James Hawes - Move To Drama

Move To Drama

Hawes moved into drama, earning his spurs on popular drama The Bill. Hawes' work on the BAFTA winning Doctor Who has been particularly well-received. He directed Christopher Eccleston in "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances" which won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form in 2006. As a result, Hawes was hired to helm the second season, directing the Christmas special and introducing David Tennant as the new Doctor. "School Reunion" was also nominated for the 2007 ceremony. Hawes was awarded the BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Drama Director for his work on "The Christmas Invasion".

In early 2006, Hawes directed an Andrew Davies-scripted 90-minute television drama based around the Lady Chatterley's Lover obscenity trial of 1960, The Chatterley Affair. This one-off drama for digital television channel BBC Four features Doctor Who star David Tennant as Richard Hoggart. It was one of the first of what would become an extremely successful run for single dramas on British television, often bringing big screen stars to individual and authored projects. The Chatterley Affair also won Best Single Drama in the same BAFTA awards as the Doctor Who success.

Hawes was also announced in late 2005 as the producer and lead director of the forthcoming Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood — however, in early 2006 it was confirmed that he would not in fact be producing the series. According to Doctor Who and Torchwood executive producer Russell T Davies in Doctor Who Magazine issue 366 (dated 1 March 2006), Hawes' direction of the Chatterley piece and his decision to back down from producing Torchwood were related. "James Hawes has been having such a good time... that he's decided directing is his greatest passion, and as a result, he's stepped down."

In 2007, he linked up again with Andrew Davies to direct an adaptation of the 18th century novel Fanny Hill, for Sally Head Productions and BBC Four.

In 2008, Hawes was appointed lead director on the BBC fantasy series Merlin, which began broadcasting in September 2008. "Merlin" has been picked up by NBC in the US where it premiered in summer 2009. As such, it is the first UK-produced show to make the switch to a US network in 30 years.

Later in 2008 he also directed a new version of The 39 Steps, again for BBC One. Hawes picked up a Best Director trophy for this at the 2009 Shanghai TV Festival.

Hawes began 2009 directing a BBC TV film, Enid, with Helena Bonham Carter starring as author Enid Blyton. Scripted by Lyndsay Shapero, the film co-stars Matthew MacFadeyn and Denis Lawson. The films' success on the digital networks earned it a transfer to BBC1 and several major award nominations, including Best Director for Hawes, and Best Actress nods for Bonham Carter at both the BAFTAs and the International Emmys. The film has earned Hawes high praise for the performances and the stylishness of a big screen production on a small screen budget.

Building on his success with fact-based drama, Hawes embarked on the ambitious project to bring "The Suspicions of Mister Whicher" to the screen. Adapted by Neil Mackay, the original book, telling the story of a horrific child murder in 1860s England, had been a break-out best-seller. Paddy Considine took the title role and the film scored big audiences and critical acclaim.

Hawes has also demonstrated his ease with contemporary work, including the piloting of DCI Banks for ITV and season two of Mad Dogs, the high-action comedy thriller for Sky TV.

Hawes is in advanced development of a mini series for Channel Four TV about the people and politics of an 19th century cotton mill, and, in April 2012, he signed up to direct a TV movie telling the story of the inquiry into the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster and the role of Richard Feynman in uncovering the cause. Commissioned for the BBC, the film is set to shoot in the US later in 2012.

He is a long-serving board member of Directors UK, the screen directors' organization in Britain. He lives in London with his wife and daughter.