Editing Robert Popper

{{Short description|British producer, writer and actor}}
{{BLP sources|date=February 2010}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Robert Popper
| image              = Robert Popper.jpg
| caption            = Popper at the 22 July 2010 ''Look Around You'' panel at [[San Diego Comic-Con]]
| birth_name         = Robert Darren Popper
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1967|11|23|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[St. Marylebone]], London, England
| years_active       = 1995–present
| other_names        = Robin Cooper
| occupation         = {{Hlist | Writer | producer | actor}}
}}

'''Robert Darren Popper'''<ref>{{Cite web|title=Friday Night Dinner – Interview with Robert Popper|url=http://www.channel4.com/programmes/friday-night-dinner/videos/all/interview-with-robert-popper|website=Channel 4|access-date=31 December 2015}}</ref> (born 23 November 1967) is a British comedy producer, writer, actor, and author, best known as co-creator of the mock BBC documentary ''[[Look Around You]]'', and creator of Channel 4's sitcom ''[[Friday Night Dinner]]''. He also wrote the books ''The Timewaster Letters'', ''Return of The Timewaster Letters'' and ''The Timewaster Diaries'' under the [[pseudonym]] '''Robin Cooper'''.

==Early life==
Popper was educated at [[Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Reynolds|first=Charlie|date=28 November 2020|title=The Herts school where Borat actor and Matt Lucas were pupils|url=https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-news/elstree-school-borat-actor-sacha-4744874|access-date=14 March 2021|website=HertsLive|language=en}}</ref> and is [[Jewish]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=12 March 2020|last=Jones|first=Ralph|title='Friday Night Dinner': "We're ready to say goodbye to these characters"|url=https://www.nme.com/tv-interviews/friday-night-dinner-interview-season-six-2624209|access-date=14 March 2021|website=NME|language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Television and film==
Popper began his career in [[British television]] working for [[The Comic Strip]] under [[Peter Richardson (British director)|Peter Richardson]]. He then worked on the Channel 4 show, ''[[The Big Breakfast]]'', writing for comedy puppets [[Zig and Zag (puppets)|Zig and Zag]]. He also made his first appearance as a comedian on ''[[The Eleven O'Clock Show]]'' as the character Simon Michael Simon. Later, he was employed as a commissioning editor for Entertainment and Comedy at [[Channel 4]].

His commissioning credits include the series ''[[Bo' Selecta!]]'', ''[[Black Books]]'', ''[[Spaced]]'' and ''[[Bremner, Bird and Fortune]]''. He commissioned three series of the ''[[Comedy Lab]]'' whilst at the channel. He left the role to work on the first series of ''[[Look Around You]]'' (2002) with [[Peter Serafinowicz]]. ''Look Around You'' was a spoof educational science comedy that ran on BBC2. It was written and produced by Popper (who featured onscreen in one episode as "Jack Morgan", also performing the rock song "Little Mouse") and Serafinowicz (who appeared more frequently). The pair wrote and played all the music in the series.  ''Look Around You'' was nominated for a [[BAFTA]] and a [[British Comedy Award]]. In 2003, Popper co-wrote the short film ''Hello Friend'' with [[Graham Linehan]].

In 2005, Popper returned to the screen with a second series of ''[[Look Around You]]'', again co-written by him and Serafinowicz. Made up of six half-hour shows, ''Look Around You 2'' resembled an early-80s ''[[Tomorrow's World]]''. Popper appeared in all six episodes as Jack Morgan. Besides Popper and Serafinowicz, the series featured [[Josie D'Arby]] and [[Olivia Colman]] as [[Television presenter|presenter]]s. ''Look Around You 2'' won the Rose D'Or TV Award in 2006 for Best Comedy Series. Popper was a programme consultant and co-writer for the TV sketch comedy ''[[The Peter Serafinowicz Show]]'' (2007), in which he also made several brief on-screen appearances.

Popper was the [[television producer|producer]] for the third and fourth series of Channel 4's ''[[Peep Show (British TV series)|Peep Show]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.robertpopper.com/about-robert-popper/peep-show|title=Peep Show|publisher=Robertpopper.com|access-date=26 May 2011}}</ref>

Both series won the British Comedy Award for Best Comedy, and Popper won a BAFTA for series 4. Popper was the [[script editor]] on all three series of ''[[The Inbetweeners]].''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.robertpopper.com/about-robert-popper/the-inbetweeners|title=The Inbetweeners|publisher=Robertpopper.com|access-date=26 May 2011}}</ref> He was also the script editor on Graham Linehan's ''[[The IT Crowd]]'' and the BBC3 comedy ''[[Him & Her]]''.

In 2009, Popper and Serafinowicz wrote, produced, and performed in a 30-minute podcast entitled ''The Other Side''. The comedy purported to be a radio show coming from the only radio station ("Radio Spiritworld") to broadcast from the afterlife. Robert and Peter also created the online world religion, Tarvuism, making a variety of shorts. The pair created a number of web videos on YouTube showcasing their surreal humour, including "Birds of Britain", "Markets of Britain" and "Intermission".{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}

On 28 July 2010, Popper and Serafinowicz added a new narration track to an episode of "Out Of Town" by [[Jack Hargreaves]] in order to create the spoof film "Markets of Britain, a short film by Lee Titt" <ref>{{cite web |last1=Boing Boing Video |title=Markets of Britain, a short film by Lee Titt |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSG2pD-2O2g |website=Youtube |date=28 July 2010 |publisher=Boing Boing |access-date=19 June 2023}}</ref>

Popper wrote on the [[South Park (season 14)|fourteenth series]] of ''[[South Park]]''; he was signed up by creators [[Matt Stone]] and [[Trey Parker]] following a week-long brainstorming session, and worked on the final four episodes of the first half-season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chortle.co.uk/news/2010/03/28/10749/popper_joins_south_park|title=Popper joins South Park|publisher=Chortle.co.uk|date=28 March 2010|access-date=26 May 2011}}</ref>

Popper created, wrote and produced six series of the [[Channel 4]] sitcom ''[[Friday Night Dinner]]''. Series 1 aired from February to April 2011 and won the Rose D'or Award for Best Sitcom. It received two BAFTA nominations and four British Comedy Award nominations.

Popper also co-wrote the first three episodes of ''[[Stath Lets Flats]]'' with [[Jamie Demetriou]] in 2018. He also created and wrote ''[[I Hate You (TV series)|I Hate You]]'' for Channel 4, starring [[Tanya Reynolds]] and Melissa Saint. It dropped on [[All 4]] in September 2022 and aired on C4 in October 2022.

Popper had a small, uncredited role in [[Edgar Wright]]'s 2004 film ''[[Shaun of the Dead]]'', in which he played a news reporter, and also appeared in Wright's next film, ''[[Hot Fuzz]]'' (2007), credited as "Not Janine".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.robertpopper.com/about-robert-popper|title=About|publisher=Robertpopper.com|access-date=26 May 2011}}</ref> He reprised his ''Look Around You'' character, Jack Morgan, for an appearance in the music video for [[Frankie & The Heartstrings]]' 2011 single "Hunger".{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}

==Books==
Robert Popper wrote the books ''The Timewaster Letters'' and ''Return of the Timewaster Letters'' under the pseudonym Robin Cooper. The books were a set of madcap letters he wrote to weird associations and hobby groups. The books became bestsellers and have so far sold over 300,000 copies. The third "Robin Cooper" book, ''The Timewaster Diaries'', was published in 2007, was serialised on Radio 4's Book of the Week programme 16–20 July 2007, read by [[Paul Whitehouse]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.robertpopper.com/books/the-timewaster-diaries-audiobook/ |title=The Timewaster Diaries (Audiobook) |publisher=Robertpopper.com |access-date=26 May 2011}}</ref> ''The Timewaster Letters'' was released in the US in the summer of 2008.

==Tangerinegate==
Popper was responsible for a minor hoax regarding [[Gordon Brown]] in February 2010 known as "Tangerinegate".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/comedy/2010/03/tangerinegate-by-robert-popper.shtml|title=BBC - BBC Comedy Blog: Tangerinegate... by Robert Popper|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> Popper, who often makes prank phone calls, rang up [[London]] radio station [[LBC]] claiming he had seen Brown throw a tangerine into a laminating machine during a fit of rage, breaking the machine.<ref>{{cite web|author=Robert Popper |url=http://www.robertpopper.com/2010/02/27/gordon-brown-calls-lady-a-citric-idiot/ |title='Tangerinegate' |publisher=Robertpopper.com |date= |access-date=26 May 2011}}</ref> This hoax was reported as a true event in ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/gordon-brown/7297028/Gordon-Brown-accused-of-throwing-a-tangerine.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100226222643/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/gordon-brown/7297028/Gordon-Brown-accused-of-throwing-a-tangerine.html|date=26 February 2010}}</ref> as well as being referenced (as 'alleged') on comedy news show ''[[The Bubble (UK TV series)|The Bubble]]''. The ''[[Financial Times]]'' (FT) website published a blog post, stating its belief that the story was a hoax.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2010/02/did-gordon-throw-a-fruit-into-a-machine-during-factory-visit/#comments |title=Did Gordon throw a fruit into a machine during factory visit? &#124; Westminster blog &#124; Jim Pickard and Alex Barker share their views on the UK's political scene for the Financial Times – FT.com |publisher=Blogs.ft.com |date=22 February 2010 |access-date=26 May 2011}}</ref> The ''FT'' also reported on the emergence of a computer-animated version of the events from Hong Kong.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2010/02/gordon-the-fighting-puppet-returns-armed-with-tangerines/ |title=Gordon the fighting puppet returns armed with tangerines &#124; Westminster blog &#124; Jim Pickard and Alex Barker share their views on the UK's political scene for the Financial Times – FT.com |publisher=Blogs.ft.com |date=25 February 2010 |access-date=26 May 2011}}</ref> Similar stories regarding Gordon Brown having temper tantrums were widely published in the British media during February 2010, following publicity about [[Andrew Rawnsley]]'s book ''[[The End of the Party]]''.<ref>http://www.penguin.co.uk/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780670918515,00.html?strSrchSql=Andrew+Rawnsley*/The_End_of_the_Party_Andrew_Rawnsley {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref>

The ''Financial Times'' later issued a follow-up post acknowledging the hoax.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2010/02/the-tangerinegate-hoax/ |title=The Tangerinegate hoax &#124; Westminster blog &#124; Jim Pickard and Alex Barker share their views on the UK's political scene for the Financial Times – FT.com |publisher=Blogs.ft.com |date=27 February 2010 |access-date=26 May 2011}}</ref>

==Awards==
''[[Friday Night Dinner]]'' (Series 1)<br />
Writer/Producer<br />
Winner: Best Sitcom, Rose d'Or Awards 2012<br />
Winner: Best Format, MIPCOM, 2012<br />
Winner: Best Sitcom, Montreux Comedy Festival, 2011<br />
Winner: RTS Craft Award, Best Editing, Sitcom 2011<br />
Nominated: BAFTA, Best Sitcom<br />
Nominated British Comedy Awards, Best Sitcom 2011<br />
Nominated British Comedy Awards, Best New Comedy 2011<br />
Nominated Best Writer, Comedy, RTS Awards 2011<br />
Nominated Best Comedy, Broadcast Awards 2012<br />
Nominated, Best Comedy, Televisual Awards, 2011<br />
Nominated Best New Programme, Broadcast Awards 2012

''Praise Tarvu''<br />
Short Film co/written/produced with Peter Serafinowicz<br />
Winner: Best Comedy, Campfire Film Festival, Australia, 2009

[[Peep Show (British TV series)|''Peep Show'']] (Series 4)<br />
Producer<br />
Winner: BAFTA, Best Sitcom, 2008<br />
Winner British Comedy Award, Best Comedy Series, 2007<br />
Winner of the Monte Carlo International TV Festival, Best Comedy<br />
Winner, Best Comedy Performance, RTS Awards, 2008<br />
Nominated RTS Awards, Best Sit Com, 2008

[[Peep Show (British TV series)|''Peep Show'']] (Series 3)<br />
Producer<br />
Winner: British Comedy Awards, Best Comedy Series, 2006<br />
Nominated: BAFTA, Situation Comedy 2006<br />
Winner: South Bank Awards for Best Comedy, 2006<br />
Nominated for a Broadcast Award, Best Comedy, 2006

''[[Look Around You]]'' (Series 2)<br />
Co-Writer, Co-Star, Co-Producer, Co-Composer (with Peter Serafinowicz)<br />
Winner: Best Comedy, Rose D’Or Awards, 2006<br />
Winner: Arena Magazine Awards for Best Comedy Show 2005<br />
DVD: Nominated for a DVDA award, Best Comedy DVD, 2006

''[[Look Around You]]'' (Series 1)<br />
Co-Writer, Co-Star, Co-Producer, Co-Composer (with Peter Serafinowicz)<br />
Nominated: BAFTA, Best Comedy Series, 2003<br />
Nominated: British Comedy Award, Best New Comedy, 2003<br />
Winner: Amazon.co.uk’s UK Comedy DVD of the year, 2003

''[[Look Around You]]'': Calcium<br />
Co-Writer, Co-Producer, Co-Composer with Peter Serafinowicz, 20-minute comedy short film, 2001<br />
Winner: London Portobello Film Festival (Springfest)<br />
Special Mentions: Milan, Leeds, and Bradford Film Festivals<br />
Finalist: London Greenwich Film Festival

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.robertpopper.com}}
* [http://www.robincooper.co.uk  ''The Timewaster Letters'' webpage]
* [http://www.tarvu.com/ Tarvuism's official website]
* [http://rsw.cc/ Radio Spirit World official website]
* {{IMDb name|0691583}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Popper, Robert}}
[[Category:English male comedians]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:Television producers from London]]
[[Category:People educated at Haberdashers' Boys' School]]
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Jewish English writers]]
[[Category:Jewish male comedians]]
[[Category:Male actors from London]]
[[Category:People from Marylebone]]
[[Category:Writers from the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:Comedians from the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:Actors from the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:Jewish English comedians]]