Jason Cook wins Journal Culture award
Hebburn creator Jason Cook has won Writer of the Year at this year’s Journal Culture Awards.
Cook, who also stars in the hit BBC2 sitcom, picked up the gong at a ceremony in Durham last night, fending off competition from crime-writer Ann Cleeves and playwright Lee Mattinson in the newspaper’s annual honours.
After picking up the award, Cook tweeted: “Cheers for all the nice messages about winning the Culture Award. Me and @IAmChrisRamsey had a lovely time. I even let him get to third base.”
And Hebburn lead Chris Ramsey posted: “He only went and bloody won! Jason Cook @jasonmarkcook Journal Culture Writer Of The Year #obviously #Hebburn.”
It is the second award in 2013 for the North East comedian after Hebburn’s regional RTS win in March.
The series scooped Best Drama Production at the RTS North East & Border Centre Awards, and was praised by judges for its “originality, its authentic cast and its lovingly accurate portrayal of life in a Northern town,” adding: “We felt Hebburn is a classic in the making.”
In February the BBC ordered a second, six-part series of Hebburn, as well as a Christmas special for the popular comedy.
Speaking about the renewal, Cook said: “There was always a longer storyline in my mind for the characters, and during filming of the first series I had a chance to start writing more about them.
“Once the actors brought them to life, it was easier to start putting those ideas onto paper.”
He added: “The cast all did such a great job with the first series, I could write for them for the rest of my life.”
Cook has since revealed that the second installment of Hebburn, airing this winter, sees the arrival of two new characters, while fans of the cult comedy will finally find out what Winnie did.
He said: “There’s going to be two new characters, one of the characters is going to change profession, one of the characters will have a mountain to climb, and in the Christmas special you’ll find out what Winnie did, but that’s all I’m saying.”
Filming for series two of Hebburn begins in the summer.
