Helen Blakeman

Blakeman then entered television writing, writing Pleasureland, a television film for Channel Four as part of their Adult at 14 season. Pleasureland tells the story of 14‑year-old Jo, a girl who commits herself to be accepted by her classmates by losing her virginity. The Times described Pleasureland as "raw and alarming", and claimed it "is loaded with scenes certain to cause outrage". The show attracted controversy, with Michelle Elliott, from Kidscape, describing scenes depicting 14‑year-olds engaging in sexual activity as "basically irresponsible and sick." Blakeman responded by claiming that she only approached the subject after learning that Britain had the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Europe, claiming "sex was more of a rumour mill when I was at school – but there is more pressure now to partake in that activity". Despite this, Blakeman was nominated for the British Academy Television Craft Award for best new writer in 2003, but lost out to Rosemary Kay, for her work on This Little Life.

In 2008, Blakeman wrote the screenplay for Dustbin Baby, a film based on the Jacqueline Wilson novel of the same name. She said that when she had read a copy of the novel, she "knew it was something [she] had to write". The film debuted on television in December of that year, and was received positively by critics. In an article in The Times David Chater awarded the programme the TV choice of the day, describing it as "tremendous", and "the wonderful surprise of Christmas". The Telegraph described the film as a "rare treat", as it is "something that teenagers and parents can watch together". The film won an International Emmy in the children and young people category, and Blakeman herself won the British Academy Children's Award for best writer.

Helen Blakeman (born 1971) is a British playwright and screenwriter from Liverpool. She has written three plays. Caravan, her first, was written while she studied at Birmingham University and won her the George Devine award. Her second play, Normal, was followed by an entrance into screenwriting. Pleasureland is a 2003 television film about teen sexuality, for which Blakeman was nominated for the British Academy Television Craft Award for best new writer in 2003, after which Blakeman wrote her third and most recent play, The Morris. In 2008, she wrote the screenplay for the award-winning television film Dustbin Baby, which was well received by critics, and for which she won the British Academy Children's Award for best writer.