---
name: "Stephen Poliakoff"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/stephen-poliakoff"
fi1m_id: "stephen-poliakoff"
imdb_id: "nm0689081"
tmdb_id: 116607
wikidata_id: "Q164674"
roles: ["Writer","Director"]
born: "1 December 1952"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 78
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-10-07T13:19:48.704578+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Stephen Poliakoff

## Identity

Stephen Poliakoff

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/stephen-poliakoff
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** stephen-poliakoff
- **IMDb ID:** nm0689081
- **TMDB ID:** 116607
- **Wikidata ID:** Q164674
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Poliakoff, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q164674, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0689081/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/116607

Writer and director. Born 1 December 1952 in Holland Park, London, England.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer, Director
- **Born:** 1 December 1952, Holland Park, London, England
- **Active:** 1970–2001
- **Frequently works with:** [Kenith Trodd](https://film.one/person/kenith-trodd.md), [Peggy Ashcroft](https://film.one/person/peggy-ashcroft.md), [Peter Duffell](https://film.one/person/peter-duffell.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 78, as writer, over 2 titles
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Poliakoff, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q164674, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0689081/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/116607

## Biography

Stephen Poliakoff is a British playwright, screenwriter and director. Born on 1 December 1952 in Holland Park, London, he began writing for the stage in the mid-1970s, with early successes including *Hitting Town* and *City Sugar*. He served as writer-in-residence at the National Theatre.

He moved into television and film, writing episodes for the BBC series *Play for Today* and the 1980 television film *Caught on a Train*, which won a BAFTA for Best Single Drama. Other notable works include the films *Close My Eyes* (1991) and *Glorious 39* (2009), both of which he also directed.

Poliakoff was awarded a CBE in 2007 and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1985.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, stephenpoliakoff.com, screenonline.org.uk.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *She's Been Away* (1989), Fi1m 76, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/shes-been-away.md)
- *Caught on a Train* (1980), Fi1m 79, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/caught-on-a-train.md)

## Complete filmography (32)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Summer of Rockets* (2019), series, Writer, Director
- *Close to the Enemy* (2016), series, Director, Writer, Executive Producer, Creator
- *Dancing on the Edge* (2013), series, Director, Executive Producer, Writer, Creator
- *Astonish Me* (2011), Writer
- *Glorious 39* (2009), Writer, Director
- *Capturing Mary* (2007), Director, Writer, Executive Producer
- *A Real Summer* (2007), Director, Writer
- *Joe's Palace* (2007), Writer, Director
- *Gideon's Daughter* (2005), Writer, Director, Executive Producer
- *Friends & Crocodiles* (2005), Writer, Director, Executive Producer
- *The Lost Prince* (2003), series, Writer, Director, Creator
- *Perfect Strangers* (2001), series, Writer, Director, Creator
- *Shooting the Past* (1999), series, Writer, Director, Creator
- *The Tribe* (1998), Director, Writer
- *Food of Love* (1997), Director, Writer
- *Century* (1993), Director, Writer
- *Close My Eyes* (1991), Director, Writer
- *She's Been Away* (1989), Writer — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/shes-been-away.md)
- *Hidden City* (1987), Writer, Director
- *Strawberry Fields* (1985), Writer
- *Screen Two* (1985), series, Writer, Director
- *Runners* (1983), Original Story, Screenplay
- *Soft Targets* (1982), Writer
- *Caught on a Train* (1980), Writer — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/caught-on-a-train.md)
- *Bloody Kids* (1980), Writer
- *City Sugar* (1978), Writer
- *Stronger Than the Sun* (1978), Writer
- *The Sunday Drama* (1977), series, Writer
- *Hitting Town* (1976), Writer
- *Plays for Britain* (1976), series, Writer
- *Playhouse* (1974), series, Writer
- *Play for Today* (1970), series, Writer

## Awards

### Other awards — 7 won

- Commander of the Order of the British Empire 2007: Commander of the Order of the British Empire (won)
- Peabody Awards 2006: Peabody Awards (won)
- South Bank Sky Arts Award 2004: South Bank Sky Arts Award (won)
- Peabody Awards 2002: Peabody Awards (won)
- Prix Italia 1999: Prix Italia (won)
- Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Best New Play 1996: Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Best New Play (won)
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature 1985: Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/stephen-poliakoff