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Michael Edwin Briant (born 14 February 1942) is a retired English television director and author, best known for his work as a director for BBC television drama in the 1970s and 1980s. Career. At the age of 21 Briant joined the BBC as an assistant floor manager in the drama department and a year later became a production assistant.
Michael E. Briant. Director: Tangiers. 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.
- Director, Additional Crew, Actor
- Michael E. Briant
- Overview
- Personal life
- Career
- Credits
- External links
Michael E. Briant (born Michael Edwin Briant on 14 February 1942 in Bournemouth) directed several Doctor Who television stories. He had earlier been the uncredited production assistant on three television stories featuring William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton.
Although he became unhappy with how it became a common plot device, he was the one who came up with the idea of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver, Victor Pemberton's script for Fury from the Deep being non descript about its design or properties. (DWM 277)
He was invited to a meeting to view the new Cybermen costumes for Revenge of the Cybermen and suggested the idea of them having inbuilt guns. This was incorporated into the design. (INFO: Revenge of the Cybermen)
He also provided several voices on the serials he directed. He provided the voice of the IMC console in Colony in Space (DWM 238), a DJ in The Sea Devils (DWM 192) and a Nerva Beacon console in Revenge of the Cybermen. (DWM 297)
He is married to Monique Briant, who had uncredited roles in several Doctor Who stories.
Briant had originally been an actor, working under the stage name Michael Tennant as there was already a Michael Bryant registered with Equity. Having started using his own name as a director, Briant later added the initial "E" to avoid confusion with the aforementioned actor, after the pair apparently began receiving each other's mail.
Outside of Doctor Who, he worked on the police procedural series Z-Cars and the first season of Blake's 7. He also directed a 1977 adaptation of Treasure Island that featured Patrick Troughton.
Production Director
•Colony in Space (as Michael Briant) •The Sea Devils (as Michael Briant) •The Green Death (as Michael Briant) •••
Acting
•Colony in Space - IMC radio voice (DWM 238) •The Sea Devils - DJ voice (DWM 192) •Revenge of the Cybermen - radio voice (DWM 297)
Audio commentary
•••The Robots of Death (2012 release)
•Michael E. Briant at the Internet Movie Database
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Michael E. Briant directed numerous episodes of classic TV series throughout the 1970s such as Blake’s 7, Secret Army, Warship and most famously Doctor Who. Many of his Who stories (The Sea Devils, The Green Death and Robots of Death) are regarded as all-time greats by fans of the series.
Feb 16, 2023 · Director Michael E Briant talks about how he got to be a director - making shows such as Doctor Who - and making the esteemed 1977 BBC production of Treasure...
- 20 min
- 577
- British Entertainment Heritage
Apr 29, 2012 · Michael E. Briant directed numerous episodes of classic TV series throughout the 1970s such as Blake’s 7, Secret Army, Warship and most famously Doctor Who. Many of his Who stories (The Sea Devils, The Green Death and Robots of Death) are regarded as all-time greats by fans of the series.
- Michael E Briant
