Alan James Coleman (28 December 1936 – 10 December 2013) was an English-born TV series writer, director and producer, primarily in the southern hemisphere, where he worked on soap operas The Young Doctors (which he also created), The Restless Years, Punishment, Breakers, Neighbours and Shortland Street.
Earlier he was the head of children's programming at ATV in the UK until emigrating to Australia in 1974.
In 1997, he directed several episodes of the British soap opera, Family Affairs as a part of a working holiday in the UK.
He launched so many careers both in front of and behind the camera, was behind so many hit shows and gave pleasure through his work to audiences around the world.
He pioneered the art form viewers refer to as the soap opera but to him the shows were always five nights a week, fast turn-around drama serials.