Danny Wallace (humourist)
Encyclopedia
Daniel Frederick Wallace (or "King Danny") (born 16 November 1976) is a British filmmaker, comedian, writer, actor, and presenter of radio and television. His notable works include the books Join Me
, Yes Man
, and the TV series How to Start Your Own Country
.
He lives in London, with his wife, an Australian publicist. Throughout Danny's books, his wife is referred to as "Lizzie", at her request.
, Scotland and attended Park Place Primary School but also grew up in Loughborough
and Bath, England, though thinks of himself as Scottish. He began writing reviews for video game magazines at the age of 13 for school work experience: a reviewer had become ill and so Wallace was given the opportunity to review a game. At 18 he started writing comedy, mainly through the magazine Comedy Review
. He specialised in radio production at the University of Westminster
.
, the original producer of the critically acclaimed cult hit The Mighty Boosh
, and the creator and producer of Ross Noble Goes Global.
As a journalist, Wallace has worked for The Scotsman
, The Guardian
, The Independent
, Elle
, Cosmo
, The Times
and other publications.
Since 2007, Wallace has written a column in the free weekly magazine ShortList, circulation 520,000. In September 2009 it was announced in his column that he and his wife were expecting their first child together. Their son was born on 29 December 2009.
, who at the time was his flatmate, to find 54 other people called Dave Gorman ("one for every card in the deck
, including the Jokers
"). Wallace accompanied Gorman on his quest and the men created Are You Dave Gorman?
, an award-winning comedy stage show about what happened during their journey. A BBC series, also co-written and co-produced by Wallace, followed, as did a book, written by both men.
'" called Join Me.
The movement would go global, with each member committing to undertaking one random act of kindness for a stranger every Friday ("Good Fridays"). Tens of thousands joined. Join Me celebrates "Karmageddon 10" in December 2011. Traditionally, hundreds of members travel to London for the meet-up and undertake good deeds for strangers, with Wallace present.
The movement is now generally referred to as the "Karma Army", although members are still typically "Joinees". He became a minor celebrity in Belgium
whilst on his quest for Joinees. While on a book tour through America, Wallace was dubbed a "Generation X legend" by the Wisconsin State Journal
.
It includes many humorous Random Acts of Kindness
(RAoK) ideas, such as "Contradict Demeaning Graffiti", and "Make An Old Man Very Happy."
and as "a fascinating book and a fascinating experiment" by David Letterman
.
A film adaptation of Yes Man
was developed with Warner Bros.
and stars Jim Carrey
and Zooey Deschanel
. It was released on 19 December 2008 in the US and 26 December 2008 in the UK. Wallace appeared on screen in a cameo in a bar scene in the last ten minutes of the film, holding a British pint glass. The film made almost $100 million at the US Box Office.
The DVD of Yes Man was released in April 2009 and received a 1 out of 5 star review from The Independent
. Two days later, it received 4 out of 5 from The Independent on Sunday.
, to visit a manhole cover in a small town, whose residents have proclaimed it the centre of the universe. The cover identifies it as a "Quick Read"; the price and length of the book have been curbed in order to encourage people who may not often read books to purchase it.
, Scotland, and beyond. The film rights went to Miramax and a screenplay is currently underway.
and made by Warner Bros. Television
. In it, Wallace plays himself ("Danny"), a writer who moves to San Francisco to support his wife's new job, and finds that he doesn't quite fit in. The pilot also starred Tony Hale
(Arrested Development) and Laura Prepon
(That '70s Show
). It was directed by acclaimed director Andy Ackerman
, who had previously directed almost 90 episodes of Seinfeld
.
A second script was later commissioned for this year's American TV pilot season.
Of his work in Hollywood, Empire magazine recently said, "Hollywood must be gazing in wonder at the walking high-concept machine that is Wallace."
– "Lovely" – in his London flat.
The series charted his journey around the world exploring citizenship and what a country actually is. He has described it as "a way of hiding politics in entertainment".
Beginning late August 2005 he co-presented on BBC One
's Saturday night show He's Having a Baby with Davina McCall
, which ran at the same time as his BBC Two
series, How to Start Your Own Country.
The latter won two BAFTAs in early 2006.
. taking over the old Ricky Gervais
slot. He and co-presenter Richard Glover decided to leave after they were asked to pre-record their show instead of broadcast live, which would have taken away from the interactive nature of the show.
On 1 August 2011, Wallace returned to XFM London to present the weekday breakfast show.
as co-presenter of BBC1's Test the Nation
.
He appeared in Channel 4
's The IT Crowd
(Series 1 Episode 2) in a role his friend, writer and director Graham Linehan
, originally planned to play himself. Wallace was asked to do it when Linehan realised appearing in and simultaneously directing the episode would be tricky.
Wallace was the first person in 43 years to be asked to front an episode of flagship BBC science series Horizon. The episode aired on 10 October 2006. In it, Wallace attempted to prove the hypothesis that chimps could be considered 'people' too.
On 16 December 2008 he presented his second episode of Horizon on BBC Two
. Where's My Robot?. In it, Wallace travelled the world to meet roboticist
s and ask them, simply: "Where's my robot?". The documentary is based on the belief in the 1980s that by the next century personal robots would be available and be an accepted part of society. Wallace investigates why it did not become a reality and whether it will in the future.
Wallace presented a series of reality show Castaway
on BBC One. The series was live from Great Barrier Island
in New Zealand for three months, beginning 9 March 2007, and featured a spin-off BBC Three
series and BBCi webisodes.
In 4 January 2008 Danny appeared on a celebrity spin-off episode of the BBC
's Mastermind
. His specialist subject was the Ghostbusters
films, he did not get a single question wrong on the subject but came third with 27 points.
He appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
on 20 June 2008 to discuss his books, film and television projects.
On 31 Jan 2009, he stood in for Adam and Joe
on BBC 6 Music
. He followed this up by another stint on 6Music, standing in for Shaun Keaveny
's breakfast show for two weeks in May 2009. He stood in for Adam and Joe again for seven weeks over the summer of 2009 with XFM DJ Pete Donaldson
and was again asked to take over from Adam & Joe during their recent hiatus.
He was a regular presenter on the National Lottery
live draw on BBC 1, as well as the National Television Awards
Backstage Live.
He lent his face and voice to one of the most successful 2009 videogame
sequels Assassin's Creed II
, released in November 2009. He was contacted by Ubisoft
when he went to the BAFTA video game awards with a friend. He voiced a historian and modern Assassin named Shaun Hastings. He reprised his role in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
and Assassin's Creed: Revelations
. The games each sold more than 8 million units apiece.
Wallace is currently finishing his first novel.
Join Me
Join Me is the name given to a movement started in London by British writer Danny Wallace in 2002, and to a book by him which documents the movement's formation.Members of the movement are called Joinees...
, Yes Man
Yes Man (book)
Yes Man is a humour/memoir novel written by Danny Wallace based upon a year of the author's life, in which he chose to say "Yes" to any offers that came his way...
, and the TV series How to Start Your Own Country
How to Start Your Own Country
How To Start Your Own Country was a six-part BBC Television documentary comedy series aired between August and September 2005. The show was presented by British writer/comedian Danny Wallace and followed his quest to start his own country in his flat in Bow, London...
.
He lives in London, with his wife, an Australian publicist. Throughout Danny's books, his wife is referred to as "Lizzie", at her request.
Early life
Wallace was born in DundeeDundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, Scotland and attended Park Place Primary School but also grew up in Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
and Bath, England, though thinks of himself as Scottish. He began writing reviews for video game magazines at the age of 13 for school work experience: a reviewer had become ill and so Wallace was given the opportunity to review a game. At 18 he started writing comedy, mainly through the magazine Comedy Review
Comedy Review
Comedy Review was a British comedy magazine published by Future Publishing which ran for five issues in 1996. The editor was Andy Lowe, Damien Noonan was Associate Editor and Danny Wallace, then 19 years old, was Staff Writer....
. He specialised in radio production at the University of Westminster
University of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its origins go back to the foundation of the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838, and it was awarded university status in 1992.The university's headquarters and original campus are based on Regent...
.
Early career and journalism
At 22, he became a BBC producer. He was part of the production team behind British Comedy Award-winning Dead RingersDead Ringers (comedy)
Dead Ringers is a UK radio and television comedy impressions broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and later BBC Two. The programme was devised by producer Bill Dare and developed with Jon Holmes, Andy Hurst and Simon Blackwell. It starred Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Phil Cornwell, Kevin Connelly and Mark Perry...
, the original producer of the critically acclaimed cult hit The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
, and the creator and producer of Ross Noble Goes Global.
As a journalist, Wallace has worked for The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
, Cosmo
Cosmopolitan (magazine)
Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
and other publications.
Since 2007, Wallace has written a column in the free weekly magazine ShortList, circulation 520,000. In September 2009 it was announced in his column that he and his wife were expecting their first child together. Their son was born on 29 December 2009.
Books
As an author, Wallace's best-selling books have been translated into more than a dozen languages.Are You Dave Gorman?
In 1999, Wallace challenged comedian Dave GormanDave Gorman
David James Gorman is an English author, stand-up comedian and presenter. He has performed comedy shows on stage in which he tells stories of extreme adventures and presents the evidence to the audience in order to prove to them that they are true stories...
, who at the time was his flatmate, to find 54 other people called Dave Gorman ("one for every card in the deck
Playing card
A playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic, marked with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing card games...
, including the Jokers
Joker (playing card)
Joker is a special type of playing card found in most modern decks, or else a type of tile in some Mahjong game sets.-Name:It is believed that the term "Joker" comes from a mispronunciation of Jucker, the German/Alsatian name for the game Euchre. The card was originally introduced in about 1860 for...
"). Wallace accompanied Gorman on his quest and the men created Are You Dave Gorman?
Are You Dave Gorman?
Are You Dave Gorman? is the title of a stage show by the British documentary comedian Dave Gorman and the book of the same name, co-written by Gorman and Danny Wallace. The BBC television series The Dave Gorman Collection— Gorman's first television show—was based on the show...
, an award-winning comedy stage show about what happened during their journey. A BBC series, also co-written and co-produced by Wallace, followed, as did a book, written by both men.
Join Me
In 2003, Wallace's book Join Me was published. The book explains how he "accidentally started a 'cultCult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
'" called Join Me.
The movement would go global, with each member committing to undertaking one random act of kindness for a stranger every Friday ("Good Fridays"). Tens of thousands joined. Join Me celebrates "Karmageddon 10" in December 2011. Traditionally, hundreds of members travel to London for the meet-up and undertake good deeds for strangers, with Wallace present.
The movement is now generally referred to as the "Karma Army", although members are still typically "Joinees". He became a minor celebrity in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
whilst on his quest for Joinees. While on a book tour through America, Wallace was dubbed a "Generation X legend" by the Wisconsin State Journal
Wisconsin State Journal
The Wisconsin State Journal is a daily newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by Lee Enterprises. The newspaper, the second largest in Wisconsin, is primarily distributed in a 19 county region in south-central Wisconsin...
.
Random Acts of Kindness: 365 Ways To Make the World A Nicer Place
Wallace next wrote a short book called Random Acts of Kindness: 365 Ways To Make the World A Better Place, with the help of submissions from Joinees.It includes many humorous Random Acts of Kindness
Random act of kindness
A random act of kindness is a selfless act performed by a person or people wishing to either assist or cheer up an individual person or people. The phrase may have been coined by Anne Herbert, who claims to have written "Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty" on a place mat at a...
(RAoK) ideas, such as "Contradict Demeaning Graffiti", and "Make An Old Man Very Happy."
Yes Man
Wallace's second solo book, Yes Man was published in July 2005. In it, he describes how he spent six months "saying Yes where once I would have said No", to make his life more interesting and positive. In this book he shows the tribulations and mischief that he got up to while he said yes to any question or proposal. The book was described as "one of those rare books that actually has the potential to change your life" by the San Francisco Bay GuardianSan Francisco Bay Guardian
The San Francisco Bay Guardian is a free alternative newspaper published weekly in San Francisco, California. The paper is owned mostly by its publisher, Bruce B...
and as "a fascinating book and a fascinating experiment" by David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
.
A film adaptation of Yes Man
Yes Man (film)
Yes Man is a 2008 comedy film directed by Peyton Reed, written by Nicholas Stoller, Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel and starring Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, John Michael Higgins, Rhys Darby, Maile Flanagan, Danny Masterson, and Terence Stamp...
was developed with Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
and stars Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
and Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Claire Deschanel is an American actress, musician, and singer-songwriter. In 1999, Deschanel made her film debut in Mumford, followed by her breakout role as young protagonist William Miller's troubled older sister Anita in Cameron Crowe's 2000 semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous...
. It was released on 19 December 2008 in the US and 26 December 2008 in the UK. Wallace appeared on screen in a cameo in a bar scene in the last ten minutes of the film, holding a British pint glass. The film made almost $100 million at the US Box Office.
The DVD of Yes Man was released in April 2009 and received a 1 out of 5 star review from The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
. Two days later, it received 4 out of 5 from The Independent on Sunday.
Danny Wallace and the Centre of the Universe
Danny Wallace and the Centre of the Universe was published in 2006. It is linked with World Book Day which in 2006 was on Thursday 2 March. It tells the story of Wallace's trip to IdahoIdaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, to visit a manhole cover in a small town, whose residents have proclaimed it the centre of the universe. The cover identifies it as a "Quick Read"; the price and length of the book have been curbed in order to encourage people who may not often read books to purchase it.
Friends Like These
Wallace's book, Friends Like These, was released on 3 July 2008, and tells the story of how he spent a summer trying to track down his old school friends from his days in DundeeDundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, Scotland, and beyond. The film rights went to Miramax and a screenplay is currently underway.
Awkward Situations for Men
Danny's latest book Awkward Situations for Men was released on 3 June 2010 and reached number 3 in the best-sellers list. The follow-up, More Awkward Situations for Men, was released on 30 June 2011.Awkward Situations for Men
Wallace recently filmed a pilot episode for his own American television sitcom, commissioned by ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and made by Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
. In it, Wallace plays himself ("Danny"), a writer who moves to San Francisco to support his wife's new job, and finds that he doesn't quite fit in. The pilot also starred Tony Hale
Tony Hale
Tony Hale is an American actor, best known for his role in the Fox comedy series Arrested Development as the neurotic Byron "Buster" Bluth.-Early life:...
(Arrested Development) and Laura Prepon
Laura Prepon
Laura Prepon is an American actress, best known for her role as Donna Pinciotti in the long-running Fox situation comedy That '70s Show, for all eight seasons. She is also known for the role of Hannah Daniels on the ABC drama October Road...
(That '70s Show
That '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
). It was directed by acclaimed director Andy Ackerman
Andy Ackerman
Robert Andrew "Andy" Ackerman is an American director and producer who is best known for his work on Seinfeld, The New Adventures of Old Christine and the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm...
, who had previously directed almost 90 episodes of Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
.
A second script was later commissioned for this year's American TV pilot season.
Of his work in Hollywood, Empire magazine recently said, "Hollywood must be gazing in wonder at the walking high-concept machine that is Wallace."
How to Start Your Own Country
Wallace began television presenting in 2004. In 2005, Wallace presented a documentary comedy, How to Start Your Own Country, in which he started his own micronationMicronation
Micronations, sometimes also referred to as model countries and new country projects, are entities that claim to be independent nations or states but which are not recognized by world governments or major international organizations...
– "Lovely" – in his London flat.
The series charted his journey around the world exploring citizenship and what a country actually is. He has described it as "a way of hiding politics in entertainment".
Beginning late August 2005 he co-presented on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's Saturday night show He's Having a Baby with Davina McCall
Davina McCall
Davina McCall is an English television presenter and actress, most notable as the presenter of the UK version of Big Brother up until its move to Channel 5.- Early life :...
, which ran at the same time as his BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
series, How to Start Your Own Country.
The latter won two BAFTAs in early 2006.
XFM London
From 9 February 2008 to October 2008 Wallace presented a weekly show at 10am-2pm on Saturday Mornings at XFM LondonXfm London
Xfm London is a commercial radio station in the United Kingdom owned by Global Radio and broadcasts on 104.9 FM in London, on digital radio via 30 DAB multiplexes across the country, Sky, TalkTalk TV and Virgin Media....
. taking over the old Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
slot. He and co-presenter Richard Glover decided to leave after they were asked to pre-record their show instead of broadcast live, which would have taken away from the interactive nature of the show.
On 1 August 2011, Wallace returned to XFM London to present the weekday breakfast show.
Other work
Wallace has written for and presented television shows such as Danny Wallace's Hoax Files (Sky One), Conspiracies (Sky One), School's Out (BBC1), and in 2006 he took over from Phillip SchofieldPhillip Schofield
Phillip Bryan Schofield is an English broadcaster and television personality best known for presenting shows such as This Morning, Dancing on Ice, and various game shows including The Cube.-Early life and career:...
as co-presenter of BBC1's Test the Nation
Test the Nation
Test the Nation is a television programme, first broadcast in 2001 by BNN in the Netherlands where the concept is owned by Eyeworks Holding who license it to TV production companies around the world.-Show format:...
.
He appeared in Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's The IT Crowd
The IT Crowd
The IT Crowd is a British sitcom by Channel 4, written by Graham Linehan, produced by Ash Atalla and starring Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson and Matt Berry...
(Series 1 Episode 2) in a role his friend, writer and director Graham Linehan
Graham Linehan
Graham Linehan is an Irish television writer, actor, comedian and director who, often in partnership with Arthur Mathews, has written or co-written a number of popular television comedies...
, originally planned to play himself. Wallace was asked to do it when Linehan realised appearing in and simultaneously directing the episode would be tricky.
Wallace was the first person in 43 years to be asked to front an episode of flagship BBC science series Horizon. The episode aired on 10 October 2006. In it, Wallace attempted to prove the hypothesis that chimps could be considered 'people' too.
On 16 December 2008 he presented his second episode of Horizon on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
. Where's My Robot?. In it, Wallace travelled the world to meet roboticist
Roboticist
A roboticist designs, builds, programs, and experiments with robots. Since robotics is a highly interdisciplinary field, roboticists often have backgrounds in a number of disciplines including computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer engineering...
s and ask them, simply: "Where's my robot?". The documentary is based on the belief in the 1980s that by the next century personal robots would be available and be an accepted part of society. Wallace investigates why it did not become a reality and whether it will in the future.
Wallace presented a series of reality show Castaway
Castaway 2007
Castaway 2007 was a follow-up to the BBC series Castaway 2000 in which a group of people from the British public are "castaway" on a remote island. While in the 2000 series 36 men, women and children moved to a remote Scottish island for a year, this series featured 15 men and women from the...
on BBC One. The series was live from Great Barrier Island
Great Barrier Island
Great Barrier Island is a large island of New Zealand, situated to the north-east of central Auckland in the outer Hauraki Gulf. With an area of it is the fourth-largest island of New Zealand's main chain of islands, with its highest point, Mount Hobson, rising...
in New Zealand for three months, beginning 9 March 2007, and featured a spin-off BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
series and BBCi webisodes.
In 4 January 2008 Danny appeared on a celebrity spin-off episode of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Mastermind
Mastermind (TV series)
Mastermind is a British quiz show, well known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness.Devised by Bill Wright, the basic format of Mastermind has never changed — four and in later contests five contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the...
. His specialist subject was the Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
films, he did not get a single question wrong on the subject but came third with 27 points.
He appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
on 20 June 2008 to discuss his books, film and television projects.
On 31 Jan 2009, he stood in for Adam and Joe
Adam and Joe
Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish are British comedy performers known together as Adam and Joe. They are best known for presenting Adam and Joe on BBC 6 Music, and The Adam and Joe Show on Channel 4 from 1996 to 2001.-History:...
on BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music is one of the BBC's digital radio stations, was launched on 11 March 2002 and originally codenamed Network Y. It was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years....
. He followed this up by another stint on 6Music, standing in for Shaun Keaveny
Shaun Keaveny
Shaun William Keaveny is a British broadcaster, who presents the breakfast show on digital radio station BBC 6 Music.- Career :He played guitar for John Ariss in the student band Mosque between 1987 and 1993....
's breakfast show for two weeks in May 2009. He stood in for Adam and Joe again for seven weeks over the summer of 2009 with XFM DJ Pete Donaldson
Pete Donaldson
Pete Donaldson, is a Radio and Television presenter, Producer and Voice Over Artist who is best known for his radio shows on Xfm London and Xfm Manchester, alongside his work on the Alex Zane Breakfast Show and the Lauren Laverne Breakfast Show He also featured on the Danny Wallace Saturday show on...
and was again asked to take over from Adam & Joe during their recent hiatus.
He was a regular presenter on the National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
live draw on BBC 1, as well as the National Television Awards
National Television Awards
The National Television Awards is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted on by the general public. Because of the way the awards are decided, winners are...
Backstage Live.
He lent his face and voice to one of the most successful 2009 videogame
2009 in video gaming
The year 2009 saw the release of many video games, including several sequels.-Events:-Scheduled releases:List of games scheduled for release in 2009 in North America....
sequels Assassin's Creed II
Assassin's Creed II
Assassin's Creed II is a historical third-person action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It is the second video game installment of the Assassin's Creed series, and is a sequel to the 2007 video...
, released in November 2009. He was contacted by Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
when he went to the BAFTA video game awards with a friend. He voiced a historian and modern Assassin named Shaun Hastings. He reprised his role in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is a historical third person, stealth action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in November 2010, Microsoft Windows in March 2011 and Mac OS X in May 2011...
and Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Assassin's Creed: Revelations is a video game in the Assassin's Creed franchise developed and published by Ubisoft Montreal. The game was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on November 15, 2011. For Microsoft Windows, the game is delayed until December 2, 2011...
. The games each sold more than 8 million units apiece.
Wallace is currently finishing his first novel.
Filmography
- 8 out of 10 Cats8 Out of 10 Cats8 out of 10 Cats is a television comedy panel game made by Zeppotron for Channel 4. It was first broadcast on 3 June 2005. The show is based on statistics and opinion polls, and draws on polls produced by a variety of organizations and new polls commissioned for the programme, carried out by...
- Castaway 2007Castaway 2007Castaway 2007 was a follow-up to the BBC series Castaway 2000 in which a group of people from the British public are "castaway" on a remote island. While in the 2000 series 36 men, women and children moved to a remote Scottish island for a year, this series featured 15 men and women from the...
- The Dave Gorman Collection
- Dave Gorman's Important Astrology Experiment
- How to Start Your Own CountryHow to Start Your Own CountryHow To Start Your Own Country was a six-part BBC Television documentary comedy series aired between August and September 2005. The show was presented by British writer/comedian Danny Wallace and followed his quest to start his own country in his flat in Bow, London...
- The IT CrowdThe IT CrowdThe IT Crowd is a British sitcom by Channel 4, written by Graham Linehan, produced by Ash Atalla and starring Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson and Matt Berry...
– Series 1 Episode 2 - Richard Bacon's Beer & Pizza ClubRichard Bacon's Beer & Pizza ClubRichard Bacon's Beer & Pizza Club is a British comedy panel show produced by Talkback Thames for ITV4. The programme is presented by Richard Bacon. The programme is currently showing its second series.-Overview:...
– Series 1 Episode 4 - Would I Lie to You? (TV series)Would I Lie To You? (TV series)Would I Lie to You? is a comedy panel game made by Zeppotron for BBC One. It was first broadcast on 16 June 2007.-Format:The show was presented by Angus Deayton in 2007 and 2008, and by Rob Brydon from 2009 onwards...
- Yes Man (film)Yes Man (film)Yes Man is a 2008 comedy film directed by Peyton Reed, written by Nicholas Stoller, Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel and starring Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, John Michael Higgins, Rhys Darby, Maile Flanagan, Danny Masterson, and Terence Stamp...