Philip Hinchcliffe's professional journey began after graduating in English Literature, where he worked for a travel company and as a teacher before transitioning to a script editor role at Associated Television. With extensive experience in working with writers and scripts for various shows, he set his sights on moving into the production side and gained experience as an associate producer.
In the spring of 1974, Hinchcliffe joined the BBC, taking on his first full production job as the producer of the popular science-fiction series Doctor Who, a role offered to him by the corporation's head of serials, William Slater. He collaborated with script editor Robert Holmes, an experienced television drama writer, and produced three seasons of the program, which aired between January 1975 and April 1977.
During his tenure, Hinchcliffe led the show into darker, more dramatic storylines, resulting in unprecedented levels of popularity and controversy. The series garnered widespread attention, with television watchdog Mary Whitehouse frequently criticizing the show, deeming it too violent and horrific for children's viewing. Despite this, Hinchcliffe's superiors at the BBC publicly backed him, as he delivered consistently high viewing figures.
After Mary Whitehouse wrote a strongly worded letter to the BBC in November 1976, in which she accused the corporation of ignoring its own guidance on the portrayal of violence on television, an apology from BBC Director-General Charles Curran marked a change in the BBC's policy. Hinchcliffe and the BBC agreed that he would move on to producing other programs at the end of that season, and his successor, Graham Williams, was instructed to lighten the tone of Doctor Who.
Hinchcliffe's next project was Target, a police series intended as the BBC's response to ITV's popular The Sweeney, although it failed to capture the same level of popularity and only lasted for two series. Nevertheless, Hinchcliffe went on to become one of British television drama's most successful producers, working on shows such as Private Schulz and the long-running Taggart.
Despite his extensive work on numerous productions, Hinchcliffe remains most famous for his time on the legendary television series Doctor Who, which is still considered the strongest period of the show by many fans. He has also written novelizations of The Keys of Marinus, The Seeds of Doom, and The Masque of Mandragora. Since retiring from television, Hinchcliffe has recorded numerous interviews and commentaries on DVD releases, reminiscing about his time on the show. With the passing of Derrick Sherwin in 2018, Hinchcliffe became the last surviving producer of the original series of Doctor Who.
