Michael E. Briant Bio/Wiki, Net Worth, Married 2018
Born in 1942, Michael went full time to the Italia Conti Stage School in Archer Street, London W1 when he was 12. Three months later he gave his first professional performance as an elf and a rainbow child at the Royal Festival Hall. The following year he played the lead Crispian. As a child/young actor he worked extensively in the theaters, film ...
So sorry and sad to hear of David's death. He was one of the really nice people of television. A very clever and talented producer and director, it was always a pleasure to work for him when he was producing. Blakes 7 (1978) would never have gone as bravely or successfully without David at the helm. A delight to be a co-director on the same or similar productions, and as his sometime-production manager I learned a great deal from him. He managed always to keep a wry sense of humor and proportion whilst doing excellent work. Not many achieve that. The business and the world will be a lesser place without him. (On David Maloney)
2
I am sad that I was probably very difficult to work with. Directors have to follow their own dream but sometimes I wish I had done it a bit more diplomatically and politely. You have a choice as a director - do what you believe to be right - that which pleases you or try to please other people - producers et al. The former does not always make you friends and the latter does not make good productions. There is a line between the ideas of the producer and what a director can bring to the story. The good producers find directors who are creative and imaginative. When you let slip the dogs of war there is no knowing who they will bite - the inferior producers select directors who will toe the line, be really respectful and obey orders.
3
Television has now grown up and on soaps the role of the director is primarily to point cameras. The speed and instant acting required today has taken much of the fun out of the work and many - particularly BBC soaps - are run by committee. Not sure if this is good or bad, but for young directors it is very sad.
4
I would have paid to do the directing work that came my way - certainly it was a bit intimidating sometimes, very scary even, but it never was boring and I was allowed to experiment and sometimes to fail - the most exciting thing I can imagine.
5
Television was growing at a rate and the creative side was run by people from the theatre or film industry. Directors in those days did the casting, were consulted during the writing process and had a freedom impossible today.
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Fact
1
He is in La Rochelle on the West coast of France in an old house near the Vieux Port which has its own studio and edit facility. [April 2005]
2
Of the six Doctor Who (1963) serials he directed, his favorite was "The Robots of Death".
3
He has now sold Bambola the yacht he sailed around the world making films with and has purchased Eloise - catamaran which he hopes will provide a more stable platform for his productions.
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Zonder Ernst
1992
TV Series
Spijkerhoek
1989-1990
TV Series 25 episodes
Emmerdale
1979-1990
TV Series 14 episodes
Vrienden voor het leven
1990
TV Series
Howards' Way
1987
TV Series 6 episodes
Hideaway
1986
TV Mini-Series 6 episodes
Tangiers
1985
One by One
1985
TV Series 6 episodes
Kessler
1981
TV Mini-Series 4 episodes
Blood Money
1981
TV Series 6 episodes
A Tale of Two Cities
1980
TV Mini-Series 8 episodes
Breakaway
1980
TV Series 6 episodes
Secret Army
1978-1979
TV Series 7 episodes
Blake's 7: The Beginning
1978
Video
The Onedin Line
1978
TV Series 1 episode
Blakes 7
1978
TV Series 5 episodes
Within These Walls
1978
TV Series 1 episode
Treasure Island
1977
TV Mini-Series 4 episodes
Doctor Who
1971-1977
TV Series 30 episodes
Warship
1976-1977
TV Series 4 episodes
Angels
1975-1976
TV Series 2 episodes
Dixon of Dock Green
1975-1976
TV Series 4 episodes
Sutherland's Law
1975
TV Series 2 episodes
Z Cars
1970-1974
TV Series 5 episodes
The Doctors
1970-1971
TV Series 10 episodes
The Newcomers
1965
TV Series
Jansen, Jansen
1995
TV Series
EastEnders
1995
TV Series 3 episodes
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
Doctor Who
TV Series production assistant - 12 episodes, 1966 - 1968 assistant floor manager - 4 episodes, 1965