Elsley took up a career in theatrical writing, and then pursued television writing after parting from Enfield. For three years, Elsley was artistic director of Pocket Theatre Cumbria, which was based at Kendal's Brewery Arts Centre.[2] At that time he was living at Staveley, near Kendal,[3] and also writing episodes for the TV series Casualty and London's Burning. These, along with his short film Govan Ghost Story (1989), opened up opportunities for other television writing. Elsley's big break came when he was commissioned by the BBC to adapt Iain Banks's novel The Crow Road for television.[4]
On 18 March 2010, Elsey announced via the Skins blog that the final episode of series 4 was his last as a writer for the UK series, although Elsley did return to write the opening episode for series 6 in 2012. He executive produced Skins U.S. in 2011.[5]
His series Counsels about a group of young lawyers in Scotland was commissioned by the BBC in 2025, with filming taking place that year in Glasgow.[6][7]
