Alice Troughton

Last updated

Alice Troughton
Born
Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England
NationalityBritish
Alma mater University of Kent
Occupations
Years active2002–present

Alice Troughton is a British film and television director known for her work on Merlin, Doctor Who and its spin-offs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures . In 2023, she made her feature film debut with The Lesson .

Contents

Career

Troughton studied drama at the University of Kent, where in her second year she directed Hamlet . [1] She realised she wanted to be a television director when she was 32 years old, having worked as a fringe-theatre director, writer, personal driver at ICM and BBC Films and care worker. [1] In 2002, she enrolled in the Doctors directing course. [1] The same year in India, Troughton filmed her first short film called Refuge, based on the diary of a young Tibetan woman. [1] [2] It was later followed by another short film, Doris the Builder, starring Tom Ellis and based on a true story from her hometown, Aylesbury, about a builder who took a load of breast-enhancing hormones for a dare. [1]

From 2006 to 2010, Troughton directed episodes of each of Torchwood , The Sarah Jane Adventures , and Doctor Who . She was only the second person (after Colin Teague) to direct episodes of all three shows, which are set in a shared universe. [3] Despite their shared surname and common association with Doctor Who, Troughton is not related to actor Patrick Troughton, who played the Second Doctor in the 1960s. [4] Her directing in the franchise received overwhelmingly positive reviews, particularly for the Doctor Who episode "Midnight". [5] [6] Since then, she has gone on to become a leading director, working on acclaimed award-winning British shows such as BBC Three's In the Flesh and Channel 4's Cucumber and Baghdad Central . [7] For her work on Cucumber, she was nominated for Best Director: Fiction at the 2015 Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards. [8] In the US, she worked on The CW's superhero series The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow and Netflix's science fiction series Lost in Space. [7]

For Doctor Who, she cast Colin Morgan in his second television role as the conflicted teenager Jethro Cane, which contributed to him being cast in Merlin , [9] [10] where Troughton became one of the regular directors from the second series onwards. The two later collaborated on the BBC supernatural horror drama The Living and the Dead . [11]

Her debut feature film The Lesson , starring Richard E. Grant, Julie Delpy and Daryl McCormack, premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Festival. [12] [13]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleNotesRef.
2002RefugeShort film [1]
2004Doris the BuilderShort film; also writer [1]
2023 The Lesson [12]

Television

YearTitleNotesRef.
2002–2004 Doctors 23 episodes [1]
2004–2005 Holby City 6 episodes [1]
2004–2006 EastEnders 20 episodes:
  • Episodes dated 5 to 9 January 2004
  • Episodes dated 31 May to 4 June 2004
  • Episodes dated 29 August to 2 September 2005
  • Episodes dated 6 to 9 June 2006
 [1]
2006 No Angels 3 episodes [1]
Torchwood 2 episodes: [9]
2007–2010 The Sarah Jane Adventures 10 episodes [6]
2008 Doctor Who 3 episodes: [3]
2009 Casualty 2 episodes [14]
Tonight's the Night Doctor Who sketch [15]
2009–2012 Merlin 13 episodes [16]
2012 Silk 2 episodes [1]
2013 Frankie 2 episodes [1]
Atlantis 5 episodes [16]
2014 In the Flesh 2 episodes [17]
2015 Cucumber 3 episodes [18]
Teen Wolf Episode: "Required Reading" [7]
2016 The Flash Episode: "Flash Back" [7]
The Living and the Dead 3 episodes [11]
2016–2017 Legends of Tomorrow 2 episodes [7]
2017–2020 Tin Star 3 episodes [7]
2018 Lost in Space Episode: "The Robinsons Were Here" [7]
A Discovery of Witches 3 episodes [19]
Lore 3 episodes [7]
2020 Baghdad Central 3 episodes [20]
2022 The Midwich Cuckoos 2 episodes; also executive producer [21]
2023 Boat Story 2 episodes [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UNIT</span> Fictional military intelligence organization in the Doctor Who franchise

UNIT is a fictional military organisation from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-off series Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. Operating under the auspices of the United Nations and initially led by Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, its purpose is to investigate and combat paranormal and extraterrestrial threats to Earth. Several UNIT personnel played a major role in the original Doctor Who series, and it was a regular feature from The Invasion (1968) until The Seeds of Doom (1976).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Jane Smith</span> Fictional character in various TV series including Doctor Who

Sarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running BBC Television science fiction series Doctor Who and two of its spin-offs. Sarah Jane is a dogged investigative journalist who first encounters alien time traveller the Doctor while trying to break a story on a top secret research facility, and subsequently becomes his travelling companion on a series of adventures spanning the breadth of space and time. After travelling with The Doctor in four seasons of the show they suddenly part ways, and after this she continues to investigate strange goings-on back on Earth. Over time, Sarah Jane establishes herself as a committed defender of Earth from alien invasions and other threats, occasionally reuniting with The Doctor in the course of her own adventures, all the while continuing to work as a freelance investigative journalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elisabeth Sladen</span> English actress (1946–2011)

Elisabeth Clara Heath-Sladen was an English actress. She became best known as Sarah Jane Smith in the British television series Doctor Who, appearing as a regular cast member from 1973 to 1976, alongside both Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, and reprising the role many times in subsequent decades, both on Doctor Who and its spin-offs, K-9 and Company (1981) and The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007–2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose Tyler</span> Fictional character in the TV series Doctor Who

Rose Tyler is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. She was created by series producer Russell T Davies and portrayed by Billie Piper. With the revival of Doctor Who in 2005, Rose was introduced as a new travelling companion of the series protagonist, the Doctor, in his ninth and tenth incarnations. The companion character, intended to act as an audience surrogate, was key in the first series to introduce new viewers to the mythos of Doctor Who, which had not aired regularly since 1989. Rose became the viewers' eyes into the new world of the series, from the companion's perspective. Piper received top billing alongside Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant for the duration of her time as a regular cast member. A regular for all of series one (2005) and series two (2006), Piper later returned for three episodes of the programme's fourth series (2008) and appeared in feature-length specials in both 2010 and 2013. In the latter, Piper played a sentient weapon known as 'The Moment', which utilises Rose's image.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicola Bryant</span> English actress (b. 1960)

Nicola Jane Bryant is an English actress best known for her role as Peri Brown, a companion to both the Fifth and Sixth Doctors, in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, from 1984 to 1986.

"Army of Ghosts" is the twelfth and penultimate episode in the second series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who which was first broadcast on BBC One on 1 July 2006. It is the first episode of a two-part story; the concluding episode, "Doomsday", was first broadcast on 8 July.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freema Agyeman</span> British actress (born 1979)

Freema Agyeman is a British actress. She rose to fame with her role as the Doctor's companion Martha Jones in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who (2007–2010) and its spin-off Torchwood (2008), and received further recognition for playing Crown Prosecutor Alesha Phillips in the ITV crime procedural Law & Order: UK (2009–2012), Amanita Caplan in the Netflix science fiction drama Sense8 (2015–2018) and Dr. Helen Sharpe in the NBC medical drama New Amsterdam (2018–2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martha Jones</span> Fictional character in the TV series Doctor Who and Torchwood

Martha Jones is a fictional character played by Freema Agyeman in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. The show's first female black companion, she is a companion of the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who, after Rose Tyler and before Donna Noble. According to the character's creator and executive producer Russell T Davies in his non-fiction book Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale, the character was developed from the beginning with the intention of appearing for a whole of the 2007 series, and to later make guest appearances in subsequent series and crossover appearances in the show's two spin-offs; Martha subsequently made guest appearances in Torchwood series two and in Doctor Who series four in 2008 and special episode "The End of Time" in 2010. Martha was also intended to make guest appearances in the 2009 series of Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, but could not due to the actress's other work commitments.

<i>The Sarah Jane Adventures</i> British science-fiction television series

The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television programme that was produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies, and starring Elisabeth Sladen. The programme is a spin-off of the long-running BBC science fiction programme Doctor Who and is aimed at a younger audience than Doctor Who. It focuses on the adventures of Sarah Jane Smith, an investigative journalist who, as a young woman, had numerous adventures across time and space with the Doctor. Following Sladen's sudden death from cancer, the BBC confirmed that the show would not return for a sixth series.

The Whoniverse is the non-narrative name given to the fictional setting of the television series Doctor Who, Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures and Class as well as other related media. The word, a portmanteau of the words Who and universe, was originally used to describe the show's production and fanbase.

Luke Smith (<i>The Sarah Jane Adventures</i>) Fictional character

Luke Smith is a fictional regular character played by Tommy Knight in the British children's science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures, a spin-off of the long-running series Doctor Who. Luke is a regular character in The Sarah Jane Adventures both in television and audio adventures. He has also appeared in three episodes of Doctor Who: the two-parter "The Stolen Earth"/"Journey's End" (2008), and the Tenth Doctor's finale episode "The End of Time, Part Two" (2010).

Colin Teague is a British film and television director. Born 1970 He grew up in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire and studied at Redroofs Theatre School and the London International Film School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Anthony (actor)</span> British actor

Daniel Anthony is a British actor. He is known for his regular roles as Clyde Langer in the Doctor Who spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007–2011) and as Jamie Collier in the medical drama Casualty (2013–2014).

Joseph Lidster is an English playwright and screenwriter, best known for his work on the Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

<i>Eye of the Gorgon</i> 2007 Sarah Jane Adventures story

Eye of the Gorgon is the second serial of the first series of the British science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. It first aired in two weekly parts on the CBBC channel on 1 and 8 October 2007. The episode makes references to classical mythology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donna Noble</span> Fictional character in the TV series Doctor Who

Donna Noble is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Portrayed by British actress and comedian Catherine Tate, she is a former companion of the Tenth Doctor. Originally appearing in the closing scene of the show's 2006 series and as a special guest star in its following Christmas special, "The Runaway Bride", Tate was not expected to reprise her role as Donna; for series 3 (2007), the Doctor travelled alongside medical student Martha Jones. However, Tate expressed interest in returning to the role, and she returned as Donna for the duration of series 4 (2008), and in a subsequent 2009–2010 Christmas and New Year's special. On 15 May 2022, it was announced that Tate would reprise the role for the series' 60th anniversary specials in 2023.

The Last Sontaran is the first serial of the second series of the British science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. The first part of the two-part story aired on BBC One on 29 September 2008, with the second part premiering immediately after the first on the CBBC channel. This serial marks the departure of Maria Jackson, played by Yasmin Paige.

The Day of the Clown is the second serial of the second series of the British science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. It was first broadcast in two weekly parts on the CBBC channel on 6 and 13 October 2008. The Day of the Clown introduces main character Rani Chandra and her parents, Haresh and Gita Chandra, and they would stay for the rest of the series.

The 2023 specials of the British science-fiction television programme Doctor Who are a series of special episodes that will air to celebrate the programme's 60th anniversary. The episodes were written by Russell T Davies, and will be broadcast on BBC One in November 2023 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and on Disney+ internationally. David Tennant and Catherine Tate are both returning to the series as part of the 60th anniversary. Tennant will appear as the Fourteenth Doctor for the first time, while Tate will reprise her role as Donna Noble.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Arnold, Lewis (26 July 2020). "Alice Troughton". Directors Now. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  2. ↑ Clipland. "Refuge - Short Film on Clipland". www.clipland.com. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Donna Feels the Heat!". Doctor Who Magazine (388): 5. 14 November 2007.
  4. ↑ Lewinski, John Scott (3 June 2008). "The Doctor Dates His Daughter From 'The Doctor's Daughter'". WIRED. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  5. ↑ McEwan, Cameron K (21 October 2009). "The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Mad Woman In The Attic Part 2 review". Den of Geek. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  6. 1 2 McEwan, Cameron K (6 November 2009). "The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Eternity Trap Part 1 review". Den of Geek. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 White, Peter (6 September 2018). "'Doctor Who' & 'Lore' Director Alice Troughton Set As Lead Director For C4 Drama 'Baghdad Central'". Deadline. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  8. ↑ "RTS announces Craft & Design awards nominees". Royal Television Society. 4 November 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Doctor Who Midnight director praises Russell T Davies and David Tennant". Radio Times. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  10. ↑ AliceTroughton (26 February 2023). "👋🏻Hey everyone my name is Alice Troughton and I was one of the directors of the tv show Merlin and I've been asked to pop over to your group to have a quick Q&A with you all via live chat". r/merlinbbc. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  11. 1 2 Lawson, Mark (28 June 2016). "Phantoms in the four-poster: will The Living and the Dead outspook TV's scariest ghosts?". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  12. 1 2 Lund, Anthony (14 June 2023). "The Lesson Trailer Brings Richard E. Grant and Julie Delpy to Film Noir". MovieWeb. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  13. ↑ Wise, Damon (12 June 2023). "'The Lesson' Review: Richard E. Grant Steals Show In Slow-Burn Tale Of Literary Larceny – Tribeca Film Festival". Deadline. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  14. ↑ "BBC One - Casualty, Series 23, With This Ring". BBC. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  15. ↑ "BBC - Doctor Who - Tonight's the Night Preview". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  16. 1 2 "What could a female director mean for Star Trek?". BBC News. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  17. ↑ "BBC Three - In The Flesh, Series 2, Episode 5". BBC. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  18. ↑ Goldsmith, Jill (7 July 2023). "Richard E. Grant In 'The Lesson', Mark Duplass In 'Biosphere' & Their First-Time Female Directors – Specialty Preview". Deadline. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  19. ↑ Boucher, Geoff (15 April 2019). "'A Discovery Of Witches': Female Creative Team Finds That It Takes A Coven". Deadline. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  20. ↑ "Palestinian Waleed Zuaiter nominated for Best Actor at BAFTA TV Awards 2021". Esquire Middle East. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  21. ↑ "Casting News: Keeley Hawes and Max Beesley to Lead TV Adaptation of John Wyndham's 'The Midwich Cuckoos' | Anglophenia | BBC America". BBC America. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  22. ↑ "BBC releases first-look pictures for new thriller Boat Story starring Daisy Haggard and Paterson Joseph". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2023.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.