Born in Belfast on the 18th of December 1943, Mervyn developed a keen
interest in drama from a young age. He studied English Literature and
Drama at Leeds University. He then taught English and Drama at
Huddersfield College, later becoming Head of Drama at Garforth
Comprehensive School. He also worked at York University Television
Service and finally at Leeds Polytechnic Television Service. It was
during this time that Mervyn starred in the 1970 MGM Film No Blade of Grass (1970),
under the acting name Mervyn Patrick. In 1972, Mervyn joined Yorkshire
Television as a floor manager and would subsequently work his way up
the ranks to become a director in 1980 on the documentary On the Road (1980).
Soon after this, Mervyn began directing Emmerdale Farm (1972), a show that he worked
on until the mid-1990s, directing 140 episodes. Throughout his career
he has directed all of the UK's major soap opera's including EastEnders (1985)
(48 episodes), Coronation Street (1960) (125 episodes), Brookside (1982) (45 episodes) and
Family Affairs (1997) (40 episodes) In 2001, Mervyn received a BAFTA Nomination for
his directing work on Byker Grove (1989).
In recent years, Mervyn has combined directing with teaching, giving
him the opportunity to give something back after over 3 decades of work
in the profession. He has a new drama, Tanner (2007) and a documentary
_'Dad's Army' & Beyond: The Frank Williams Story (2008) (TV)_ in post-production, due for release in 2008.
