Nominated by: Laura Gibson,
creative director, Talkback
David Seaman, Robbie Fowler and
other 1990s football legends have
Sean O’Brien to thank for their
weight loss during ITV show
Harry’s Heroes: The Full English.
Sean was responsible for devel-
oping the activities designed to help
knock them into shape during the
two-part show, as well as sourcing
the ’90s football shorts that helped
get the series commissioned.
SEAN O’BRIEN 28
DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT PRODUCER, TALKBACK
“Sean was a pivotal part of
the Harry’s Heroes development,
helping to format and create
the shape of the episodes,” says
Talkback’s Laura Gibson. “Many
of his ideas were in the fi nal
show and assisted in making
it the hit it was.”
The AP clearly delights in raiding
Fremantle’s treasure trove of old
formats – helping Talkback fi gure
out how to bring heritage shows
such as The Price Is Right andBullseye bang up to date for Alan
Carr’s forthcoming seven-part
Epic Gameshow series for ITV.
In fact, according to Gibson,
Wirral-born Sean is something of
a formats buff, with an uncanny
ability to name any TV show off
the top of his head, while his
passion for the business side of TV
means he’s never without a book
on the industry in his bag.
“He has a self-professed desire to
one day run Channel 5,” she reveals.6 | Broadcast Hot Shots | August 2019 broadcastnow.co.uk
LAURA GIBSON (CREATIVE
DIRECTOR, TALKBACK) ON
SEAN O’BRIEN
Sean was a
pivotal part of the
Harry’s Heroes
development. Many
of his ideas were
in the fi nal show