Directing

Gerald Blake

Born 1928-12-03 · Hackney, London, England, UK

Gerald Blake (3 December 1928 – 5 April 1991) was a British television director who worked in drama from the 1960s to the 1980s. Beginning his career as an actor, Blake appeared in repertory, appearing in productions at Burnham and Farnham before becoming stage director at the New Shakespeare Theatre, Liverpool. In October 1958, he became associate producer at the Theatre Royal, Lincoln. It was here during the presentation of a revue that BBC producer Norman Rutherford was visiting. Impressed by the production, he offered Blake a six-month drama producer's course with the corporation. Starting on 8 May 1962, his training consisted of directing episodes of Dr Finlay's Casebook, and afterwards he went on to become a television director. His numerous credits include The Gentle Touch, The Omega Factor (the episode "After-Image"), Blake's 7 (the episodes "The Harvest of Kairos" (1980) and "Death-Watch" (1980) from the third series), Survivors (three episodes from the first series), The Onedin Line, Out of the Unknown, Doctor Who (the stories The Abominable Snowmen (1967) and The Invasion of Time (1978)), Super Gran, Compact, Z-Cars, Mr. Palfrey of Westminster, and Coronation Street.

Acting credits

Behind the camera

Liar! poster
NR

The positronic brain of robot RB-34 (Herbie) has an unforeseen 'extra': he can read human thoughts. So his take on the First Law of Robotics is unorthodox: he tells human beings only what he believes will not hurt their feelings. Can renowned robopsychologist Dr. Susan Calvin 'fix' RB-34? Or are there areas of her own psyche where she would rather not hear the truth?

Liar!

1969

The Sons and Daughters of Tomorrow poster
NR

The small East Anglian village of Plampton has one distinction - a famous unsolved murder. A cynical journalist decides to go there to see what he can stir up. But Plampton is a community linked by telepathy and led by a witch.

The Sons and Daughters of Tomorrow

1971

Doctor Who: The Invasion of Time poster
6.2

The Doctor returns to Gallifrey, claims his rights and is inaugurated President. It soon turns out that he has led a group of aliens called Vardans to the planet to eradicate them completely. After they are destroyed, the Sontarans take their opportunity and follow them in their invasion until they are destroyed by the Doctor.

Doctor Who: The Invasion of Time

1978

The Factory poster
10.0

A factory's workforce is dwindling as divisions between the workers and management widen.

The Factory

1981

Doctor Who: The Abominable Snowmen poster
7.5

Mysterious forces are at work in 1930s Tibet. The once gentle Yeti have turned savage and besieged a Buddhist monastery. The Second Doctor, Jamie and Victoria arrive expecting a friendly welcome from the abbot, but soon become ensnared in the plans of the extradimensional being known as the Great Intelligence.

Doctor Who: The Abominable Snowmen

1967

Whistling Wally poster
NR

17 year old Kevin discovers that his sick father, Whistling Wally, is dying.

Whistling Wally

1982

Tishoo poster
NR

It is the mid-1980s. The economy has not improved. For 17 years Professor Frank Merrick has been ensconced in a research lab of a provincial university working on a cure for the common cold. He is very near success. Can he avoid becoming yet another victim of the eternal cutbacks?

Tishoo

1982