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Steve Bendelack

Steve Bendelack

Director

Steve Bendelack is a British film and television director, who has worked primarily on a range of highly-acclaimed comedy programmes. Originally an assistant to Peter Fluck and Roger Law on satirical TV puppet show Spitting Image, he went on to direct the show in later years. He also directed The Mary Whitehouse Experience, The Royle Family, The League of Gentlemen, Dark Ages, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), Cowards and the first season of Little Britain. He also directed the BBC3 pilot for The Mighty Boosh, in 2003, but was replaced by Paul King for the series proper. He also produced the opening scene for the 1990s edition of Whose Line Is It Anyway? for a short period, but stopped midway through the series. He has now directed two feature films; 2005's The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse, and the second Mr. Bean film Mr. Bean's Holiday, which was released in the UK in March 2007.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Works as
Director
Titles
10 on MovieCove · 35 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 11% in 30 days

What are Steve Bendelack's films like?

Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
42%
Self
21%
Society
12%
Ideas
10%
Power
8%
Survival
4%
Morality
2%
Friendship6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 4 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 4 · Serious 0 · Dark 0

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 1 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 2 · Intense 0

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 1 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Absurd
8
Joyful
5
Warm
6
Triumphant
2
Hopeful
1
Other
5

How their films linger

Fun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCozy2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet2
  • Ambiguous1
  • Cyclical2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Steve Bendelack's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 10 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (3).

Subscription and free streaming for Steve Bendelack's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

35 credits, 10 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • False Indigo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Executive Producer

  • The Cockfields (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 9 episodes · Director

  • Ill Behaviour(2017)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all shows

  • We're Doomed! The Dad's Army Story(2015)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Harry Hill Movie(2013)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Way to Go (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Dead Boss(2012)

    Show Director

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows

  • Friday Night Dinner(2011)

    Show 6 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Cowards (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

  • Comedy Showcase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Mr. Bean's Holiday(2007)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Clatterford(2006)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • The League of Gentlemen Are Behind You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director

  • The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse(2005)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Mighty Boosh(2003)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Little Britain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 8 episodes · Director

  • Ted and Alice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

  • The League of Gentlemen: Live at Drury Lane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director

  • Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Dark Ages (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

  • The League of Gentlemen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 18 episodes · Director

  • Comedy Lab (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Royle Family(1998)

    Show 7 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Cluub Zarathustra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director

  • Never Mind the Buzzcocks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 23 episodes · Director

  • Lee and Herring Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director

  • The Saturday Night Armistice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Fist of Fun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 6 episodes · Director

  • Robert Newman: The Dependence Day Video (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Director

  • Peter and the Wolf: A Prokofiev Fantasy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Director

  • Newman and Baddiel: Live and in Pieces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Director

  • Newman and Baddiel: History Today (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director

  • Frank Skinner - Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director

  • Spitting Image: Election Special '92 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director

  • Heavenly Waters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 34 titles, 33 of them dated from 1992 to 2020.

Biggest box office

Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007)

$232M worldwide

Highest rated

Friday Night Dinner (2011)

Midcredits 93rd

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing33 of 34: 33 only directing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score78thProducing1 of 34: 1 only producing, 0 with another role

By decade

1990s15 · crew2000s11 · crew2010s6 · crew2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Steve Bendelack's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 4; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 62nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Approval · how many liked their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Reach · how many have seen their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Midcredits score across 10 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 10 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser2
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · director

The Harry Hill Movie (2013)

88th percentile spread · 55% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Friday Night Dinner (2011)

Midcredits 93rd · 90% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 59/100 and the pacing 36/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Steve Bendelack's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 17 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 30 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 58 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 38 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 27 · mildMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Steve Bendelack work with?

People who share at least 2 of Steve Bendelack's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Tony Cranstoun shares the most, 4.

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers