Born: 28th September 1919 (as Terence Henry Dudley)
Died: 25th December 1988 (aged 69 years)
Episodes Broadcast: 1980-1983

Born in West Ham, London, Terence Dudley worked in the theatre for nearly two decades before joining the BBC in 1958. Early in his television career, he often worked as a producer-director, such as on Charlesworth, The World Of Tim Frazer, The Big Pull and Cluff. Dudley also did some writing, including a thriller called The River Flows East and episodes of programmes such as Moonstrike, Detective and Boy Meets Girl. He was approached about contributing to Doctor Who during its formative stages, but nothing came of this. By the late Sixties, the era of the producer-director was largely over, but Dudley still produced The Mask Of Janus and The First Lady (for which he also wrote), while directing for shows like The Troubleshooters, Vendetta and Softly Softly.

Dudley began the Seventies by producing the eco-thriller Doomwatch, from Cyberman co-creators Gerry Davis and Kit Pedler, for which he also wrote and directed. He moved on to The Regiment before returning to science-fiction with the post-apocalyptic Survivors, originated by Dalek creator Terry Nation. Again, Dudley also wrote and directed for the programme on which his son, Stephen, had a regular role. Other directorial assignments included Colditz, Oil Strike North and Secret Army, while Dudley both wrote and directed episodes of All Creatures Great And Small. It was here that he met production unit manager John Nathan-Turner, who subsequently became the producer of Doctor Who and invited Dudley to direct Meglos for Tom Baker's last season as the Fourth Doctor in 1980.

Although this was Dudley's only contribution to Doctor Who in a directorial capacity, Nathan-Turner soon asked him to return to the show as a writer. Over a two-year period, Dudley wrote three serials for Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor, latterly The King's Demons where he introduced the short-lived android companion Kamelion. Dudley also developed the script for A Girl's Best Friend, the 1981 pilot episode of a proposed K·9 And Company spin-off series.

In the Eighties, Dudley continued to direct for programmes such as To Serve Them All My Days, Flesh And Blood and Triangle. He also novelised all four of his Doctor Who-related scripts for Target Books. Sadly, Dudley then found himself embroiled in a lengthy battle with cancer, to which he ultimately succumbed on December 25th, 1988.