James Strong
Director
Film, TV & Theatre
Film, TV & Theatre
Described by Deadline as “one of the UK’s hottest TV directors”, James Strong is an award‑winning director and executive producer whose work spans some of the most successful and culturally resonant dramas of the past two decades.
He directed and executive produced the four‑part ITV Studios drama MR BATES VS. THE POST OFFICE, a phenomenon that consolidated with over 16 million streams on ITVX and earned universal acclaim. The series won Best Limited Series and the Special Award at the 2025 BAFTA TV Awards, became ITV’s most‑watched drama in more than a decade, and prompted the UK Government to commit to addressing the historic injustice depicted in the show within ten days of broadcast.
James’ feature film WORDS OF WAR was released in 2025. Starring Maxine Peake, Jason Isaacs and Ciarán Hinds, the film tells the story of journalist and human rights activist Anna Politkovskaya, whose reporting exposed corruption and abuses of power in Putin’s Russia. The project also counts Sean Penn among its executive producers.
Prior to this, James directed the pilot of FIRE COUNTRY for CBS, the network’s most‑watched series premiere of Autumn 2022 and a major hit now moving into its second season. He was lead director on THE SUSPECT for World Productions and directed the first series of VIGIL (World Productions/BBC One), the UK’s most‑watched new drama in three years. Vigil won Best Drama Series at the International Emmys, and James received the Scottish BAFTA Award for Best Director. In 2021, he directed CRIME for Buccaneer/BritBox, with Dougray Scott winning both an International Emmy and a Scottish BAFTA for his performance.
James' earlier work includes VANITY FAIR for Mammoth Screen/Amazon, the hit ITV series LIAR, Bad Robot’s 11.22.63, and multiple projects for World Productions including CODE OF A KILLER, THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY, and UNITED.
James is also known for his work on the BAFTA‑winning global hit BROADCHURCH, for which he was BAFTA‑nominated for Best Director. He previously won Best Director at the BAFTA Cymru Awards for the DOCTOR WHO special Voyage of the Damned.
He is represented in the US by Praveen Pandian and Jon Cassir at CAA, Jeremy Platt at Untitled, and Ridley Scott Associates for commercials.
Television
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
MR BATES VS THE POST OFFICE 2023 | ITVS | Director of all four episodes and Executive Producer. |
FIRE COUNTRY 2022 | CBS | Pilot Director and Executive Producer. |
THE SUSPECT 2021 | World Productions | Lead Director. |
CRIME 2021 | Buccaneer/Britbox | Lead Director and Executive Producer. |
VIGIL 2019 - 2020 | World Productions / BBC One | Lead Director and Executive Producer. |
LIAR 2 2019 | Two Brothers/ ITV | Lead Director and Executive Producer. |
2019 | NBC/ Jerry Bruckheimer Television/ Universal TV | Pilot Director and Executive Producer. |
2017 - 2018 | Mammoth/Amazon/ITV | Lead Director and Executive Producer. |
LIAR 2016 - 2017 | ITV/Two Brothers Pictures | Lead Director and Executive Producer. |
DOUBT 2016 | CBS | Director. |
11.22.63 2015 | Bad Robot/ Hulu/ Warner Bros. | Director. |
KINGMAKERS 2015 | ABC Studios | Director. Pilot. |
CODE OF A KILLER 2014 | World Productions/ ITV 1 | Co-creator and Director. 2 x 90'. |
BROADCHURCH 2 2014 | Kudos/ITV | Lead Director. |
GRACEPOINT 2014 | Fox / Shine America | Director. Pilot and 3 episodes. |
FROM THERE TO HERE 2014 | Kudos/BBC 1 | Director, 3 x 60'. Drama. |
THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY: A COPPER'S TALE 2013 | World Productions/ BBC 1 | Director. 90' feature. |
BROADCHURCH 2013 | Kudos/ITV | Lead Director, episodes 1, 2, 6, 7, and 8. 8-part series. |
THE BEST POSSIBLE TASTE 2012 | Mammoth/BBC 4 | Director. 90' biopic on Kenny Everett. |
HUNTED 2012 | Kudos/ HBO Cinemax/ BBC 1 | 2 episodes. |
MISSING 2012 | ABC (US)/ Little Engine Productions | 2 episodes. New series. |
DOWNTON ABBEY 2 2011 | Carnival/ ITV | Writer: Julian Fellowes. |
LAW AND ORDER UK 2+3 2011 | NBC/ Wolf Films/ Kudos for ITV | Writers: Terry Cafolla, Nick Beak Saunders. |
WHITE VAN MAN 2010 | ITV Studios for BBC 3 | Director. Pilot. |
SILENT WITNESS 2010 | BBC 1 | Writer: Michael Crompton. |
DOCTOR WHO Easter Special 2009 | BBC Wales/BBC 1 | “Planet of The Dead”.1 x 80′. |
HUSTLE 2008 | Kudos for BBC 1 | Lead Director, 2 episodes. |
DOCTOR WHO 4 2008 | BBC Wales/BBC 1 | Lead Director. “Partners in Crime”. |
DOCTOR WHO Christmas Special 2007 | BBC Wales for BBC 1 | "Voyage of the Damned". 1 x 80′. |
DOCTOR WHO 3 2007 | BBC Wales/BBC 1 | 2-part episode, "Daleks in Manhattan" and "Evolution of the Daleks". Set and shot partly in New York. |
TORCHWOOD 2006 | BBC Wales/BBC 1 | Series 1, 2 episodes. |
DOCTOR WHO 2 2006 | BBC Wales for BBC 1 | 2-part episode, "Impossible Planet" and "The Satan Pit". |
ROCKET MAN 2005 | Coastal/ BBC 1 | 2 x 60'. |
THE GOOD CITIZEN 2004 | BBC 1 | 1 x 60'. Drama. |
Film
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
WORDS OF WAR 2025 | Good Films Collective / Rolling Pictures | Director. |
UNITED 2011 | BBC/ World Productions /Content Films/ North East Screen | Director. |
In Development
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
MAJESTY | ITV | Directing - Period drama that will reimagine the life of a young Elizabeth I in the court of the notorious King Henry VIII |
MERCY | Last Man Films | Director. Feature film, in development. The story of the last men to be executed in Britain. |
ALBION | Participant Media/ Potboiler | Director. Feature film, in development. A tragic accident in a coastal English town sets of a series of violent events. |
STEEL CITY | Fox/Strong Films | Writer and Director. Feature film, in development. The story of Sheffield synth. |
Short Films
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
OF MARY 2010 | Lesata Prods | Producer and Co-writer with Adrian Lester. |
SOLD 2004 | Writer and Director. 15' short film. Comedy-drama set in the world of estate agents. |
Documentaries
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
HEAVEN 17 - THE STORY OF PENTHOUSE & PAVEMENT 2010 | Feature length documentary and concert film. |