Timothy John Kirkby (born 13 November 1970) is a British filmmaker, working in both the United Kingdom and the United States. He is best known for directing the science parody series Look Around You,[1] the BAFTA winning BBC 2 show Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, and setting up the multi-award winning Fleabag.
Tim Kirkby | |
|---|---|
 Kirkby in 2015 | |
| Born | Timothy John Kirkby 13 November 1970 Sidcup, Kent, England |
| Occupations | Film & TV Director |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Known for | The Pentaverate (2022) Fleabag (2016) Veep (2012–2014) Brockmire (2017) |
| Spouse | Kirsty Mckinnell (m. 2006) |
| Children | 2 |
Career
editKirkby made his TV directorial debut with the BAFTA nominated science spoof Look Around You. He received further recognition for the first season of the BAFTA nominated My Mad Fat Diary, the BAFTA nominated BBC single drama The C Word, and more recently the critically acclaimed Fleabag.
In the United States he created and directed all eight episodes and co-executive produced the award-winning first & second season of Brockmire for IFC. Other notable US television directing credits includes episodes of the Emmy-winning HBO comedy Veep (TV series), Grace & Frankie, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Man Seeking Woman, and his Netflix 6-part TV series The Pentaverate created by Mike Myers, about a secret society that has been working to control world events since 1347.
He has also made documentaries with Motörhead, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest for the multi-award-winning documentary strand Classic Albums, as well as creating and directing all 4 series of the critically acclaimed BAFTA winning show Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle a six-part comedy series featuring standup and sketches. The first season was executive produced by Armando Iannucci and script edited by Chris Morris. The first episode received positive reviews from The Independent and The Daily Mirror, although the show received a negative review, written by Stewart Lee in Time Out, in which he described himself as "fat" and his performance as "positively Neanderthal, suggesting a jungle-dwelling pygmy, struggling to coax notes out of a clarinet that has fallen from a passing aircraft". The second series won a BAFTA for Best Comedy Programme in 2012.
Tim is currently developing a slate of FILM and TV projects, one of which is The Search For The Dice Man based on the novel by Luke Rhinehart.
Filmography
editFilm
| Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | The C Word | Yes | No | TV Movie | |
| 2018 | Action Point [2] | Yes | No | ||
| 2021 | Last Looks | Yes | No | ||
| 2024 | Bad Tidings | Yes | No | TV Movie | |
| TBD | This Godless Place | Yes | Yes | ||
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002, 2005 | Look Around You | Yes | No | Series 1 & 2, 14 episodes |
| 2002, 2004, 2005 | Classic Albums | Yes | No | 3 episodes |
| 2007 | Kombat Opera Presents | Yes | No | Series 1, episode 4 |
| 2010 | Little Crackers | Yes | No | Series 1, episode 10 |
| 2012 | Walking and Talking | Yes | No | 4-part serial |
| 2013, 2015 | The Alternative Comedy Experience | Yes | No | Series 1 & 2, 25 episodes |
| 2013 | My Mad Fat Diary | Yes | No | Series 1, episodes 1, 2, 3 |
| 2009, 2011, 2014, 2016 |
Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle | Yes | No | Season 1-4, 24 episodes |
| 2013, 2014 | Veep | Yes | Yes | Season 2 & 3, 3 episodes |
| 2014 | Playing House | Yes | No | Season 1, 3 episodes |
| 2015 | You, Me and the Apocalypse | Yes | No | Season 1, 3 episodes |
| Man Seeking Woman | Yes | No | Season 1, 3 episodes | |
| Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Yes | No | Season 1, 1 episode | |
| Grace & Frankie | Yes | No | Season 1, 2 episodes | |
| 2017, 2018 | Brockmire | Yes | Yes | Season 1 & 2 , 8 episodes |
| 2018 | Fleabag | Yes | No | Pilot/1st episode |
| 2019 | Don't Forget the Driver | Yes | No | Series 1, 6 episodes |
| 2019 | (Future) Cult Classic[3] | Yes | Yes | Pilot for SyFy
Written by Shay Hatten |
| 2022 | The Pentaverate | Yes | Yes | Series 1, 6 episodes |
| 2023 | The Famous Five[4] | Yes | Yes | 3 episodes |
| 2024 [5] | Entitled | Yes | Yes | Series 1, 8 episodes |
| 2025 | The Revenge Club | Yes | Yes | Series 1, 3 episodes |
| TBD | The Search For The Dice Man | Yes | Yes | Series in Development |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | British Comedy Awards | Best New Comedy | Look Around You | Nominated | |
| BAFTA TV Awards | Best Comedy | Look Around You | Nominated | ||
| 2006 | ROSE D'OR | Best Comedy | Look Around You | Won | |
| 2008 | ROSE D'OR | Best of 2008 | Kombat Opera | Won | |
| ROSE D'OR | Best comedy | Kombat Opera | Won | ||
| 2010 | BAFTA TV Awards | Best Comedy Programme | Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle Series 1 | Nominated | |
| 2012 | British Comedy Awards | Best Comedy Programme | Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle Series 2 | Won | |
| BAFTA TV Awards | Best Comedy Programme | Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle Series 2 | Won | ||
| 2014 | OFTA | Best Direction | Veep Series 2 | Nominated | |
| RTS | Best Best Drama Series | My Mad Fat Diary | Nominated | ||
| BAFTA TV Awards | Best Drama Series | My Mad Fat Diary | Nominated | ||
| OFTA | Best Direction | Veep Series 3 | Nominated | ||
| BAFTA TV Awards | Best Comedy Programme | Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle Series 3 | Nominated | ||
| 2015 | BAFTA TV Awards | Best Comedy Programme | Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle Series 4 | Nominated | |
| 2016 | BAFTA TV Awards | Best Single Drama | The C Word | Nominated | |
| 2017 | BAFTA TV Awards | Best Comedy | Fleabag | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Venice TV Award | Best Comedy | Don't Forget The Driver | Nominated |
Television (as actor)
edit- Look Around You (2005)
References
edit- ↑ Greig, Finlay (12 October 2017). "Look Around You: Robert Popper on the 'insane' science TV parody". The i Paper. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
- ↑ McCahill, Mike (30 August 2018). "Action Point review – Johnny Knoxville takes a renegade theme-park ride". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
- ↑ Petski, Denise (1 March 2019). "'(Future) Cult Classic': Justin Bartha & Geoffrey Owens Cast In Syfy Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ↑ "BBC announces The Famous Five cast with first look images". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
- ↑ "Entitled". imdb.com. Retrieved 31 July 2025.