---
name: "Derek Martinus"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/derek-martinus"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "4 April 1931"
died: "27 March 2014"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
updated: "2026-09-16T16:07:42.814811+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Derek Martinus

Director. Born 4 April 1931 in Ilford, Essex, England, UK. Died 27 March 2014.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 4 April 1931, Ilford, Essex, England, UK
- **Died:** 27 March 2014
- **Active:** 1962–1963
- **Also known as:** Derek Buitenhuis
- **Works often with:** Anthony Read, Barry Letts, Bob Baker, Brian Hayles, Christopher Barry, Dave Martin

## Fi1m on Derek Martinus

> Derek Martinus understood that a television monster needs a carefully prepared entrance. We value his *Doctor Who* for the patience and care with the camera that make improbable creatures threatening, though the programme can test that patience.

Derek Martinus kept Daleks in shadow and built up their entrances. He understood how easily the creatures could look tame if the camera merely recorded them. We found his Daleks in *Doctor Who* (1963) unnerving because that preparation made us anticipate their arrival. We rate the care here: he gives a television monster time to become a threat, rather than expecting its appearance alone to frighten us.

His six *Doctor Who* serials between 1965 and 1970 spanned the first three Doctors, beginning with *Galaxy 4* (1965). *The Tenth Planet* (1966) introduced the Cybermen, while *The Evil of the Daleks* (1967) put him to work with Troughton's Doctor. By *Spearhead from Space* (1970), he was directing Pertwee's debut and the programme's first colour story, made entirely on film. That is a substantial series of changes for one director to handle, and a useful reason to look at his contribution beyond the monsters.

The actors matter just as much. Our enthusiasm for *Doctor Who* rests on performances that make absurd situations count, and on a Doctor whose changing temperament keeps the programme worth returning to. Martinus's camera work belongs in that account, but six serials cannot explain the success of a whole series. Nor should affection excuse the pacing, which can be stubborn enough to make the talk feel like a delay. We are happy to give the programme room, but there are stretches when we would rather it got on with things.

His work outside *Doctor Who* extended well beyond science fiction. Alongside more than fifty episodes of *Z-Cars*, begun in 1968, there was children's drama such as *The Paper Lads* (1977) and *Dodger, Bonzo and the Rest* (1985). He also returned to theatre, collaborating on stage productions with the translator Eivor Martinus. His two episodes of *Blake's 7* (1979) offer another route into the television work, though *Doctor Who* remains our recommendation. Allow time for the talking.

## Biography

Derek Martinus, born Derek Buitenhuis on 4 April 1931 in Ilford, Essex, was an English television and theatre director. He died on 27 March 2014. Originally an actor, he trained at the Yale School of Drama and began directing for the BBC in the mid-1960s.

He directed six Doctor Who serials between 1965 and 1970: Galaxy 4, Mission to the Unknown, The Tenth Planet, The Evil of the Daleks, The Ice Warriors and Spearhead from Space, the first story made in colour. He also directed episodes of Blake's 7 (1979) and over fifty episodes of Z-Cars, as well as stage productions and literary adaptations.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, bbc.com, imdb.com, theguardian.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Doctor Who* (1963), Fi1m 81, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who.md)

## Also credited on (not yet reviewed)

- *Z-Cars* (1962), Director

## Also known for

- *Blake's 7* (1978), Director

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/derek-martinus