Jon Canter is an English television comedy writer forLenny Henry and other leading comedians. Canter was born and brought up in the Jewish community ofGolders Green,North London and studied law at theUniversity of Cambridge, where he became President ofFootlights.
After a spell in advertising, copywriting (and as a housemate ofDouglas Adams)[1] he became a freelance comedy writer, setting up home inAldeburgh with his wife, painter Helen Napper. He became a principal writer for the comedianLenny Henry, also writing forDawn French,Angus Deayton,Mel Smith andGriff Rhys Jones, as well asscript editor forStephen Fry andHugh Laurie.[2][3][4] He co-wrote the 2003BBC television satirical comedyPosh Nosh with the co-starArabella Weir; and theBBC Radio 4 situation comedyBelieve It![5] and, withGuy Jenkin,Legal, Decent, Honest and Truthful. He wrote a Radio 4Afternoon Play,I Love Stephen Fry[6] in 2008; and in 2017 Radio 4 broadcast the short seriesHomes and Watford in its15 Minute Drama slot. His comedyBoswell's Lives (starringMiles Jupp) ran on BBC Radio 4 for four series, 2015–2018. He wrote for theITV animated cartoon version ofMr. Bean,and the screenplay for the filmFull Monty 2.[citation needed]
His first novel,Seeds of Greatness, a comic story inspired by his upbringing, was published in 2006 (ISBN 978-0-224-07773-6),[7] and was abridged byFiona McAlpine as aBBC Radio 4Book at Bedtime.[8] His subsequent novels have beenA Short Gentleman (2008) andWorth (2011). An adaptation ofA Short Gentleman was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2012.[9]
Since 2008, he has been a regular contributor toThe Guardian's comment pages. In 2014,The Rev. Diaries was published: this was based on the TV programme starringTom Hollander, and was written with help from Hollander and James Wood.
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