James Strong (director)
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James Strong is a British television and film director and writer, best known for his work on ''
Broadchurch ''Broadchurch'' is a British crime drama television series broadcast on ITV for three series between 2013 and 2017. It was created by Chris Chibnall, who acted as an executive producer and wrote all 24 episodes; it was produced by Kudos in a ...
'' for which he was
BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
-nominated for Best Director Fiction 2015. He trained at
Granada TV ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire on weekdays only, as ABC Weekend Television was its ...
and has directed episodes of the shows ''
Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a Spin-off (media), spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' ...
'' and '' Doctors'', as well as seven episodes of ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' and two episodes of its spin-off series '' Torchwood''. His work on the ''Doctor Who'' episode "
Voyage of the Damned ''Voyage of the Damned'' is a 1976 drama (film and television), drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, with an Ensemble cast, all-star cast featuring Faye Dunaway, Oskar Werner, Lee Grant, Max von Sydow, James Mason, Lynne Frederick and Malco ...
" won him a BAFTA Cymru award for Best Director in 2008. He also directed the 2024
Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...
winning series Mr Bates vs The Post Office.


Professional

In 2007, he directed the autobiographical documentary '' Elton John: Me, Myself & I'' and in 2008 he directed three episodes of '' Bonekickers''. He then directed '' Hunted'' and ''Best Possible Taste: The Kenny Everett Story'' and '' Silent Witness'' in 2010 followed by the feature film '' United'' and ''
Downton Abbey ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. It first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV (TV network), ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United St ...
'' in 2011. He was lead director and associate producer on ''
Broadchurch ''Broadchurch'' is a British crime drama television series broadcast on ITV for three series between 2013 and 2017. It was created by Chris Chibnall, who acted as an executive producer and wrote all 24 episodes; it was produced by Kudos in a ...
'', which won six
BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
s including Best Drama and for which he was nominated for BAFTA Best Director Fiction. Strong followed this with work on Series 2 of ''Broadchurch'', the US remake ''
Gracepoint ''Gracepoint'' is an American crime drama television series created by Chris Chibnall. It is a remake of Chibnall's series, ''Broadchurch'', and stars that series' lead, David Tennant, along with Anna Gunn, as two detectives investigating the mu ...
'' in 2013 and other US pilots, including ''Kingmakers'' for ABC in 2015 and ''Drew'' in 2016. He also directed episodes of the
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
adaptation and J. J. Abrams produced '' 11.22.63''. He directed and executive produced " Liar" (2017) for ITV and
AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** ...
and the critically acclaimed mini-series '' Vanity Fair'' (2018) for ITV and Amazon Studios. He was also set to direct a J.R.R. Tolkien biopic entitled ''Middle Earth'' (later re-titled '' Tolkien''), but dropped out for unknown reasons. Strong directed the feature film '' Words of War'' about the late Russian journalist
Anna Politkovskaya Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya (; 30 August 1958 – 7 October 2006) was a Russians, Russian investigative journalist who reported on political and social events in Russia, in particular, the Second Chechen War (1999–2005). It was her repor ...
. The film features
Maxine Peake Maxine Peake (born 14 July 1974) is an English actress and narrator. She is known for her roles as Twinkle in ''Dinnerladies (TV series), dinnerladies'', a sitcom on BBC One (1998–2000), as List of Shameless (British TV series) characters#Vero ...
as Politkovskaya, Jason Isaacs as her husband Sascha, and
Ciarán Hinds Ciarán Hinds ( ; born 9 February 1953) is a British Northern Irish actor from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Hinds is known for a range of screen and stage roles. He has starred in feature films including '' The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Love ...
as her
Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish language, Swedish and ) is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the Will and testament, will of Sweden, Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobe ...
-winning editor at the ''
Novaya Gazeta ''Novaya Gazeta'' (, ) is an independent Russian newspaper. It is known for its critical and investigative coverage of Russian political and social affairs, the Chechen wars, corruption among the ruling elite, and increasing authoritarianism i ...
'', Dmitry Muratov. Variety reported that ''Words of War'' will be released in U.S. theaters starting on 2 May 2025.


Selected filmography

*'' Doctors'' **Various episodes (2000–2001) *''
Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a Spin-off (media), spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' ...
'' **Various episodes (2002–2005) *''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' **" The Impossible Planet" (2006) **" The Satan Pit" (2006) **" Daleks in Manhattan" (2007) **" Evolution of the Daleks" (2007) **"
Voyage of the Damned ''Voyage of the Damned'' is a 1976 drama (film and television), drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, with an Ensemble cast, all-star cast featuring Faye Dunaway, Oskar Werner, Lee Grant, Max von Sydow, James Mason, Lynne Frederick and Malco ...
" (2007) **" Partners in Crime" (2008) **" Planet of the Dead" (2009) *'' Torchwood'' **" Cyberwoman" (2006) **"
They Keep Killing Suzie ''Torchwood'' is a British television science fiction, British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Initially developed as a stand-alone show, it was reworked into a sp ...
" (2006) *'' Bonekickers'' **" Army of God" (2008) **"
Warriors A warrior is a guardian specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracy, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have been p ...
" (2008) **" The Cradle of Civilisation" (2008) *'' Hustle'' **" Return of the Prodigal" (2009) **" New Recruits" (2009) *'' Silent Witness'' **''The Prodigal'' (2011) *'' United'' (2011) *''
Broadchurch ''Broadchurch'' is a British crime drama television series broadcast on ITV for three series between 2013 and 2017. It was created by Chris Chibnall, who acted as an executive producer and wrote all 24 episodes; it was produced by Kudos in a ...
'' (2013) **5 episodes *'' The Great Train Robbery'' (2013) *'' From There to Here'' (2014) * '' Code of a Killer'' (2014) **2 episodes *''
Gracepoint ''Gracepoint'' is an American crime drama television series created by Chris Chibnall. It is a remake of Chibnall's series, ''Broadchurch'', and stars that series' lead, David Tennant, along with Anna Gunn, as two detectives investigating the mu ...
'' (2014) **"Episode One" **"Episode Two" **"Episode Four" **"Episode Five" *''Kingsmakers'' (2015) *'' Drew'' (2016) *'' 11.22.63'' (2016) **"Episode Three" **"Episode Four" *''
Doubt Doubt is a mental state in which the mind remains suspended between two or more contradictory propositions, and is certainty, uncertain about them. Doubt on an emotional level is indecision between belief and wikt:disbelief, disbelief. It may i ...
'' (2017) **"Then and Now" *''The Get'' (2017) *'' Liar'' (2017–20) **"The Date" **"I Know You're Dying" **"The White Rabbit" **"Episode One" **"Episode Two" **"Episode Three" **"Episode Six" *'' Council of Dads'' (2020) **"Pilot" **"I'm Not Fine" *''
Crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...
'' (2021) **"Episode One" **"Episode Two" **"Episode Three" *''
Vigil A vigil, from the Latin meaning 'wakefulness' ( Greek: , or ), is a period of purposeful sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching, or an observance. The Italian word has become generalized in this sense and means 'eve' (as in "on t ...
'' (2021) **"Episode One" **"Episode Two" **"Episode Three" *'' The Suspect'' (2022) **"Episode One" **"Episode Two" **"Episode Three" *'' Fire Country'' (2022) **"Pilot" **"Dirty Money" *'' Mr Bates vs The Post Office'' (2024) *'' Words of War'' (2025)


References


External links

* BAFTA winners (people) British television directors Living people Year of birth missing (living people) {{UK-tv-bio-stub