Biografia
Born and raised in Birmingham, Simon earned a First Class Honours Degree in English Studies from the University of Nottingham, followed by an MA in Critical Theory. He began his television career in 1993 as a script editor and writer for Byker Grove and Ant & Dec. In 1997, he joined World Productions, where he script edited Ultraviolet for Channel 4, Ballykissangel for BBC1, and co-created the Black Cab short films for BBC2. Between 1999 and 2001, he produced two series of the dotcom drama Attachments, starring David Walliams for BBC2, and co-produced Men Only for Channel 4.
In 2002, Simon was promoted to Head of Drama at World Productions. The following year, he produced Larkin: Love Again for BBC2, which was nominated for RTS and BANFF awards, and co-created and executive produced No Angels, a nursing comedy-drama for Channel 4 that ran for three series. In 2004, he executive produced the BAFTA-nominated Outlaws, a black comedy-drama about duty solicitors for BBC3/2 starring Phil Daniels, the six-part crime drama Murder Prevention for Five, and Ahead Of the Class for ITV, starring Julie Walters, which was one of the top five highest-rated dramas of 2005 and received an RTS nomination.
In 2005, Simon executive produced Perfect Day for Five, which led to the 2006 spin-offs Perfect Day: The Millennium and Perfect Day: The Funeral. Between 2006 and 2007, he executive produced Party Animals for BBC2, starring Matt Smith, which was nominated for a Broadcasting Press Guild award for Best Drama Series. In 2008, he produced Hancock & Joan for BBC4, earning three BAFTA nominations for Best Single Drama, Best Actor, and Best Actress.
In 2009, Simon executive produced Pulse, a pilot for a BBC3 drama series. The following year, he executive produced United, a critically acclaimed film about the Busby Babes and the Munich air crash starring David Tennant, which received nominations for Prix Europa, Broadcast, and Royal Television Society awards. In 2011, he was appointed Creative Director of World Productions and executive produced the highly praised five-part police corruption thriller Line of Duty, which became the highest-rated drama series on BBC2 in a decade and garnered nominations for Silver Dagger, Broadcast, Broadcasting Press Guild, RTS, and South Bank Show Awards.
In 2012, Simon executive produced The Bletchley Circle, a three-part drama for ITV starring Anna Maxwell-Martin, and The Fear, a dark four-part drama for Channel 4 featuring Peter Mullan. The Fear received four BAFTA nominations, winning two for Best Photography and Best Editing. Currently, Simon is executive producing two 90-minute films about The Great Train Robbery—A Robber's Tale and A Copper's Tale—starring Luke Evans and Jim Broadbent, alongside Line of Duty 2 in Belfast and Nightshift, a half-hour pilot for Sky. He occasionally lectures at the National Film & Television School and is a member of BAFTA. Simon lives in North London with his wife and two sons.
