Skip to main content
Southampton Solent University logo
Southampton Solent University logo

Jonathan Plummer

Senior Lecturer

Department of Film and Media

Jonathan Plummer

Biography

Originally from Norfolk, Jonathan has been working in television production and journalism since 1984, when he graduated from University College London with a BA (Hons) Philosophy. He worked as a film and video editor with the BBC before moving into production as an assistant producer at BBC Sport working on Grandstand, Sportsnight, Sport On Friday and Rugby Special.

He moved to Granada TV in 1990 and worked on sport, news, motoring programmes, and produced and directed documentaries including More Than A Piece of Paper about the Liverpool Register Office. An opportunity to live and work in Rome, working for an ESPN affiliate, was too good to miss and he spent two and a half years there covering sport including the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and the Asian Football Championships (Asia '96) in the United Arab Emirates. A six month stint making baseball shows for Fox Sports, and TV and radio commercials followed, based in College Station, Texas, before a return to freelance production in London making rugby union programmes, including covering the 1999 Rugby World Cup and travelling to France, Andorra, Spain, New Zealand and Australia covering the game.

In 2000 Jonathan went to work at BSkyB studio directing and producing a daily, live, two hour business programme and then making and presenting business documentaries. In 2002, Jonathan worked as a producer on BBC1 prime time chat show Johnny Vaughan's World Cup Extra. He has also run production for a property TV channel and his own production company, JPTV, producing sports quizzes for BSkyB and educational videos for the Open University amongst many other things.

As a freelance print journalist Jonathan has written for FourFourTwo, International Rugby News, The Guardian, Cycling Active and Cycling Plus he has also contributed to items about sport on BFBS radio.

In 2007, Jonathan completed a MA in film studies at the University of Westminster.

Jonathan's research interests include baseball films, sitcom and documentary production and aesthetics.

In his free time Jonathan enjoys being a father to his two young daughters, sleeping (when he can, see previous), cycling (commuting, touring, sportives, time trialling, cyclo-cross and track), gardening, shouting at the telly while watching England play rugby union, supporting Norwich City FC, staring out the window while travelling by train, listening to the music of Elvis Presley and Jonathan Richman, reading and watching films (film noir, musicals, sports films and comedies).

Further information

Jonathan's industry experience include major television credits.

Major television credits

  • The Trireme Quest, 1987, film editor, BBC2.
  • A Life for Stephen, 1988, film editor, BBC TV networks.
  • Grandstand, Sportsnight, Rugby Special, assistant producer, BBC TV networks.
  • More Than a Piece of Paper, 1994, director, Granada TV.
  • Fantasy Baseball Weekly, 1997, producer/director, Fox Sports.
  • The Road to France, 1998, producer, CSI, worldwide distribution.
  • World of Rugby, 1999-2000, producer, CSI, worldwide distribution.
  • Johnny Vaughan’s World Cup Extra, producer, BBC1.
  • Introduction to Psychology, 2006, producer/director, Open University.
  • Sky Sports Pub Quiz, 2005-2007, producer, BSkyB.
  • The Science of the Bike, 2012, producer/director, Open University.
  • Enhanced Recovery, 2012, producer/director, NHS.

Taught courses

BA (Hons) Film Production

Build the right skills, and develop your talent, and your portfolio to break into the film industry. Our high-end kit, and industry connections provide the ingredients for a successful career.

MA Film Production

Got a passion for filmmaking? Want to improve your professional showreel and boost your employability? Solent’s MA Film Production programme is ideally suited to students who...

BA (Hons) Film and Television

Unleash your creativity with a TV and film career. Learn from industry experts in professional-grade facilities, and join our internationally successful graduates at the BBC, Sky, Disney and beyond.