Paul Seed

Paul Seed (1947-2026) was a British television director and former actor.

Born in Bideford in Devon, he began his career as an actor, appearing in numerous television series, including Z Cars, Softly Softly: Task Force, Survivors, Doctor Who, Secret Army, Coronation Street, Crown Court and Tales of the Unexpected.

In the late 1970s, Seed chose to pursue a career in TV drama directing and completed the BBC Directors' course, following which he directed numerous TV plays, series and serials during the 1980s. He is perhaps best known for directing the BBC's smash-hit 1990 mini-series House of Cards and its sequel To Play the King, adapted by Andrew Davies from Michael Dobbs' novels and famously starring Ian Richardson as Francis Urquhart.

He continued to direct for television drama series throughout the 1990s including A Touch of Frost and Playing the Field, and in 2002 directed all six episodes of the revival of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.

In later years, he has directed episodes of New Tricks, Northern Lights and Lark Rise to Candleford, and in 2010 directed the BBC adaptation of Just William.