Stephen J Campbell is a long-time television writer, director and producer who began in TV aimed at younger viewers, including classic series 3:45 LIVE!, and Ice TV. Campbell has also worked on comedy shows including That Comedy Show and Funny Business.

In more recent times, he has specialised in creating kidult shows with a sci-fi/fantasy bent, including hits Secret Agent Men and The Amazing Extraordinary Friends. Campbell also worked on Nigel Latta’s Politically Incorrect Guide to Teenagers and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Grown Ups.

In this ScreenTalk, Campbell talks about:

• Feeling confused but awed on his first day as a TVNZ production trainee
• Crashing the Auckland telephone exchange on live kids show 3:45 LIVE!
• Innovative production techniques used on Ice TV
• How comedy shows taught him the craft of television
• Family being at the heart of the kidult show Secret Agent Men
• The long road to making The Amazing Extraordinary Friends
• How star David McPhail insisted on doing his own stunts
• Changing the format of The Politically Incorrect shows
• Working with the show’s host Nigel Latta
• Producing upcoming kidult sci-fi drama Cul De Sac

This video is available on YouTube to embed and distribute via a Creative Commons licence.

NZ On Screen: Camera and Editing – Andrew Whiteside