Don Leaver

Directing

Don Leaver

Born September 27, 1929 · London, England, UK

Died December 13, 2015 · aged 86

Don Leaver was an award-winning television director and producer responsible for many hours of popular drama, notably as one of the key contributors to the success of the quirky adventure series The Avengers. He directed the first episode and stayed with the show as it transformed from a traditional thriller into an offbeat fantasy drama that sold worldwide and was a prime-time hit in the US.

Known For

Beasts: The DummyBeasts: The Dummy · 1976
Beasts: The Dummy
4.31976
MovieHorrorTV Movie
A washed-up actor has a nervous breakdown and believes that he really is the movie monster that he has been hired to play. Created as an episode of Nigel Kneale’s “Beasts” horror anthology miniseries.
A Midsummer NightmareA Midsummer Nightmare · 1975
A Midsummer Nightmare
8.01975
MovieTV MovieCrime
A young woman's knowledge of Shakespeare helps her solve a five-year-old mystery.
The Mark of SatanThe Mark of Satan · 1980
The Mark of Satan
7.51980
MovieHorrorFantasy
Edwyn sees the number nine everywhere and is convinced that forces of evil are at work.
Where the Action IsWhere the Action Is · 1975
Where the Action Is
8.01975
MovieTV MovieHorror
A gambler is smuggled into a billionaire's house to undertake a gambling duel.
Hidden TalentsHidden Talents · 1986
Hidden Talents
1986
MovieDramaTV Movie
Nellie (Pat Phoenix) is weak and bedridden in her aging, decrepit house due to a bad heart. Living out of her front room, Nellie is looked after by her son Harold (Tom Bell) who is going deaf and prone to eccentric and emotional outbursts following a motorbike accident some years previous. Relations are tense and fractious between Nellie and Harold, a state of affairs which isn't helped by Nellie's affectionate recollections of her estranged son Stanley (Tom Georgeson) who left many years before, taking with him Nellie's savings.
The AvengersThe Avengers · 1961
The Avengers
7.81961
SeriesAction & AdventureCrime
A quirky spy show of the adventures of eccentrically suave British Agent John Steed and his predominantly female partners. Jonathan Steed - an urbane, proper gentleman spy - teams with various assistants throughout the series' run, including Dr. David Keel, Cathy Gale, Emma Peel and Tara King, to repeatedly save the world from diabolical schemes plotted by equally diabolical evil-doers (among them robots and man-eating monsters).
ITV Saturday Night TheatreITV Saturday Night Theatre · 1969
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
7.01969
Series
Anthology series of dramatic works.
A Touch of FrostA Touch of Frost · 1992
A Touch of Frost
7.51992
SeriesDramaCrime
Jack Frost is a gritty, dogged and unconventional detective with sympathy for the underdog and an instinct for moral justice who attracts trouble like a magnet. Despite some animosity with his superintendent, Norman “Horn-rimmed Harry” Mullett, Frost and his ever-changing roster of assistants manage to solve cases via his clever mind, good heart, and cool touch.

Filmography

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The ProtectorsThe Protectors · 1972
The Protectors
6.11972
SeriesAction & AdventureCrime
The Protectors is a British television series, an action thriller created by Gerry Anderson. It was Anderson's second TV series using live actors as opposed to electronic marionettes, and also his second to be firmly set in contemporary times. It was also the only Gerry Anderson produced television series that was not of the fantasy or science fiction genres. It was produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company. Despite not featuring marionettes or any real science fiction elements, The Protectors became one of Anderson's most popular productions, easily winning a renewal for a second season. A third season was in the planning stages when the show's major sponsor pulled out, forcing its cancellation. The Protectors first aired in 1972 and 1973, and ran to 52 episodes over two series, each 25 minutes long - making it one of the last series of this type to be produced in a half-hour format. It starred Robert Vaughn as Harry Rule, Nyree Dawn Porter as the Contessa Caroline di Contini, and Tony Anholt as Paul Buchet. Episodes often featured prominent guest actors.

Director