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Robert Holmes: Difference between revisions
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'''Robert Holmes''' ([[2 April]] [[1926]]-[[24 May]] [[1986]]) was [[script editor]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' from [[1975]] to [[1977]] and the author of many Doctor Who scripts, helping to create or reimagine many key elements of the programme's mythology. | '''Robert Holmes''' ([[2 April]] [[1926]]-[[24 May]] [[1986]]) was [[script editor]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' from [[1975]] to [[1977]] and the author of many Doctor Who scripts, helping to create or reimagine many key elements of the programme's mythology. | ||
==Personal History== | == Personal History == | ||
Holmes was, for a time at the end of the Second World War, the youngest serving officer in the British army. He became a police officer, graduating top of his class, but grew disillusioned with the job and became a journalist. By the 1960s he had branched out into writing screenplays for films and television series. In 1968 he received his first commission for ''Doctor Who'' and over the next few years became one of the series' lead writers. | Holmes was, for a time at the end of the Second World War, the youngest serving officer in the British army. He became a police officer, graduating top of his class, but grew disillusioned with the job and became a journalist. By the 1960s he had branched out into writing screenplays for films and television series. In 1968 he received his first commission for ''Doctor Who'' and over the next few years became one of the series' lead writers. | ||
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In 2009, ''Doctor Who Magazine'' conducted a reader's poll that named Holmes' ''[[The Caves of Androzani]]'' the best Doctor Who story of all time. | In 2009, ''Doctor Who Magazine'' conducted a reader's poll that named Holmes' ''[[The Caves of Androzani]]'' the best Doctor Who story of all time. | ||
==Analysis== | == Analysis == | ||
Many of Holmes' scripts recycled essentially the same plot: a crippled (often deformed) villain is trapped in an underground or otherwise isolated lair, dependent upon the physical or mental strength of their servants. Their ultimate goal is to escape and/or restore themselves to their former power. This broad outline applies to some extent to both Holmes' first and last completed stories, as well as four of his most celebrated contributions, ''[[Pyramids of Mars]]'', ''[[The Deadly Assassin]]'', ''[[The Talons of Weng-Chiang]]'', and ''[[The Caves of Androzani]]''. | Many of Holmes' scripts recycled essentially the same plot: a crippled (often deformed) villain is trapped in an underground or otherwise isolated lair, dependent upon the physical or mental strength of their servants. Their ultimate goal is to escape and/or restore themselves to their former power. This broad outline applies to some extent to both Holmes' first and last completed stories, as well as four of his most celebrated contributions, ''[[Pyramids of Mars]]'', ''[[The Deadly Assassin]]'', ''[[The Talons of Weng-Chiang]]'', and ''[[The Caves of Androzani]]''. | ||
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Also running through Holmes' scripts are a love of colourful, often bizarre or esoteric language (he disinterred the arcane word [[Valeyard]], which means ''Doctor of Law'', for his final scripts), and a fondness for larger-than-life characterisation. He had a particularly good line in lovable rogues, who often came in pairs and whose by-play provides an ironic commentary on the events of the story. | Also running through Holmes' scripts are a love of colourful, often bizarre or esoteric language (he disinterred the arcane word [[Valeyard]], which means ''Doctor of Law'', for his final scripts), and a fondness for larger-than-life characterisation. He had a particularly good line in lovable rogues, who often came in pairs and whose by-play provides an ironic commentary on the events of the story. | ||
==Contributions to the Mythos== | == Contributions to the Mythos == | ||
Major characters and concepts created for or debuting in a Robert Holmes script include: | Major characters and concepts created for or debuting in a Robert Holmes script include: | ||
*[[Third Doctor|The Third Doctor]] | * [[Third Doctor|The Third Doctor]] | ||
*[[Liz Shaw]] | * [[Liz Shaw]] | ||
*[[Nestene Consciousness|The Nestene Consciousness]] and [[Auton|the Autons]] | * [[Nestene Consciousness|The Nestene Consciousness]] and [[Auton|the Autons]] | ||
*[[The Master]] | * [[The Master]] | ||
*[[Jo Grant]] | * [[Jo Grant]] | ||
*[[Mike Yates]] | * [[Mike Yates]] | ||
*[[Sarah Jane Smith]] | * [[Sarah Jane Smith]] | ||
*[[Gallifrey]] - ''First identified as the homeworld of the [[Time Lord]]s in ''[[The Time Warrior]]''. It had previously been seen but not named; it's unknown whether Holmes himself devised the name.'' | * [[Gallifrey]] - ''First identified as the homeworld of the [[Time Lord]]s in ''[[The Time Warrior]]''. It had previously been seen but not named; it's unknown whether Holmes himself devised the name.'' | ||
*[[Sontaran|The Sontarans]] | * [[Sontaran|The Sontarans]] | ||
*[[The Matrix]] | * [[The Matrix]] | ||
*[[Rassilon]] | * [[Rassilon]] | ||
*[[Borusa]] | * [[Borusa]] | ||
*[[Eye of Harmony|The Eye of Harmony]] | * [[Eye of Harmony|The Eye of Harmony]] | ||
*[[Romana I]] | * [[Romana I]] | ||
*[[Key to Time|The Key to Time]] | * [[Key to Time|The Key to Time]] | ||
*[[White Guardian|The White Guardian]] | * [[White Guardian|The White Guardian]] | ||
*[[The Valeyard]] | * [[The Valeyard]] | ||
*[[Sabalom Glitz]] | * [[Sabalom Glitz]] | ||
*[[The Krotons]] | * [[The Krotons]] | ||
*[[Morbius]] | * [[Morbius]] | ||
*The 12-regeneration/13-life limit for Time Lords. | * The 12-regeneration/13-life limit for Time Lords. | ||
==Televised Scripts== | == Televised Scripts == | ||
*''[[The Krotons]]'' | * ''[[The Krotons]]'' | ||
*''[[The Space Pirates]]'' | * ''[[The Space Pirates]]'' | ||
*''[[Spearhead from Space]]'' | * ''[[Spearhead from Space]]'' | ||
*''[[Terror of the Autons]]'' | * ''[[Terror of the Autons]]'' | ||
*''[[Carnival of Monsters]]'' | * ''[[Carnival of Monsters]]'' | ||
*''[[The Time Warrior]]'' | * ''[[The Time Warrior]]'' | ||
*''[[The Ark in Space]]'' - based on a script by [[John Lucarotti]] | * ''[[The Ark in Space]]'' - based on a script by [[John Lucarotti]] | ||
*''[[Pyramids of Mars]]'' - credited as Stephen Harris | * ''[[Pyramids of Mars]]'' - credited as Stephen Harris | ||
*''[[The Brain of Morbius]]'' - credited as [[Robin Bland]], based on a script by [[Terrance Dicks]] | * ''[[The Brain of Morbius]]'' - credited as [[Robin Bland]], based on a script by [[Terrance Dicks]] | ||
*''[[The Deadly Assassin]]'' | * ''[[The Deadly Assassin]]'' | ||
*''[[The Talons of Weng-Chiang]]'' | * ''[[The Talons of Weng-Chiang]]'' | ||
*''[[The Sun Makers]]'' | * ''[[The Sun Makers]]'' | ||
*''[[The Ribos Operation]]'' | * ''[[The Ribos Operation]]'' | ||
*''[[The Power of Kroll]]'' | * ''[[The Power of Kroll]]'' | ||
*''[[The Caves of Androzani]]'' | * ''[[The Caves of Androzani]]'' | ||
*''[[The Two Doctors]]'' | * ''[[The Two Doctors]]'' | ||
*''[[The Mysterious Planet]]'' | * ''[[The Mysterious Planet]]'' | ||
*''[[The Ultimate Foe]]'' - first episode (''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]'' Episode 13) only | * ''[[The Ultimate Foe]]'' - first episode (''[[The Trial of a Time Lord]]'' Episode 13) only | ||
:''Robert Holmes was also commissioned to write ''[[Yellow Fever and How to Cure It]]'' for the original season 23 but this story was never made. Apparently it would have been set in [[Singapore]] and featured the Master, [[the Rani]] and the Nestenes.'' | :''Robert Holmes was also commissioned to write ''[[Yellow Fever and How to Cure It]]'' for the original season 23 but this story was never made. Apparently it would have been set in [[Singapore]] and featured the Master, [[the Rani]] and the Nestenes.'' | ||
==Books== | == Books == | ||
*''[[Doctor Who and the Time Warrior]] - prologue only'' | * ''[[Doctor Who and the Time Warrior]] - prologue only'' | ||
*''[[The Two Doctors (novelisation)]]'' | * ''[[The Two Doctors (novelisation)]]'' | ||
*''[[The Doctor Who File]] - contributor, non-fiction'' | * ''[[The Doctor Who File]] - contributor, non-fiction'' | ||
==External links== | == External links == | ||
*{{imdb name|id=0392025|name=Robert Holmes}} | * {{imdb name|id=0392025|name=Robert Holmes}} | ||
{{NameSort}} | {{NameSort}} | ||
[[Category:Novelisation writers]] | [[Category:Novelisation writers]] | ||
[[Category:Doctor Who script editors]] | [[Category:Doctor Who script editors]] | ||
[[Category:Doctor Who television writers]] | [[Category:Doctor Who television writers]] | ||
[[Category:Worked on Blake's 7]] | [[Category:Worked on Blake's 7]] | ||
