Director: Resurrection of the Daleks; Attack of the Cybermen
Image Credit: Matthew Robinson (this image appears for illustrative purposes only and no attempt is made to supersede any copyright attributed to it)
Born: Thursday 27th July 1944 (age: 75)
Matthew Robinson is a British film & television executive producer, producer, director and writer.
He directed two Doctor Who adventures broadcast in 1984 and 1985 (Resurrection of the Daleks and Attack of the Cybermen)
Robinson was lead director of BBC1's soap opera EastEnders when it launched in 1985. His early casting included Dennis Watts (Dirty Den), Pauline Fowler, Dot Cotton, Nick Cotton, Ian Beale, Charlie Cotton, Tony Carpenter.
From 1989 to 95 Robinson set up, produced and directed the teenage soap opera Byker Grove. He cast Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly as teenage heroes P.J. and Duncan and in 1993 launched their post-Byker Grove careers. Now known as Ant & Dec they are the UK's foremost light entertainment act.
In 1998 Robinson was appointed EastEnders' Executive Producer. During his reign EastEnders won the BAFTA for "Best Soap" in consecutive years 1999 & 2000 and many other awards.
In May 2003, Robinson left the UK for Cambodia to devise and produce a HIV health-related TV drama. The 100 episodes of Taste of Life - broadcast on the main entertainment channel, TV5, repeated on the state channel TVK - were financed by the British Government through DFID managed by the BBC World Service Trust. In 2006, after Taste of Life ended its run, he set up a film production company, Khmer Mekong Films, KMF, operating from Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh.