Amanda Brotchie obit

Vale: Amanda Brotchie

Writer / director Amanda Brotchie, whose credits include Lowdown, Doctor Who, Gentleman Jack and Riot Women, has died.

 

She was not on the list.

Writer / director Amanda Brotchie, whose credits include Lowdown, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Doctor Who, Gentleman Jack and the recently-launched Riot Women, has died.

Husband and frequent collaborator, actor / writer Adam Zwar, has confirmed she passed away after a long battle with cancer.

“When I first met Amanda, we talked for hours. I assumed she was just one of those remarkable people who got along with everyone. I was right. She did. But it turned out she liked talking to me too,” he wrote on Instagram.

“We had 23 wonderful years together. I would do anything to get one day back from any one of those years.

“My beautiful girl, I will miss your love, your joyful laugh, your sense of adventure, and your bravery. You never met a spider or snake you didn’t like, always gently ushering them outside while I cowered in the corner. You cooked like you wrote and directed – with perfect balance, effortlessness, and a lightness of touch. I will miss your dhal, your roast chicken, your chilli con carne, your chocolate mousse. I will miss Sunday mornings on the couch, eating pancakes and watching Insiders.

“You were right, I did have to make this about me. Farewell, beautiful. You left the world better. But right now, it feels so much sadder.”

Amanda’s television directing career began on Neighbours in the late 1990s, at a time when Australian television had yet to fully embrace female directors. But her talent was always undeniable.

She won an AACTA Award and two Australian Writers’ Guild Awards for Lowdown, which she co-created and directed, and an AFI Award for directing the short film Break and Enter. Her career took off when Lowdown was in discussions for a US adaptation, leading to a US Netflix directing role.

“I got Girlboss, and that was great and then after that, I kept flying home because I was getting work in Australia, which was wonderful.”

Her other directing credits include The Letdown, Picnic at Hanging Rock, A Place to Call Home, Mr Black and Squinters.

More recently, she directed Doctor Who and the Sally Wainwright dramas Gentleman Jack, and Renegade Nell.

In the 2025 season of Doctor Who she directed both “The Well” and “Lux” telling TV Tonight,  producer Russell T. Davies was drawn to her vision for the episodes.

“I just pulled a whole lot of images together. I developed a ‘look book’ and took some risks, because I didn’t want it to look generic,” she said of “Lux.”

“I had things like a Daffy Duck image, Cinema Paradiso, (Martin Scorsese film) Hugo and a bunch of eclectic pieces to try and capture the Doctor Who tone. It has a real twinkle in it, it mixes the humour with the action and sci-fi.

“I went to bed exhausted. A few hours later I looked up and there were nine downloads from the Dropbox. They’d reached back immediately!”

Pre-production spanned 10 weeks in Cardiff, with shooting of two episodes across 6 weeks.

Newly-launched Sally Wainwright drama Riot Women, on which she directed 3 episodes, has also received critical acclaim on BBC One in recent weeks.

“Amanda made directing look effortless,” said Zwar. “She always put story first, drawing real, nuanced performances from actors and bringing clarity and depth to every script. That’s why showrunners such as Russell T Davies, Sally Wainwright and Kay Cannon sought her out.

“She was a passionate advocate for writers and consistently elevated the work she was involved in.”

Before committing to a career in television, Amanda also completed a doctorate in linguistics.

Sophie Harper, Executive Director, Australian Directors’ Guild said, “Amanda Brotche was an exceptional director, widely respected by fellow directors for work that combined precision, emotional intelligence and respect for story and performance. She built a remarkable career across Australian and international television, starting when pathways for women directors were even more limited. Her impact on the industry, on the people she worked with, and on audiences, will be enduring.”

The Australian Writers’ Guild also said in a statement it was “deeply saddened” to hear of her passing.

“Amanda was a long-time Australian Writers’ Guild member, winning two AWGIE Awards for Lowdown, which she created alongside her husband and collaborator Adam Zwar. ”

It added, “Our heartfelt condolences are with Amanda’s husband Adam and her friends, colleagues, and loved ones. “

On a personal note, Amanda was always welcoming on set and great to chat to in interviews across the years. Only a handful of Australian directors reach her level of international directing opportunities, a recognition of her gifts.

Gone too soon…. thinking of Adam at this time.

Filmography

Riot Women (2025)(3 episodes)

Doctor Who (2025) (2 episodes)

Renegade Nell (2024) (3 episodes)

Gentleman Jack (2022) (2 episodes)

The Letdown (2019) (2 episodes)

Mr Black (2019) (4, episodes, set up director)

A Place to Call Home (2018) (2 episodes)

Picnic at Hanging Rock (2018) (1 episode)

Squinters (2018–2019) (12 episodes)

Girlboss (2018) (2 episodes)

This is Littleton (2014) (4 episodes)

Zuzu & the Supernuffs (2013) (8 episodes)

Lowdown (2010–2012) (16 episodes)