James Colley is a television comedy writer and producer known for his work as Head Writer on Gruen, Gruen Nation, Question Everything and The Weekly with Charlie Pickering. He’s written on Summer Love, Bravest Warriors, Tomorrow Tonight, Tonightly with Tom Ballard, A Rational Fear, Recovery: The Music & The Mayhem and live events such as FireAid and the ARIAs 2019 and 2020.
His writing has been featured in The Guardian, Frankie Magazine, Crikey, The Big Issue, and Junkee among others. He is the author of Too Right published by Allen and Unwin and co-author of Tries, Lies and Meat Pies and Rise from Penguin Randomhouse.
He is also the creator of SBS Comedy’s The Backburner, live podcast Nailed It and has performed live at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, Splendour in the Grass, the Sydney Comedy Festival, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Adelaide Fringe Festival and others. He’s appeared on Radio National, ABC Sydney, ABC Melbourne, 2SER, FBi Radio, and a slew of podcasts he couldn’t name with a gun to his head.
TELEVISION
SUMMER LOVE ABC/Gristmill 2022
Writer
GRUEN NATION ABC/CJZ 2022
Head Writer
THE WEEKLY WITH CHARLIE PICKERING ABC 2014-current
Head Writer
Writer
TOMORROW TONIGHT ABC 2018
Writer
TONIGHTLY WITH TOM BALLARD ABC 2017 – 2018
Writer
THE ARIAS Zig Zag TV 2019, 2020
Writer
RECOVERY: ABC 2019
THE MUSIC AND THE MAYHEM
Writer
GET KRACKIN’ ABC 2017-2019
Additional writing
HARD QUIZ ABC 2016-2017
Writer / Social Media
THE WEEKLY ABC 2014-2017
Social Media
GRUEN ABC 2015-Current
Head Writer
Associate Producer/Researcher
THE ROAST ABC2 2014
Contributing Writer
THE FEED SBS 2014-15
Contributing Writer
RADIO/PODCASTS
TIME TRAVELLER’S GUIDE TO NOT DYING Audible Australia, 2020
Head Writer
BACKCHAT ON FBI RADIO 2014-15
Writer, Host
A RATIONAL FEAR ON RADIO NATIONAL 2013-14
Writer
STOP THE POSTS ON 2SER 2013-15
Writer, Host
WEB
THE GUARDIAN 2018-2019
Writer
FRANKIE MAGAZINE 2019
Writer
THE BIG ISSUE 2018
Writer
SBS COMEDY ‘BACKBURNER” 2014-2017
Creator/ Writer
A RATIONAL FEAR 2014
Writer
JUNKEE.COM 2013-14
Writer
LIVE PERFORMANCE
NAILED IT 2016-2018
Creator / Host
A RATIONAL FEAR – 2014
SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS
Writer / Performer
A RATIONAL FEAR – 2013-2014
FESTIVAL OF THE DANGEROUS IDEAS
Writer
TEDX YOUTH CONFERENCE 2014
Host
ROYAL INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA Adelaide Fringe 2013
Performer
LIVE PERFORMANCE – SOLO SHOWS
DIRT BY SEA 2017
Sydney Comedy Festival
STILL EVOLVING 2014
Sydney Comedy Festival
AN APE THAT THINKS HE’S PEOPLE 2013
Sydney Comedy Festival
JAMES COLLEY VS. HIS OWN STUPID BRAIN 2013
Adelaide Fringe / Sydney Fringe
WELCOME TO THE WORLD 2012
Sydney Comedy Festival / Adelaide Fringe
PUBLISHED WORKS
RISE: THE SAM THAIDAY STORY Random House Australia 2019
A junior autobiography
TRIES, LIES AND MEAT PIES: Random House Australia 2018
THE SAM THAIDAY STORY
A biography
TOO RIGHT Allen and Unwin 2017
A satirical memoir