Michael E. Briant
Encyclopedia
Michael E. Briant is best known as a British
television director
, but he is also a producer and actor.
When Michael was 21 he joined the BBC
as an assistant floor manager in the drama department and a year later became a Production Assistant.
In 1966 he took a Directors Course and he subsequently directed series such as Z-Cars
, Doctor Who
and Warship
.
During his time on Doctor Who, he directed six serials, including three fondly-rembered adventures The Sea Devils
, The Green Death
and his personal favourite The Robots of Death
, which was also his last involvement with the series. However, he is most proud of his subsequent direction of the BBC drama series Secret Army
for which he directed episodes between 1978 and 1979. He later directed four of the six episodes of its sequel, Kessler and the thriller series Blood Money
in which he cast many of the actors from Secret Army, before moving to the Netherlands
to direct television there.
In the 1980s he went onto working directing episodes of the soap opera
EastEnders
, working with Julia Smith
and Tony Holland
, whom he had worked with on Z-Cars.
He currently lives in France where he indulges his passion for sailing. He has recently been involved on DVD releases of his Dr Who episodes, appearing on various documentaries and commentary tracks.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
, but he is also a producer and actor.
When Michael was 21 he joined the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as an assistant floor manager in the drama department and a year later became a Production Assistant.
In 1966 he took a Directors Course and he subsequently directed series such as Z-Cars
Z-Cars
Z-Cars is a British television drama series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby in the outskirts of Liverpool in Merseyside. Produced by the BBC, it debuted in January 1962 and ran until September 1978.-Origins:The series was developed by...
, Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
and Warship
Warship (TV series)
Warship was a popular British television drama series produced by the BBC between 1973 and 1977. It was also dubbed into Dutch and broadcast in the Netherlands as Alle hens...
.
During his time on Doctor Who, he directed six serials, including three fondly-rembered adventures The Sea Devils
The Sea Devils
The Sea Devils is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from February 26 to April 1, 1972.-Synopsis:...
, The Green Death
The Green Death
The Green Death is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast in six weekly parts from 19 May 1973 to 23 June 1973. It was the last to feature Katy Manning as companion Jo Grant in Doctor Who...
and his personal favourite The Robots of Death
The Robots of Death
The Robots of Death is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 29 January to 19 February 1977.-Synopsis:...
, which was also his last involvement with the series. However, he is most proud of his subsequent direction of the BBC drama series Secret Army
Secret Army (TV series)
Secret Army is a television drama series made by the BBC and the Belgian national broadcaster BRT created by Gerard Glaister. The series chronicled the history of a Belgian resistance movement during the Second World War dedicated to returning Allied airmen, usually having been shot down by the...
for which he directed episodes between 1978 and 1979. He later directed four of the six episodes of its sequel, Kessler and the thriller series Blood Money
Blood Money (TV series)
Blood Money is a British television serial written by Arden Winch and produced by the BBC in 1981.The series starred Michael Denison as Captain Percival, an operative of British Special Intelligence, who works with Scotland Yard to solve the kidnapping of the young son of the Administrator General...
in which he cast many of the actors from Secret Army, before moving to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
to direct television there.
In the 1980s he went onto working directing episodes of the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, working with Julia Smith
Julia Smith
Julia Smith was an English television director and producer.- Early career :London-born Smith became involved in television production when she directed the series Suspense in 1962...
and Tony Holland
Tony Holland
Anthony John "Tony" Holland was an English television screenwriter best known as a writer and co-creator of the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Early career:...
, whom he had worked with on Z-Cars.
He currently lives in France where he indulges his passion for sailing. He has recently been involved on DVD releases of his Dr Who episodes, appearing on various documentaries and commentary tracks.