Christopher Bidmead

 

Christopher Bidmead, who has died, was the first of producer John Nathan Turner’s trio of script editors each of whom ushered in quite different approaches to Doctor Who. Bidmead was the chosen enabler of JNT’s intent on making the series more serious and drawn from real science as opposed to the boggle eyed, humorous iteration that Graham Williams and Douglas Adams had delivered the previous season. From a forty five year distance, Bidmead’s ideas and commissions were not that far removed and no less ambitious that those of Douglas Adams; it is just the way they were played was tonally different. 

The Visitation

 

A well- remembered story from 1982, `The Visitation’s` position in the history of the show is enhanced by following in the footsteps of `The Sea Devils` and `Robot` in having its production examined for the `Making Of Doctor Who` books. As a result we are almost as familiar with behind the scenes stills as those taken front of camera. The so-called pseudo historical was always a popular option for the show making the most of its limited budget in a way that gleaming spaceships and alien worlds would always struggle with.  This was a popular story with viewing figures over nine million for each episode peaking with 10.1 million for part four, very healthy even by early Eighties standards.