Nicholas Courtney: Difference between revisions

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[[Image:Nicholas Courtney.jpg|thumb|right|Nicholas Courtney, agency publicity photo, circa [[1992]].]]
{{Infobox Person
| image              = Nicholas Courtney DW.jpg
| aka                = William Nicholas Stone Courtney
| birth date        = [[16 December (people)|16 December]] [[1929 (people)|1929]]
| death date        = [[22 February (people)|22 February]] [[2011 (people)|2011]]
| role              = [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart]]
| job title          = [[Actor]]
| story              = [[#Credits|See Credits Section]]
| time              = 1965, 1968-75, 1983-85, 1988-89, 1993, 1995-96, 1998, 2000-05, 2007-09
| non dwu            = ''Twelfth Night'', ''The Merchant of Venice'', ''Julius Caesar'', ''Caesar & Cleopatra'', ''The Birthday Party'', ''[[Richard III (play)|Richard III]]'', ''The Crucible'', ''[[Great Expectations]]'', ''[[No Hiding Place]]'', ''[[The Saint (series)|The Saint]]'', ''[[The Avengers]]'', ''Softly Softly'', ''The Champions'', ''Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'', ''The Taming of the Shrew'', ''The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'', ''[[Doomwatch]]'', ''The Two Ronnies'', ''The Rocky Horror Show'', ''[[All Creatures Great and Small]]'', ''Sink or Swim'', ''Minder'', ''[[Juliet Bravo]]'', ''The Mousetrap'', ''Yes, Prime Minister'', ''[[Only Fools and Horses]]...'', ''Doctors'', ''Casualty'', ''The Scarifyers''
| imdb              = 0183944
}}
'''Nicholas Courtney''' (born '''William Nicholas Stone Courtney'''; [[16 December (people)|16 December]] [[1929 (people)|1929]]-[[22 February (people)|22 February]] [[2011 (people)|2011]]<ref>[https://guide.doctorwhonews.net/person.php?name=NicholasCourtney Doctor Who Guide]</ref>) played first Colonel and then Brigadier [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart]], beginning in ''[[The Web of Fear (TV story)|The Web of Fear]]'' and finally in ''[[Battlefield (TV story)|Battlefield]]''. He reprised the role in the fan video ''[[Downtime (home video)|Downtime]]'' (later adapted into [[Downtime (novelisation)|one of]] the [[Virgin Missing Adventures]]), the spin-off program ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'' and audio dramas for the [[BBC]] and [[Big Finish Productions]].


'''Nicholas Courtney''' (born '''William Nicholas Stone Courtney'''; [[16th December]] [[1929]] - [[22nd February]] [[2011]]) played first Colonel and then Brigadier [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart]], beginning in ''[[The Web of Fear]]'' and finally in ''[[Battlefield]]''. He reprised the role for the fan video ''[[Downtime]]'' (later adapted into one of the [[Virgin Missing Adventures]]), and for several audio dramas for the [[BBC]] and [[Big Finish Productions]].
Courtney's first appearance in ''[[Doctor Who]]'' was in ''[[The Daleks' Master Plan (TV story)|The Daleks' Master Plan]]'', where he played [[Space Security Agent]] [[Bret Vyon]] opposite [[William Hartnell]] as [[the Doctor]]. The director, [[Douglas Camfield]], liked Courtney's performance. When Camfield was assigned the [[1968]] serial ''[[The Web of Fear (TV story)|The Web of Fear]]'', he cast Courtney as Captain [[Ben Knight|Knight]].


Courtney was born in [[Cairo]], [[Egypt]], the son of a British diplomat and educated in [[France]], [[Kenya]] and [[Egypt]]. He served his National Service in the British Army, leaving after 18 months as a private, not wanting to pursue a military career. He next joined the Webber Douglas drama school, and after two years began doing repertory theatre in [[Northampton]], and from there moved to [[London]].
However, David Langton, who was originally to play Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart, gave up the role to accept another offer of work. Camfield recast [[Ralph Watson]] in the role of Captain Knight and gave the Colonel's part to Courtney.


Courtney's first appearance in ''[[Doctor Who]]'' was in the [[1965]] serial ''[[The Daleks' Master Plan]]'', where he played [[Space Security Agent]] [[Bret Vyon]] opposite [[William Hartnell]] as [[the Doctor]]. The director [[Douglas Camfield]] liked Courtney's performance, and when Camfield was assigned the [[1968]] serial ''[[The Web of Fear]]'', he cast Courtney as Captain [[Knight (The Web of Fear)|Knight]]. However, David Langton, who was to play the character of Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart, gave up the role to accept another offer of work elsewhere, so Camfield recast [[Ralph Watson]] in the role of Captain Knight and gave the Colonel's part to Courtney instead.
Lethbridge-Stewart reappeared later that year in ''[[The Invasion (TV story)|The Invasion]]'', now promoted to Brigadier and in charge of the British contingent of [[UNIT]], an organisation that protected the [[Earth]] from [[alien]] invasion. It was in that recurring role that he became famous, appearing semi-regularly from [[1970 (production)|1970]] to [[1975 (production)|1975]]. Courtney returned to the series in [[1983 (production)|1983]] and his last ''[[Doctor Who]]'' [[television]] appearance was in [[1989 (production)|1989]] (in the serial ''Battlefield'').


[[File:The Brig.jpg|left|thumb|150px|Courtney as [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|the Brigadier]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Three Doctors]]'')]]
Courtney wore a false moustache for the majority of his time as the Brigadier, including as Lethbridge-Stewart's 1977 counterpart in ''Mawdryn Undead'', as he apparently felt at the time his own didn't look military enough. However, it would appear he changed his mind in later years — growing a genuine moustache for ''The Five Doctors'' and ''Battlefield''.
Lethbridge-Stewart reappeared later that year in ''[[The Invasion]]'', now promoted to Brigadier and in charge of the British contingent of [[UNIT]], an organization that protected the [[Earth]] from [[alien]] invasion. It was in that recurring role that he became most famous, appearing semi-regularly from [[1970]] to [[1975]]. Courtney made return appearances in the series in [[1983]] and his last ''[[Doctor Who]]'' [[television]] appearance was in [[1989]] (in the serial ''Battlefield'').


Courtney played Lethbridge-Stewart, either on television or in [[List of audio stories |audio dramas]], alongside every subsequent Doctor up to and including [[Paul McGann]]. Unfortunately, he never got the opportunity to appear with [[Christopher Eccleston]] as the [[Ninth Doctor]] nor [[David Tennant]] as the [[Tenth Doctor|Tenth]]. While he acted with David Tennant in the ''Doctor Who Unbound'' audio play ''[[Sympathy for the Devil]]'', Tennant was playing a different character at the time. Courtney has also appeared in some fan-made productions, providing the voice of the Brigadier for the 1995 updating of 1987's ''[[Wartime]]'', and also appearing as a BBC official in the [[Reeltime Pictures]] spoof ''[[The Corridor Sketch]]''. He also hosted &ndash; partly in character as the Brigadier &ndash; the ''[[More than Thirty Years in the TARDIS]]'' documentary.
Courtney played Lethbridge-Stewart on television or in [[Big Finish Doctor Who audio stories|audio dramas]], alongside every subsequent Doctor up to and including [[Paul McGann]]. Unfortunately, he never got the opportunity to appear with [[Christopher Eccleston]] as the [[Ninth Doctor]], [[David Tennant]] as the [[Tenth Doctor|Tenth]] or [[Matt Smith]] as the [[Eleventh Doctor|Eleventh]]. While he acted with David Tennant in the ''[[Doctor Who Unbound]]'' audio play ''[[Sympathy for the Devil (audio story)|Sympathy for the Devil]]'', this was not only set outside of the [[Doctor Who universe]], but Tennant was also playing a different character, and was recorded prior to his portrayal of the Tenth Doctor. Courtney additionally provided the voice of [[Wolsey]] in the 1998 Big Finish ''[[Bernice Summerfield (series)|Bernice Summerfield]]'' audio story, ''[[Oh No It Isn't! (audio story)|Oh No It Isn't!]]'' Courtney has also appeared in some fan-made productions, providing the voice of the Brigadier for the 1995 updating of 1987's ''[[Wartime (home video)|Wartime]]'' and appearing as a BBC official in the [[Reeltime Pictures]] spoof ''[[The Corridor Sketch]]''. He also hosted – partly in character as the Brigadier – the ''[[More than 30 Years in the TARDIS]]'' documentary.


Courtney continued to act extensively in theatre and television after he left ''Doctor Who'', guest-starring in such popular television programmes as ''Minder'', ''The Bill'', ''Only Fools and Horses'' and ''Yes, Prime Minister''. He also had a regular role in the comedy ''French Fields'' between [[1989]] and [[1991]].
He regularly made personal appearances at science-fiction conventions and was the Honorary President of the [[Doctor Who Appreciation Society]]. His theatrical agent was former ''Doctor Who'' actress [[Wendy Padbury]].


He regularly made personal appearances at science-fiction conventions, and was also the Honorary President of the [[wikipedia:Doctor Who Appreciation Society|Doctor Who Appreciation Society]]. His theatrical agent was former ''Doctor Who'' actress [[Wendy Padbury]].
Courtney's autobiography, published in 1998, was titled ''Five Rounds Rapid!'', (ISBN 1-85227-782-3), after a popular catchphrase of the Brigadier's heard in ''[[The Dæmons (TV story)|The Dæmons]]''; the volume was edited by [[John Nathan-Turner]]. A second, updated autobiography, entitled ''Still Getting Away With It'', was published in 2005, co-authored by Michael McManus. He lived in [[London]] with his second wife Karen until his death.


Courtney was occasionally seen in other productions, such as the late 1980s comedy film ''Bullseye!'' in which he played a small role opposite Michael Caine and Roger Moore.
In [[2002 (production)|2002]] and [[2003 (production)|2003]] he voiced [[Daniel Packard|Packard]] in the ''[[Kaldor City (audio series)|Kaldor City]]'' audio stories ''[[Hidden Persuaders (audio story)|Hidden Persuaders]]'', ''[[Taren Capel (audio story)|Taren Capel]]'' and ''[[Checkmate (audio story)|Checkmate]]''.


Courtney's autobiography, published in [[1998]], was titled ''Five Rounds Rapid!'', (ISBN 1852277823), after a popular catchphrase of the Brigadier's heard in [[The Dæmons]]; the volume was edited by [[John Nathan-Turner]]. A second, updated autobiography, entitled ''Still Getting Away With It'', was published in [[2005]], which was co-authored by Michael McManus. He lived in [[London]] with his second wife Karen until his death.
In [[2008 (production)|2008]], nineteen years after last playing [[The Brigadier|the role]] on [[television]], Courtney once again played [[the Brigadier]] for the spin-off series ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'', appearing in the two-part finale story [[TV]]: ''[[Enemy of the Bane (TV story)|Enemy of the Bane]]'' alongside friend and co-star [[Elisabeth Sladen]]. He was cast after initial plans to have [[Freema Agyeman]] appear as [[Martha Jones]] fell through. This was his final television appearance as the Brigadier in the [[Doctor Who universe|''Doctor Who'' universe]], still serving [[UNIT]] as he had done for the last forty-three years.


In [[2008]], 19 years after last playing [[The Brigadier|the role]] on [[television]], Courtney once again played [[the Brigadier]] for the spin-off series ''[[The Sarah Jane Adventures]]'', appearing in the two-part story [[SJA]]: ''[[Enemy of the Bane]]''. He was cast after initial plans to have [[Freema Agyeman]] appear as [[Martha Jones]] fell through.
Courtney reprised the role of the Brigadier one more time for the serial audio drama ''[[The Three Companions (audio story)|The Three Companions]]'', which was released chapter-by-chapter as bonuses on [[Big Finish Doctor Who audio stories|Big Finish ''Doctor Who'' audio stories]] in [[2009 (releases)|2009]] and [[2010 (releases)|2010]].
 
== Early Life ==
Courtney was born in [[Cairo]], [[Egypt]], the son of a British diplomat and educated in [[France]], [[Kenya]] and [[Egypt]]. He served his National Service in the British Army. He left after eighteen months as a private, not wanting to pursue a military career. He next joined the Webber Douglas drama school, and after two years began doing repertory theatre in [[Northampton]], and from there moved to [[London]].
 
== Career ==
Courtney continued to act extensively in theatre and television beyond ''Doctor Who'', guest-starring in such popular television programmes as ''Minder'', ''[[The Bill]]'', ''[[Only Fools and Horses]]'' and ''Yes, Prime Minister''. He also had a regular role in the comedy ''French Fields'' between 1989 and 1991.
 
Courtney was occasionally seen in other productions, such as the late 1980s comedy film ''Bullseye!'' in which he played a small role opposite Michael Caine and [[Roger Moore]].
 
== Death ==
Courtney died on [[22 February (people)|22 February]] [[2011 (people)|2011]], aged 81<ref>http://www.atvtoday.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=823:nicholas-courtney-dies-at-the-age-of-81&catid=2:cult-sci-fi&Itemid=5</ref> in a [[London|North London]] [[hospital]]. His wife, Karen, was with him.<ref>http://news.carrentals.co.uk/doctor-who-actor-nicholas-courtney-dies-at-the-age-of-81-34240345.html</ref> A number of people paid tribute to him, including [[Tom Baker]],<ref>http://www.tom-baker.co.uk/pages/content/index.asp?PageID=169</ref> [[Mark Gatiss]]<ref>http://www.bigfinish.com/news/Nicholas-Courtney-1929-2011</ref> and [[Jon Culshaw]].<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12549622</ref> [[Toby Hadoke]] supplied an obituary for the British newspaper, ''The Guardian''. [[Big Finish]] also paid tribute on their website, with [[Nicholas Briggs]] adding a tribute.<ref>http://www.bigfinish.com/news/Nicholas-Courtney-1929-2011</ref> [[Steven Moffat]] also paid tribute.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/news/bulletin_110223_02/Nicholas_Courtney_A_Tribute</ref>
[[DWM 436]] was in tribute to Courtney, with most of its features orientated around him. It was largely comprised of interviews with the cast and crew of ''Doctor Who'' and their memories of working with Courtney. It also included interviews with people who had worked with him in other productions, such as [[Big Finish]] audios and detective drama, ''The Scarifyers''.
 
== Legacy ==
Since 2019, [[Jon Culshaw]] recreated the role of the Brigadier for Big Finish's audio adventures, having previously done so for the audiobook version of ''[[The Five Doctors (TV story)|The Five Doctors]]''<nowiki/>' [[The Five Doctors (novelisation)|novelisation]].
 
[[Candy Jar Books]] had also produced a ''Doctor Who'' spin-off series in book form entitled ''[[Lethbridge-Stewart (series)|Lethbridge-Stewart]]'', exploring the Brigadier's life before, during and after UNIT.
 
== Credits ==
As [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart]]
=== Television ===
==== Doctor Who ====
* ''[[The Web of Fear (TV story)|The Web of Fear]]''
* ''[[The Invasion (TV story)|The Invasion]]''
* ''[[Spearhead from Space (TV story)|Spearhead from Space]]''
* ''[[Doctor Who and the Silurians (TV story)|Doctor Who and the Silurians]]''
* ''[[The Ambassadors of Death (TV story)|The Ambassadors of Death]]''
* ''[[Inferno (TV story)|Inferno]]''
* ''[[Terror of the Autons (TV story)|Terror of the Autons]]''
* ''[[The Mind of Evil (TV story)|The Mind of Evil]]''
* ''[[The Claws of Axos (TV story)|The Claws of Axos]]''
* ''[[Colony in Space (TV story)|Colony in Space]]''
* ''[[The Dæmons (TV story)|The Dæmons]]''
* ''[[Day of the Daleks (TV story)|Day of the Daleks]]''
* ''[[The Time Monster (TV story)|The Time Monster]]''
* ''[[The Three Doctors (TV story)|The Three Doctors]]''
* ''[[The Green Death (TV story)|The Green Death]]''
* ''[[The Time Warrior (TV story)|The Time Warrior]]''
* ''[[Invasion of the Dinosaurs (TV story)|Invasion of the Dinosaurs]]''
* ''[[Planet of the Spiders (TV story)|Planet of the Spiders]]''
* ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]''
* ''[[Terror of the Zygons (TV story)|Terror of the Zygons]]''
* ''[[Mawdryn Undead (TV story)|Mawdryn Undead]]''
* ''[[The Five Doctors (TV story)|The Five Doctors]]''
* ''[[Battlefield (TV story)|Battlefield]]''
* ''[[Survivors of the Flux (TV story)|Survivors of the Flux]]'' (re-used audio clip)
 
===== Mini-episodes =====
* ''[[Dimensions in Time (TV story)|Dimensions in Time]]''
 
=== The Sarah Jane Adventures ===
* ''[[Enemy of the Bane (TV story)|Enemy of the Bane]]''
 
=== Direct-to-video ===
* ''[[Wartime (home video)|Wartime]]'' (voice cameo)
* ''[[Downtime (home video)|Downtime]]''
* ''[[Liberty Hall (home video)|Liberty Hall]]''
 
=== Stage ===
* ''[[Recall UNIT: The Great Tea-Bag Mystery]]'' (voice cameo)
 
=== Video games ===
* ''[[Destiny of the Doctors (video game)|Destiny of the Doctors]]''
 
=== Webcasts ===
* ''[[Death Comes to Time (webcast)|Death Comes to Time]]''
 
=== Audio ===
==== BBC Radio ====
* ''[[The Paradise of Death (audio story)|The Paradise of Death]]''
* ''[[The Ghosts of N-Space (audio story)|The Ghosts of N-Space]]''
 
==== Doctor Who Main Range ====
* ''[[The Spectre of Lanyon Moor (audio story)|The Spectre of Lanyon Moor]]''
* ''[[Minuet in Hell (audio story)|Minuet in Hell]]''
 
==== The Companion Chronicles ====
* ''[[Old Soldiers (CC audio story)|Old Soldiers]]''
* ''[[The Three Companions (audio story)|The Three Companions]]''
 
==== UNIT ====
* ''[[The Coup (audio story)|The Coup]]''
* ''[[Time Heals (audio story)|Time Heals]]''
* ''[[The Wasting (audio story)|The Wasting]]''
 
Other Roles
=== Television ===
==== Doctor Who ====
* ''[[The Daleks' Master Plan (TV story)|The Daleks' Master Plan]]'' - [[Bret Vyon]]
* ''[[Inferno (TV story)|Inferno]]'' - [[Alastair Lethbridge-Stewart|Brigade Leader Lethbridge-Stewart]]
* ''[[The Time Monster (TV story)|The Time Monster]]'' - {{Delgado|c}} <small>(voice role only)</small>
* ''[[Silver Nemesis (TV story)|Silver Nemesis]]'' - Tourist
 
=== Audio ===
==== Doctor Who Main Range ====
* ''[[Zagreus (audio story)|Zagreus]]'' as [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS/Brigadier Image]]
 
==== Doctor Who Unbound ====
* ''[[Sympathy for the Devil (audio story)|Sympathy for the Devil]]'' - [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (Sympathy for the Devil)|alternate Lethbridge-Stewart]]
* ''[[Masters of War (audio story)|Masters of War]]'' - alternate Lethbridge-Stewart
 
==== Bernice Summerfield ====
* ''[[Oh No It Isn't! (audio story)|Oh No It Isn't!]]'' - [[Wolsey|Wolsey the Cat]]
 
=== Kaldor City ===
As [[Daniel Packard]]
* ''[[Hidden Persuaders (audio story)|Hidden Persuaders]]''
* ''[[Taren Capel (audio story)|Taren Capel]]''
* ''[[Checkmate (audio story)|Checkmate]]''
 
=== Audiobook Readings ===
* ''[[Freedom (short story)|Freedom]]''
* ''[[Degrees of Truth (audio story)|Degrees of Truth]]''
* ''[[Old Flames (short story)|Old Flames]]''
 
=== Documentary ===
* ''Myth Makers: Ian Marter ''
* ''[[Return to Devil's End]]''
* ''[[30 Years in the TARDIS]]''
* ''[[The Doctors: 30 Years of Time Travel and Beyond]]''
* ''Myth Makers: Roger Delgado - A Tribute''
* ''[[Lust in Space]]''
* ''Where on Earth Is... Katy Manning Because She'd Really Like to Know!''
* ''[[The Story of Doctor Who]]''
* ''[[The World of Who (CON episode)|The World of Who]]''
* ''[[Weird Science (CON episode)|Weird Science]]''
* ''[[Why on Earth? (CON episode)|Why on Earth?]]''
* ''[[Can You Hear the Earth Scream? (documentary)|Can You Hear the Earth Scream?]]''
* ''[[Evolution of The Invasion (documentary)|Evolution of The Invasion]]''
* ''[[Rogue Time Lords (documentary)|Rogue Time Lords]]''
* ''[[What Lies Beneath (documentary)|What Lies Beneath]]''
* ''[[Going Underground (documentary)|Going Underground]]''
* ''[[Celebration: Doctor Who in 1983 (documentary)|Celebration]]''
* ''[[Who Wants to Live Forever? (documentary)|Who Wants to Live Forever?]]''
* ''[[Tomorrow's Times (documentary series)|Tomorrow's Times]]''
* ''[[On Target: Ian Marter (documentary)|On Target with Ian Marter]]''
* ''[[The UNIT Family (documentary)|The UNIT Family]]''
* ''[[The Military Mind (documentary)|The Military Mind]]''
 
=== Audio commentary ===
 
* ''[[Terror of the Autons (TV story)|Terror of the Autons]]''
 
''to be completed''
 
=== Other ===
* ''[[Children in Need 1985 (TV story)|Children in Need 1985]]''
* ''[[Myth Runner (home video)|Myth Runner]]''
* ''[[The Corridor Sketch]]'' as Sir Horace
* ''[[The Harry Hill Show special (TV story)|The Harry Hill Show special]]''
* ''Death Takes a Holiday''
 
=== Writing credits ===
==== Brief Encounter ====
* ''[[Fond Memories (short story)|Fond Memories]]''
 
== External links ==
{{imdb name|id=0183944}}
 
== Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}
{{NameSort}}
[[ru:Николас Кортни]]


Courtney died on [[22nd February]] [[2011]], aged 81.<ref>http://www.atvtoday.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=823:nicholas-courtney-dies-at-the-age-of-81&catid=2:cult-sci-fi&Itemid=5</ref>
==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*{{imdb name|id=0183944|name=Nicholas Courtney}}
{{Wikipediainfo}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Courtney, Nicholas}}
[[Category:Doctor Who regular cast]]
[[Category:Doctor Who regular cast]]
[[Category:Big Finish Doctor Who voice actors]]
[[Category:SJA guest actors]]
[[Category:Doctor Who cast reprising their roles at Reeltime Pictures]]
[[Category:Stage play actors]]
[[Category:Video game actors]]
[[Category:Doctor Who webcast actors]]
[[Category:Doctor Who webcast actors]]
[[Category:SJA guest actors]]
[[Category:Big Finish Bernice Summerfield voice actors]]
[[Category:Doctor Who actors who appeared in the Avengers]]
[[Category:Big Finish UNIT voice actors]]
[[Category:Big Finish Doctor Who Unbound voice actors]]
[[Category:Actors who portrayed the Master (Terror of the Autons)]]
[[Category:Pre-2005 Doctor Who cast reprising their roles at Big Finish]]
[[Category:Magic Bullet Productions voice actors]]
[[Category:Performers of songs about the Doctor Who universe]]
[[Category:BBCi actors]]
[[Category:Doctor Who Pinball archive voice actors]]
[[Category:Actors interviewed on Doctor Who Confidential]]
[[Category:Actors interviewed on Doctor Who Confidential]]
[[Category:The Companion Chronicles voice actors]]
[[Category:Main Range voice actors]]
[[Category:Big Finish regular cast]]
[[Category:Doctor Who cast reprising their roles at BBC Radio]]
[[Category:Actors who portrayed Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart]]
[[Category:Doctor Who short story writers]]
[[Category:Doctor Who cast reprising their roles in The Sarah Jane Adventures]]

Latest revision as of 20:19, 3 November 2024

RealWorld.png

Nicholas Courtney (born William Nicholas Stone Courtney; 16 December 1929-22 February 2011[1]) played first Colonel and then Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, beginning in The Web of Fear and finally in Battlefield. He reprised the role in the fan video Downtime (later adapted into one of the Virgin Missing Adventures), the spin-off program The Sarah Jane Adventures and audio dramas for the BBC and Big Finish Productions.

Courtney's first appearance in Doctor Who was in The Daleks' Master Plan, where he played Space Security Agent Bret Vyon opposite William Hartnell as the Doctor. The director, Douglas Camfield, liked Courtney's performance. When Camfield was assigned the 1968 serial The Web of Fear, he cast Courtney as Captain Knight.

However, David Langton, who was originally to play Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart, gave up the role to accept another offer of work. Camfield recast Ralph Watson in the role of Captain Knight and gave the Colonel's part to Courtney.

Lethbridge-Stewart reappeared later that year in The Invasion, now promoted to Brigadier and in charge of the British contingent of UNIT, an organisation that protected the Earth from alien invasion. It was in that recurring role that he became famous, appearing semi-regularly from 1970 to 1975. Courtney returned to the series in 1983 and his last Doctor Who television appearance was in 1989 (in the serial Battlefield).

Courtney wore a false moustache for the majority of his time as the Brigadier, including as Lethbridge-Stewart's 1977 counterpart in Mawdryn Undead, as he apparently felt at the time his own didn't look military enough. However, it would appear he changed his mind in later years — growing a genuine moustache for The Five Doctors and Battlefield.

Courtney played Lethbridge-Stewart on television or in audio dramas, alongside every subsequent Doctor up to and including Paul McGann. Unfortunately, he never got the opportunity to appear with Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor, David Tennant as the Tenth or Matt Smith as the Eleventh. While he acted with David Tennant in the Doctor Who Unbound audio play Sympathy for the Devil, this was not only set outside of the Doctor Who universe, but Tennant was also playing a different character, and was recorded prior to his portrayal of the Tenth Doctor. Courtney additionally provided the voice of Wolsey in the 1998 Big Finish Bernice Summerfield audio story, Oh No It Isn't! Courtney has also appeared in some fan-made productions, providing the voice of the Brigadier for the 1995 updating of 1987's Wartime and appearing as a BBC official in the Reeltime Pictures spoof The Corridor Sketch. He also hosted – partly in character as the Brigadier – the More than 30 Years in the TARDIS documentary.

He regularly made personal appearances at science-fiction conventions and was the Honorary President of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society. His theatrical agent was former Doctor Who actress Wendy Padbury.

Courtney's autobiography, published in 1998, was titled Five Rounds Rapid!, (ISBN 1-85227-782-3), after a popular catchphrase of the Brigadier's heard in The Dæmons; the volume was edited by John Nathan-Turner. A second, updated autobiography, entitled Still Getting Away With It, was published in 2005, co-authored by Michael McManus. He lived in London with his second wife Karen until his death.

In 2002 and 2003 he voiced Packard in the Kaldor City audio stories Hidden Persuaders, Taren Capel and Checkmate.

In 2008, nineteen years after last playing the role on television, Courtney once again played the Brigadier for the spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures, appearing in the two-part finale story TV: Enemy of the Bane alongside friend and co-star Elisabeth Sladen. He was cast after initial plans to have Freema Agyeman appear as Martha Jones fell through. This was his final television appearance as the Brigadier in the Doctor Who universe, still serving UNIT as he had done for the last forty-three years.

Courtney reprised the role of the Brigadier one more time for the serial audio drama The Three Companions, which was released chapter-by-chapter as bonuses on Big Finish Doctor Who audio stories in 2009 and 2010.

Early Life[[edit] | [edit source]]

Courtney was born in Cairo, Egypt, the son of a British diplomat and educated in France, Kenya and Egypt. He served his National Service in the British Army. He left after eighteen months as a private, not wanting to pursue a military career. He next joined the Webber Douglas drama school, and after two years began doing repertory theatre in Northampton, and from there moved to London.

Career[[edit] | [edit source]]

Courtney continued to act extensively in theatre and television beyond Doctor Who, guest-starring in such popular television programmes as Minder, The Bill, Only Fools and Horses and Yes, Prime Minister. He also had a regular role in the comedy French Fields between 1989 and 1991.

Courtney was occasionally seen in other productions, such as the late 1980s comedy film Bullseye! in which he played a small role opposite Michael Caine and Roger Moore.

Death[[edit] | [edit source]]

Courtney died on 22 February 2011, aged 81[2] in a North London hospital. His wife, Karen, was with him.[3] A number of people paid tribute to him, including Tom Baker,[4] Mark Gatiss[5] and Jon Culshaw.[6] Toby Hadoke supplied an obituary for the British newspaper, The Guardian. Big Finish also paid tribute on their website, with Nicholas Briggs adding a tribute.[7] Steven Moffat also paid tribute.[8] DWM 436 was in tribute to Courtney, with most of its features orientated around him. It was largely comprised of interviews with the cast and crew of Doctor Who and their memories of working with Courtney. It also included interviews with people who had worked with him in other productions, such as Big Finish audios and detective drama, The Scarifyers.

Legacy[[edit] | [edit source]]

Since 2019, Jon Culshaw recreated the role of the Brigadier for Big Finish's audio adventures, having previously done so for the audiobook version of The Five Doctors' novelisation.

Candy Jar Books had also produced a Doctor Who spin-off series in book form entitled Lethbridge-Stewart, exploring the Brigadier's life before, during and after UNIT.

Credits[[edit] | [edit source]]

As Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart

Television[[edit] | [edit source]]

Doctor Who[[edit] | [edit source]]

Mini-episodes[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Sarah Jane Adventures[[edit] | [edit source]]

Direct-to-video[[edit] | [edit source]]

Stage[[edit] | [edit source]]

Video games[[edit] | [edit source]]

Webcasts[[edit] | [edit source]]

Audio[[edit] | [edit source]]

BBC Radio[[edit] | [edit source]]

Doctor Who Main Range[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Companion Chronicles[[edit] | [edit source]]

UNIT[[edit] | [edit source]]

Other Roles

Television[[edit] | [edit source]]

Doctor Who[[edit] | [edit source]]

Audio[[edit] | [edit source]]

Doctor Who Main Range[[edit] | [edit source]]

Doctor Who Unbound[[edit] | [edit source]]

Bernice Summerfield[[edit] | [edit source]]

Kaldor City[[edit] | [edit source]]

As Daniel Packard

Audiobook Readings[[edit] | [edit source]]

Documentary[[edit] | [edit source]]

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

to be completed

Other[[edit] | [edit source]]

Writing credits[[edit] | [edit source]]

Brief Encounter[[edit] | [edit source]]

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

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ Doctor Who Guide
  2. ↑ http://www.atvtoday.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=823:nicholas-courtney-dies-at-the-age-of-81&catid=2:cult-sci-fi&Itemid=5
  3. ↑ http://news.carrentals.co.uk/doctor-who-actor-nicholas-courtney-dies-at-the-age-of-81-34240345.html
  4. ↑ http://www.tom-baker.co.uk/pages/content/index.asp?PageID=169
  5. ↑ http://www.bigfinish.com/news/Nicholas-Courtney-1929-2011
  6. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12549622
  7. ↑ http://www.bigfinish.com/news/Nicholas-Courtney-1929-2011
  8. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/news/bulletin_110223_02/Nicholas_Courtney_A_Tribute
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