Director
With over 30 years directing across comedy, drama, and live broadcast, Neil brings a deep, practical understanding of how television is made and how performers do their best work. His directing style is collaborative and actor-focused, creating safe, playful sets where talent can shine and stories genuinely connect with audiences. Alongside his writing career, Neil continues to direct selectively on projects that align with his values and experience.
Selected Directing Credits
Neil’s recent credits include major broadcast projects spanning live sport, comedy, and drama.
Director – Paralympics 2024 – Channel 4
Studio Director on 2024’s coverage of the Paralympics, covering the afternoon show on More4 for the 12-day event. Whisper for Channel 4.
Writer / Director – Mother’s Best Child – Channel 4
Writing and directing comedy shorts for Channel 4’s online offerings, with one sketch having over 6 million views on Facebook
2nd Unit Director – Murder they Hope – UKTV
Directing drone sequences, pick-up and cut-away shots as well, as directing a short promo with Johnny Vegas and Sian Gibson for UKTV.
Director / Writer / Editor – Amazon Prime
Producing several projects for Amazon Prime, including 3 pre-school animation series and Puppy Time, a live action one-hour special for kids.
Producer / Script Editor – Just So Darwin – CBBC
This 13-part, BAFTA nominated series was made to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth.
Writer / Director – BVS Training Ltd
Creating dramatic reconstructions of abuse within care home settings to help train care workers to look after vulnerable adults.
Co-Producer / Director – Tony Biscotti’s School for Dramatic Youth – Nickalodeon
Directing a fully funded children’s comedy drama pilot for kids. Starred Steve Furth, Dolly Wells and a cast of over 40 teenage actors.
Freelance years
Animation Writer / Director – Steady Eddie
Created 10 x 15-minute animated stories, songs and live action inserts for five videos, starring the lovable lorry Steady Eddie based on Eddie Stobart Trucks. Contender Entertainment / Amazon
Writer / Director – KnowledgeBox – Pearson Broadband
Wrote and Directed 85 x 5 minute videos for Primary School English. Included studio interviews, drama workshops, demonstrations and performances.
Director/editor – Autism Educational Trust
Created a series of training films for aimed at teaching assistant, filming with autistic teenagers and their teachers at Spring Hallows school Ealing.
Director / Writer – Inc The Samaritans
Created several hundred business videos, animations, and comedy / drama based training films and for a variety of clients, including The Samaritans, Demand, Nuffield Trust.
Writer / Director – Teachers TV
Producing several series including Great Lesson Ideas, Lesson Starts, and a Seven-part maths series for GCSE students mixing real life problems with a graphic-rich studio explanation of mathematical techniques Leaders.
Writer / Director – Sell Through Children’s Videos – Contender Entertainment / Amazon
How to be a Ballet Dancer (Royal Academy of Dance endorsed), My First Day at School (National Association for Primary Education endorsed).
Series Director – Mega Mutt – Discovery Kids
Directed this 13-part children’s series, a kind of Superstars for the average family dog and their child owners.
Studio Director – Tool Time – Discovery Home and Leisure
20 x 25 min studio-based programmes on DIY and crafts, an Invincible Films Production for Discovery Home and Leisure.
Director / Writer – Beachcomber Bay – Channel 5
Directing 104 location inserts, as well as writing 20 x 25 min episodes over two pre-school puppet series.
Director / Writer – Numbertime – BBC Schools
Wrote and directed song and dance numbers for this BBC series on counting. (3 series)
Location Director – Teletubbies – CBeebies
Set up and directed inserts for this award-winning series. Ragdoll Production for the BBC.
Animation Writer / Director – Contender Entertainment / Amazon
Creator of two animated story videos for 3-6 year olds, voiced by Hugh Laurie and Joanna Lumley.
Studio Director / Writer – Megamaths – BBC Schools
Co-wrote and directed two series of ten x 20 min studio based maths programmes for 7-9 year olds. Japan Prize nominated and RTS award-winning first series.
Early BBC Career
Where it all began: writing and directing for BBC Schools, building skills in multi-camera studios, location, and educational drama.
Hotch Potch House – Writer / director 17 x five minute sketches for this puppet based series for 3-5 year olds.
English File – Poetry of Passion – Directed this 30-minute chat show on Love Poetry, hosted by Lily Savage. RTS and Japan Prize nominated series.
Mathsphere Special – Directed 5 x 20-minute documentaries, pulling the maths out of flying. Filmed on location at Gatwick Airport, the Costa Del Sol and Toulouse
English Express – The Case of the Missing Head – Wrote and directed this 20-minute comedy-drama on diaries and notebooks, in the English Express Series.
Numbersplus – Wrote three episode and directed ten x 15-minute studio based comedy series on counting for 5-7 year olds.
Square One Television – Wrote and directed mini-drama, comedy and documentary PSC items and “as live” multi-camera studio quizzes. Co-production with Children’s Television Workshop, New York and the BBC.
Words and Pictures – Researching, writing and directing location and studio elements of this long running series.
Relevant Directing Experience and Training
- Directors UK Inspire 2022 programme, mentor Ed Bye
- Directors UK Access and Inclusion committee member and Vice Chair of their Disability Working Group
- Director / writer / and performer with Chicken Shed Theatre Company
- Teaching / training in Video Production and TV Presentation for colleges and professional organisations
- Multi-camera studio direction – Including interview, drama, music and quizzes. BBC Training
- Introduction to direction – Basic studio and location directing techniques. BBC Training
- AVID 101 Non-linear editing – National Film & TV School
- Working with actors – BBC Training
What People Say
Neil is a talented and creative director who I have had the pleasure to work with on Murder They Hope series 2. He is also an accomplished writer and perhaps most important of all he has a full grasp of the intricacies required for making television comedy, a rare and wonderful thing.