Producer
Lewis has worked since 1974 as a producer of comedy and music recordings, stage shows, films, music videos, TV shows, DVDs and radio programs.
Arguably his most notable work has been co-creating and producing the Secret Policeman's Ball series of benefits for Amnesty International (initially held 1976-1981) that brought together comedic talents (including Monty Python, Beyond The Fringe, Rowan Atkinson and Billy Connolly) and rock musicians (including Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend, Sting, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Phil Collins, Tom Robinson, Donovan and Bob Geldof.) In addition to producing the original stage shows, Lewis produced albums, TV specials and movies that documented the shows. The film of the fourth show of the series, The Secret Policeman's Other Ball, was a box office success in the UK and US in 1982 and also inspired a book co-edited by Lewis. The series continued through the 1980s and 1990s (though the Secret Policeman's Ball name was not used after the 1989 show). In 2006, Amnesty revived the Secret Policeman's Ball title for its fundraising shows and this prompted multiple press articles in Britain reflecting on the impact of the original shows - including the attribution by Bob Geldof that Live Aid had been inspired in part by the shows.
A series of live, acoustic performances by rock musicians Pete Townshend, Sting, Phil Collins, Tom Robinson, Donovan and Bob Geldof that Lewis conceived and produced for the 1979 and 1981 Secret Policeman's shows are widely regarded as being one of the inspirations for the "Unplugged" format that was introduced by MTV in 1989.
His work as a comedy producer includes recordings with Sir Peter Ustinov, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore and the first audio recordings of new-wave British comedians such as Jennifer Saunders (of Absolutely Fabulous), Alexei Sayle, Rik Mayall and other performers in Britain's The Young Ones/Comic Strip comedy troupe. Many of these recordings were released on Lewis’ own Springtime! Records label.
As a film producer, Lewis gained a reputation in the 1980s for engaging respected, veteran film directors such as Sam Peckinpah and Lindsay Anderson to work on film projects centered on contemporary music. Lewis produced Peckinpah's last works - a series of music videos featuring Julian Lennon. Anderson was hired by Lewis to direct Foreign Skies: Wham! In China - a film that documented the 1985 tour of China by the George Michael-led pop group Wham! which was the first visit to China by Western pop artists.
In 1995, Lewis produced a reunion of the Rutles, the comedic ensemble created by Monty Python alumni Eric Idle and Neil Innes in 1977 to lampoon the Beatles. Lewis executive-produced the band's Archaeology album, a pastiche of the Beatles' Anthology project.
In 1999, Lewis produced a special American tribute for It's... the Monty Python Story - the BBC’s four-hour TV special on Monty Python’s 30th anniversary. For this, Lewis conceived an animated sequence featuring the characters from South Park and he produced this tribute with series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
Lewis’ work in the DVD field includes producing the DVD edition of the Beatles' first film, A Hard Day's Night. He was Associate Producer of the DVD editions of the 1979 Who documentary The Kids Are Alright and the DVD release of all four full-length shows featuring live appearances by the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Lewis has also been a producer of TV specials for NBC, VH1 and E! Entertainment TV.
Read more about this topic: Martin Lewis (humorist)