After graduating from Cambridge University, he began his career as a writer and script editor at Associated Television before joining the BBC to produce Doctor Who in one of its most popular eras from 1974 to 1977.
[2] Following Doctor Who, Hinchcliffe remained with the BBC as a producer for several years, working on series such as Private Schulz (1981), before launching a freelance career in the mid-1980s, which included making The Charmer (1987) for London Weekend Television.
[5] In Spring 1974, at the age of 29, he was approached by the corporation's head of serials to take his first full production job, initially trailing and then succeeding long-serving producer Barry Letts.
The Master and the Time Lords returned for one adventure, The Deadly Assassin, at the suggestion of script editor Robert Holmes, but were portrayed very differently from their previous appearances.
[12] After Doctor Who, Hinchcliffe worked on numerous series, single dramas and films, including Target, Private Schulz, Nancy Astor, The Charmer,[13] Take Me Home, Friday on My Mind and many others.
The documentary Serial Thrillers, included on the Pyramids of Mars DVD release, focuses on his three-year reign as producer in depth, examining what made the show so successful during that period.
His daughter, Celina Hinchcliffe (born 1976), is a television presenter, primarily on sports programmes, and has worked extensively for the BBC, ITV & Sky News.