---
name: "Samuel Donovan"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/sam-donovan"
fi1m_id: "sam-donovan"
imdb_id: "nm2403495"
tmdb_id: 229028
wikidata_id: "Q116468168"
roles: ["Director"]
reviewed_on_fi1m: 9
average_fi1m_score: 79
average_as: "director"
average_over: 8
updated: "2026-10-07T16:02:34.508420+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."
---

# Samuel Donovan

## Identity

Samuel Donovan

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/sam-donovan
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** sam-donovan
- **IMDb ID:** nm2403495
- **TMDB ID:** 229028
- **Wikidata ID:** Q116468168
- **Same entity:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q116468168, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2403495/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/229028

Director.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Active:** 2007–present
- **Also known as:** Sam Donovan
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 9: 8 directing, 1 crew
- **Frequently works with:** [Adeel Akhtar](https://film.one/person/adeel-akhtar.md), [Benjamin Caron](https://film.one/person/benjamin-caron.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 79, as director, over 8 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 72 (1), 2010s 82 (5), 2020s 83 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 79 to 77 across 8 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 8, Mystery 5, Comedy 4, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 3, Action & Adventure 1, Crime 1
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q116468168, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2403495/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/229028

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*Severance*](https://film.one/tv/severance.md) (86), [*Utopia*](https://film.one/tv/utopia.md) (83), [*Down Cemetery Road*](https://film.one/tv/down-cemetery-road.md) (82), [*Widow's Bay*](https://film.one/tv/widows-bay.md) (80), [*Last Tango in Halifax*](https://film.one/tv/last-tango-in-halifax.md) (79)
- **Netflix:** [*The Crown*](https://film.one/tv/the-crown.md) (78)
- **Peacock:** [*Humans*](https://film.one/tv/humans.md) (74)
- **Disney+:** [*Skins*](https://film.one/tv/skins.md) (72)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Samuel Donovan, also credited as Sam Donovan, is a British television director and producer. He began his career in the film industry as a second unit or assistant director, including on the 2010 feature *Four Lions*.

Donovan has directed multiple episodes of series including *Severance* (2025), *Down Cemetery Road* (2025), *Widow's Bay* (2026), *Three Pines* (2022), *The Crown* (2019), *The Widow* (2019), *Liar* (2017) and *Utopia* (2014). He has also served as an executive producer on several of these productions. He received a nomination for the BAFTA TV Craft Award for Best Director.

*Sources: imdb.com, independenttalent.com.*

## On Fi1m (9)

### Directed (8) — the average rests on these

- *Widow's Bay* (2026), Fi1m 80, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/widows-bay.md)
- *Down Cemetery Road* (2025), Fi1m 82, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/down-cemetery-road.md)
- *Severance* (2022), Fi1m 86, Director, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/tv/severance.md)
- *The Crown* (2016), Fi1m 78, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-crown.md)
- *Humans* (2015), Fi1m 74, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/humans.md)
- *Utopia* (2013), Fi1m 83, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/utopia.md)
- *Last Tango in Halifax* (2012), Fi1m 79, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/last-tango-in-halifax.md)
- *Skins* (2007), Fi1m 72, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/skins.md)

### Crew (1)

- *Four Lions* (2010), Fi1m 94, Script Coordinator — [page](https://film.one/film/four-lions.md)

## Complete filmography (17)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Widow's Bay* (2026), series, Director — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/widows-bay.md)
- *Down Cemetery Road* (2025), series, Director — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/down-cemetery-road.md)
- *Three Pines* (2022), series, Executive Producer
- *Severance* (2022), series, Executive Producer, Director — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/severance.md)
- *The Widow* (2019), series, Director
- *Liar* (2017), series, Director
- *The Crown* (2016), series, Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-crown.md)
- *The Living and the Dead* (2016), series, Director
- *Humans* (2015), series, Director — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/humans.md)
- *Utopia* (2013), series, Director — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/utopia.md)
- *Last Tango in Halifax* (2012), series, Director — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/tv/last-tango-in-halifax.md)
- *Four Lions* (2010), Script Coordinator — Fi1m 94, [page](https://film.one/film/four-lions.md)
- *Hammerhead* (2009), Director
- *Mother, Mine* (2008), First Assistant Director
- *Secret Diary of a Call Girl* (2007), series, Director
- *King Ponce* (2007), Director
- *Skins* (2007), series, Director — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/skins.md)

---
© 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/sam-donovan