Internationally Award Winning Writer
Stephen Campbell is a New Zealand based, internationally award winning writer/showrunner with a strong focus on creating drama and comedy content for young adult audiences.
AWARDS
Winner Milan Independent Awards 2024
Best Television Script Pilot - Dead Men Can’t Dance - An Emma Rose Mystery.
Winner French International Modern Film and Script Fest 2023
Best Television Script Pilot - Dead Men Can’t Dance - An Emma Rose Mystery.
Best Children’s Programme - Asian Academy Creative Awards 2019 The Cul de Sac: Season Three.
Winner - Special Prize at the Seoul International Drama Awards 2011. The Amazing Extraordinary Friends (drama)
(The Amazing Extraordinary Friends
Finalist - 2008 Roma Fiction Festival (Italy)
Finalist - the Seoul Drama Festival 2008 (Korea) -
Finalist - 2008 Qantas Film and Television Awards (New Zealand) Finalist - Best Children’s/Youth Programme at the Aotearoa Film and Television Awards 2011.)
Best Children’s Programme 2004 Qantas Media Awards. Secret Agent Men (drama)
Best Comedy Programme, NZ Film and Television Awards 1999. ICE TV (entertainment)
BIO
Stephen joined Television New Zealand in 1986 under its Producer training scheme and was attached to the Children and Young Person’s department in Christchurch (NZ). During his time with the department he was responsible for the design and development of one of New Zealand’s most iconic children’s TV characters, Thingee. He went on to produce the ground-breaking youth programme, 3:45 LIVE, and then produced and directed the TV3 children’s series, EBS and Yahoo in 1991.
He freelanced as a writer/director on a variety of programmes including That Comedy Show (TV3) and Comedy Central (TV3) and as co-creator and associate producer of the award winning YA entertainment programme ICETV (TV3) Stephen was responsible for writing and directing many of ICETV’s most popular segments including the comedy strands, ‘Police Programme’ and ‘Hospital Programme’.
In 2002 he created his first drama series, Secret Agent Men (TV3), which was re-commissioned for a second season and won Best Children’s Programme at the 2004 Qantas Media Awards (NZ).
Stephen’s next drama, The Amazing Extraordinary Friends (TV2), went into production in 2006. As executive producer/ writer/director, Stephen oversaw the production of three seasons of AEF as well as AEF 360, a digital extension which included two web-series; The WIRED Chronicles and Origins.
The Amazing Extraordinary Friends was voted a finalist in the 2008 Roma Fiction Festival (Italy), the Seoul Drama Festival 2008 (Korea), the 2008 Qantas Film and Television Awards (New Zealand) and for Best Children’s/Youth Programme at the Aotearoa Film and Television Awards 2011.
Season 3 of The Amazing Extraordinary Friends won a special prize at the Seoul International Drama Festival 2011.
Stephen’s drama series, The Cul De Sac, found a group of teenagers living in a world without adults. The series premiered on TV2 in 2016 to strong audience numbers and TVNZ