What is the role of the 'director' in a TV drama?

What is the role of the 'director' in a TV drama?

Pamela Douglas (Screenwriter) gives expert video advice on: Where do I start working in a TV drama?; Is a drama shot on location or in a studio? and more...

Directors on television don't have the clout of directors in feature films. Someone once described a TV director as a traffic cop, because directors need to follow the script exactly, and the time of pre-production, preparation, rehearsal, and script development does not exist on television. You've got to get that done. There are creative directors on television and there are some directors who are the main directors who stayed throughout the show and helped give the texture, the tone, the feel of the series. But they are not in charge the way they are in features. The person in charge of TV drama is the producer.