Higson started writing for
Harry Enfield with
Paul Whitehouse and performing comedy. He came to public attention as one of the main writers and performers of the
BBC Two sketch show
The Fast Show (1994–2000). He also worked with Whitehouse on the radio comedy
Down the Line. In 1994 Higson co-wrote the screenplay for the thriller film
Suite 16 with
Lise Mayer. He worked as producer, writer, director and occasional guest star on
Randall & Hopkirk from 2000 to 2001. Subsequent television work has included writing and starring in
BBC Three's
Fast Show spin-off sitcom
Swiss Toni. He first appeared as a panellist on
QI in 2007. In 2010 he co-directed and starred in the series ''
Bellamy's People''. In 2013 Higson adapted
Agatha Christie's
A Caribbean Mystery for
ITV's ''
Agatha Christie's Marple series. In 2015 Higson reimagined the novel Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson for ITV Studios into a ten part adventure series, set in the 1930s titled Jekyll and Hyde. In 2017, Higson appeared as Ian Winterman in series three of Broadchurch and as Ronnie Maguire in series three of Grantchester''. 2020 saw Higson compete on ''
Richard Osman's House of Games''. alongside
Chizzy Akudolu,
Kate Williams and
Tom Allen. Higson has also starred in
Lobby Land, a radio sitcom on
BBC Radio 4, as Tom Shriver MP.
Books Time Out has described Higson as "The missing link between
Dick Emery and
Bret Easton Ellis". Higson wrote a series of five
Young Bond novels, aimed at younger readers and concentrating on
James Bond's school-days at
Eton starting with
SilverFin, released in 2005, and ending with
By Royal Command (2008). Higson had been at school with
Jonathan Evans, former Director General of
MI5. Higson wrote a
post-apocalyptic,
zombie-
horror series of books for young adults. The first book in the series, titled
The Enemy, was released in 2009. At a school event at
Abingdon School on 14 September 2011, Charlie told children: "Originally it was going to be three books and then my publisher,
Puffin, said make it five, and now we're up to it being seven." The seventh novel,
The End, was published in 2015. In 2018 Higson wrote a
Fighting Fantasy gamebook titled
The Gates of Death, which was published by Scholastic books as part of their campaign to relaunch the
Fighting Fantasy franchise. He is a long term
FF enthusiast, having attended Fighting Fantasy Fest 2 in London the previous year and also made a cameo appearance in the
Ian Livingstone gamebook
Blood of the Zombies. In May 2023 Higson released his first adult Bond novel, ''On His Majesty's Secret Service'', to mark the
Coronation of King Charles III and support the
National Literacy Trust. == Personal life ==