Tim Samuels

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Tim Samuels
Born 3 October 1975 (1975-10-03) (age 36)
Manchester
Nationality British
Education Manchester Grammar School University of St Andrews
Known for Documentary filmmaking, Broadcasting, Journalism
Home town London

Tim Samuels (born 3 October 1975) is an award-winning British documentary filmmaker and broadcaster.[1] His work is characterised by approaching serious topics in innovative and subversive ways to produce hard-hitting documentaries.[2] Samuels formed older people's rock group The Zimmers for a BBC documentary and is a regular presenter on BBC television and radio in the UK.[3] He is frequently referred to as a younger British Michael Moore, but without the political agenda.[4][5] Samuels has won three Royal Television Society awards and best documentary at the World Television Festival in Banff.


Contents

[edit] Biography

Tim Samuels was born in Manchester, the son of acclaimed photographer Sefton Samuels.[6] He attended Manchester Grammar School and the University of St Andrews. Samuels' first foray in journalism came at the age of 13 when he interviewed Morrissey, the former lead singer of The Smiths. The interview took place at the home of the then teenage Samuels.[7][8] At the University of St Andrews he rebranded the student newspaper, The Chronicle, as The Saint, taking it on to win the Guardian Student Newspaper of the Year award. He supports Manchester City.

Samuels joined the BBC as a news trainee after university. He spent a number of years as an investigative correspondent for the programme Newsnight and the main evening news bulletin. Samuels reported from the USA and Northern Ireland to expose miscarriages of justice on death row[9][10] and reveal new forms of racism in Northern Ireland, and became Young Journalist of the Year.

[edit] Documentaries

Tim Samuels moved from news to documentaries. In A Dirty Weekend in Hospital for the BBC's Mischief strand he led a hundred victims of the MRSA superbug on an impromptu clean up of ten of the worst hospitals in England.[11] The programme won Best Current Affairs Documentary at the World Television Festival in Banff in 2006. In the same year he also fronted a current affairs travelogue series around Europe.

In 2007, Samuels' series Power To The People aired on BBC Two. Yoko Ono gave her blessing for the John Lennon song to be used as the title and soundtrack. The series saw him seizing Trafalgar Square with a platoon of abandoned soldiers, bringing a dying village from Cornwall to annex London's Islington[12] and forming a rock group made up of lonely old people - The Zimmers. The popstar pensioners, with a 90-year-old lead singer, covered The Who song My Generation which then broke into the UK charts, received more than 5 million YouTube hits and saw the band appear on NBC's The Jay Leno Show alongside George Clooney. The Great Granny Chart Invasion won Best Current Affairs documentary at the Royal Television Society awards in 2008.[13][14]

As part of the BBC’s controversial White Season, Samuels tackled mass immigration into Britain in "The Poles Are Coming" - which examined the influx of Polish immigrants into the Peterborough area of England.[15] In 2009, he presented a BBC Two series, "Hardocore Profits" which revealed the unexpected global human impact of the pornography industry in countries like Ghana – and the industry’s move to the financial mainstream.[16][17]

Samuels has made a number of documentaries for BBC Radio. His Radio 4 documentaries include "Guerillas of Pop", "Running Away", "Find Me a New York Jewish Princess", "The Name Game" and "Men in Therapy". For 5 Live he fronted "P45 Politicians" and the men's magazine show "Men's Hour".[18]

[edit] Awards

  • Royal Television Society: Best Current Affairs Documentary (2008)
  • Royal Television Society: Best British News Story (2004)
  • Royal Television Society: Young Journalist of the Year (2002)
  • Banff World Television Festival: Best Current Affairs Documentary (2006)
  • Race In Media Awards: TV Journalist of Year (2005)
  • New York Festivals: World Medal (2004)
  • Amnesty International commendation (2005)

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Power to the People=BBC News online". London. 8 May 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/power_to_the_people/presenter/6596011.stm. Retrieved 8 May 2007. 
  2. ^ Round, Simon (15 July 2010). "Interview: Tim SamuelsJewish Chronicle". London. http://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/the-simon-round-interview/35671/interview-tim-samuels. Retrieved 15 July 2010. 
  3. ^ Brown, Helen (24 May 2007). "This group are even older than the Stones=Daily Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandjazzmusic/3665319/This-group-are-even-older-than-the-Stones.html. Retrieved 24 May 2007. 
  4. ^ Lallo, Michael (6 November 2009). "Hardcore Profits=The Age, Australia". Melbourne. http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/tv--radio/tv-reviews/friday-november-6/2009/11/04/1257247648578.html. Retrieved 6 November 2009. 
  5. ^ Horsford, Simon; Warman, Matt; Reynolds, Gillian (19 January 2006). "Today’s TV & Radio choices=Daily Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3649468/Todays-TV-and-radio-choices.html. Retrieved 19 January 2006. 
  6. ^ "Sod Carnaby Street=The Guardian". London. 11 September 2007. http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/gallery/2007/sep/11/photography.art=. Retrieved 11 September 2007. [dead link]
  7. ^ "Power to the People=BBC News online". London. 8 May 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/power_to_the_people/presenter/6596011.stm. Retrieved 8 May 2007. 
  8. ^ "Meat Is MurderMorrissey Solo". http://www.morrissey-solo.com/content/interview/greenscene/index.html. 
  9. ^ Samuels, Tim (4 August 2001). "Killing Time=The Guardian". London. http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2001/aug/04/weekend7.weekend12. Retrieved 4 August 2001. 
  10. ^ Samuels, Tim (14 August 2007). "The Last Chance for Justice=The Guardian". London. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/aug/14/thelastchanceforjustice. Retrieved 14 August 2007. 
  11. ^ Hoggart, Paul (13 June 2007). "Tonight’s TV=The Times". London. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article1921883.ece=. Retrieved 13 June 2007. [dead link]
  12. ^ Deacon, Michael (24 May 2007). "Last night on television=Daily Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3665132/Last-night-on-television.html. Retrieved 15 May 2007. 
  13. ^ "Obituary: Alf Carretta=Daily Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph (London). 4 July 2010. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/7871491/Alf-Carretta.html. Retrieved 4 July 2010. 
  14. ^ Cable, Amanda (12 July 2007). "The Zimmers go to Hollywood=Daily Mail". London. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-467870/The-Zimmers-Hollywood.html. Retrieved 12 July 2007. 
  15. ^ Wollaston, Sam (12 March 2008). "The Poles Are Coming!=The Guardian". London. http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/tvandradioblog/2008/mar/12/lastnightstvthepolesarec. Retrieved 12 March 2008. 
  16. ^ Samuels, Tim (5 September 2009). "Tim Samuels’ diary=The Times". London. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6821632.ece. Retrieved 5 September 2009. 
  17. ^ Samuels, Tim (30 August 2009). "Africa Goes Hardcore=The Guardian". London. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/aug/30/pornography-corporate-responsibility-developing-world. Retrieved 30 August 2009. 
  18. ^ Whitworth, Damian (12 July 2010). "Men’s Hour? What’s there to talk about? =The Times". London. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/tv-radio/article2637323.ece. Retrieved 12 July 2010. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Abandoned_Soldier

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