Ash Atalla: The Office, The IT Crowd, and the Unlikely Road to Comedy Success

Ash Atalla: The Office, The IT Crowd, and the Unlikely Road to Comedy Success

Ash Atalla, the creative mind behind some of the most beloved British comedies, sits down with James O'Brien to explore his incredible journey from a challenging childhood in Northern Ireland to becoming a powerhouse producer in television. From The Office to The IT Crowd, Big Boys and more, Ash shares the pivotal moments that shaped his career, including the unexpected path that led him to comedy and the challenges he faced along the way.

In this episode of Full Disclosure, Ash opens up about his early years, including contracting polio when he was just a baby, and how his parents decision to move from Egypt to Belfast in the 1970s impacted his life. He reflects on the lessons his father instilled in him, his rise from a failed stockbroker to a major figure in the TV industry, and how he helped bring The Office to life against all odds.

Thoughtful, candid, and full of wit, Ash discusses his work, his family, and what drives him to create stories that resonate deeply with audiences.

Episoder(315)

Jan Ravens: “I lived with a nameless dread”

Jan Ravens: “I lived with a nameless dread”

Jan Ravens, the acclaimed impressionist at the heart of Dead Ringers, grew up learning to change the mood of a room long before she ever changed her voice on stage. In this conversation with James O B...

5 Des 20251h 2min

Hal Cruttenden: Divorce blew my mind- it hits harder than losing parents

Hal Cruttenden: Divorce blew my mind- it hits harder than losing parents

Before he became one of the most recognisable storytellers on the comedy circuit, Hal Cruttenden was a shy kid from West London who spent years trying to be what he thought others wanted him to be. He...

28 Nov 20251h 4min

Stephen Mangan: When Mum died, I knew I couldn’t waste life being a lawyer- I had to act

Stephen Mangan: When Mum died, I knew I couldn’t waste life being a lawyer- I had to act

Before he became one of Britain’s most familiar faces, Stephen Mangan was a bookish North London boy from an Irish working-class family- the son of a builder and a barmaid- who won a scholarship to a ...

21 Nov 20251h

Toby Jones: I never wanted to feel desperate about acting

Toby Jones: I never wanted to feel desperate about acting

From Truman Capote to Mr Bates, Toby Jones has built a career on disappearing- an actor whose transformations are so complete they can seem alchemical. But behind that versatility lies a story of inhe...

14 Nov 20251h 4min

John Lloyd: Blackadder, Spitting Image, QI and a life in search of meaning

John Lloyd: Blackadder, Spitting Image, QI and a life in search of meaning

As the creative mind behind Blackadder, Spitting Image, Not the Nine O’Clock News and QI, John Lloyd has quietly shaped British comedy for more than forty years. In this episode of Full Disclosure, he...

7 Nov 20251h 3min

Jimmy Wales: The man who built Wikipedia

Jimmy Wales: The man who built Wikipedia

Long before it became one of the most visited websites on Earth, Wikipedia began as a radical idea from a curious boy in Huntsville, Alabama. Raised by a father who managed a grocery store and a mothe...

31 Okt 20251h 5min

Charles Dance: From builder’s labourer with a stammer to Tywin Lannister

Charles Dance: From builder’s labourer with a stammer to Tywin Lannister

Before he was Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones or the commanding presence of The Jewel in the Crown, Charles Dance was a boy from Worcestershire whose father died when he was three and whose mother ...

24 Okt 202558min

Alexander Armstrong: My default setting is fear- I expect the worst of people

Alexander Armstrong: My default setting is fear- I expect the worst of people

Before Pointless, Classic FM and comedy stardom, Alexander Armstrong was a restless kid growing up in rural Northumberland- lonely at boarding school, obsessed with music, and quietly desperate to per...

17 Okt 202553min

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