John Fay (writer)
Encyclopedia
John Fay is an award-winning British
television writer, and playwright from Merseyside. He is known for his work on television soap opera
s Brookside
and Coronation Street
as well as his later work on original dramatic production.
, although he states in an interview that it took him 16 years and several speculative scripts to get taken on to the writing staff full time. He stayed on the creative team for two years, writing 54 episodes, before joining the writing staff of Coronation Street
, writing 94 episodes and becoming lead writer. In 2005 he received the British Academy Television Award
for Best Continuing Drama, sharing the BAFTA with Coronation Street producer Tony Wood and director Ian Bevitt. One of his notable scripts for Coronation Street was “Richard Hillman
’s murder confession” which attracted over 19 million viewers. Fay's other television contributions include episodes of Clocking Off
, Blue Murder
and Robin Hood. In 2007, Fay created the three-part ITV drama series Mobile
. Fay is a self confessed hater of mobile telephones and in Mobile chose to explore the themes of "people's paranoid desire to always be in contact with each other" and whether mobile phones are actually necessary.
Russell T Davies, having been an admirer of John Fay's work on Coronation Street and Mobile, approached Fay to write for the third series of Torchwood
. Fay wrote two episodes of the award-winning third series of Torchwood
, subtitled Children of Earth, which aired 7 July and 9 July 2009. He will return to write the ninth episode of the shows' Fourth Series; Torchwood: Miracle Day a collaboration between BBC Wales, BBC Worldwide and US cable channel Starz. In 2011 he also wrote for the fourth series of Primeval.
Fay has written two episodes of the Jimmy McGovern
Drama Moving On
, Sauce for the Goose - the first episode of the second series, and an episode of the third series, airing Autumn 2011, which he will also direct. He is in the progress of writing an upcoming episode of Doctor Who.
, to the north of Liverpool
, where he lives with his wife. His father passed away shortly before he came to write Children of Earth, which Fay acknowledges when retroactively considering his views on the serial. He cites John Proctor from Arthur Miller
's The Crucible
as his favourite fictional character of all time, and Rhys Williams
as his favourite Torchwood character.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television writer, and playwright from Merseyside. He is known for his work on television soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s Brookside
Brookside
Brookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...
and Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
as well as his later work on original dramatic production.
Television career
Fay began his television career on BrooksideBrookside
Brookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...
, although he states in an interview that it took him 16 years and several speculative scripts to get taken on to the writing staff full time. He stayed on the creative team for two years, writing 54 episodes, before joining the writing staff of Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, writing 94 episodes and becoming lead writer. In 2005 he received the British Academy Television Award
British Academy Television Awards
The British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . They have been awarded annually since 1954, and are analogous to the Emmy Awards in the United States.-Background:...
for Best Continuing Drama, sharing the BAFTA with Coronation Street producer Tony Wood and director Ian Bevitt. One of his notable scripts for Coronation Street was “Richard Hillman
Richard Hillman
Richard Charles Hillman was a fictional character in the British television soap opera Coronation Street, played by Brian Capron. Hillman is now rated as one of the best soap villains of all time.-Development:...
’s murder confession” which attracted over 19 million viewers. Fay's other television contributions include episodes of Clocking Off
Clocking Off
Clocking Off is a British television drama series which ran on the BBC One network for four series from 2000 to 2003. It was produced for the BBC by the independent Red Production Company, and created by Paul Abbott...
, Blue Murder
Blue Murder (UK TV series)
Blue Murder was a British crime drama television series based in Manchester. Shown on ITV from 2003 until 2009 when it was axed by the Network, it starred Caroline Quentin as DCI Janine Lewis.-Outline:...
and Robin Hood. In 2007, Fay created the three-part ITV drama series Mobile
Mobile (TV series)
Mobile is a 3-part British television drama series with an interweaving plot based around a fictional mobile phone operator and the adverse-effect of mobile phone radiation to health. The series was screened by ITV in the UK, during March 2007. The cast includes Jamie Draven, Neil Fitzmaurice,...
. Fay is a self confessed hater of mobile telephones and in Mobile chose to explore the themes of "people's paranoid desire to always be in contact with each other" and whether mobile phones are actually necessary.
Russell T Davies, having been an admirer of John Fay's work on Coronation Street and Mobile, approached Fay to write for the third series of Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
. Fay wrote two episodes of the award-winning third series of Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
, subtitled Children of Earth, which aired 7 July and 9 July 2009. He will return to write the ninth episode of the shows' Fourth Series; Torchwood: Miracle Day a collaboration between BBC Wales, BBC Worldwide and US cable channel Starz. In 2011 he also wrote for the fourth series of Primeval.
Fay has written two episodes of the Jimmy McGovern
Jimmy McGovern
Jimmy McGovern is a BAFTA award-winning English television scriptwriter from Liverpool.-Early career:McGovern started his career working on Channel 4's soap opera Brookside in 1982, tackling many social issues such as unemployment.-Successes:...
Drama Moving On
Moving On (TV series)
Moving On is a British television series consisting of standalone contemporary dramas first shown on daytime BBC One. Although originally broadcast in an early-afternoon slot, less than a month after the initial airing the first series was repeated to an evening audience...
, Sauce for the Goose - the first episode of the second series, and an episode of the third series, airing Autumn 2011, which he will also direct. He is in the progress of writing an upcoming episode of Doctor Who.
Theatre Writing
Fay began his writing career by writing and producing his own stage plays for local theatres around Liverpool, including several plays for Kirkby Response Theatre during the nineties. His later credits include the stage plays The Cruel Sea and Eat My Eyes.Personal life
John Fay is originally from Merseyside, and is currently based in MaghullMaghull
Maghull is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. The town is located eight miles north of the City of Liverpool and south of Ormskirk in West Lancashire. The area of Moss Side also contains HM Prison Kennet and Ashworth Hospital. Maghull had a...
, to the north of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, where he lives with his wife. His father passed away shortly before he came to write Children of Earth, which Fay acknowledges when retroactively considering his views on the serial. He cites John Proctor from Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller
Arthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...
's The Crucible
The Crucible
The Crucible is a 1952 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatization of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism, when the US government blacklisted accused communists...
as his favourite fictional character of all time, and Rhys Williams
Rhys Williams (Torchwood)
Rhys Alun Williams, portrayed by Kai Owen, is a fictional character in the BBC television programme Torchwood, a spin-off from the long-running series Doctor Who. The character is introduced in the premiere episode as the co-habiting boyfriend of principal character Gwen Cooper...
as his favourite Torchwood character.
Selected credits
- Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
(2003–2007) - Blue MurderBlue MurderBlue Murder were an English heavy metal band, founded by ex-Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy guitarist John Sykes.-Background:Blue Murder was formed by John Sykes in 1988...
- Up in Smoke (2004)
- The Spartacus Thing (2006)
- MobileMobile (TV series)Mobile is a 3-part British television drama series with an interweaving plot based around a fictional mobile phone operator and the adverse-effect of mobile phone radiation to health. The series was screened by ITV in the UK, during March 2007. The cast includes Jamie Draven, Neil Fitzmaurice,...
(2007)- Three Episodes
- Robin Hood
- Episode #2.9: Lardner's RingLardner's RingLardner's Ring is the ninth episode of series two of the BBC's Robin Hood series. It aired on Saturday 1 December, 2007, on BBC One. Its title is presumably a tribute to the writer Ring Lardner, Jr., who was amongst the writers of the 1950s BBC television series The Adventures of Robin Hood.- Plot...
(2007)
- Episode #2.9: Lardner's Ring
- TorchwoodTorchwoodTorchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
- Children of Earth: Day Two (2009)
- Children of Earth: Day Four (2009)
- Torchwood Miracle Day: The Gathering (2011)
- PrimevalPrimevalPrimeval or primæval may refer to:* Primeval, a British science fiction television series.* Primeval , a 2007 film* Primeval , a score of music from the BBC TV series Doctor Who...
- Episode #4.5 (2011)