Nicholas Courtney 1929-2011

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Blowfeld
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Nicholas Courtney 1929-2011

Post by Blowfeld »

RIP Brigadier
Nicholas Courtney, known to and beloved by Doctor Who fans worldwide as Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart and one of the longest-serving co-stars of the series, has died, aged 81.

Born in Egypt, William Nicholas Stone Courtney spent his childhood and education in a variety of places - his father serving in the diplomatic service - before entering the Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art after completing his National Service in 1950. He then entered rep in 1952 - his first job being actor/ASM in Cromer! - before a move to London brought him to the world of television.

His first appearance in this media was as a Warrant Officer in the 1957 series Escape, followed by playing King Charles II in Looking About and Mark Norman in an episode of No Hiding Place. He was then to appear throughout the 1960s in shows like Callan and Sword of Honour, as well as popular fantasy genre titles like The Saint, The Champions, The Avengers, and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (alongside Master-to-be, Roger Delgado).

His first brush with Doctor Who was to be as Space Security Agent Bret Vyon in the First Doctor epic The Daleks' Master Plan. For Doctor Who fans, of course, he will always be remembered as UNIT stalwart Lethbridge-Stewart. Originally slated to play Captain Knight in the Second Doctor adventure The Web Of Fear, he was 'promoted' to the role of Colonel by director Douglas Camfield when original actor David Langton pulled out, and returned a year as a newly promoted Brigadier in The Invasion, a role he was to become associated with for over forty years! Appearing as one of the main characters throughout the Third Doctor's incarnation as the UK head of UNIT, he was then to appear with every other classic series Doctor, both during the television show's original run and through the Big Finish audio adventures. Name-checked a number of times in the revived series of Doctor Who, Sir Alistair was to eventually return in the spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures in 2008 - the actor being re-united with 70s co-star Elisabeth Sladen.

Work continued after his departure from Doctor Who, appearing in shows such as All Creatures Great And Small and Sink or Swim (both alongside Fifth Doctor Peter Davison), Shelley, Yes, Prime Minister and Only Fools and Horses; he also played Lt. Col. Robert Witherton in 1993's Then Churchill Said to Me. More recently, he appeared in popular shows like The Bill, Doctors, and Casualty. In 2008 he played the Archbishop of Canterbury in Incendiary.

In 1997, he became the Honorary President of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society, a position he was very proud to hold.


There have been two autobiographies on his life, Five Rounds Rapid! in 1998 and Still Getting Away With It in 2005; his memoirs were also released by Big Finish as A Soldier In Time in 2002.

He is survived by his wife Karen, his son Philip and daughter Bella.
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Re: Nicholas Courtney 1929-2011

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A Fond Farewell To Nicholas Courtney

Post by Blowfeld »

By Sarah Chase and Nick Chase

There are few characters from the original Doctor Who series that still resonate in the "new era" as much as Brigadier Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, and that may have as much to do with the man who played him, Nicholas Courtney, as it does with anything that ever happened on the screen.

William Nicholas Stone Courtney died February 22, 2011, after a battle with cancer, in a hospice near Belsize Park in North London.

Although he had appeared in numerous other television shows as diverse as "The Avengers", "All Creatures Great and Small", and "Yes, Prime Minister", he will probably always be best remembered for his role in "Doctor Who", and you get the feeling that that might not have bothered him very much.

Courtney's portrayal of the upstanding military man always rang true. Perhaps it had something to do with his background. His father was a British diplomat, and he was born in Cairo, Egypt, and grew up speaking French and Arabic. Maybe it was just that he'd had his fill of military attitude during his National Service – he left a Private after 18 months, wanting nothing more to do with it.

Or perhaps it was just that he was one of the most genuine people you would ever meet, and it always showed through.

Nicholas Courtney was not one of those actors who does a role and tries to stay as far away from the fans as he possibly can. Quite the opposite, in fact. Throughout the years, he made numerous appearance
at science fiction conventions, and even appeared in independently-produced Doctor Who videos such as Downtime and Wartime. In 1997, he was made Honorary President of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society.

Nicholas Courtney's association with Doctor Who was perhaps the longest of anyone; he first appeared with William Hartnell's Doctor in "The Daleks' Master Plan", directed by Douglas Camfield, as Space Security Agent Bret Vyon. Three years later, Camfield remembered him and brought him back for "The Web Of Fear" – but not, originally, as
Lethbridge-Stewart. He was cast as Captain Knight against David Langton as then Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart, but when Langton pulled out, Camfield decided to recast Knight instead, and put Nick in the role for which he would ultimately become known. Later that year, when UNIT was introduced, it was the newly promoted Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart who was in charge.

Since then he has appeared in 107 episodes of Doctor Who, and counting the Big Finish audio adventures, the Brigadier has appeared with every single Doctor up through Paul McGann's. (He also did a Big Finish production with David Tennant, but it was before he was cast as the Doctor, so ironically, this time it was Tennant playing a different character, Colonel Ross Brimmicombe-Wood.)

Even after the show moved on from UNIT-based stories in the 1970s, the Brigadier re-appeared numerous times, including "The Five Doctors", "Mawdryn Undead", and the seventh-doctor story "Battlefield", which was originally intended to kill off his character. Thankfully, plans were changed, so the Brigadier was still alive in the "modern" era. He was mentioned several times, both in "Doctor Who" and in "The Sarah Jane Adventures", before actually appearing in the SJA two-parter, "Enemy of the Bane," where he was introduced to a whole new generation of fans.

Ironically, the part he played in "Mawdryn Undead" was originally written for teacher Ian Chesterton, and his part in "Enemy of the Bane" was written for Martha Jones; in both cases, the actors were unavailable, and the call went out to Nicholas Courtney. The Doctor Who universe is richer for it.

But that kind of longevity doesn't just come with acting talent; show business is a business, sure, but it's made up of people, and people don't keep bringing you back after 45 years unless you're a pleasure to work with.

While we may not have been intimate friends with him, we considered ourselves fortunate to have enjoyed a more than the average acquaintanceship with Nicholas Courtney, or Nicky, as I was privileged to call him. I was working in the media at the time and had been attending conventions for many years. I was also fortunate enough to have worked with a lot of the Doctor Who cast behind the scenes for many a convention and fund raiser. Once, in 1985, I was at a convention and nearing the end of a high-risk pregnancy. Nicky and Colin Baker knew this and had conspired to keep me as rested as possible at the convention's opening party. When I got up to do something important, the entire gathering turned at the sound of Nicky's sonorous voice booming, "Do sit down, Sarah Jane, you know you have a condition!" Up until then we had been having a quiet discussion about the hazards of trying to travel as a person yet having to deal with being a celebrity as well. The irony of having every one there suddenly staring at me and laughing wasn't lost on either of us.

I saw Nicky at other conventions and I always loved talking to him about what was going on in his life. Then, one December in the late 1980's, I got a long distance call at work. It was Nicky. He'd be in Ohio for Christmas; was our group having a Christmas party, and if so, could he please come? I teased him a little about inviting himself and he made me promise to have snow waiting for him, as he was bringing his wellies along.

And we certainly did get snow. Along with detour after detour, to the point that poor Nick, who'd volunteered to drive down with me and pick Nicky up, was a wreck by the time we actually got there, 40 minutes late. But Nicky was his usual gracious self. He took it all in stride, complimenting Nick on being able to find his way anywhere through Cleveland road construction, turning what could have been an awkward disaster into a pleasant conversation in just moments.

In the end it was a Christmas none of us would ever forget. It wasn't business. He didn't get paid. He just came, and had a great time, and told stories, and made everyone happy.

Perhaps Tom Baker said it best: "Nick's close friends simply adored him. There was a certain innocence in his personality that was utterly endearing ... We shall miss him terribly."
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Re: Nicholas Courtney 1929-2011

Post by Blowfeld »

Nicholas Courtney, known for decades for his role as The Brigadier in Dr Who, has died aged 81 after a long battle with cancer.

The actor featured in more than 100 episodes as Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, the chief of UNIT whose job it was to protect Earth against attack.

His friend Tom Baker, one of five Time Lords to star with Courtney, led the tributes today.
Nicholas Courtney as The Brigadier with Dr Who Tom Baker in the Seventies. Courtney appeared in more than 100 episodes

Nicholas Courtney as The Brigadier with Dr Who Tom Baker in the Seventies. Courtney appeared in more than 100 episodes

'Of all the characters in Doctor Who there is no doubt he was the most loved by the fans for his wonderful portrayal of the rather pompous Brigadier,' said Baker, who played opposite him as the fourth incarnation of The Doctor.

The Brigadier, who first appeared in the Sixties, was a key figure in the adventures during Jon Pertwee's run as The Doctor, but the character appeared regularly opposite other Time Lords.

Courtney died yesterday in a north London hospice, with his wife Karen at his side.

His last official appearance in the show was in 1989, the year the series was cancelled. It was revived to a new level of popularity in 2005.

Courtney did reprise the role briefly - this time as Sir Alistair - in the 2008 spin-off children's series The Sarah Jane Adventures. But a stroke put paid to further appearances.

The Egypt-born star went to drama school after his national service and went into repertory theatre. In the Sixties he picked up a string of TV roles including appearances in The Saint, The Champions and The Avengers.

His first Doctor Who appearance was as a 'space security agent', but he went on to land the role as a Colonel, later promoted to The Brigadier in a story called The Invasion.

Tom Baker said today: 'He had a marvellous resonant voice which he used brilliantly when it was his turn to spin a yarn.

'And his background was fascinating too: born in Alexandria, Egypt, he was brought up speaking French and Arabic. Later he perfected English and after a few drinks he would speak in Latin tags to great comic effect.'
The Brigadier, played by Nicholas Courtney, was a key figure in the adventures during Jon Pertwee's run as The Doctor in the Sixties

The Brigadier, played by Nicholas Courtney, was a key figure in the adventures during Jon Pertwee's run as The Doctor in the Sixties

Baker said he visited Courtney only last week to say his goodbyes at the hospice.

'The lady in charge said he was very stoical. And indeed he was. It was so distressing to see him so weak and yet so strong in resignation. My jokes were received with a generous effort from Nick to smile.'

Writing in a newsletter on his website, Baker said: 'There was a certain innocence in his personality that was utterly endearing. He was very easy to tease, and I did my share, which made him shake his head in disbelief when he realised he had been had.'

As the Brigadier he was known for his suave appearance with a well-groomed moustache, and Courtney's association with the series continued when he became honorary president of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society from 1997.

Later roles included appearances in shows such as All Creatures Great And Small, Yes, Prime Minister and Only Fools And Horses.

Others who paid tribute today included actor and Doctor Who writer Mark Gatiss who said he was 'desperately sad' to learn of the death.

'A childhood hero and the sweetest of gentlemen. Splendid chap. All of him,' he said.

Impressionist and Doctor Who buff Jon Culshaw said: 'Nicholas Courtney will be very much missed. A brilliant actor and warm, charming man.'

And film director Edgar Wright said: 'He was a true gent.'

Twice-married Courtney leaves two children, Philip and Bella, from his first marriage.
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Re: Nicholas Courtney 1929-2011

Post by Kristatos »

I hope they pay tribute to him in the show. Maybe have The Doctor give the eulogy at the Brig's funeral.
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Re: Nicholas Courtney 1929-2011

Post by carl stromberg »

I liked him. What a pity that no channel (on Freeview at least) shows the classic Dr Who.
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