Roy Battersby

Biography

Roy Battersby (1936-2024) was a British director. He started his career making documentary features for the BBC, including work on their groundbreaking science series Tomorrow's World. In 1970 he directed the innovative scientific documentary film The Body, before moving into drama and directing TV plays, often working with writer Colin Welland. He made with several films for the Play for Today series but his role as an organiser with the Workers Revolutionary Party and his Trotskyist politics led to him being blacklisted by the BBC at the behest of Special Branch and the security services, a fact which Battersby was unaware of at the time. Once his association ended in the 1980s, Battersby was allowed to direct at the BBC once more. Serials such as 1986's King of the Ghetto led to regular work on Between the Lines in the early 90s. Now specialising in crime drama, he also helmed several episodes of ITV's Inspector Morse, A Touch of Frost and Cracker. His 2005 film Red Mercury was shown at the Montreal World Film Festival, where it was nominated for best film. In 1996, Battersby was awarded the Alan Clarke award at BAFTA. He was married to actress Judy Loe and is the stepfather…

Directed

1. Inspector Morse (1987) — Director
2. Cracker (1993) — Director
3. A Touch of Frost (1992) — Director
4. Between the Lines (1992) — Director
5. Play for Today (1970) — Director
6. The Body (1970) — Director
7. Thirty-Minute Theatre (1965) — Director
8. Mr. Love (1986) — Director
9. The Black Candle (1991) — Director
10. Doomwatch (1970) — Director
11. The Moth (1997) — Director
12. Red Mercury (2005) — Director
13. Doomwatch: Winter Angel (1999) — Director
14. Winter Flight (1984) — Director
15. ITV Saturday Night Theatre (1969) — Director
16. Unnatural Causes (1986) — Director
17. The Play on One (1988) — Director
18. King of the Ghetto (1986) — Director
19. The Palestinian (1977) — Director
20. Gentry (1987) — Director
21. Yellowbacks (1990) — Director
22. In Defence (2000) — Director
23. ScreenPlay (1986) — Director
24. Eurocops (1988) — Director
25. Olly's Prison (1993) — Director
26. Leeds United! (1974) — Director
27. Roll On Four O'Clock (1970) — Director
28. Centre Play (1973) — Director
29. Space Island One (1998) — Director
30. Couples (1975) — Director
31. Escape From Kampala (1991) — Director
32. The Act (1989) — Director
33. Post Mortem (1975) — Director
34. Some Women (1969) — Director
35. The Operation (1973) — Director
36. Better Than the Movies (1972) — Director
37. King of the Ghetto (1986) — Director
38. Home and Away (1972) — Director
39. The Home Front (1983) — Director
40. No Excuses (1983) — Director

Also appeared in

1. Right to Work March (1972)
2. Drama Out of a Crisis: A Celebration of Play for Today (2020) — Self – Director