James Hamilton is a multi-award-winning British screenwriter and story consultant from London, now living the dream* in Los Angeles.
(*like most dreams, it’s frequently a nightmare and the more you think about it, the less it makes sense)
Yes, that’s him. Look at his lil’ Emmy-nominated face. So writerly and employable. That is a classic “will write great screenplays for you and/or help you crack your story” kinda face if ever you’ve seen one.
James is a (very good, you should hire him) screenwriter for animation and live-action, specialising in genre-blended comedy. He’s even been nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing!
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JENTRY CHAU VS THE UNDERWORLD
James is head writer of YA action-fantasy series Jentry Chau Vs The Underworld for Netflix, starring and exec produced by Ali Wong (Beef).
Recently nominated for a Children’s & Family Emmy Award in Outstanding Writing 2025 (fingers are crossed!), and Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming by the Television Critics Association 2025, James is beyond proud of this one.
AV Club called it “a painstakingly created labor of love, complete with three-dimensional characters, intricate world-building, and the perfect blend of quippy humor and gripping drama”, and they’re right.
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MURDER FOR DUMMIES
James is the writer, creator and EP of Murder for Dummies, a live action horror-comedy mockumentary miniseries. The show has won several festival awards, including Best Series at Utah International Film Festival in 2026!
James produced the show entirely independently, with his UK comedy group Casual Violence. All six episodes have been smash hits at festivals across the globe - and are available on YouTube now!
Watch to find out who killed the world’s best loved ventriloquist. If James says so himself (and he regularly does), it’s an excellent writing sample for both adult comedy and murder mysteries.
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DOGS IN SPACE
James co-developed and was head writer of Dogs In Space - a sci-fi comedy series described by the New York Times in 2022 as a critic’s pick for one of the Top Three Netflix Cartoons You Should Be Watching:
“Officially sanctioned for viewers 7 and up… but it’s a total blast for adults. Consistently smart and deft - just snarky enough, just silly enough and just sentimental enough”
This was the job that moved James out to Los Angeles, and it’s a completely wonderful show. Go watch it!
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THE AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL
James co-wrote more than fifty episodes of Cartoon Network’s BAFTA and Emmy winning series, across three seasons between 2015 and 2017. An episode James co-wrote, The Copycats, won two British Animation Awards.
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SHOWS IN DEVELOPMENT
James currently has animated shows in development with Apple TV, Ubisoft, DreamWorks, Flying Bark Productions, and Lion Forge Entertainment.
He can’t talk about them right now because he has been legally sworn to secrecy, but trust him, they’re cool.
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CLAYNOSAURZ
James is working as Head Writer on a 39 episode animated series for ages six and up, based on the viral social media characters! The series is being produced by Claynosaurz Inc., and will be released in 2026.
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MORE ANIMATION
James has written for several other animated shows including Unikitty, Monster Beach, Bravest Warriors, Space Chickens In Space, Love Monster, and Incredible Ant.
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SKETCH COMEDY
James has won multiple awards for his sketch comedy across stage and screen, working with his beloved Casual Violence pals. More than thirty of his sketches are available on YouTube - or check out some of his favourites with a cheeky little scroll down the page!
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PODCAST SITCOMS
James is also an experienced audio drama writer! He has written for and starred in BBC Radio 4’s Sketchorama, co-written several episodes of hit series Wooden Overcoats, and created / co-wrote cult podcast sitcom Hector Vs The Future. He also wrote the Tales of Casual Violence sketch podcast miniseries!
Murder for Dummies: a multi-award winning horror-comedy series.
James created, wrote, and produced his own six episode, live action horror-comedy series, Murder for Dummies, with his multi award winning UK comedy group Casual Violence.
In 2025 and 2026, the series picked up several film festival awards, including Best Series at Utah International Comedy Festival, Best TV Pilot at Birmingham Film Festival, and Best Web Series at the New York Shorts Awards.
All six episodes are out now on YouTube - you can watch the trailer right here, find the first two episodes embedded further down the page… or, to watch the whole series and find out more on the show, visit murderfordummies.com.
Murder for Dummies is an absurd whodunnit, disguised as a true crime documentary: an unholy blend of American Vandal, Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace and Knives Out.
The victim is Keith Flapp - the man who “made ventriloquism more popular than the Spice Girls - and sexier than the Spice Girls!” back in the nineties, until he was murdered in his dressing room.
Today, documentary filmmaker Esther Farrago attempts to solve the case, but everyone she’s interviewing - including his widow, his manager, his former live-in butcher, and his ex double act partner (a dummy, obviously) - clearly has a motive for the murder. This is not going to be easy…
And what’s more: the killer has returned, and soon begins bumping off the interviewees! Can Esther figure out who’s killing everyone before the killer comes after her too?
Awards & Nominations
(look, if I can’t post these here, where can I?)
2026
NOMINEE: Outstanding Writing for a Children’s or Young Teen Animated Series - Children’s & Family Emmy Awards
(Jentry Chau Vs The Underworld)
WINNER: Best Series - Utah International Film Festival
(Murder for Dummies)
2025
NOMINEE: Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming - Television Critics Association Awards
(Jentry Chau Vs The Underworld)
WINNER: Best TV Pilot - Birmingham Film Festival
(Murder for Dummies)
WINNER: Best TV Series - Folkestone Film Festival
(Murder for Dummies)
QUARTER FINALIST: Best Series - Australia Independent Film Festival
(Murder for Dummies)
2024
WINNER: Best Web Series - New York Shorts Awards
(Murder for Dummies)
WINNER: Best Cinematography - Stareable Awards
(Murder for Dummies)
NOMINEE: Best Comedy - Stareable Awards
(Murder for Dummies)
NOMINEE: Best Web Series - Montreal International Film Festival
(Murder for Dummies)
NOMINEE: Best Comedy Horror - London Horror Film Awards
(Murder for Dummies)
2011-2023
WINNER: Best Children’s Series - British Animation Awards
(The Amazing World of Gumball: “The Copycats”, 2018)
WINNER: Children’s Choice - British Animation Awards
(The Amazing World of Gumball: “The Copycats”, 2018)
WINNER: Brighton Fringe Archangel Award
(Casual Violence: Slow Fade to Bleak, 2016)
WINNER: Brighton Fringe Argus Angel Award
(Casual Violence: Om Nom Nominous, 2014)
WINNER: ThreeWeeks Editors’ Choice Award
(Casual Violence: Choose Death, 2011)
NOMINEE: BBC Audio Drama Awards
(Sketchorama, 2014)
NOMINEE: Malcolm Hardee Award for Comic Originality
(Casual Violence: Choose Death, 2011)
NOMINEE: Malcolm Hardee Award for Comic Originality
(Casual Violence: A Kick in the Teeth, 2012)
NOMINEE: Best Sketch - London Sketchfest
(Barberism, 2014)
NOMINEE: Best Sketch - CoFilmic Awards
(Help the Homeless, 2013)
NOMINEE: Best Sketch - London Sketchfest
(The Grot In The Grotto, 2016)
NOMINEE: Best Script - LOCO Awards
(Gruel Intro Video, 2019)
NOMINEE: Best Short Short - LOCO Awards
(Gruel Intro Video, 2019)
NOMINEE: Best Sketch - LOCO Awards
(Brum Reboot Trailer, 2020)
Press reviews of James’s live comedy
“Google ‘Casual Violence’, watch their sketches and enjoy. This comedy troupe are dark, twisted and superb- ★★★★★” - The Skinny
“Leading the new wave of sketch comedy” - The Sunday Times
“Casual Violence cannot be commended highly enough for making sketch comedy great again... Ludicrously inventive... explosively original ★★★★★” — ThreeWeeks
“Google ‘Casual Violence’, watch their sketches and enjoy. This comedy troupe are dark, twisted and superb- ★★★★★” - The Skinny “Leading the new wave of sketch comedy” - The Sunday Times “Casual Violence cannot be commended highly enough for making sketch comedy great again... Ludicrously inventive... explosively original ★★★★★” — ThreeWeeks
“This generation’s answer to Monty Python... a fantastic lesson in how to write sketch comedy- ★★★★★” - Broadway Baby
“Creative, strange, brilliantly performed stuff” — The Scotsman
“This generation’s answer to Monty Python... a fantastic lesson in how to write sketch comedy- ★★★★★” - Broadway Baby “Creative, strange, brilliantly performed stuff” — The Scotsman
"Exquisitely imaginative... Stepping into a Casual Violence show is a lot like entering Arkham Asylum ★★★★” — Fest Magazine
"Fantastically well scripted and clever... James Hamilton and Casual Violence deserve massive success ★★★★★” — The Reviews Hub
“Warped skits with a dash of Python... If a sketch group can get you laughing before their show even begins, they are clearly doing something right” - The Evening Standard
"Exquisitely imaginative... Stepping into a Casual Violence show is a lot like entering Arkham Asylum ★★★★” — Fest Magazine "Fantastically well scripted and clever... James Hamilton and Casual Violence deserve massive success ★★★★★” — The Reviews Hub “Warped skits with a dash of Python... If a sketch group can get you laughing before their show even begins, they are clearly doing something right” - The Evening Standard
"Sharp-witted and clever, the performance showcased Hamilton’s skills as both writer and performer... [So Lonely] has cemented Hamilton’s position as one of the most exciting and talented comics on the circuit - ★★★★" - The Argus
"Massively enjoyable comedy - twisted, smart and unique - ★★★★" - British Comedy Guide
"This is superlative sketch comedy... a wickedly funny show (with some oddly touching moments) - ★★★★" - The List
"Sharp-witted and clever, the performance showcased Hamilton’s skills as both writer and performer... [So Lonely] has cemented Hamilton’s position as one of the most exciting and talented comics on the circuit - ★★★★" - The Argus "Massively enjoyable comedy - twisted, smart and unique - ★★★★" - British Comedy Guide "This is superlative sketch comedy... a wickedly funny show (with some oddly touching moments) - ★★★★" - The List
"Hamilton's debut solo show is akin to recent Richard Curtis film About Time, except if it were based in a universe where women acted like actual human beings... strange characters and twisted time-travel adventures which are as painful to watch as they are hilarious - ★★★★" - The Skinny
"Riotous... had to be seen to be believed - ★★★★★" - TheLatest
“A stand-out show from an exciting comedy group- ★★★★★" - FringeGuru
"Hamilton's debut solo show is akin to recent Richard Curtis film About Time, except if it were based in a universe where women acted like actual human beings... strange characters and twisted time-travel adventures which are as painful to watch as they are hilarious - ★★★★" - The Skinny "Riotous... had to be seen to be believed - ★★★★★" - TheLatest “A stand-out show from an exciting comedy group- ★★★★★" - FringeGuru
"Another outstanding show by Casual Violence... Masters of dark, suspenseful and witty comedy - ★★★★★ ” — Brighton Argus
"A truly talented comedian... surreal, absurd, and weird but ultimately just downright funny- ★★★★" - The Voice
"Another outstanding show by Casual Violence... Masters of dark, suspenseful and witty comedy - ★★★★★ ” — Brighton Argus "A truly talented comedian... surreal, absurd, and weird but ultimately just downright funny- ★★★★" - The Voice
Live Comedy & Indie Filmmaking
James cut his teeth as a comedy writer by founding CASUAL VIOLENCE - his critically acclaimed sketch comedy troupe. As the creator and primary writer of the team, James’s live comedy shows were regular Edinburgh Fringe sell-outs between 2010-2015, picked up multiple awards, and were programmed at high profile venues across the UK - most notably the Soho Theatre in London, the Pleasance Courtyard in Edinburgh, and the Lowry Theatre in Manchester.
With Casual Violence, as a solo act, and as a director/producer, James took twelve different shows to the Edinburgh Fringe between 2010-2015, and created four additional live shows between 2016 and 2019. The group also starred in a BBC Audio Drama Award nominated episode of BBC Radio 4’s Sketchorama.
Along with their live work, James wrote and co-produced more than thirty Casual Violence short films and sketches, working with director/co-producer J.W. Roberts.
Writing Samples
(ones you can watch instead of read, because reading is for suckers)
The first episode of Dogs In Space. The full twenty episode series, which James co-developed and oversaw the writing for, is on Netflix.
The first episode of horror-comedy mock-doc Murder for Dummies. Who killed the world’s best loved ventriloquist? You probably won’t find out in Episode 01, but still.
Episode 02 of Murder for Dummies. The suspects recall Keith’s tragic backstory and meteoric rise to fame, but the murder of an interviewee has set everyone on edge… is one of them willing to kill to protect their secrets?
A Christmas themed horror-comedy short film written and co-produced by James. A little girl takes looking after her new teddy a little too seriously. You’ll never look at Build-A-Bear the same way again… (unless you already thought it was creepy)
A much less horrible sketch, all about keeping your promises… even the ones you made when you were little.
An instructional comedy sketch written by James. It’s definitely not for anyone who’s squeamish about eyes… be warned!
