David Attwood

Biography

David Attwood (28 August 1952 – 21 March 2024) was a highly-regarded British television and film director. He began his career in television after working as a production assistant and then production manager on notable projects like The Black Stuff and Boys from the Blackstuff in the early 1980s. He later completed the BBC directors' course in 1984, paving the way for his transition into directing feature-length television.

Key Career Highlights

Attwood's career was primarily focused on dramatic television, where he was known for directing several critically acclaimed and complex productions:

Television Dramas: He directed numerous episodes of the long-running series The Bill between 1989 and 1994. Other early works include Airbase (1988) and Killing Time (1990).

Acclaimed Adaptations: He earned praise for the television adaptation of The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders (1996) and a version of The Hound of the Baskervilles (2002).

Award-Winning Works: His notable achievements include the Peabody Award-winning TV film Shot Through the Heart (1998), a story about two brothers on opposite sides during the war in Yugoslavia. He also directed the TV miniseries To the Ends of the Earth (2005), which garnered six BAFTA nominations.

Other Major Projects: His filmography includes the epic biographical film Fidel (2002), the social problem play May 33rd (2004), and the adaptation of Alexander Masters' work, Stuart: A Life Backwards (2007). His final credited work was the drama Blood and Oil (2010).

Attwood was married to Jane Tranter and had two children. He passed away on 21 March 2024, at the age of 71.