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Bob Smeaton

Bob Smeaton

Director and actor, also writer · Newcastle, Regno Unito

Bob Smeaton is a double Grammy award winner, and three times Emmy nominated director of music and arts documentaries. Prior to working in film and television, Bob was lead vocalist with the rock band White Heat. Signed to Virgin records, the band toured extensively and released one album and two singles. It was time spent with his own band that gave him an extensive understanding of the song writing and recording process, knowledge that has proved invaluable when working with established musicians and songwriters. Throughout his career, he's worked with some of the biggest artists in the world, including The Beatles, Elton John, The Who, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Queen, Nirvana, Mark Knopfler and the Spice Girls.

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Biography from IMDb.

From
Newcastle, Regno Unito
Works as
Director and actor, also writer
Titles
9 on MovieCove · 41 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 38 days to Oct 27Down 3% in 30 days

What are Bob Smeaton's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Self.

Genres

Documentary4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 93rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
47%
Self
17%
Ideas
11%
Bonds
11%
Morality
8%
Power
6%
Community4 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame2 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 1 · Dark 1

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

Grounded 6 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 4 · Intense 1

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 1 · 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 5 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 6 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
4
Joyful
3
Contemplative
3
Bittersweet
3
Tense
1
Other
5

How their films linger

Rousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet6
  • Ambiguous1

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 Bob Smeaton's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 9 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Bob Smeaton'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

41 credits, 9 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Beatles Anthology(2025)

    Show Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Travelin' Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall(2022)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Classic Albums: The Who Sell Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Director

  • Queen - Is This The Real Life? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Director

  • The Jam: About the Young Idea(2015)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Jimi Hendrix: The Road to Woodstock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director

  • Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train a Comin' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • Classic Albums: Simply Red - Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director

  • Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child(2010)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Roxy Music: More Than This - The Story of Roxy Music (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director

  • The Beatles: The Mini Documentaries (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director

  • The Beatles on Record (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director

  • Classic Albums: The Doors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director

  • Henry Rollins: Live in the Conversation Pit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director

  • Spice Girls: Giving You Everything (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director

  • The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live at Monterey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director

  • Jimi Hendrix: American Landing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director

  • Classic Albums: Nirvana - Nevermind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • The Making of the Beatles First U.S. Visit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director

  • Festival Express (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director

  • Classic Albums: Lou Reed - Transformer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director

  • Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director

  • Genesis | Songbook (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director

  • The UB40: Story of Reggae (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director

  • Pink Floyd: Behind the Wall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director

  • Queen: Is This the Real Life? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director

  • Classic Albums: The Who - Who's Next (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director

  • The Who - Who's Next 1971-2023 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director

  • Hendrix: Band of Gypsys(1999)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Classic Albums: Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director

  • Classic Albums: The Band - The Band (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director

  • Classic Albums(1997)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Quayside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 17 episodes · as Dan

  • The Beatles Anthology(1995)

    Show 3 episodes · Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Pink Floyd - Live in Toronto (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Director

  • The Black Candle(1991)

    as Fred Skinner

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • And a Nightingale Sang(1989)

    as Geoff

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • White Peak Farm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 2 episodes · as Alec Baxter

  • Creedance Clearwater Revival: Travelin' Band (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director

  • Jimi Hendrix: The Dick Cavett Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director

  • Jimi Hendrix Live in Stockholm 1969 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 40 titles from 1969 to 2022.

Highest rated

The Beatles Anthology (1995)

Midcredits 96th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting4 of 40: 4 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting36 of 40: 35 only directing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score94thWriting1 of 40: 0 only writing, 1 with another role

By decade

1960s2 · crew1970s1 · crew1980s2 · acting1990s11 · 2 acting · 9 crew2000s16 · crew2010s5 · crew2020s3 · 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 Bob Smeaton's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 88th percentile, the median of all 6; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 86th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

87thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

26thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 9 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th1

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 9 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · director, writer

The Beatles Anthology (1995)

56th percentile spread · 9% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

The Beatles Anthology (2025)

Midcredits 99th · 96% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 75/100 and the pacing 56/100 in their films, across 6 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.

Who does Bob Smeaton work with?

People who share at least 2 of Bob Smeaton's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Julian Caidan shares the most, 3.

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles