Lisa Holdsworth
Lisa’s TV writing career started with a 50-minute stand-alone episode for Fat Friends. She was then on the Emmerdale writing team for several years before going on to write numerous episodes of dramas including New Tricks, Robin Hood, Midsomer Murders and Waterloo Road, as well as radio and stage work. She won the Writer of the Year award in the RTS Yorkshire Awards 2011 for her 90-minute opener for Series 4 of Waterloo Road. More recently she’s written episodes of Call the Midwife, James’ Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small and A Discovery of Witches. Her stage adaptation of Adelle Stripes’ novel Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile about the life of northern playwright Andrea Dunbar opened in 2019 to great acclaim and was included in the Observer critics’ review of the top 10 theatre shows of 2019. She is also developing several original TV pilot scripts and treatments and is currently Chair of the WGGB.
Click here...CV
2020
A Discovery of Witches S3 – Bad Wolf/ Sky – Co-showrunner and 2 x scripts commissioned
Northern Circuit – SunnyMarch – Original pilot script optioned
2019
Watched – Synchronicity Films – Original drama treatment commissioned
A Discovery of Witches S2 – Bad Wolf/Sky – 1 x 60 min script commissioned
All Creatures Great and Small – Playground Entertainment – 1 x 60 min script commissioned for new C5 James Herriot series
Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile – Playtext published by Methuen Drama
2018
Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile – Freedom Studios
Commissioned to adapt biography of playwright Andrea Dunbar for stage
Call the Midwife – Neal Street Productions/BBC
1 x 60 minute script commissioned
2017
Ackley Bridge series 2 – The Forge/C4
Script commissioned
2016
Phyllis – Greenacre
Treatment commissioned
Midsomer Murders – Bentley Productions/ITV
1 x 80 minute script commissioned
2015
Midsomer Murders – Bentley Productions/ITV
1 x 80 minute script commissioned
The Clifton Chronicles – Duchess Productions
Development work and treatment commissioned
Slung Low
Play commissioned to mark rugby festival in Leeds
2014
Yamas – Lime Pictures
1 x 60 minute pilot script commissioned based on original format (co-owned with Kin Tserkezie)
2013
Northern Circuit – ITV Studios
Treatment and pilot script commissioned
On the Edge – Bentley Productions
Treatment commissioned
Midsomer Murders – Bentley Productions/ITV
1x 80 minute script commissioned
Midsomer Murders – Bentley Productions/ITV
1 x 80 minute script broadcast
2012-13
In Season – BBC TV
Series bible and pilot script commissioned
Jenny – ITV Studios
Treatment for original series commissioned
Baggage – ITV Studios
Treatment for original series commissioned
Yamas – Lime Pictures
Treatment commissioned (co-written)
2011
New Tricks Series 9 – Wall to Wall/BBC
1 x 60 minute script commissioned
Going to Extremes – Re: Play Contact Theatre
Short play produced at Re:Play Festival following its critically acclaimed outing at JB Shorts
2010-2011
The Change – Horn Brothers/ITV
Series treatment and script commissioned
2010
Obesity Kills
Original spec 60 min script
New Tricks Series 8 – Wall to Wall/BBC
1 x 60 minute script commissioned
Deliverence – Company Pictures
Commissioned to work on new team written drama
Insecurity – YoYo Media
Extended treatment commissioned
New Tricks series 7 Wall to Wall/BBC
1 x 60 minute full rewrite commissioned
2009
New Tricks series 7 – Wall to Wall/BBC
1 x 60 minute script commissioned
Waterloo Road series 6 – Shed/BBC
1 x 60 minute script commissioned – series opener
Waterloo Road series 5 – Shed/BBC
1 x 60 minute script commissioned
Suits – Plain Vanilla
Treatment commissioned
BBC North Drama Residency
Invited to attend
2008
New Tricks series 6 – Wall to Wall/BBC
1 x episode re-write
Notorious – Tiger Aspect
Commissoned to write treatment
Robin Hood series 3 – Tiger Aspect/BBC
1 x 45 minute episode commissioned
1 x episode re-write
2007-2008
Waterloo Road series 4 – Shed/BBC
1 x 90 minute series opener
2 x 60 minute episodes
2007
New Tricks – Wall to Wall/BBC
1 x 60 minute script commissioned
Blue Murder – ITV
Treatment for 90 minute script commissioned
Waterloo Road series 3 – Shed/BBC
4 x 60 minute scripts commissioned
2006-2007
Trapped – Wall to Wall/BBC
Commissioned to write original pilot
This Monstrous Regiment – BBC Scotland
Commissioned to develop 6 x 30 min comedy series
New Tricks – Wall to Wall/BBC
2 x 60 minute scripts commissioned
Obesity Kills – BBC TV
Treatment commissioned for stand alone horror strand
2005
New Tricks – Wall to Wall/BBC
2 x 60 minute scripts commissioned
2003-2005
Emmerdale Yorkshire TV/ITV
Core writer, 40 episodes commissioned
2004
Bitter Pill – BBC Radio 4
60 minute play broadcast, starring Lesley Sharp.
2003
Class of ’81 – BBC Wales
Commissioned to write extended treatment for 6 part TV adaptation of a Joanne Harris short story.
First Flight – Screenhouse Productions/PAWS
Development contract for single drama
BBC Radio 4/PAWS
development contract to work on radio proposal
BBC Drama Serials – New Writing Initiative course to develop two
part serials for BBC 1.
2001
Fat Friends Series 2 – Rollem Productions/Tiger Aspect/YTTV
1 x 60 minutes episode broadcast October 2002
2000
Choices – a series of comedy sketches for a video installation at The International Centre for Life featuring personalities such as Alan Shearer, Meera Syall, Liza Tarbuck and Ant & Dec