Hettie MacDonald

She has been nominated for numerous awards, including two BAFTA Television Awards. "Blink" is frequently named as the best episode of Doctor Who since the series' 2005 revival. In 2009, SFX named the episode's climax as the scariest moment in Doctor Who history, citing its "perfect direction". Macdonald would return to the series in 2015 to direct the year's opening story. She has also directed for the stage. She studied English at Bristol University, before training as a director at the Royal Court Theatre, and was formerly associate director at the Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich.

• Name — Hettie Macdonald • Birthplace — England, United Kingdom • Education — Bristol University • Occupation — Film director, theatre director, television director

Macdonald made her feature-length film directorial debut on 1996's Beautiful Thing, which received mostly positive reviews and is considered by many to be an LGBTQ+ classic. She did not direct another film for cinemas until 2023's The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, which has also received positive reviews.

• Year — Title — Notes • 1997 — Casualty — 2 episodes • 2001 — In a Land of Plenty — Miniseries • 2003 — Servants — 3 episodes • 2005–13 — Poirot — Episodes: "The Mystery of the Blue Train", "Curtain" • 2006 — Banglatown Banquet — TV movie • 2007–15 — Doctor Who — Episodes: "Blink", "The Magician's Apprentice", "The Witch's Familiar" • 2008 — White Girl — TV movie • 2008 — The Fixer — 2 episodes • 2010 — Wallander — Episode: "Faceless Killers" • 2010 — Law & Order: UK — Episode: "Masquerade" • 2012 — Hit & Miss — 3 episodes • 2013 — The Tunnel — 2 episodes • 2015–17 — Fortitude — 6 episodes • 2017 — Howards End — 4 episodes • 2020 — Normal People — 6 episodes • 2026 — Steal — 3 episodes

• Year — Title — Venue — Notes • 1997 — The Northern Fox — Ambassadors Theatre • 1998 — Hey Persephone! — Aldeburgh Festival / Almeida Theatre • 1998 — The Storm — Almeida Theatre • 2002 — She Stoops to Conquer — Theatre Royal, Margate • 2002 — Top Girls — Citizens Theatre • 2004 — M.A.D. — Bush Theatre • 2006 — On Insomnia and Midnight — Royal Court • 2025 — Hedda — Orange Tree Theatre