Tim Kirkby Explained

Tim Kirkby
Birth Name:Timothy John Kirkby
Birth Date:13 November 1970
Birth Place:Sidcup, Kent, England
Known For:The Pentaverate (2022)
Fleabag (2016)
Veep (2012–2014)
Brockmire (2017)
Nationality:British
Occupation:Film & TV Director
Spouse:Kirsty Mckinnell (m. 2006)
Children:2
Years Active:2000–present

Timothy John Kirkby (born 13 November 1970 in Sidcup, Kent, England) 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, the BAFTA winning BBC 2 show Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, and setting up the multi-award winning Fleabag.

Career

Kirkby 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.

More recently Tim directed a neo-noir detective story Last Looks set in Los Angeles starring Mel Gibson and Charlie Hunnam, the folk horror classic Entitled with Two Brothers for Showtime/Channel 4, and the Christmas movie Bad Tidings for SkyMovies which premieres Christmas Eve 2024.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleDirectorExecutive
Producer
Notes
2015The C WordTV Movie
2018Action Point
2021Last Looks
2024Bad Tidings TV Movie
TBAMethod Men
Television
YearTitleDirectorExecutive
Producer
Notes
2002, 2005Look Around You2 series, 14 episodes
2002, 2004, 2005Classic Albums3 episodes
2007Kombat Opera PresentsSeries 1, episode 4
2010Little CrackersSeries 1, episode 10
2012Walking and Talking4-part serial
2013, 2015The Alternative Comedy Experience2 series, 25 episodes
2013My Mad Fat DiarySeries 1, episodes 1, 2, 3
2009, 2011,
2014, 2016
Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle4 series, 24 episodes
2013, 2014Veep3 episodes
2014Playing House3 episodes
2015You, Me and the Apocalypse3 episodes
Man Seeking Woman3 episodes
Brooklyn Nine-Nine1 episode
Grace & Frankie2 episodes
2017, 2018Brockmire2 series, 8 episodes
2018Fleabag1 episode
2019Don't Forget the Driver1 series, 6 episodes
2022The Pentaverate1 series, 6 episodes
2023The Famous Five3 episodes
2025Entitled1 series, 8 episodes

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Title Result
2003 Best New Comedy Look Around You
Best Comedy Look Around You
2006 ROSE D'OR Best Comedy Look Around You
2008 ROSE D'OR Best of 2008 Kombat Opera
ROSE D'OR Best comedy Kombat Opera
2010 Best Comedy ProgrammeStewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle Series 1
2012 Best Comedy ProgrammeStewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle Series 2
Best Comedy ProgrammeStewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle Series 2
2014 OFTA Best DirectionVeep Series 2
Best Best Drama SeriesMy Mad Fat Diary
Best Drama SeriesMy Mad Fat Diary
OFTA Best DirectionVeep Series 3
Best Comedy ProgrammeStewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle Series 3
2015 Best Comedy ProgrammeStewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle Series 4
2016 Best Single DramaThe C Word
2017 Best ComedyFleabag
2019 Venice TV Award Best ComedyDon't Forget The Driver

Television (as actor)