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[[File:Exclusive First Look Writing for Doctor Who - Doctor Who Vengeance on Varos - BBC|thumb|Eric Saward discusses writing for ''[[Doctor Who]]''.]]
{{Infobox Person
'''Eric Saward''' (born [[9 December (people)|9 December]] [[1944 (people)|1944]]) worked as a writer and later [[script editor]] for ''[[Doctor Who]]'' during the 1980s.
|image        = Eric saward.jpg
|birth date  = [[9 December (people)|9 December]], [[1944 (people)|1944]]
|job title    = [[Writer]], [[script editor]]
|clip        = Exclusive First Look Writing for Doctor Who - Doctor Who - Vengeance on Varos
|story        = [[#Credits|See credits section]]
|time        = 1982-86
}}
'''Eric Saward''' (born [[9 December (people)|9 December]] [[1944 (people)|1944]]<ref>[[Vislor Turlough]] (Turlough's serial number, VTEC9/12/44, was derived from Saward's birthdate)</ref>) worked as a [[writer]] and later [[script editor]] for ''[[Doctor Who]]'' during the 1980s.


Saward had a particular fondness for the [[Cyberman|Cybermen]]. He wrote stories with good action throughout them and stories that connected [[the Doctor]] to important events in [[Earth]]'s history.
Saward had a particular fondness for the [[Cyberman|Cybermen]]. He wrote stories with action throughout them and stories that connected [[the Doctor]] to important events in [[Earth]]'s history.


The stories Saward wrote are:
He served as script editor from ''[[Time-Flight (TV story)|Time-Flight]]'', the last serial of [[Season 19 (Doctor Who 1963)|season 19]], to the penultimate episode of [[Season 23 (Doctor Who 1963)|season 23]] (''[[The Ultimate Foe (TV story)|The Ultimate Foe]]'' episode 1). He resigned his position primarily due to a disagreement with producer [[John Nathan-Turner]] over the storyline (and particularly the ending) of the second episode of ''The Ultimate Foe'' which, as originally plotted by Saward and writer [[Robert Holmes]], would have ended the season on a cliffhanger.


* ''[[The Visitation]]''
Following his departure, Saward gave a notably scathing interview to [[Starburst (magazine)|''Starburst'' magazine]] concerning his falling out with Nathan-Turner, and his increased concerns about many of the producer’s actions and decisions—not least the casting of [[Colin Baker]] as the [[Sixth Doctor]] and [[Bonnie Langford]] as [[Melanie Bush|Mel]].
* ''[[Earthshock]]''
* ''[[Resurrection of the Daleks]]''
* ''[[Revelation of the Daleks]]''


He also wrote the short story ''[[Birth of a Renegade]]'' and the radio play ''[[Slipback]]''.
Although Saward had speedily adapted his debut ''Doctor Who'' serial, ''[[The Visitation (TV story)|The Visitation]]'', for [[Target novelisation|Target Book]]s – [[Doctor Who and the Visitation (novelisation)|Doctor Who and The Visitation]] had been published just six months after the serial’s transmission – he subsequently refused to adapt his two Dalek serials – [[Resurrection of the Daleks]] and [[Revelation of the Daleks (TV story)|Revelation of the Daleks]] – due to a disagreement concerning the share of payment expected by Dalek-creator [[Terry Nation]]. For many years, only Saward’s two scripts and three by [[Douglas Adams]] ([[The Pirate Planet (TV story)|The Pirate Planet]], [[City of Death (TV story)|City of Death]], and [[Shada (TV story)|Shada]]) remained absent from Target Books’ original 1973-1994 run of novelisations, However, eventually adaptations of both Saward’s and Adams’ stories were published as [[BBC Books novelisation|BBC Books novelisations]]: ''[[Resurrection of the Daleks (novelisation)|Resurrection of the Daleks]]'' was adapted by Saward and released in hardcover on 18 July 2019, followed by his adaptation of [[Revelation of the Daleks (TV story)|Revelation of the Daleks]] in hardback on 14 November 2019. Paperback [[Target Books]] editions  of both novels were subsequently released on 11 March 2021.<!--Both of the serials were later novelised by Saward as a BBC Books hardback release, followed by paperback releases of the two books as part of the 2018 revived run of the Target novelisations.-->


He served as script editor from ''[[Time-Flight]]'', the last episode of [[season 19]], to the penultimate episode of [[season 23]] (''[[The Ultimate Foe]]'' episode 1). He resigned his position due to a disagreement with producer [[John Nathan-Turner]] over the storyline (and particularly the ending) of episode 2 of ''The Ultimate Foe''. Afterwards, he gave a notably scathing interview to ''Starburst'' magazine over his falling out with Nathan-Turner, and he became vocal in his criticism of [[Colin Baker]]'s appointment as the [[Sixth Doctor]].
== Credits ==
=== Television ===
* ''[[The Visitation (TV story)|The Visitation]]''
* ''[[Earthshock (TV story)|Earthshock]]''
* ''[[Resurrection of the Daleks (TV story)|Resurrection of the Daleks]]''
*''[[A Fix with Sontarans (TV story)|A Fix with Sontarans]]''
* ''[[Revelation of the Daleks (TV story)|Revelation of the Daleks]]''


Saward also wrote several [[Target novelisation]]s, mostly based upon stories he wrote or contributed to. His novelisations were:
=== Radio plays ===
* ''[[Slipback (audio story)|Slipback]]''


* ''[[Doctor Who and the Visitation]]''
=== Prose ===
==== Short stories ====
* ''[[Birth of a Renegade (short story)|Birth of a Renegade]]''
* ''[[CHAOS (short story)|CHAOS]]''
*''[[War and Peace (short story)|War and Peace]]''
 
==== Novelisations ====
* ''[[Doctor Who and the Visitation (novelisation)|Doctor Who and the Visitation]]''
* ''[[The Twin Dilemma (novelisation)|The Twin Dilemma]]''
* ''[[The Twin Dilemma (novelisation)|The Twin Dilemma]]''
* ''[[Slipback (novelisation)|Slipback]]''
* ''[[Slipback (novelisation)|Slipback]]''
* ''[[Attack of the Cybermen (novelisation)|Attack of the Cybermen]]''
* ''[[Attack of the Cybermen (novelisation)|Attack of the Cybermen]]''
* ''[[Resurrection of the Daleks (novelisation)|Resurrection of the Daleks]]''
* ''[[Revelation of the Daleks (novelisation)|Revelation of the Daleks]]''
=== Comics ===
==== ''Lytton'' ====
* ''[[Down These Mean Streets A Man Must Go (comic story)|Down These Mean Streets A Man Must Go]]''
* ''[[Crime Like Politics is Always Personal (comic story)|Crime Like Politics is Always Personal]]''
* ''[[Even the Oppressed Own Their Lives... (comic story)|Even the Oppressed Own Their Lives...]]''
* ''[[Goodbye to All That (comic story)|Goodbye to All That]]''
=== Documentary appearances ===
* ''[[Davros Connections (documentary)|Davros Connections]]''
* ''[[The Lost Season (documentary)|The Lost Season]]''
* ''[[Showman - The Life of John Nathan-Turner (documentary)|Showman - The Life of John Nathan-Turner]]''
''to be completed''


Target Books failed to secure an agreement that would have seen Saward's two Daleks serials novelised either by Saward himself or by others. They remain two of only a handful of stories never officially adapted. The 1989 publication of Saward's adaptation of ''Attack of the Cybermen'' actually post-dated his falling out with the ''Doctor Who'' production team by several years. He contributed to the ''[[Davros Connections]]'' and ''[[The Lost Season]]'' documentaries. His favourite snack is a chocolate hobnob.{{fact}}
=== Audio commentary ===
 
* ''[[Warriors of the Deep (TV story)|Warriors of the Deep]]''
* ''[[The Awakening (TV story)|The Awakening]]''
* ''[[Revelation of the Daleks (TV story)|Revelation of the Daleks]]''
 
''to be completed''


== External links ==
== External links ==
{{imdb name|id=0768047|name=Eric Saward}}
{{imdb name|id=0768047}}
 
== Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}
{{NameSort}}
{{NameSort}}
[[Category:Doctor Who television writers]]
[[Category:Doctor Who television writers]]
[[Category:Doctor Who script editors]]
[[Category:Doctor Who script editors]]
[[Category:Audio writers]]
[[Category:BBC Audio writers]]
[[Category:Novelisation writers]]
[[Category:Doctor Who short story writers]]
[[Category:Doctor Who novelisation writers]]
[[Category:Doctor Who guest actors]]
[[Category:Script editors]]
[[Category:K9 and Company crew]]

Latest revision as of 20:07, 22 April 2024

RealWorld.png

Eric Saward (born 9 December 1944[1]) worked as a writer and later script editor for Doctor Who during the 1980s.

Saward had a particular fondness for the Cybermen. He wrote stories with action throughout them and stories that connected the Doctor to important events in Earth's history.

He served as script editor from Time-Flight, the last serial of season 19, to the penultimate episode of season 23 (The Ultimate Foe episode 1). He resigned his position primarily due to a disagreement with producer John Nathan-Turner over the storyline (and particularly the ending) of the second episode of The Ultimate Foe which, as originally plotted by Saward and writer Robert Holmes, would have ended the season on a cliffhanger.

Following his departure, Saward gave a notably scathing interview to Starburst magazine concerning his falling out with Nathan-Turner, and his increased concerns about many of the producer’s actions and decisions—not least the casting of Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor and Bonnie Langford as Mel.

Although Saward had speedily adapted his debut Doctor Who serial, The Visitation, for Target Books – Doctor Who and The Visitation had been published just six months after the serial’s transmission – he subsequently refused to adapt his two Dalek serials – Resurrection of the Daleks and Revelation of the Daleks – due to a disagreement concerning the share of payment expected by Dalek-creator Terry Nation. For many years, only Saward’s two scripts and three by Douglas Adams (The Pirate Planet, City of Death, and Shada) remained absent from Target Books’ original 1973-1994 run of novelisations, However, eventually adaptations of both Saward’s and Adams’ stories were published as BBC Books novelisations: Resurrection of the Daleks was adapted by Saward and released in hardcover on 18 July 2019, followed by his adaptation of Revelation of the Daleks in hardback on 14 November 2019. Paperback Target Books editions of both novels were subsequently released on 11 March 2021.

Credits[[edit] | [edit source]]

Television[[edit] | [edit source]]

Radio plays[[edit] | [edit source]]

Prose[[edit] | [edit source]]

Short stories[[edit] | [edit source]]

Novelisations[[edit] | [edit source]]

Comics[[edit] | [edit source]]

Lytton[[edit] | [edit source]]

Documentary appearances[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be completed

Audio commentary[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be completed

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ Vislor Turlough (Turlough's serial number, VTEC9/12/44, was derived from Saward's birthdate)
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