Jason Hazeley

Jason Hazeley is a British comedy writer. With long-time writing partner Joel Morris, Hazeley has written many books, and for many British comedy series, and films. Their work includes a collection of parody Ladybird books, and they have written scripts for many British comedy series and films, including That Mitchell and Webb Look , Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe and the Paddington films.

Early life

Hazeley, whilst known as Jason Smith, attended King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford, Essex ^[1] which is where he met his later comedy partner Joel Morris. ^[2] Whilst at school they produced a parody newsletter, and at sixth form received their first paid work after selling a joke to the Russ Abbott show. ^[3]

Career

Television and film

Hazeley has written for a number of British TV shows and films. These include That Mitchell and Webb Look , A Touch of Cloth , Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe , Electionwipe and Newswipe programmes, and several Philomena Cunk series. The pair are regular contributors to the British adult comic Viz . The 2016 Electionwipe won the BAFTA award for best Comedy and entertainment programme. ^[4] They also wrote for Paddington (film) ^[5] and Paddington 2. ^[6]

Books

With Joel Morris, Hazeley has co-written books including Bollocks to Alton Towers , ^[7] and a series of parody Ladybird books which re-caption original illustrations from the Ladybird series with jokes aimed at an adult audience. ^[8] Topics have included Donald Trump, ^[9] hipsters and hangovers ^[10] and Brexit. ^[11] The books were so successful that in 2015 only JK Rowling, David Walliams and Julia Donaldson sold more copies in the UK. ^[12]

Hazeley wrote The Framley Examiner , a local news parody website which later became a book, with Robin Halstead, Alex Morris and Joel Morris.

Podcast

Hazeley and Morris also hosted the comedy podcast Rule of Three ^[13] until 2020. Rule of Three was named in the best podcasts of 2018 by The Guardian. ^[14] On the show they invite a comedy performer on to discuss their career and a comedy performance or programme, a TV show, a film, a book, an album or a comic that means a lot to them. ^[15] Guests have included Eddie Izzard, John Finnemore, Danielle Ward, Jon Holmes, ^[16] and Aisling Bea ^[17] Topics have included Bill Hicks, films such as Trading Places and Time Bandits and the LP version of The Album of the Soundtrack of the Trailer of the Film of Monty Python and the Holy Grail . ^[18] The podcast has branched out into live shows with special guests such as Sue Perkins. ^[19] Hazeley has also appeared as a guest on the Griefcast podcast with Cariad Lloyd. ^[20] At the 2020 British Podcast Awards it was named best Arts and Culture Podcast. ^[21]

Music

From 1998 to 2003 Hazeley was part of the folk-pop duo Ben & Jason. ^[22] In 2024, he toured the UK as part of Beth Gibbons' live band, and appeared with her on Later... with Jools Holland .

Publications

• Hazeley, Jason A.; Morris, Joel P. (29 October 2015). How it Works: The Husband. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8356-1.
• ——; —— (29 October 2015). The Ladybird Book of Dating. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8357-8.
• ——; —— (29 October 2015). How it Works: The Wife. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8354-7.
• ——; —— (29 October 2015). The Ladybird Book of Dating. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8357-8.
• ——; —— (29 October 2015). The Ladybird Book of Mindfulness. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8352-3.
• ——; —— (29 October 2015). The Ladybird Book of The Hangover. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8351-6.
• ——; —— (29 October 2015). The Ladybird Book of The Hipster. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8359-2.
• ——; —— (29 October 2015). The Ladybird Book of The Mid-Life Crisis. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8353-0.
• ——; —— (29 October 2015). The Ladybird Book of The Shed. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8358-5.
• ——; —— (11 February 2016). How it Works: The Mum. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8421-6.
• ——; —— (19 May 2016). How it Works: The Dad. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8426-1.
• ——; —— (25 August 2016). How it Works: The Student. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8428-5.
• ——; —— (20 October 2016). How it Works: The Cat. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8433-9.
• ——; —— (20 October 2016). How it Works: The Dog. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8435-3.
• ——; —— (20 October 2016). How it Works: The Grandparent. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8430-8.
• ——; —— (20 October 2016). The Ladybird Book of Red Tape. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8439-1.
• ——; —— (20 October 2016). The Ladybird Book of The Meeting. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8437-7.
• ——; —— (20 October 2016). The Ladybird Book of The People Next Door. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8441-4.
• ——; —— (20 October 2016). The Ladybird Book of The Sickie. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8443-8.
• ——; —— (20 October 2016). The Ladybird Book of The Zombie Apocalypse. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8445-2.
• ——; —— (1 December 2016). The Ladybird Book of Boxing Day. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8486-5.
• ——; —— (23 February 2017). The Ladybird Book of The Do-Gooder. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8447-6.
• ——; —— (5 October 2017). How it Works: The Baby. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8863-4.
• ——; —— (5 October 2017). How it Works: The Brother. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8869-6.
• ——; —— (5 October 2017). How it Works: The Sister. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8870-2.
• ——; —— (5 October 2017). People at Work: The Rock Star. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8865-8.
• ——; —— (5 October 2017). The Ladybird Book of Balls. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8871-9.
• ——; —— (5 October 2017). The Ladybird Book of The Big Night Out. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8867-2.
• ——; —— (5 October 2017). The Ladybird Book of The Ex. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8866-5.
• ——; —— (5 October 2017). The Ladybird Book of The Nerd. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8864-1.
• ——; —— (5 October 2017). The Ladybird Book of The New You. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8885-6.
• ——; —— (5 October 2017). The Ladybird Book of The Quiet Night In. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8868-9.
• ——; —— (5 October 2017). A Ladybird First Grown-Up Picture Book. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-7181-8884-9.
• ——; —— (25 October 2018). The Story of Brexit. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-241-38656-9.
• ——; —— (15 November 2018). The Wonderful World of Ladybird Books for Grown-Ups. London: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-241-36404-8.
• ——; —— (3 October 2019). A Ladybird book about Donald Trump. Loughborough: Ladybird Books. ISBN   978-0-241-42272-4.

See also

• Bollocks to Alton Towers ( ISBN   0-14-102120-9)
• More Bollocks to Alton Towers ( ISBN   0-14-102785-1)

References

1. "Notable Alumni". www.kegs.org.uk.
2. https://www.inews.co.uk/culture/meet-men-invented-ladybird-books-grown-ups-not-millionaires-thousandaires-515348%3Famp
3. "Ladybird Book duo Joel Morris and Jason Hazeley are now spoofing Scandi noir on Radio 4". Radio Times.
4. "Comedy & Comedy Entertainment Programme - Charlie Brooker's 2016 Wipe". 11 April 2017.
5. "BBC Radio 2 - Jo Whiley & Simon Mayo, Jason Hazeley and Joel Morris, Ladybird Book Confession, The link between Ladybird, Paddington and Bins!". BBC.
6. "Joel Morris and Jason Hazeley | United Agents". www.unitedagents.co.uk.
7. Hazeley, Jason; Halstead, Robin; Morris, Alex; Morris, Joel (March 2, 2006). Bollocks to Alton Towers: Uncommonly British Days Out. Penguin Adult. ISBN   9780141021201 – via Google Books.
8. "Spoof Ladybird books target adult market". BBC News Online . 12 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
9. https://www.inews.co.uk/culture/books/jason-hazeley-joel-morris-a-ladybird-book-about-trump-interview-release-638826%3Famp
10. "Ladybird Books' mid-life crisis: New books take on hangovers and hipsters".
11. "Ladybird book authors make light work of Brexit". The Guardian. 25 October 2018.
12. "Meet the Ladybird authors knocking everyone off the best-sellers list - including me".
13. Sawyer, Miranda (23 June 2019). "The week in radio and podcasts: Football Daily; Giant; Athletico Mince". The Observer. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
14. Davies, Hannah J.; Verdier, Hannah; Gibsone, Harriet; Haynes, Gavin (June 30, 2018). "The 50 best podcasts of 2018" – via www.theguardian.com.
15. https://www.podnews.net/podcast/1362621695
16. Gent, James (June 8, 2018). "Podcast of the Week: Rule Of Three » We Are Cult".
17. Bea, Aisling. "AISLING BEA - Actor, Writer, Stand-Up, MC. People have woken up to worse. Rule Of Three – Father Ted". www.aislingbea.com.
18. "Dissecting comedy classics: Rule of Three". RNZ. August 31, 2018.
19. "Rule of Three with special guest Sue Perkins • Comedy • Kings Place". Kings Place.
20. "Ep. 56 Jason Hazeley - Griefcast (podcast)". Listen Notes.
21. https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/winners-2020
22. "Ben & Jason - New Songs, Playlists & Latest News - BBC Music". BBC.