Gilles Bannier

Director

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Biography

Award-winning director Gilles Bannier began his TV career directing documentaries for ARTE in his native France, before moving into drama. Currently Gilles is lead director and executive producer on THE DARK for ITV. The series has been adapted by Matt Hartley and produced by Ben Stephenson at Poison Pen. Gilles has also directed all 6 episodes BLUE LIGHTS for BBC 1. Prior to this he directed TRIGGER POINT for Hat Trick/ITV starring Vicky McClure, which was hugely well received and was the channel’s highest rated drama of the year with 10.9 million watching it launch.

Before this, he worked on the first series of TIN STAR for Sky Atlantic/Kudos, including the finale, which starred Tim Roth and was nominated for a Broadcast Award for Best Drama Series. He was asked back as Lead Director on the second series of the show. Gilles was also Lead Director on Danny Brocklehurst’s latest crime drama, IN THE DARK, for BBC 1, and directed on two series of THE TUNNEL for Kudos/Sky Atlantic/Canal+

Other notable credits include Lead Director on Series 2 of the acclaimed French crime drama, SPIRAL (ENGRENAGES), for Canal+  and the critically acclaimed LES BEAUX MECS (TONY’S REVENGE), an eight-part gangster story which received 11 European awards and nominations, including the Prix Italia. His most recent French Television credit is the six-part drama, PARIS, for ARTE, and his first feature film, ARRÊTEZ- MOI LÀ, was released in January 2016 to excellent reviews.

BLUE LIGHTS Reviews

The Guardian, Rebecca Nicholson – 5*

The Telegraph, Anita Singh – 5*

The Times, Carol Midgley – 4*

iNews, Ed Power – 4*

“[a] tantalizing police drama – well crafted, fantastically tense, thrilling stuff – You’ll be instantly hooked.” Rebecca Nicholson, The Guardian

“A rare gem among TV’s never-ending barrage of police procedurals, this had characters you’ll actually care about and a sense of realism.” Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“One of the best dramas I’ve seen in a very long time.” Mariella Frostrup, Times Radio

“This gritty police procedural has something new, promise…the BBC One show manages to break new ground with its set of whippersnapper officers taking on Belfast.” Rebecca Cook, Digital Spy

TRIGGER POINT Reviews

Daily Mail, Christopher Steven – 5*

The Metro, Harry Fletcher – 5*

The Telegraph, Anita Singh, 4*

iNews, Rachel Sigee – 4*

“That ending came as a seismic shock. Anyone gripped by the first hour of Trigger Point (ITV) couldn’t help leaping out of their skin at the climax.” Christopher Steven, Daily Mail 

“the opening episode of the highly-anticipated new series is a masterclass in tension, and marks one of the most memorable new ITV dramas in years and years.”

“Trigger Point is packed with palpable tension, visceral direction, and more twists in its first 60 minutes than many shows manage in an entire series.” Harry Fletcher, The Metro

“There was barely a moment to breathe in this exciting opener – and the stakes couldn’t have been higher.” Rachel Sigee, iNews

Credits

Film

Production Company Notes
ARRÊTEZ- MOI LÀ Legato Films

Feature film. Writer and Director.
Exec Producer: Anne Derré.
Starring Reda Kateb, Lea Drucker.

Television

Production Company Notes
THE DARK
2025 		ITV / Poison Pen

Lead Director and Executive Producer
Adapted by Matt Hartley from the GR Halliday novel From The Shadows

Executive Producers: Ben Stephenson, Preethi Mavahalli, Luke Woellhaf and Fern McCauley
BLUE LIGHTS
2022 – 2023 		BBC 1

Director and Executive Producer.
All 6 Episodes.
Writers: Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson
Producer: Carol Moorhead
Executive Producer: Stephen Wright
*Nominated for Best Drama Series or Serial, Broadcast Awards, 2023
*Nominated for Best New Drama, National Television Awards, 2023
*Nominated for Best Drama and Best Script, IFTAs, 2024
Winner for Best Supporting Actor (Richard Dormer), IFTAs, 2024
TRIGGER POINT
2021 		Hat Trick/ITV/All 3 Media

Lead Director.
Writer: Daniel Brierley
Producer: Julia Stannard
Executive Producers: Jed Mercurio, Mark Redhead and Jessica Sharkey.
Starring Vicky McClure
The first episode attracted 10.9 million viewers.
*Winner of Best New Drama at The National Television Awards 2022
*Nominated for Best Drama Performance at The National Television Awards 2022 – Vicky McClure
MARCELLA 3
2019 		ITV/Netflix/Buccaneer Media

Lead Director. 3 Episodes.
Writer: Hans Rosenfeldt
Producer: Elliott Swift
Executive Producer: Tony Wood
Starring: Anna Friel
TIN STAR 2
2018 – 2019 		Kudos/Sky 1/Altice Studio

Lead Director.
3 episodes.
Writer: Rowan Joffe.
Producer: Liz Trubridge.
Executive Producers: Alison Jackson & Deiderick Santer.
Starring: Tim Roth and Christina Hendriks.
*Shortlisted for Best Long Form Drama, Writers’ Guild Awards 2020
THE TUNNEL 3
2017 		Sky Atlantic/Kudos

3 episodes, including last ever episode.
Producer: Toby Welch.
Executive Producers: Manda Levin and Karen Wilson.
TIN STAR
2016 		Sky Atlantic/Kudos

Director. 2 episodes.
Writer: Rowan Joffe.
Producer: Matt Stevens.
Executive Producers: Alison Jackson & Deiderick Santer.
Starring: Tim Roth and Christina Hendriks.
*Nominated, Edinburgh TV Festival 2018, Best International Drama.
*Nominated, Broadcast Digital Awards 2018, Best Drama.
*Nominated, Broadcast Awards 2017, Best Drama Series or Serial.
IN THE DARK
2016 		BBC 1

New Series. Lead Director, 6 x 60′.
Writer: Danny Brocklehurst.
Producer: Hugh Warren.
Executive Producer: Hilary Martin.
THE TUNNEL 2
2015 		Kudos/ Sky 1/ Canal +

2 x 60′ episodes.
Producer: Julian Stevens.
Lead Writer: Ben Richards.
Exec Producers: Karen Wilson, Nora Melhli and Manda Levin.
PARIS
2013 		Son et Lumière/ Arte

Director of all 6 episodes.
Lead Writer: Virginie Brac.
Exec Producer: Alain Clert.
*Screened at ‘Direct to Series’, Los Angeles, 2014.
LES BEAUX MECS
2010 		Lincoln TV/ France 2

‘Tony’s Revenge’. 8 x 52′.
Lead Writer: Virginie Brac.
Exec Producer: Christine de Bourbon Busset.
*Winner, Prix Italia, 2011.
*Winner, Grand Prize for Best Series, Luchon International Film Festival, 2011.
*Winner, Best Series, Cognac Police Film Festival, 2011.
*Winner, Best Series, Madrid French TV and Film Festival, 2011.
*Nominations at Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels (FIPA), Monte Carlo TV Festival, Totally Serialized London, Les Globes de Cristal.
REPORTERS 2
2008 		Capa Drama/ Canal +

Lead Director.
Lead Writer: Olivier Kohn.
Exec Producer: Claude Chelli.
SPIRAL 2
2007 		Son et Lumière/ Canal +

Lead Director. Aka ENGRENAGES.
Lead Writer: Virginie Brac.
Exec Producer: Alain Clert.
*Nominated, International Emmy for Best Series.
REPORTERS
2006 		Capa Drama/ Canal +

4 episodes.
Lead Writer: Olivier Kohn.
Exec Producer: Claude Chelli.
*Winner, Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels (FIPA) Award for Best Screenplay, 2007.
C'EST COM-Ç@
2005 		Bel'ombre Films/ France 2

12 x 30′.
C'EST COMME ÇA
2003 		Dargaud Marina/ France 2

6 x 30′.
ÂGE SENSIBLE
2002 		Capa Drama/ France 2

18 x 30′.
LES AVENTURES DE RIC HOCHET
2002 		AT Productions/ RTBF

Pilot
MANANTEA, LES PERLES DU PACIFIQUE
2000 		TF1/ Gaumont Télévision

4 x 52′.
Les Zèbres
1998 		Trans Europe Films/ France 5

Sitcom.
20 x 13′.

Short Films

Production Company Notes
JOYEUX NOEL!
1998 		Gaia Films

Documentaries

Production Company Notes
AGATHE ET LE CLOWN
2006 		Les Films D'ici/ Arte
AGATHE ET LE DIRECTEUR DE THÈÂTRE
2005 		Les Films D'ici/ Arte
SACHA ET L'ACROBAT
2004 		Les Films D'ici/ Arte
SACHA ET LE CASCADEUR
2004 		Les Films D'ici/ Arte
TG STAN
2004 		Les Films D'ici/ Arte
Gilles Bannier
Gilles Bannier
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