Four Lions and The Old Guys. Blackwell is the creator of the comedy series Back, starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb, as well as Breeders, starring Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard.

Career After graduating from Churchill College, Cambridge as a mature student and then working as a sub-editor for magazines, Blackwell started writing TV comedy in 1999 on shows such as Have I Got News for You, The Kumars at No. 42, Alastair McGowan's Big Impression and The Armstrong and Miller Show, for which he created the duo's street-talking RAF pilot characters. He first worked with Armando Iannucci in 2003 on the topical Channel 4 show Gash. He went on to write on all four series of Iannucci's political sitcom The Thick of It and co-wrote its spin-off film In the Loop, which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Other work with Iannucci includes 2004: The Stupid Version and Time Trumpet.

The two collaborated again on the HBO comedy Veep, with Blackwell co-writing the pilot episode and serving as writer and executive producer on the subsequent four seasons, for which he won two Primetime Emmy Awards.

Blackwell wrote for Chris Morris's 2010 black comedy film Four Lions, alongside Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain. He had previously collaborated with them on the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show and BBC One's The Old Guys.

In 2016, Blackwell created the sitcom Back starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb. It premiered on Channel 4 on 6 September 2017.

In 2020, Blackwell created the dramedy Breeders, starring Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard. The series premiered on the American cable network FX on 2 March 2020, and on Sky One on 12 March 2020.

Filmography Film Title Year Functioned as Notes Writer Producer Other In the Loop 2009 Four Lions 2010 Additional material The Personal History of David Copperfield 2019

Television Title Year Functioned as Notes Writer Producer Other The Jim Tavaré Show 1999 7 episodes The 11 O'Clock Show 1999–2000 5 episodes Bremner, Bird and Fortune 1999–2003 The Big Impression 2000 Lum The Invader Girl 2000 Script editor (BBC Dub) Way to Go 2001 Aaagh! It's the Mr. Hell Show! 2001–2002 10 episodes The Kumars at No. 42 2001–2002 Live Floor Show 2002 Episode: #2.8 Dead Ringers 2002–2007 Life Beyond the Box: Norman Stanley Fletcher 2003 Script advisor Gash 2003 4 episodes Bounty Hamster 2003 7 episodes The Sketch Show 2003–2004 Additional writer Christmas Night with the Stars 2004 Television special The Impressionable Jon Culshaw 2004 6 episodes 2004: The Stupid Version 2004 Television special Monkey Trousers 2005 5 episodes The Comic Side of 7 Days 2005 Graham Norton's Bigger Picture 2005 The Thick of It 2005–2012 21 episodes Time Trumpet 2006 2 episodes Hyperdrive 2007 Script associate Dogface 2007 Episode: #1.2 Moving Wallpaper 2008 2 episodes Mumbai Calling 2008 3 episodes Peep Show 2008–2012 4 episodes The Old Guys 2009–2010 Also co-creator The Armstrong & Miller Show 2009–2010 17 episodes Whites 2010 Script editor Parents 2012 Script editor Veep 2012–2015 13 episodes Trying Again 2014 Also co-creator Back 2017–2021 Also creator Breeders 2020–2023 Also creator