James Davern, is an Australian television director, writer, script editor and producer. Davern was employed as a writer and script editor with Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television branch in the 1960s. He worked as a producer and director in drama and music programmes and was involved in establishing a script production line. In 1967, Davern was director and producer of the very first episode of Bellbird, Australia's first successful television soap opera, set in a rural community. Davern moved to the Seven Network where he created the highly popular series A Country Practice, one of the most popular drama series in Australian television history. Davern wrote episodes for Homicide, Alpha Scorpio, Rush, Patrol Boat, A Country Practice, and Warming Up. As producer or executive producer, he worked on shows such as Rush, Alpha Scorpio, Barnaby and Me, No Room to Run, Patrol Boat, A Country Practice, Queen of the Road, Warming Up, Hector's Bunyip, Land of Hope, Whipping Boy, The Hostages, Reprisal, Without Warning.