Time Warriors talk to Alien Nation’s Eric Pierpoint

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

He’s the man who almost took over the Star Trek universe, he’s been to the Harte of Dixie and written a brand new book. But to millions of fans around the world he will always be George, the lovable Newcomer from Alien Nation. FTN are proud to talk exclusively to Eric Pierpoint. Here Eric tells us what happened the day the show was cancelled, how he made his George different to the movie version and exactly how he would have played the captain in Star trek. Oh and who is exactly is Caleb O’Toole?

TW: How did you land the role of George in Alien Nation?

EP: Hello Irish Friends!

First, I have to say, it is always terrific to hear from fans of Alien Nation. The show stands out in my career as one of the highlights. As I reflect on it, it was the best combination of producers/writers/crew/actors in my experience in over 35 years in the business. Though it certainly was a challenge in terms of how hard we worked (plus the make up… itchy all day!), it was ultimately the most satisfying television role of all. Ken Johnson, the executive producer and a friend for years, called me one day back in 1989 and asked me if I would be interested in doing AN. I looked at the film and thought, well, James Caan was pretty good as Sikes… so I told Ken I was interested in the role. He said, “No! I want you to play George!” So, I looked at the film again. Light bulbs went off.

TW: How did you try to make George different to the movie version? It must have been a pleasure to go to work every day given the quality of the scripts?

EP: I tried to give George a softness and humor that would work well with the gruffness of the Sikes character. I also wanted to make him even more “human” that the humans in a way. He had two big hearts. I think that worked well for those who can relate to someone who has so much to overcome, who try so hard to fit into a new world. Those new to the United States, who speak a different language, must try all the more to gain a foothold, to overcome prejudice. I also wanted him to be incredibly strong in his character, so you knew he would succeed in the end. I wanted him to be totally reliable and honest. I loved what the writers did with AN. It was a challenge every day to create new culture on the set. We had to be on our toes and inventive. I mean, just how do you stage a man having a baby? Or celebrate the fertilization through a third party as in THREE TO TANGO? When you get material like that, it makes those 4am make up calls every day ok. We did push the envelope as far as societal issues are concerned. I think that is what made the show. Prejudice was in every episode and portrayed without stigmatizing anyone. That is the luxury of doing this with alien characters. It is a mirror that we held up to society. I can’t tell you how many times I have been recognized, stopped in the street or a grocery store, by fans who were minorities. They loved the show and got the challenge of George and the Francisco family. I rode the subway at 3am in NY one time way past my stop because folks in the car recognized me and wanted to talk about the show. THAT was a huge highlight. And there were many, whether it was the birth episode, the GAME face off, or trying to play George playing baseball. Mostly, it was the cast and crew, the everyday laughs that made it great.

TW: Had you any idea the show was going to be cancelled? What was it like on the set that day and do you keep in touch with the others?

EP: We had no idea the show was going to be cancelled. After the first year, we were literally on our way to New York to do publicity. I got the call not to get on the plane, that they were shutting us down due to costs and also the head of the network who simply did not get the show. Of course, later we came back for five television movies. I think it was best as a series, though it was great to go back and do the films. Getting that phone call was great. We had no idea were were coming back. The outcry from the fans, coupled with Ken Johnson’s passion for the project and several network fans of the show, made it happen. As sad as it was the day we were cancelled, we were that happy we got to give it another try. So, letting it go after five films was not as difficult. We still get together to this day and most of us have remained great friends. I am in touch with Ken, some of the writers, Gary Graham, Terri Treas, Michele Scarabelli quite often. My house for barbecues!

TW: How did you get into acting?

EP: I got the itch to act when I was graduating from The University of Redlands. It seemed like a natural fit. It was discouraging at first when I tried to get my foot into the door. I felt I needed more training, so I went for a MFA acting degree at The Catholic University of America, which had a great drama department. I studied classical and modern theater for several years before I hit the streets of New York. My big break came in the form of a small film called WINDY CITY. It ultimately didn’t do much, but it got Hollywood interested. They flew me out to test me for various projects. Until then, it took over 80 auditions to get my first job in NY. My first television series came about in the early 1980’s. It was called HOT PURSUIT, and AN producer Ken Johnson was the Executive Producer. It was because of that show that we became friends and ended up in AN together. Of course, I have done so many different shows to date, but his stand out.

TW: You’ve almost been cast as the Star Trek captain on a number of occasions. What would your Captain have been like?

EP: I was considered several times for captain roles in Star Trek. Those did not pan out as the producers went with either a female or an African American lead. But, I still had a blast doing several alien parts. I did manage one captain role on DEEP SPACE NINE. I think had I been cast as the main captain in one of the series I would have given him a level of authority and laced the part with enough humor to add the other side. I figure if you’re going to watch these characters every week, humor goes a long way. The original Star Trek had that with Kirk and Spock.

TW: What have you been working on lately?

EP: Lately, I have been working as a recurring character on HART OF DIXIE, PARKS AND RECREATION and some other projects. The latest one is called FARMED AND DANGEROUS, a comedy about the genetically modified food business. It is coming out next month. I play a rich rancher who has developed food made out of oil to feed his cattle…things go HORRIBLY WRONG! You will see. Stay tuned. I’ll post on my website where to find it.

On what he would have brought to Star Trek as a captain: ‘I figure if you’re going to watch these characters every week, humor goes a long way. The original Star Trek had that with Kirk and Spock.’

TW: Tell us about your new book Caleb O’Toole. Have you always had a passion for writing? Where did you get the inspiration from for it?

EP: I have been writing a lot in recent years. My first novel, THE LAST RIDE OF CALEB O’TOOLE is coming out this September. It is historical fiction for middle readers (9-14) about Caleb and his two sisters who must survive a dangerous journey on the Oregon Trail in 1877. Right now you can preorder it on many sites including Amazon.com. The best thing it to go to my website. You can also join me on my Eric Pierpoint Connection Facebook page and ask questions about the book or showbiz. This is set up now in anticipation of the book’s release. Alien Nation fans especially welcome! Go to: www.ericpierpoint.net and hit the Author button, scroll around and read about it.

There is also a button you can hit that will take you to various book sites and you can order there. I’m, of course, really proud of this novel. And amazed that I actually had the discipline to sit and do it, research it. I took my dog, Joey, on my own great adventure (you can find photos of our trip on the website). We learned tons about the Western Migration and the challenges of pioneer survival. But, really, it is just a bloody good WESTERN and I hope you enjoy it. The inspiration to write it came from my own pioneer family history. My ancestors came across the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails in 1848. Many of the women were so called Prairie doctors…tough pioneer women who could tend to the wounded and sick along the way. This led the way for the menfolk to become doctors down the road. Much of this comes out in the book. I also have done a lot of work with children, so I wanted this book to appeal to them. I believe there is a hero locked inside every one of them. This book speaks to that.

Bye for now!

Revolution of the Daleks trailer released

By Owen Quinn video copyright BBC

‘How many people in the universe get to meet the Doctor let alone travel with her?’

I’m not a big fan of the 13th Doctor’s era mostly due to the writing but I have to say the Christmas special Revolution of the Daleks trailer actually has me excited. Could this be at last the story that elevates the show back to greatness? We will wait and see…

Heroes of Doctor Who: Tegan Jovenka

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

Once again we embark on a journey through the history of Doctor Who and pick out a character who helped make him the Time Lord we all know and love today…

Tegan, an Australian air hostess on her first day at work, had her aunt murdered and flung to an alien planet where the universe is teetering on the edge of destruction at the hands of a megalomaniac and the only thing standing in the way is a man in a scarf and an old police box.

It was a traumatic introduction for Tegan who would be the fifth Doctor’s stalwart companion, appearing in the entire run bar one story, Planet of Fire. Initially desperate to go home, Tegan eventually came to love life aboard the Tardis. And she became the first companion to leave the Tardis only to rejoin in a later story. The final story of Peter Davison’s Time Flight saw Tegan left behind at Heathrow Airport by accident, ironically the place she had been trying to get to throughout the entire series only to be captured by Omega in Amsterdam in the next story. This lead her to be reunited with the Doctor and Nyssa and she resumed her travels, having been fired from her job for being late. Tegan was a self-admitted mouth on legs and she and the Doctor had an initially fiery relationship. But the more she travelled, the more she loved it. She grew close to her companions, finding a sister in Nyssa and she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. If she didn’t like you, you knew it. She knew something was wrong with Turlough and let him know it, but when he redeemed himself in Enlightenment, she became fond of him, although his cowardice continued to annoy her. She was paired with the first Doctor in the Five Doctors and was the first companion to meet the Brigadier in Mawdryn Undead. Her instincts were spot on, knowing that the injured Mawdryn was not a newly-regenerated Doctor.

My own personal meeting with Janet fielding was at Panopticon years ago where I asked the panel what their favourite cliffhanger was and she answered by calling me on stage and threatened to throw a jug of water over me. Still, she smiled when I bought one of her photos to be signed.

In acting terms her finest hour came when she was possessed by the Mara in Kinda and Snakedance, using her as a bridge to come back to this world. Janet was astounding and there are some real chills in these stories, especially Snakedance. Tegan trusted the Doctor implicitly, even if she always didn’t show it, but in the end she left in Resurrection of the Daleks when all the carnage became too much for her.

Over her time, Tegan faced Cybermen, the Master, the Mara, Sea Devils, Silurians and Tractators and even a visit to her grandfather brought her face to face with the Malus, a demon-like monster trapped in a crumbling church.

Although he wasn’t exactly over the moon when she rejoined in Arc of Infinity, the Doctor was devastated when she left. She was an important part of his life, challenging him on many occasions to make sure the right thing was done. He was confident in her ability to handle an Eternal in Enlightenment, a race of beings that lived using other people’s minds.

She wasn’t afraid of tackling anything she believed was wrong, breaking into files on Frontios to reveal their dark secret and confronting them with it.

Janet became an agent and vowed never to return to Doctor Who ever but did DVD commentaries on nearly all her stories. Seeing the show as pigeon holing women, she stood firm and fans wanted to see her come back somehow outside of the comic strips and novels.

She eventually relented and agreed to do a one-off Big Finish story where she was reunited with the fifth Doctor in a fight against the Cybermen. But this time we learned Tegan was dying from a brain tumour and, in a moving speech, she told the Doctor she had lived more with him than most people do in a lifetime so she was going to take her chances with her illness, despite his begging her to come with him to find a cure. That was a brave move for the character but it didn’t end there. Janet enjoyed it so much she returned to do a new series of stories that reunited the fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Turlough and Tegan. They have also completed a series of Lost Stories; scripts that were commissioned or considered but never made. Now the world is reliving this Tardis team and they have been a roaring success. She has even been mentioned in the Sarah Jane adventures in the story Death of the Doctor in which we learn she is fighting for Aboriginal rights in Australia.

Tegan is back, loved as much as ever and who knows, she just might return for the fiftieth anniversary. Here’s hoping… despite the fact she tried to drown me.

Dave Prowse: A tribute to the man behind Darth Vader

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

All photos copyright Owen Quinn

The news today came through that Dave Prowse, the man that played Darth Vader in the first three Star Wars movies, died after a short illness.

I met him three times in Belfast. What he was best known for was being the Green Cross Code Man and the evil Darth Vader. When I was a kid I found out he was appearing at a shop in Belfast and I begged my Dad to take me down. Bless him he was knackered after a week’s work and Saturday was his rest day but he agreed. By the time I got there Dave was dressed as the Green Cross Code Man. I was kind of disappointed at not seeing him in the Vader costume but the good thing was at least I knew it was him. Anyone can wear a Darth Vader costume and pretend to be Dave Prowse. Green Cross Code Man was a favorite of mine too so it was a double bonus for me.

My memories are that he was a big fella and a bit snappy with the excited kids but he signed my Empire Strikes Back storybook which has been lost over time and numerous house moves. My mother bought me the Tauntaun that day and I was a very happy chappy. It was around that time that I became an autograph collector and wrote to lots of Star Wars actors including Dave Prowse. He sent me back a signed postcard of that classic moment of Darth Vader telling Luke he was his father. I still have it to this day and have to say Dave has a great signature. It’s very distinctive and like Vader you couldn’t mistake it for anything else.

I met him again years later in Belfast at W5 only this time I had my young son with me whom he signed an autograph for. It was only then I realized what a generational thing Star Wars fandom is as my son was caught up in the world of Star Wars just as I was at his age.

But as a science fiction fan I was already aware of Dave Prowse long before Darth Vader came into our lives. Prowse appeared in the Jon Pertwee story the Time Monster as the Minotaur. He was also Frankenstein’s monster, monsters in Space 1999, the Tomorrow People and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galay to name a few so this giant was on my radar froma young age.

Now he has gone but will forever live on in our minds and hearts as the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader. His legacy will live on even for this 52 year old fan because this year Santa is bringing me yet more Darth Vader action figures and guess what, this train will never stop.

Belfast in Conversation: Owen Quinn and Laurence Doherty talk writing

By Owen Quinn

Click on the link below to set your reminder and join the craic! https://youtu.be/MpTn9d55mq0

Coming Sunday 13th December at 1:30 pm sees the release of the long awaited Belfast In Conversation’s episode featuring two writers. owen Quinn and Laurence Doherty share their experiences and stories about their respective journeys in the writing world in Northern Ireland.

Owen is a novelist who has written a stage play the Dragons of Azrael and a regular feature writer and story teller with Phantasmagoria magazine and the Gruesome Grotesques anthology books. Laurence is a script writer who has been an extra in many productions and directed several projects.

Recorded back in November this episode promises to be a fascinating insight into two very different worlds which hopefully inspire and educate budding writers from all areas.

The Time of the Wobbly Sets

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

It has become a sad reality that the audiences of today have become somewhat spoilt. What with their CGI improvements, CGI sets, CGI characters, everything seems so alive and seamless. We now have living breathing dinosaurs by the dozen. I was there when the T- Rex blasted out of the cinema screens for the first time in Jurassic Park and we stared in awe as the brontosaurus jumped on its hind legs to grab a leafy branch before an a astounded Alan Grant. And it truly was one of cinema’s magic moments.

And what really struck me was how the new Doctor Who era benefits more than any other show from the new digital age. When people compare the new to the old, they talk of the wobbly sets and cardboard monsters and how laughable they were.
Hang on a minute.
If it hadn’t been for those wobbly sets we wouldn’t have the plethora of shows we have today like digital effect coated candies compared to the rotten old coffee flavour sweet in a box of chocolates that’s always left behind.
And it simply isn’t true that all the sets wobbled; I’ve seen more wobbly sets in Crossroads and Neighbours compared to Who. Though I have to say my favourite is the Six Million Dollar Man story the Return of Bigfoot which remains a personal favourite of mine from that seventies bionic feast. Steve, on the run from the OSI and his friends because they think he’s turned traitor, has a battle with Sasquatch himself where Steve is thrown into a series of metal barrels. Such is the force of the impact being thrown into them by the big man, that Steve smashes into the obviously solid barrels and a lid comes flying off which hits him in the head. Unfortunately it’s made of rubber as it literally folds about his head leaving him rubberised ie at death’s door.

In Star Trek the nacelles of the Enterprise become see through in certain effect scenes later corrected in the updated CGI improved DVD releases which also added new effects and crisper, cleaner versions of the Enterprise. Some say we don’t need it but I can live it. Thing is, when I was a kid and watched them the first time round it never bothered me because I was captured by the stories themselves. Yet there is this snobbery about the old days and awful effects. I disagree. The old days were brilliant. These were people making low budget shows with little money, pushing boundaries and experimenting with new special effects like CSO which if the actor wore the wrong colour ended up like the Enterprise’s nacelles. However if it hadn’t been for these trail blazers we would none of the effects we have today which feel now like they were always there. One case in point recently brought up was painting bubble wrap green as an alien hand in the 1974 Doctor Who adventure the Ark in Space where the fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane and harry Sullivan faced the insect Wirrn in what is regarded as one of the show’s classics and showcases Tom Baker’s Doctor via his humans are indomitable speech. Here the Wirrn infect their hosts transforming the poor unfortunate into one of them. In a scene that was trimmed for being too horrific, the commander of space station Nerva begins to mutate. Noah, played by Christopher Masters, pulls his hand out from under his uniform and it is gone, replaced by an alien one. It is obviously bubblewrap painted green but not to me at the time. It was a horrible sight and terrified me because this man was becoming an alien. He was in pain and agony and there was nothing to be done for him. It is laughed at now but at the time bubblewrap was a brand new invention and something the special effects crew latched onto as something that could be used to create something never seen before.

But perhaps the greatest instance of wobbly sets and special effects was the 1964 Doctor Who adventure The Web Planet. The first Doctor, played by William Hartnell and his companions are forced onto a mysterious world populated by giant ants, the Zarbi, giant mothmen, the Menoptera and the alien consciousness controlling them all the Animus. I saw this for the first time in an audience at a convention where they laughed and chuckled as the Zarbi wandered about on screen banging into the sets and each other. But they were missing the point. The Web Planet for me imbues the determination and fire of the people making it. While the 1960s technology could barely create what the writer had in mind, it was the sheer scale of the story that caught me. Often it is too easy to dress actors up in blue skin and white hair and make them alien but here was a real attempt to create an alien world which for the most part succeeded but was let down by the execution especially the Zarbi where the poor guys in the suits couldn’t see where they were going. And despite the fact the producers probably groaned as they read the script and wondered how they were going to put it on screen with limited money and time, they did it. It was like a low budget Starship Troopers with giant alien insects no where near as agile as their CGI counterparts of late years. But it worked and while sets may be cardboard and plywood, the burning idea behind these stories, to constantly push the boundaries of television. It is one of man’s greatest traits that when he is told he can’t do something, he finds a way. If they had shelved this story then other stretches would never have happened. Other monsters may never have seen the light of day but with all these shows it is a credit to the writers, producers and special effects guys that what they did laid the foundation for what we have today. They were trying to push the boundaries of what science fiction could be on television and aiming for higher and higher concepts to make the universe more alien because they knew people would bore of men with funny skin and funky hairdos to portray the future and the audiences had, and still do, have an insatiable taste for new and clever aliens. If they didn’t always succeed it didn’t matter as long as the story was strong eg the appalling dinosaur model work in the Jon Pertwee story Invasion of the Dinosaurs and the ropey Loch Ness Monster in the classic gem Terror of the Zygons. As a kid I never noticed, I only saw giant monsters and let’s face it, in the Blake’s 7 last ever episode Blake, did David Collins, playing Deva, one of Blake’s new crew, being shot and crashing into a giant cardboard tube masquerading as a power conduit take away from the viewer’s enjoyment? No, because they were enthralled by the confrontation between Blake and Avon played by Gareth Thomas and Paul Darrow in what was to their final meeting, seconds before the entire cast is shot by the Federation and we are left forever wondering did Avon die in those final moments before the screen went black and gunshots were heard? No because the ambition of the storytelling eclipsed all else. Nor do we care about metal drums made of rubber because the Six Million Dollar Man was fighting Bigfoot! How brilliant of an idea was that? It’s so good it remains a much fondly remembered classic to this day. And for every quarry in Doctor Who, there was the jungle set in the fourth Doctor 1975 story Planet of Evil which stands up to this day.
So forget the fact Star Trek had the same props from story to story, forget Blake’s 7 and Doctor Who shared sets and props (the most famous being the appearance of third Doctor adversary a Sea Devil in Blake’s 7 season four opener Rescue) and forget that some ships were literally built from egg boxes and washing up liquid bottles, see these stories for what they are. Wobbly sets are not to be laughed at; they have to be see as breathless, stunning leaps of imagination that stand testament to the best of human determination to make the impossible possible; to paraphrase Shakespeare, the story’s the thing.

TW remembers Sapphire And Steel

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

Time- oh, time. As Picard says, it’s the companion that walks alongside us through life; to the Doctor and his friends, it’s the ocean in which they swim daily. To Sam Beckett it’s where he can put right where things once went wrong; to the Star trek crews it’s the one place they find themselves in that cannot be altered in case there’s a war with the Klingons except of course if your name’s JJ Abrams, then nothing is sacred, especially if you’re a Vulcan. Talk about kicking a culture when it’s down.

But what if time was your enemy? A living breathing entity that could enter our reality and literally do what it pleased with the innocent and unsuspecting? What if it were the ultimate silent killer; no maniacal laugh, no grand schemes, no boasting of its plans to the hero. What if it were the ultimate enemy where the war literally would never end? No matter how many times you stopped it, another scheme would pop up somewhere else.

And who could possibly stand against such an enemy?

Well, that’s where you call in Sapphire and Steel.

This show slipped onto our screens almost without a fanfare in 1979 and ran until 1982 on ITV. Produced by ATV and written almost entirely by P J Hammond. The only exception was story 5 which was co-written by Anthony Read and Don Houghton, names familiar to Doctor Who fans. Hammond himself incidentally has gone on to contribute two scripts to Torchwood- Small Worlds and From Out of the Rain.

Starring David McCallum and Joanna Lumley (Man from Uncle and The new Avengers respectively), Sapphire and Steel are elementals in human form who are assigned each time to stop whatever is happening. They have mental abilities far beyond anything we know but they can be killed or at least displaced.

At the start of each episode a fiery web would appear with a voice over that would tell you irregularities have been found and that Sapphire and Steel have been assigned (see below).

Uniquely each story has no title and is known only as story one, two etc and each was basically a stage play with the third story the only one having any location filming.

The greatest tool any show has to scare its audiences is to make normal, every day things turn against us and in story 1 it was the use of nursery rhymes.

In a house in the country, a mother and father are singing a nursery rhyme to their daughter when some force invades leaving the child alone. All the clocks stop and the parents have vanished. Calling the police only brings Sapphire and Steel.

The series boasted limited special effects and no background music – again making it a stage play of sorts. This only added to the atmosphere and in a lot of respects when the nursery rhymes like Ring around the Rosie and Goosey Goosey Gander are being used by the entity it is very Amityville Horror/ Poltergeist in nature. This utterly terrified the viewer, as winds would strike up out of nowhere as it tried to kill our heroes.

Steel was gruff, with poor people skills, while Sapphire was more caring. Joanna Lumley was stunning as Sapphire and their underplayed partnership conveyed a deep trust and caring between the two. Long before Steven Moffat made the phrase ‘Tick tock goes the clock’ frightening in Doctor Who, Sapphire and Steel were doing this in abundance. Hammond infused them with lines that could chill to the bone: ‘A-tishoo, a-tishoo, we all fall down’ took on a whole new meaning as the force tried to lure the children – and our heroes – into its trap and much more effectively than Who has ever done.

Add the claustrophobic constraints of a house and a simple landing and the show worked perfectly, and to this day remains a fan favourite. There is a real sense that they will not succeed in saving the day as time attacks again and again, manipulating the simple phrases of a nursery rhyme to open dimensions and trap Sapphire in a painting. If she moves one muscle she will be trapped forever and this is where we see the magic of this show. Steel is helpless to save her and desperately races to free her. Here he is forced to rely on the children and using his emotion to save her but there are no hugs or smiles when he does. The look between the pair conveys a thousand words which highlights their alien qualities and deep respect at the same time. While Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers were special effect filled extravaganzas, Sapphire and Steel works best on minimalism.

Language is the key to this series and knowing what can scare people. Like Danny Glick scraping at the window whispering to be let in in Salem’s Lot scared the life out of people, so Sapphire and Steel achieve this effect in equal measure.

As I have already said ‘We all Fall Down’ resonates to this day as it takes on a whole new meaning in this story when twisted by the evil. The world’s survival depends literally on a child not saying these words, something that is the norm for all children. Looping a policeman in time so he is eternally knocking a front door is another example of the beauty of this show. The house is a battleground where children are being used to subvert reality. There is no conscience, no morality, just a cold determination by evil to imprint itself on our world. The resolution lies in the past itself but unlike other shows there is no heart-felt goodbyes at the climax. The problem is solved and Sapphire and Steel simply vanish like ghosts. Maybe modern horror trying to emulate a good ghost story should stop for a moment and look back at this story. It is a quintessential master class in not only how to write a scary story but how to execute it as well. And that’s why this show remains one of the most loved in sci-fi history.

Time Warriors remember Peter Cushing

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

Ask anyone to name an actor associated with British horror and two will always come up.

Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.

I never got to meet him which I regret. He terrified me in the Hammer horror movies and swept me along in his battles with the Daleks.

It is nearly twenty five years since Peter died and yet it seems he is still around. I think it’s fair to say that although he is not the first actor to be brought back via CGI, he is the first to be so at the forefront of the story to the point kids couldn’t tell he wasn’t real.

That moment in Rogue One when Grand Moff Tarkin turned to the camera and we saw Peter Cushing’s face has divided many. If it is a good thing or not is a matter for another time but it did introduce one of our greatest actors to a whole new generation of children. Cushing in the first Star Wars movie brought a grandeur to the proceedings that contributed immensely to the movie’s success. He did admit that that he wondered what a Grand Moff was and initially thought it was a moth. He also said he hadn’t a clue what was going on as it was for children and took roles that he thought people would like to see him in. Despite this lack of understanding, his cold, emotionless slaughter of an entire planet encapsulated audiences. He was the true villain of the piece and when you look at it, Darth Vader was his lackey even if Tarkin ruled the galaxy in comfy slippers. Guy Henry did a great job in capturing Cushing’s take on Tarkin, a man focused entirely on dominating the galaxy with his super weapon.

Did you know that somewhere in the world at any given time, a Peter Cushing movie is being shown? Known throughout the industry as a consummate gentleman, Peter was also an active writer whose career spanned six decades. He has played virtually everything from Van Helsing to Sherlock Holmes to Doctor Who himself and endures to this day in every performance. He was also asked to play the doctor on television but declined. His reasons were simple: it wasn’t his cup of tea and he didn’t like the Daleks!

There are few actors that can span generations but Peter was one of them. His distinctive timeless features adorned many a screen big and small in over one hundred movies and shows like Space 1999. His rich voice enhanced many a radio play. He was adored by everyone, young and old alike. Children loved him as the Doctor because he portrayed him as a kindly old grandfather with a hint of mischief in his eye, while adults loved him staking Dracula, spearing mummies or battling the Seven Golden Vampires. Even his lesser roles – such as Night of the Big Heat where he simply played an islander who loved a pint in his local – were thoughtfully played by the actor. One thing you could never do is forget Peter Cushing and fans just lit up whenever and wherever he appeared.

His career began in the British Theatre before making a name for himself in Hollywood in movies like The Man in the Iron Mask and A Chump in Oxford. Returning to his homeland during the Second World War, he began working in television in shows like 1984. But the British film industry was booming and a company called Hammer began making horror movies which would define the careers of Peter and Christopher Lee alike.

To the world they are the British horror industry and no matter how naff the script was – and there were some naff ones – it was the sincere and straight way the actors played the roles that managed to lift them beyond mediocre. Famously, while playing Sherlock Holmes, Peter didn’t like the taste of a pipe and kept a glass of milk on hand to take away the taste. Again don’t forget the slippers in Star Wars.

Despite his stardom and international success, Peter feared typecasting like many actors, so to take away this he took on the role of Doctor Who in two movies for Amicus, Hammer’s main rivals. He played him as a grandfather, fiercely protective of his granddaughters, who invented a time machine, the Tardis, in his back garden. Both movies had Peter face off against the Daleks in glorious technicolour. It was these movies that inspired today’s new generation of Daleks for Matt Smith. It speaks volumes about Peter’s character that he wasn’t even aware how loved he was and, as I said, he could walk across any medium and immediately be loved by fans.

No matter where he appeared, his presence lit up the room and gave a gravitas to any scene as seen in Space 1999 where he played Raan and the only high profile actor who has appeared in both the old and new Avengers opposite Patrick McNee featuring the Cybernauts.

Indeed, he was a favourite on the Morecambe and Wise show where he endured the running joke of never getting paid for his services and eternally seeking that elusive fiver. This he would finally get on This is Your Life when Ernie appeared, Eric having passed at this stage, and gave him that fiver before stealing it off him again. But that was Peter, loved by everyone, a perfectionist actor and a real star. Many so called celebrities of today who quite simply aren’t famous for their talent could learn a lesson in star quality from Peter and indeed his great friend Christopher Lee. There was no tantrums or diva behaviour, just grounded acting which endeared them to the crews they worked with too.

He was married to his beloved Helen for many years before she died. And such was his humility he wrote to Jim’ll Fix It to ask could he have a rose named after his late wife. Who else among the so called stars of today would even think about doing that? They would simply fire a few thousand in someone’s direction and make it happen. For Peter he had lost his soul mate in her passing and in an interview he said that her loss had left him where his only ambition was to join her one day. Life was all about killing time now. One of my most prized possessions is letter to me from Peter when I wrote to him back in the nineties asking for his autograph. He sent me the most beautiful letter about himself and thanking me for remarking on the fact that his wife had a rose named after her. It has to be the most touching letter from a celebrity I have ever received and as much as I loved the man then, in that moment, he was a hero. Not for the trappings of celebrity but for being a man whose loss became our loss and to acknowledge that in a letter was simply mind-blowing. That quality should be shown to all these newbie celebs. And every time I see him in a movie that letter springs to mind.

Not a religious man but one of strong ethical beliefs, Peter lived his life to the full as a poem left by Helen urged him to live it to the max but his grief had obvious physical effects on him. And that’s why Peter’s so loved to this day. When he hurt, the world hurt with him. He was the people’s actor, no airs or graces and a gentleman to the end. He was quality, he was class, he was indomitable and he will never ever be forgotten.

I think we’ll leave the last word to co star Christopher Lee. On Peter’s death he said: “At some point in your lives, every one of you will notice that you have in your life one person, one friend whom you love and care for very much. That person is so close to you that you are able to share some things only with him. For example, you can call that friend and from the very first maniacal laugh or some other joke, you will know who is at the other end of that line. We used to do that so often. And then when that person is gone, there will be nothing like that in your life ever again.”

There will never be his like again.

Doctor Who The Ark DVD Review

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

There is no doubt that this story, the second outing for Tom Baker as the fourth Doctor, is a timeless classic. It is now out again, digitally remastered and packed with extras which were missing from its earlier release several years ago.

For many this was the beginning of the golden era as Baker firmly establishes himself in the role. It is here the classic speech about the human species being indomitable as the Doctor addresses a huge chamber of sleeping humans is made which gives us a rare glimpse of how the Time Lord sees our species.

Together with Sarah Jane Smith (Elizabeth Sladen) and Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter) , the Tardis takes our heroes to the far future. There they find themselves on the space station Nerva, the Ark of the title, where the last of humanity is in slumber following the mass exodus of Earth. However something has stolen bodies and is intent on wiping out the last of the humans.

The insectoid Wirrn are one of the alien species that fans have wanted to see return for a long time and it’s easy to see why. They lay their eggs in humans allowing them to hatch while their slime can mutate a human into a Wirrn. It is the horror of this process that makes them so special.

Everything works about this story. The Nerva station would feature in the next two stories and be revisited in the Big Finish audio plays as did the Wirrn against the sixth Doctor. It is here that the famous scene where Sarah gets stuck in an air duct forcing the Doctor to goad her into fighting her way free happens. This is referenced years later by the eleventh Doctor in the Sarah Jane Adventures story the death of the Doctor.

This was truly a golden age as Harry and Sarah are the perfect foils for the Doctor. It is a pity that Harry would leave after this season as Ian Marter makes you fall in love with Harry with the slightest of facial expressions and dialogue. The sets are absolutely stunning as are the performances. What this story achieves is a heart and when Noah, the leader of the newly awakened humans and the first victim of the Wirrn mutation, sacrifices himself to save his own kind, there is a deep poignancy about it. It is the old theme of the human spirit overcoming alien threats to save the day making it the most powerful force in the universe.

You wouldn’t believe that this is only Tom Baker’s second outing in the role as he makes the role his own immediately. He, Ian and Elizabeth bounce off each other like a well oiled machine and all memory of Jon Pertwee is gone by the end of the first episode.

This is a story of simple ideas executed well. The cliffhanger to episode one is nothing more than a Wirrn falling out of a cupboard on top of Harry yet it is so effectively done that I remember it from its very first broadcast. However the horror factor is pulled back as in the scene where the Doctor confronts a mutated Noah. The original cut had his head split open as he completes the transformation into a Wirrn but it was cut for graphic purposes. Even the Wirrn themselves are well done. When trapping the Doctor in a cargo hold, the set is effectively darkened not only to heighten the horror but hide the fact the Wirrn can’t walk. But this is to its credit as the huge insects burned themselves into audience’s minds forever.

Ark in Space is the perfect Doctor Who and one that Russell T Davies cited as his favourite.

The extras add much to the story as we get behind the scenes and there are a few surprises here too.

When someone talks about magic, they are talking about the Ark in Space. Buy it.

Heroes of Doctor Who: The Brigadier

By Oen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

Who’d have thought that the character of the Brigadier, played by Nicholas Courtney, would become a mainstay in the Doctor’s life when he was introduced way back in Patrick Troughton’s era in battles with the Yeti and the Cybermen?

When the programme was facing cancellation back in 1970, the decision was made that the Doctor would be exiled to Earth and team up with UNIT, the United Nations Taskforce, to protect the planet from alien threats.

In the beginning the Brigadier was UNIT; he was the face that would be the Doctor’s comfort blanket. The typical soldier, the Brigadier would be the butt of the Doctor’s wrath and put downs and in following episodes their relationship was sorely tested as their approaches to dealing with any threat to humanity differed completely. As seen in the Silurians, the Doctor was still fighting for a peaceful solution with the reptilian species, the original inhabitants of Earth, despite the fact they had released a virus that almost wiped out mankind. But the Brigadier responded by blowing up the Silurian caves killing them. It was the right approach but one that jarred with the Doctor. This third incarnation, played by Jon Pertwee, was a man of action but a great politician, always seeking the peaceful solution whether it be the throne rooms of Peladon or the antimatter universe of Omega, total destruction for him was the last resort.

And as much as the Brigadier dealt with the Doctor and his shenanigans, he trusted him completely even though he despaired of the Doctor’s snub of all things political and military.

When the Master appears to repeatedly torture them with a variety of alien cohorts, the Brigadier isn’t fazed at all by this alien nemesis and his plans which in turn inspired his men to follow him regardless. In many ways the Doctor and the Brig were the ultimate odd couple, bickering and arguing, with the Doctor constantly winding him up only to do exactly what the soldier asked him to do.

Neither was the Brig impressed by the Doctor and his Tardis, indeed he never even travelled in it until the Three Doctors where he believed Omega’s antimatter universe was in fact the beach at Cromber.

But as times changed with the Doctor getting his ability to time travel again, UNIT began to be phased out. Many elements were playing into this; the real life death of Roger Delgado who played the Master, Jon Pertwee’s desire to move on as well as Katy Manning’s, who played Jo Grant, recent departure. But right to the end, UNIT gave real action packed scenes and a true sense of realism. In stories such as the Daemons and Terror of the Autons, viewers saw the ensemble shine with the Brigadier at the heart of everything in the battle against evil.

And with the arrival of Tom Baker’s fourth Doctor, the series returned to its travelling roots and the Brigadier’s relationship with this Doctor was as it ever was. He asked him to do something and the Time Lord would moan about it before actually doing it. The Brigadier’s last appearance was in the classic Terror of the Zygons although UNIT would pop up in a couple more episodes. He would not be seen until the twentieth anniversary story Mawdryn Undead where it was revealed the Brigadier had retired and was a maths teacher, having suffered a nervous breakdown. As always this was connected to the Doctor and a spaceship that was travelling between two time zones. Nicholas Courteney gives the performance of his life as two Brigadiers and ends up in another trip in the Tardis. Whether it was because of this adventure where he realized he wasn’t crazy after all, the Brigadier teamed up with the second Doctor in the Five Doctors and seemed to be returning to military life. He was in full action man swing in Battlefield alongside the seventh Doctor and met the sixth Doctor in the Children in Need skit, Dimensions in Time. And although he only met the first Doctor in the two anniversary stories, Nicholas worked with the first Doctor in the Dalek Masterplan as Brett Vyon, brother of future companion Sara Kingdom. And of course the Brigadier entered the world of audio adventures of Big Finish where he also kept his record intact by battling alongside the eighth Doctor.

However, despite the comic strip meeting, the Brigadier was not asked back for the new era, something that Nicholas wasn’t happy about. And I have to agree. The Sontaran Stratagem was an all-out UNIT story which didn’t feel right without the Brig. His absence was explained by having him tied up in Peru. But in the Matt Smith adventure The Wedding of River Song, it is revealed that the Doctor frequently visits the Brigadier for a night out on the tiles but this time as the Doctor’s own death is approaching, he learns the Brigadier has died, mirroring the real life passing of Nicholas. Although it is a touching moment, it doesn’t justify the character’s absence. Although he was resurrected for one last bash against the Sontarans and the Bane in the Sarah Jane Adventures, it only served to reinforce the fact he should have met the ninth, tenth and eleventh Doctors. But since this is now something we can’t change we can only watch old episodes and regale each other with memories of Nicholas’ numerous convention appearances. I met him twice and was shocked to discover he had a bald patch like a Pope’s cap and he smoked cigars but he was so generous with his time and smiled and chatted to everyone; something that can’t be said about some actors. Everyone speaks highly of him, his love of people, his grace, dignity and generosity are as legend as the character he played.

It’s bittersweet that the Brigadier will never appear in new Doctor Who but with technology today, maybe a story like Trials and Tribbleations may come to pass, allowing the current crew to interact in old stories. In this game you never know.