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Terry McDonough

Director

Terry McDonough is a British television director. He has been active since 1985. He moved on to directing episodes of Peak Practice, Eleventh Hour, Where the Heart Is, Sweet Medicine, The Royal, Wire in the Blood, The Street and Vincent. In 2008, he began directing episodes of American television series namely Breaking Bad, The Gates, No Ordinary Family, Tower Prep, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and the mystery miniseries Clue. In January 2013, he was announced as the director of the BBC docudrama An Adventure in Space and Time, which depicts the creation of the iconic British science-fiction series Doctor Who. In 2015 and 2016, he directed four episodes of the first season of The Expanse, including the pilot episode and the season finale. He directed the 2024 film Damaged starring Samuel L. Jackson and Vincent Cassel.

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Biography from TMDB.

Works as
Director
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 24 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 31% in 30 days

What are Terry McDonough's films like?

Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
27%
Self
22%
Morality
14%
Survival
13%
Society
11%
Ideas
11%
Power
3%
Family bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 3 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 2 · Serious 0 · Dark 1

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 3 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 0 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 0 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 2 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Melancholic
3
Contemplative
3
Thrilling
2
Warm
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Thought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet6
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Terry McDonough's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Roku Channel (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Terry McDonough's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

24 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Iris Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Show 8 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

  • Damaged(2024)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Anthony (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Director

  • Dolly Parton's Heartstrings(2019)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Killing Eve(2018)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The Expanse(2015)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Better Call Saul(2015)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Clue: A Movie Mystery Adventure(2014)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Halt and Catch Fire(2014)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • The Red Road(2014)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • An Adventure in Space and Time(2013)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Red Widow(2013)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows

  • Homefront(2012)

    Show Director

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows

  • Clue(2011)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all shows

  • Hell on Wheels(2011)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Suits(2011)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Tower Prep(2010)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • The Gates(2010)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • Breaking Bad(2008)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Instinct (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Eleventh Hour(2006)

    Show Director

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • Vincent(2005)

    Show Director

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • The Royal(2003)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • Peak Practice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 14 episodes · Director

Career shape

A full career of 21 titles from 1993 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Damaged (2024)

$390K worldwide

Highest rated

An Adventure in Space and Time (2013)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Damaged (2024)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing21 of 21: 20 only directing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score83rdProducing1 of 21: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1990s1 · crew2000s3 · crew2010s14 · crew2020s3 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Terry McDonough's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 3; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 61st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Approval · how many liked their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Reach · how many have seen their films

88thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Midcredits score across 20 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 20 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved9
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · director

Clue: A Movie Mystery Adventure (2014)

78th percentile spread · 22% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Better Call Saul (2015)

Midcredits 99th · 96% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Terry McDonough work with?

People who share at least 2 of Terry McDonough's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Sterling Beaumon shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors