Already a successful comedian, Ben Elton turned to writing situation comedies during the 1980s and penned BBC classics such as "The Young Ones" (1982), "Black-Adder II" (1986), "Black Adder the Third" (1987), "Blackadder 4" (1989) and during the 1990s "The Thin Blue Line" (1995). He provided lyrics for Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, "The Beautiful Game", which was nominated for Best Musical at the Laurence Olivier Theatre Awards in 2001 (2000 season). His comedy, "Popcorn", performed at the Apollo Theatre, was awarded the 1998 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best New Comedy of the 1997 season. He and Andrew Lloyd Webber were awarded the 2000 London Critics Circle Theatre Award (Drama) for Best New Musical for "The Beautiful Game", performed at the Cambridge Theatre. Has three children : Bert, Lottie and Fred. Is co-writer of the Queen Musical 'We Will Rock You' with the band itself. He and Richard Curtis were offered the chance to write "Police Academy - The London Beat", but turned it down. Was a host of The Prince's Trust 30th Birthday: Live (2006) (TV).
Read moreShow less
Biography from TMDB.
- May 3, 1959 (67)
- London, England, UK
- Writer, actor and director
- 15 on MovieCove · 54 credits in all
What are Ben Elton's films like?
Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 1 · Earnest 6
Light 6 · Serious 2 · Dark 0
A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 3
A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 1 · Intense 2
A split, not a type: Steady 4 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 2
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 3
A split, not a type: Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 1
Casual 5 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 6 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 2
Resolved 8 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy6
- Bittersweet1
- Tragic1
- Ambiguous1
- Cyclical3
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Ben Elton's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on BritBox (4).
- BritBox
Subscription and free streaming for Ben Elton's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
54 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page; 31 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Ben Elton: The Great Railway Disaster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Ben Elton: Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Have You Been Paying Attention? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
All Is True(2018)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Three Summers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
Upstart Crow(2016)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)The Wright Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Love Never Dies(2012)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
The One Ronnie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Angela and Friends (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all filmsGet a Grip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Blessed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Bottom Mindless Violence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Enough Rope With Andrew Denton (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Maybe Baby(2000)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Blackadder: Back & Forth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
The Heaven and Earth Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
The Ben Elton Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
Ben Elton: Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
TFI Friday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
The Thin Blue Line (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Harry Enfield and Chums (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Filth! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Stark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Ben Elton: Very Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Much Ado About Nothing(1993)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Rowan Atkinson Live: Invisible Drum Kit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Rowan Atkinson Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Mr. Bean Takes an Exam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Ben Elton: The Man from Auntie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Mr. Bean(1990)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all showsThe Last Laugh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Oh No, Not Them(1989)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)Saturday Night Clive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Blackadder: The Cavalier Years (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
French & Saunders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Filthy Rich & Catflap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Omnibus Presents Comic Relief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Saturday Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Girls On Top (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Happy Families (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Madness the Pilot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
The Black Adder(1983)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
Alfresco(1983)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows
The Young Ones(1982)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
There's Nothing to Worry About! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
O.T.T. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Laughs and Larrikins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
Star power in the 39th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 53 titles, 52 of them dated from 1982 to 2023.
Film career
- 1993Screen debut· Much Ado About Nothing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Ben Elton's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 72nd percentile, the median of all 10; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 56th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up9
- 50th to 74th3
- 25th to 49th2
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
5 of their 15 titles are Universally Loved.
- Universally Loved5
- Divisive1
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser5
- Mixed3
Reviewers score the dialogue 60/100 and the plot and story 50/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Ben Elton's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Ben Elton work with?
People who share at least 2 of Ben Elton's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Rowan Atkinson shares the most, 5.
Directors
- Richard BodenShared titles: Upstart Crow (2016), Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Richard Boden
Writers
- Richard CurtisShared titles: Blackadder: The Lost Pilot (2023), Blackadder Exclusive: The Whole Rotten Saga (2008), Mr. Bean (1990), Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988)See all 4 shared titles with Richard Curtis
Actors
- Rowan AtkinsonShared titles: A Life on Screen: Stephen Fry (2015), Blackadder Exclusive: The Whole Rotten Saga (2008), Maybe Baby (2000), Mr. Bean (1990), Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988)See all 5 shared titles with Rowan Atkinson
- Hugh LaurieShared titles: Blackadder Exclusive: The Whole Rotten Saga (2008), Maybe Baby (2000), Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988), Alfresco (1983)See all 4 shared titles with Hugh Laurie
- David MitchellShared titles: Blackadder: The Lost Pilot (2023), Upstart Crow (2016), Blackadder Exclusive: The Whole Rotten Saga (2008)See all 3 shared titles with David Mitchell
- Tony RobinsonShared titles: Blackadder: The Lost Pilot (2023), Blackadder Exclusive: The Whole Rotten Saga (2008), Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988)See all 3 shared titles with Tony Robinson
Mixed roles
- John LloydShared titles: Blackadder: The Lost Pilot (2023), Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988)See all 2 shared titles with John Lloyd
- Rik MayallShared titles: Oh No, Not Them (1989), The Young Ones (1982)See all 2 shared titles with Rik Mayall
