Television/film director, producer, writer, and script editor.
One of Australia's most experienced and innovative television practitioners, Bill Hughes first came to prominence in the early 1970s, when he directed various episodes for such series as The Godfathers, Silent Number, The Lost Islands, The Sullivans, Glenview High, and Skyways. During the 1980s, he directed episodes for Prisoner, A Country Practice, and The Flying Doctors, before moving into producing/directing.
Although Hughes had previously produced The Marty Feldman Show (1972) and the miniseries A Fortunate Life (1985), it was as his influence as producer on the critically acclaimed police drama Phoenix that firmly established his credentials in this role. The series won Hughes two Australian Film Institute (AFI) awards in 1992: Best Episode in a Television Drama Series (for 'Under Siege') and Best Episode in a Television Drama, Series or Serial (for 'Hard Ball'). He later produced such series as Secrets, Janus, and All Saints, and directed episodes for Guinevere Jones, McLeod's Daughters, and All Saints.
Among the films he has produced are Natural Justice: Heat (1996), Fable (1997), and The Interview (1998). Hughes also scored much critical acclaim in 2001 as producer of the miniseries Changi (q.v.).
