Karl Neilson
Encyclopedia
Karl Neilson is a British
television director
.
in 1971, he left school and started work as a van driver for an electrical goods company in Southport
. Harbouring an ambition to be a director, he returned to education at the Liverpool Community College
. He won a place on the Media Production Bachelor of Arts
course at Bournemouth University
, and graduated with first class honours in 1996.
His television career began as an assistant director
on EastEnders
. Over the following few years he worked on a number of BBC
shows including Silent Witness
, Holby City
, Grange Hill
and Hero to Zero
.
In 2001, aged 29, Neilson got his directing break on EastEnders
. In 2004, a double episode set in the launderette with Dot Cotton telling Den Watts
she had cancer won a TV Moments award, named as 'Best Popular Drama Moment' of 2004.
As well as directing for the BBC, he has also directed episodes of The Bill
and Family Affairs
for TalkbackThames
. He is currently directing the new Minder
, starring Shane Richie
, for FIVE.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
television director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
.
Biography
Born in LiverpoolLiverpool
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...
in 1971, he left school and started work as a van driver for an electrical goods company in Southport
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
. Harbouring an ambition to be a director, he returned to education at the Liverpool Community College
Liverpool Community College
Liverpool Community College is the only college of further education in Liverpool, Merseyside. It was established in 1992 by the amalgamation of all the further education colleges in Liverpool and was formerly known as the "City of Liverpool Community College".In 2005, it had approximately 7,000...
. He won a place on the Media Production Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
course at Bournemouth University
Bournemouth University
Bournemouth University is a university in and around the large south coast town of Bournemouth, UK...
, and graduated with first class honours in 1996.
His television career began as an assistant director
Assistant director
The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew...
on EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
. Over the following few years he worked on a number of 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...
shows including Silent Witness
Silent Witness
Silent Witness is a BBC crime thriller series focusing on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in February 1996, the series is still airing to the present day, with a fifteenth series expected to air in January 2012. The series was...
, Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
, Grange Hill
Grange Hill
Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
and Hero to Zero
Hero to Zero
Hero to Zero is a British children's drama television show about a young boy who has many adventures while receiving advice from the football player Michael Owen. The six-part series premiered 23 February 2000, on BBC One.-Cast:...
.
In 2001, aged 29, Neilson got his directing break on EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
. In 2004, a double episode set in the launderette with Dot Cotton telling Den Watts
Den Watts
Dennis Alan "Den" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by actor Leslie Grantham. He became well known for his tabloid nickname, "Dirty Den"....
she had cancer won a TV Moments award, named as 'Best Popular Drama Moment' of 2004.
As well as directing for the BBC, he has also directed episodes of The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
and Family Affairs
Family Affairs
Family Affairs was a British soap opera broadcast on Five, from 1997 to 2005. It was the second programme to be broadcast on the channel on 30 March 1997, the channel's launch night...
for TalkbackThames
TalkbackTHAMES
Talkback Thames is a British television production company, a division of FremantleMedia . It was formed by the merger of Talkback Productions and Thames Television, the former ITV network franchisee for London on weekdays between 1968 and 1992...
. He is currently directing the new Minder
Minder (TV series)
Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
, starring Shane Richie
Shane Richie
Shane Richie is an English actor, comedian, singer and media personality, known for his portrayal of the character Alfie Moon in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders.-Early life and career beginnings:...
, for FIVE.