Robert Sloman
Robert Sloman (18 July 1926-24 October 2005[1]) was the writer of four stories for the original Doctor Who television series.
Biography
Robert Sloman was born in Oldham, Lancashire, England. He attended St. Boniface School and Exeter University. After a brief stint in repertory theatre, he took a job with the Sunday Times circulation department, eventually becoming distribution manager.
Sloman never lost his love for the theatre, co-writing two successful plays with Laurence Dobie, "The Golden Rivet" and "The Tinker." "Tinker" was later made into a film, The Wild and the Willing, in 1962. In 1972 he was approached by friend Barry Letts about writing a story for Doctor Who. They collaborated on four stories together; their first, The Dæmons, was written under the pseudonym of "Guy Leopold". On the other three, only Sloman was credited. These were The Time Monster, The Green Death and Planet of the Spiders, the last marking Jon Pertwee's final regular appearance as the Third Doctor. Sloman also wrote The Daleks in London, an unproduced serial for Season 9.[2]
Sloman retired from the Sunday Times in 1974, moving to Burgess Hill, Sussex, becoming a wholesale distributor for all Sunday papers. He also developed a passion for sailing and acquired a second home in Spain.
He was the father of Carol Sloman.
Contributions to the mythos
- The departure of Jo Grant
- Regeneration of the Third Doctor into the Fourth Doctor
- In The Dæmons one of the most-quoted lines of dialogue in the franchise's history: the Brigadier's order "Chap with the wings - five rounds rapid!"
- Kronos and the Chronovores.
- K'anpo Rimpoche.
Credits
Doctor Who stories written
- The Dæmons (with Barry Letts, under the pen-name Guy Leopold)
- The Time Monster (with Barry Letts, uncredited)
- The Green Death (with Barry Letts, uncredited)
- Planet of the Spiders (with Barry Letts, uncredited)
External links
- Robert Sloman at the Internet Movie Database
- Obituary in The Guardian, 6 December 2005, written by Barry Letts
