Matthew Robinson

Never afraid of a fresh challenge, after three years at BBC Wales he brought his enormous experience in British television to tackling the social problems of Cambodia with the series Taste of Life (2004). Made by the BBC World Service Trust, the series attempted to provide important health messages, particularly regarding issues such as HIV/AIDS, but doing it with entertaining stories that would engage the audience. It is estimated that more than half the population watched the series.

In 2000 he became Head of Drama for BBC Wales, helping to establish its reputation as the BBC's new home for its drama programmes.

He had a great success with the long-running children's drama Byker Grove (1989), a series which aimed to bring important issues to the attention of its young audience.

After Byker Grove (1989), Robinson returned to EastEnders (1985) to become executive producer from 1998 until 2000.

A passionate supporter of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, he once lost a directing job after the producer of a prestigious drama series found out that he had enthusiastically celebrated her 1987 general election victory. He is also a self-confessed climate change denier and refuses to commission films on the subject for his company KMF.

Robinson was an influential figure in the early days of the BBC soap EastEnders (1985), working closely with the show's creator, Julia Smith, in the casting of the actors from the outset and directing the early episodes.

Robinson directed the notoriously difficult to direct Daleks in Doctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks: Part One (1984), starring Peter Davison as the Doctor, and then a year later he returned to direct a new Doctor, Colin Baker, in Doctor Who: Attack of the Cybermen: Part One (1985). Although science-fiction was not an area Robinson had previous experience in, these episodes proved nevertheless successful, with Robinson helping to bring enough visual style, tension, drama and pace to make them a couple of the most exciting adventures from that period of the series. On the strength of these it was hoped that he would return to direct a third adventure, "The Nightmare Fair", but this story was cancelled before going into production.

By the end of the 1980s, Robinson began to concentrate on producing rather than directing.

Matthew Robinson is a highly accomplished British television director and producer, who has worked successfully on a wide range of productions, which have included drama series, plays, science-fiction, soaps and children's television. He was brought up in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, and after graduating from university with a degree in Economics he became a researcher for Associated Television. He then became a director for the BBC on current affairs programmes such as The Money Programme (1966) and Nationwide (1969). He would progress to establishing himself as a prolific director of drama series and soap operas.

After a number of years of directing drama productions, plays and soaps, he then tried his hand at directing science-fiction when John Nathan-Turner appointed him to direct both Daleks and Cybermen in Doctor Who (1963).

Robinson also brought Leslie Grantham to the series, an actor he had previously worked with on Doctor Who (1963).

His work on Coronation Street (1960), Emmerdale Farm (1972), Brookside (1982), Howards' Way (1985) and EastEnders (1985), as well as writing episodes of Crossroads (1964), earned him the tabloid nickname "The Pope of Soap".