Graeme Harper

British TV director Graeme Harper is best known for his work on the cult U.K. sci-fi series "Doctor Who." A former child actor, Harper first appeared on the eight-part children's miniseries "The Silver Sword" before, at age 20, directing his talents behind the camera as a BBC floor assistant. In 1971 he began his longstanding association with "Doctor Who," working at first as a floor manager and later, as a production assistant. Fast-tracked by the show's producer for the BBC's in-house TV director apprenticeship, Harper made his directorial debut on the early-'80s medical drama "Angels" and returned to "Doctor Who" in 1981 to direct the sixth incarnation of the title character (played by Colin Baker). While he was approached to continue on with the series' seventh incarnation of the Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) in 1989, Harper, pressed with prior engagements, left the show in the late '80s. In 2006, after almost 20 years away, the director returned to the long-running series with a 13-episode commitment.