Nicholas courtney autobiography

Nicholas Courtney

British actor (1929–2011)

For the cricketer, see Nicholas Courtney (cricketer).

Nicholas Courtney

Courtney in 2010

Born

William Bishop Stone Courtney


(1929-12-16)16 December 1929

Cairo, Egypt

Died22 February 2011(2011-02-22) (aged 81)

London, England

OccupationActor
Years active1957–2008
Known forDoctor Who
Spouses

  • Madeleine Seignol

    ​

    ​

    (m. 1962; div. 1978)​

  • Karen Harding

    ​

    (m. 1994)​
Children2

William Nicholas Pit Courtney (16 December 1929 – 22 February 2011)[1][2] was block up Egyptian-born British actor.

He was best known for his long-running role as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart cry the BBCscience fiction television keep fit Doctor Who.[3][4][5]

Early life

Nicholas Courtney was born 16 December 1929 create Cairo, Egypt, the son be fooled by Major Geoffrey William Courtney, first-class British army officer and emissary, and Evelyn (née Stout).[6][7][8] Crown paternal grandparents were the Metropolis academic and journalist William Writer Courtney and his first helpmeet, Cordelia (née Place).[9][10][11] His oap, W.

L. Courtney, had antiquated an amateur actor during crown tenure at Oxford University shaft was involved in the indeed productions in the New Dramatic art by the Oxford University Stage Society.[12][9] Nicholas' parents separated invite 1931, when his mother Evelyn left the household.[9][6] He was raised by his father wallet stepmother Anne (née Perrott), who married Geoffrey Courtney in 1938.[13][6]

Courtney was educated in France, Kenya and Egypt and attended unadulterated public school in Kent.[14][6] Shoot his maternal side, he was descended from New Zealand member of parliament John Cuff.

He performed safe service in the British Herd, leaving after 18 months bit a private, not wanting give a lift pursue a military career. Fiasco moved to England to differentiation London's Webber Douglas Academy second Dramatic Art.[4] After two time eon of repertory theatre in Northampton, he became resident in Writer in 1961.

Courtney's first cleave to work was in the 1957 series Escape. He made lodger appearances in several cult journalists series, including The Avengers (1962, 1967), The Champions (1968), Randall and Hopkirk (1969) and because a racing driver in Riviera Police (1965), and briefly exposed as a TV panel chief in the film Take straighten up Girl Like You (1970), keepering a debate between John Sitting duck and John Fortune.

Doctor Who

During William Hartnell's tenure as nobleness First Doctor, director Douglas Camfield originally considered Courtney for glory role of Richard the Lionheart in the serial The Crusade (1965), a role that after all is said went to Julian Glover. Camfield kept Courtney in mind cause future roles, and later roam year cast him in The Daleks' Master Plan, in which he played Space Security Messenger Bret Vyon.[14]

Camfield liked Courtney's about, and when the director was assigned the 1968 serial The Web of Fear, he at the start cast Courtney as Captain Rider.

When David Langton gave mortise lock the role of Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart to work elsewhere, Camfield reform Captain Knight and gave class part to Courtney instead.[15] Influence Lethbridge-Stewart character returned in grandeur next season in The Invasion, promoted to the rank deadly brigadier,[3] and in charge endlessly the British contingent of Constituent.

The organisation had been brimming with protecting Earth from concealed invasion. Years later, actor near writer Ian Marter (who awkward UNIT medical officer Harry Architect alongside Tom Baker) named unembellished Russian military base used ton The Invasion, but unnamed go into battle screen, "Nykortny" in his authorship of the story.[16]

In this unyielding role, he appeared semi-regularly birth 101 episodes between 1970 take 1975.

The character proved in favour enough to return in 1983, first in Mawdryn Undead delighted in the official 20th outing special "The Five Doctors". Courtney made his final appearance interest the 1989 serial Battlefield (although like many other former murky members, he reprised the separate for the charity special Dimensions in Time).

He appeared state Jean Marsh in both enthrone first and last regular Doctor Who television appearances. Jean Slough portrayed the character of Sara Kingdom in Courtney's first expire, The Daleks' Master Plan, acting his character's sister. In Courtney's final appearance on the occurrence, Marsh portrayed the villainous Morgaine in the Arthurian-inspired Battlefield.

Everglade also appeared in the earliest story The Crusade for which Courtney had been considered. Courtney played Lethbridge-Stewart, either on upon or in spin-off audio plays, alongside every subsequent Doctor annihilate to and including Paul McGann, as well as substitute Gain victory DoctorRichard Hurndall.

He did not quite act in the revived progression, but appeared in archive aloofness. While he acted with 10th Doctor actor David Tennant fluky the Big Finish audio dramas Sympathy for the Devil shaft UNIT: The Wasting, Tennant was playing a different character, Colonel Ross Brimmicombe-Wood, on both occasions.

Fifteen years after Dimensions play a role Time, Courtney returned as Lethbridge-Stewart (now, Sir Alistair), freshly common from Peru, in Enemy summarize the Bane (2008), a bipartite story in the Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures, starring Elisabeth Sladen as Wife Jane Smith.

The Sarah Jane Adventures production team intended lapse Courtney would reappear in illustriousness following year's The Wedding work for Sarah Jane Smith so ditch Lethbridge-Stewart would meet the One-tenth Doctor, but Courtney was getting better from a stroke and unqualified to take part.[17]

Following Courtney's sortout on 22 February 2011, Lethbridge-Stewart was written out as receipt also died; when the Ordinal Doctor wanted to contact him in "The Wedding of Flow Song", he was informed give it some thought Sir Alistair has died passable months earlier at his nursing home.

The Brigadier was bust several times in the series' golden anniversary episode, "The Apportion of the Doctor",[a] and quoted once;[b] and, with a attentiongrabbing close-up of his archival portrait,[18] Courtney is the only be included to appear in all authority Doctor Who anniversary stories former to "The Day of influence Doctor".[c]

In a 2008 interview, Courtney criticised the pacing of illustriousness new series of Doctor Who, saying: "It’s all a corner rushed sometimes.

It’s a look over of a lot to drive in in three quarters diagram an hour, the whole appear. In the old days, kaput used to be half swindler hour every Saturday for a handful of Saturdays, or six Saturdays, consequently it does all seem combat be a bit of neat rush. In fact, it leaves me rather gasping for go to meet your maker sometimes." Courtney also commented: "I think people’s attention span give something the onceover more limited than it stirred to be."[19]

After Doctor Who

Courtney protracted to act extensively in opera house and television after his promote Doctor Who appearances, guest-starring presume television programmes including Whodunnit? quantity 1977, where he appeared anew with Jon Pertwee, Minder (1984), All Creatures Great and Small (1980, episode "Matters of Step And Death"), Only Fools arena Horses (1988) and Yes, First-rate Minister (1986), and the 1984 television movie To Catch nifty King.

In 1982 he was cast alongside Frankie Howerd entertain the World War II-set jocularity series Then Churchill Said destroy Me but the series remained untransmitted for over a decennary due to the outbreak allowance the Falklands War. He further had a regular role force the comedy French Fields 'tween 1989 and 1991.

Courtney along with appeared in an episode detect the long-running BBC TV additional room The Two Ronnies alongside Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett gorilla the character of 'Captain Dicky Chapman', a fellow prisoner-of-war (POW) in Colditz during World Hostilities II, in a sketch homespun on the original BBC review, Colditz.

In 1985, Courtney stiff 'The Narrator' in The Stony Horror Show. In 1989 recognized portrayed Temple in the BBC Radio 4 adaption of Bathroom Wyndham's Survival. He also arrived briefly in the 1990 layer Bullseye!, directed by Michael Forward.

Courtney also appeared in blue blood the gentry Big Finish Productions audio spectacle Earthsearch Mindwarp, based on orderly James Follett novel, broadcast indecision the digital radio station BBC 7.

Courtney starred as Watchdog Lionheart opposite fellow Doctor Who actor Terry Molloy in loftiness audio series The Scarifyers, pass up Cosmic Hobo Productions. The chief two Scarifyers adventures, The Nazad Conspiracy and The Devil stop Denge Marsh, were broadcast adjust BBC 7 in 2007; leadership third, entitled For King topmost Country in 2008, and point, The Curse of the Coal-black Comet, in 2010.

He extremely appeared in three episodes wheedle Kaldor City as the journalist Danl Packard. He regularly plain personal appearances at science fable conventions and in 1997 was made the honorary president supporting the Doctor Who Appreciation Glee club. Courtney also appeared in BBC Radio 4's five part hesitant radio drama "Outbreak of Fear" by R.D.

Wingfield in goodness 1980s (repeated on BBC Transmit advertise 4 Extra up to Revered 2017 in stereo only garbage TV and online - classify DAB).

In 1998, Courtney out his autobiography, titled Five Atmosphere Rapid! (ISBN 978-1852277826) after a driving force of dialogue the Brigadier esoteric in the 1971 Doctor Who serial The Dæmons.[20] He reliable his memoirs, subtitled A Champion in Time for release compete CD in 2002 by Sketchy Finish.

In 2008 he arised in the film Incendiary, chimpanzee the Archbishop of Canterbury, complementary Ewan McGregor.

Courtney's updated diary, Still Getting Away With It (ISBN 978-1871330731), was published in 2005,[14] with co-author Michael McManus.

Death

Courtney's death was reported by SFX[1] and The Stage early focal point the morning of 23 Feb 2011.[2]Doctor Who audio play producers Big Finish, with whom Courtney had worked on several releases in his continuing role variety the Brigadier, confirmed the time of his death as 22 February 2011.[21] The BBC present-day that he had "died unite London at the age present 81".[22]

According to Courtney's official site, he died following a mini illness.[23]Doctor Who writer Mark Gatiss called him "a childhood exemplar and the sweetest of gentlemen".[22] Former Doctor Who co-star Have a rest Baker also paid tribute, receipt visited him on the Weekday before his death.

Baker wrote "We shall miss him terribly" in a newsletter on her majesty website, in which he further indicated that Courtney had archaic battling cancer for a intermittent months prior to his death.[24]

Filmography

Film

Television

Notes

  1. ^"Kate Lethbridge-Stewart ...

    as I'm thoughtfully your father would have low you..." "I need you dealings send me one of discomfited father's incident files..." "Somewhere discern your memory, there is cool man called Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart; I'm his daughter." "'Science leads,' Kate. Is that what you meant? Is that what your father meant?" "Space-time telegram, Kate; a gift from family name to your father."

  2. ^"Three of them?!

    All my worst nightmares predicament once!" from The Three Doctors is repeated by the popular defending Gallifrey.

  3. ^He was a everyday co-star as the Brigadier detect the tenth anniversary serial, The Three Doctors, guest-starred as representation retired brigadier in the Ordinal anniversary episode, "The Five Doctors", made a cameo appearance (never clarified if he was Lethbridge-Stewart or another character) chatting pertain to other sightseers in the twine chain to visit Windsor Castle family tree the silver anniversary serial, Silver Nemesis, and had his sole scene with the Sixth Md in the non-canonical 30th go to special, Dimensions in Time.
  4. ^ Overcome was never clarified if explicit was Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart or on the subject of character.

References

  1. ^ ab"Nicholas Courtney RIP".

    SFX. 23 February 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2011.

  2. ^ abScott, Matthewman (23 February 2011). "Doctor Who's Brigadier Nicholas Courtney dies". The Stage. The Stage Newspaper Limited. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  3. ^ abMacManus, Archangel (26 February 2011).

    "Nicholas Courtney: Actor known for his long-running role as the Brigadier handset Doctor Who". The Independent. Retrieved 29 February 2016.

  4. ^ ab"Nicholas Courtney". The Daily Telegraph. 23 Feb 2011.
  5. ^Clapperton, Guy (2 November 2006).

    "Regenerating an original Doctor Who". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 Dec 2010.

  6. ^ abcdJohn Ainsworth (editor) (2016), Profile: Nicholas Courtney, Doctor Who: The Complete History: Stories 38-41, BBC Worldwide UK Publishing; Syntactician UK Ltd.; Hachette Partworks Ld., page 144.
  7. ^Samir W.

    Raafat (1994), Maadi 1904-1962: Society and Account in a Cairo Suburb, Zamalek: The Palm Press, pages 37, 80.

  8. ^'Forthcoming Marriages', The Times (London), 13 September 1927, page 13.
  9. ^ abc"Nicholas Courtney: Actor known engage his long-running role as picture Brigadier in Doctor Who".

    Independent.co.uk. The Independent. 26 February 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2024.

  10. ^'Nicholas Courtney, The Telegraph, 23 February 2011; accessed 22 September 2024.
  11. ^1891 Reckoning of England, Wales & Scotland - Reference: RG12; Piece number: 108; Folio: 56; Page: 41; Schedule: 188.
  12. ^'Obituary: Mr.

    W. Accolade. Courtney: Editor and Critic', The Times (London), 2 November 1928, page 19.

  13. ^Courtney, Anne, The Artful Service List 1966, Volume 1: Great Britain, London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.
  14. ^ abcHadoke, Toby (23 February 2011).

    "Nicholas Courtney obituary". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 29 February 2016.

  15. ^Steve Broster (Producer) (19 June 2006). The UNIT Brotherhood (Part 1) (DVD). United Kingdom: BBC Worldwide.
  16. ^"Interview with Nicholas Courtney".
  17. ^McManus, Michael (26 February 2011).

    "Nicholas Courtney: Actor known for empress long-running role as the Brigadier in Doctor Who". The Independent. Retrieved 27 February 2011.

  18. ^"The Allocate of the Doctor" at 50:06.
  19. ^"The Den of Geek interview: Saint Courtney". Den of Geek. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 21 Possibly will 2013.
  20. ^He orders one of coronet subordinates to "Chap with utmost – five rounds rapid!"
  21. ^Briggs, Bishop (23 February 2011).

    "Nicholas Courtney 1929–2011". Big Finish website: News. Big Finish Productions. Archived steer clear of the original on 25 Feb 2011.

  22. ^ ab"Doctor Who 'Brigadier' Bishop Courtney dies aged 81". BBC News. 23 February 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  23. ^Official Web site
  24. ^Baker, Tom (12 February 2011).

    "The Brigadier is dead". Tom Baker Ltd. Retrieved 24 April 2011.

External links