Douglas Camfield
Douglas Camfield was an accomplished director for television from the 1960s to the 1980s. His programme credits include Z Cars, Paul Temple, Van der Valk, The Sweeney, Shoestring, The Professionals, and the BBC dramatisation of Beau Geste.
He is particularly well known for his work on Doctor Who and was production assistant on its earliest serials, The Pilot Episode, 100,000 BC and Marco Polo. Camfield went on to direct many other stories in its first thirteen years:
- Planet of Giants;
- The Crusade (possibly the most well realised historical tale of the era)
- The Time Meddler (notable for its imaginative use of effects to overcome studio confines);
- The Myth Makers;
- The Daleks' Master Plan (a mammoth twelve episodes in length, mostly written by two writers alternating episodes);
- The Web of Fear;
- The Invasion (which became the most expensive Dr Who serial up to that time);
- Inferno (he became ill during the recording of the Dr Who serial "Inferno", and the remaining studio scenes were directed by the series' producer, Barry Letts, but he was still credited for these scenes);
- Terror of the Zygons; and
- The Seeds of Doom (which ranks as one of the most atmospheric tales ever directed for the programme.)
It is reputed that he declined the offer to become producer of Doctor Who in 1969, after the departure of Derrick Sherwin. The job instead went to Barry Letts. He also sought to get Graham Williams to commission his script for the programme, which involved the French Foreign Legion.
Douglas Camfield served as an officer in the British Army during his younger years.
In later life he suffered from a heart ailment, and died of a heart attack on 27 January 1984.
He was married to the actress Sheila Dunn, whom he cast in the Doctor Who story Inferno.