retro-the-best....: [New post] Celebrating a long life of service for Nic Courtney, the Doctor's Brigadier

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

[New post] Celebrating a long life of service for Nic Courtney, the Doctor's Brigadier

Celebrating a long life of service for Nic Courtney, the Doctor's Brigadier

dailypop | February 23, 2011 at 4:10 pm | Tags: brigadier doctor who bbc, nic courtney | Categories: doctor who | URL: http://wp.me/p4kUt-2lI

The Brig (Nic Courtney)

Sad news today for Whovians all the world over as Nicholas Courtney has passed at the age of 81. The only actor to appear alongside all seven Doctors of the classic series, Courtney was very much an integral part of the Doctor Who family.

Appearing in numerous conventions and fan-made documentaries as well as short films, Courtney was one of the most respected diplomats of the program after becoming a recurring supporting character as the head of U.N.I.T. in Spearhead from Space to recent years. He was even appointed as the honorary president of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society.

First appearing in the epic Dalek's Master Plan in 1965 as Space Security Agent Bret Vyon opposite the first Doctor William Hartnell, Courtney was excited to be working on the cult program. Hartnell offered some friendly advise to Courtney that he should switch agents, leading to the actor not working for many years (a fact that Courtney recalled with some humor).

When he was called back to Doctor Who to star as Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart in the 1968 adventure Web of Fear, little did he know that he would soon be a vital part of the longest running science fiction program on TV. He would later return later that same year in The Invasion (this time as the Brigadier), heading an organization specially formed to defend the planet from alien threats.

U.N.I.T. and the Brigadier would become the connecting thread between the Second to Third Doctor's paving the way for a massive re-imagination of the program. This same kind of continuity would remain throughout the remainder of Doctor Who's run, acting as a pleasant source of nostalgia to old viewers.

During the Pertwee era, the Brigadier acted as a foil to the very liberal and scientific-minded Doctor, often butting heads with the Time Lord. The Doctor's relationship to U.N.I.T. remains one of the high points in the series for me as a fan and of course Nic Courtney is a large part of that. Both parties exhibited opposing arguments in society at the time as youth culture (represented by the outsider , the Doctor) became more motivated against the old regime (embodied by U.N.I.T). It was the program's argument that the two had to find a kind of middle ground and work together. With Barry Letts, a Buddhist with sensitivities toward the spiritual and Terrance Dicks, a conservative more interested in hard science, it is clear to me where the impetus for this relationship came from.

Intended to be the 'Watson' to the Doctor's 'Holmes,' the Brigadier eventually warmed to the alien from Gallifrey and secured a very close bond to him. Courtney took his role as 'the Brig' very seriously, even to the point of investigating proper military etiquette with members the British armed service and adhering to the proper behavior expected of his rank and status.

Courtney remained a touchstone to the past for fans, appearing alongside the newly regenerated Fourth Doctor. When the Brigadier next appeared in 1983's Mawdryn Undead, he was a shadow of his former self, recovering from a mental collapse and living a quiet life at a public school. The Fifth Doctor's sudden appearance brought his former life back to him, however, and he was soon his old self. Of course we nearly missed out on this meeting due to the initial choice of character being Ian Chesterton before actor William Russell proved unavailable.

The Seventh Doctor's arrival amidst the attack from a parallel universe led to the Brigadier coming out of retirement in what was intended to be his final appearance on the screen. Of course, the Brig has been seen many times since, on screen in the dubious 30th Anniversary adventure Dimensions in Time in which he met the Sixth Doctor and later in audio adventures released by Big Finish with the Eight Doctor.

Regarded by anyone lucky enough to work with him as a gentle and kind fellow, he will be sorely missed. An upcoming release of the adventure the The Dæmons will no doubt contain a memorium.

Via BBC News:

Veteran Doctor Who actor Nicholas Courtney, best known for playing Brigadier Alastair Lethbridge-Stewart, has died in London at the age of 81.

The series regular passed away after a short illness, his agent told the BBC. He had been suffering from cancer.

The actor appeared on screen opposite many different Doctors and worked with some more on Doctor Who audio stories.

Former Doctor Tom Baker remembered him as "a wonderful companion" with "a marvellous resonant voice".

"Of all the characters in Doctor Who there is no doubt that he was the most loved by the fans," he wrote on his official website.

'Nick' Courtney had already appeared in such series as Escape and The Saint before making his first Doctor Who appearance in 1965, playing a character named Bret Vyon.

He returned to the show in 1968 to make his first appearance as the Brigadier opposite the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton.

The stalwart of the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT) would periodically return over the next two decades before his final appearance in 1989.

In 2008 he reprised his Brigadier role in Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Courtney appeared on other shows during his Doctor Who years, including The Avengers, Callan, The Champions and Minder.

Afterwards he had parts in such popular dramas as The Bill, Casualty and Doctors and was recently heard on BBC Radio 7 series The Scarifyers.

In 1997 he became honorary president of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society in recognition of the 107 episodes in which he appeared.

League of Gentlemen star and Doctor Who writer Mark Gatiss remembered the actor as "a childhood hero and the sweetest of gentlemen".

Impressionist Jon Culsaw said Courtney was "a brilliant actor and warm, charming man", while Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright paid tribute to "a true gent".

Here are some images from previous adventures that I hope bring a smile to reader's faces today. Regarded by anyone lucky enough to work with him as a consummate professional and a kind fellow, he will be sorely missed.