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Armando Iannucci

Date of birth: 30-11-1963

Half-Italian, half-Scottish Armando Iannucci abandoned his Oxford graduate studies in English to take up a career in broadcasting - and has since become one of the most important catalysts in bringing comedy to the screen.

He started his career in the early Nineties as a radio producer, working on The Mary Whitehouse Experience, Quote... Unquote, The News Quiz and On The Hour. This spoof news show transferred to TV as The Day Today and spawned Alan Partridge, whose award-winning shows on TV and radio Iannucci produced and co-wrote.

Iannucci has also fronted his own satirical shows, including The Saturday (or Friday) Night Armistice on BBC Two, his self-titled show on Channel 4 and his Radio 4 show Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive. He is also a regular on Radio 4 panel shows such as The News Quiz and The 99p Challenge and has worked on a number of Radio 3 shows, because of his passion for classical music.

More recently, he created the political satire The Thick Of It, about a beleaguered Minister trying to cope with the pressure imposed by his army of spin doctors, and the spoof clip show Time Trumpet.

In 2006, he was made Visiting Professor of Broadcast Media at Oxford University, and was appointed as a BBC executive to develop new comedy shows.

He is also a columnist for The Observer, and a collection of his earlier newspaper work for the Telegraph and the Guardian was published in a 1997 collection, Facts And Fancies, which was also adapted for a Radio 4 series.

Iannucci has also directed a number of TV commercials, for clients incluting Nationwide.

Armando Iannucci to develop new shows with BBC Studios

New deal for his production company Touchscreen

Armando Iannucci’s production company has signed a ‘development partnership' with BBC Studios.

The agreement will see Touchscreen work with the broadcaster’s independent production arm on new scripted programming.

Iannucci said: ‘Touchscreen is focused on making projects that reflect, confront or celebrate the world we live in. I’ll be continuing my relationship with HBO, and now with Touchscreen I have the opportunity to nurture new creative and production talent and ideas.

‘I’m so glad that I’ll be partnering with BBC Studios to do this, especially as the BBC is where I learned my craft. The aim of Touchscreen, with the support of BBC Studios, is to give others the same opportunity to find their voice and reach their audience, and for us together to make shows that are daring, that get people talking and which encourage us all to look at our world afresh.’

Mark Linsey, president of scripted programming at BBC Studios, said: ‘I’m delighted that BBC Studios is going to be in partnership with Armando and Touchscreen.

‘Developing new British talent is critical for the future of our creative industry and I’m excited to see what talent and new storytelling we can build together.’

The deal was brokered by Lucy Fairney at PBJ Management.

Published: 3 Dec 2024