Joe McNally is a Liverpool-based writer working across theatre and television. His debut play COSMIC was staged at Liverpool’s Royal Court in 2023, establishing him as one of the North West’s most exciting emerging writing talents.

Since then, Joe has rapidly built a reputation in television drama and comedy. He was the recipient of the 2023 New Writing North Channel 4 Writing for Television Award, through which he was mentored by Tony Schumacher (THE RESPONDER/THE CAGE). He was also selected for both the 2024 BBC Voices North & Midlands cohort and the 2024 Warner Bros. Discovery Northern Writers’ Programme.

Joe has recently been part of a writers’ room for an upcoming Apple TV+ series and is currently developing a number of original television projects. He has two original projects in development with Firebird Pictures, an original script commission with Bonafide Films for Channel 4, and is developing an original treatment for West Road Pictures. In addition, he has written one of Channel 5’s standalone television films as part of the broadcaster’s revival of the iconic anthology series PLAY FOR TODAY. Joe’s episode of PLAY FOR TODAY is entitled “The Nine O’Clock Trot” is a darkly comic teleplay starring Kalli Tant and Jonny Vegas.

Drawing on his distinctive Liverpool voice, Joe‘s work blends humour, warmth and social insight, often exploring contemporary issues through richly drawn characters and sharply observed storytelling.