If you have watched prime-time television drama over the past three decades it’s almost certain you will have enjoyed the work of the director Nick Laughland, who has died aged 69 of complications arising from a long-term illness. His CV reads like a chart-list of the most-loved TV series of the past 30 years: Lovejoy, Boon, Playing the Field, Where the Heart Is, New Tricks, Wild at Heart, Midsomer Murders.
Nick’s career as a drama director spanned genres from thriller to family; period adaptation to arthouse short. He attacked each project with the same vigour and creativity, and was able to draw from a crop of the country’s finest actors who loved working with him.