Nicholas Courtney 1929-2011
Feb. 23rd, 2011 08:42 amDoctor Who's Brigadier is dead at age 81.
I'd always liked the Brig. Despite showing up in only two serials in Tom Baker era shows that sparked my interest in Doctor Who when I first saw it on PBS as a youngster, he always struck me as being almost the Doctor's equal, handling alien menances on Earth with determination, and never being overawed by the Doctor as Sarah Jane or Leela sometimes were.
One of the most damning thing about the reboot of Doctor Who and its spinoffs is that we had to wait until 2008 for the Brig to show up again, except in mentions in dialog. Given Courtney's well known good nature and popularity among the fans, it was always very frustrating to me, especially given the new show's strong continuity (as much as DW ever had continunity) with the original series.
I'd always liked the Brig. Despite showing up in only two serials in Tom Baker era shows that sparked my interest in Doctor Who when I first saw it on PBS as a youngster, he always struck me as being almost the Doctor's equal, handling alien menances on Earth with determination, and never being overawed by the Doctor as Sarah Jane or Leela sometimes were.
One of the most damning thing about the reboot of Doctor Who and its spinoffs is that we had to wait until 2008 for the Brig to show up again, except in mentions in dialog. Given Courtney's well known good nature and popularity among the fans, it was always very frustrating to me, especially given the new show's strong continuity (as much as DW ever had continunity) with the original series.