I know, I know... you're all eagerly awaiting Nabu San's report upon yesterday's fan event at Manchester's Trafford Centre - but for now, you'll have to settle for silly old me! I can reveal a little exclusive however, as I too was at the event. It's not much, and I shan't be telling you in what context this stands, but here's your tease. Just one word, mind: Orange.
Make of that what you will.
In actual, real, not-teasing-this-time-but-actually-telling news 2|Entertain (a BBC Worldwide company, who issue Doctor Who on DVD) released earlier this month the long-rumoured "Black Guardian" trilogy. In the opening story, Mawdryn Undead, Nicholas Courtney reprises his role as Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart - almost 25 years before he'd do the same thing in The Sarah Jane Adventures!
Filmed months before his SJA appearence, Liberty Hall is just one of the boxset's many special features. It is a dramatisation, staring Courtney in character as Lethbridge-Stewart, reflecting upon his time as a school teacher - as well as the other side of his personal history, his time at UNIT.
It was after filming this that Courtney was asked back to the Doctor Who universe for Sarah Jane. The intention was to have him back again for this year's series*, but sadly Courtney suffered a stroke at the start of the year and had to drop out of the SJA's third series. He wasn't even well enough to commit to BBC Audio's 4th Doctor adventure, Hornet's Nest.
According to reports, Courtney has now almost fully recovered, but it's still heart breaking to hear that such a fan favourite has been so unwell. Everybody at SARAH-JANE.tv wishes him well, and sends their love and affection.
You can pick up the Black Guardian trilogy, starring Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor, online for around £25.
* Courtney (as Lethbridge-Stewart, of course) was slated to appear as a grandfather-type figure to the team in a handful of episodes - including The Wedding of Sarah Jane - and was going to get to meet both K9 and the Tenth Doctor. These plans were ultimately shelved.
4 comments:
Hey, I hadn't heard any of that about Nicholas Courtney - poor man! Hope he's fighting fit and ready to appear perhaps in the new Who series next year ..?
A friend of mine who's close enough to him to have regular conversations informed me he was doing very well a month or so ago. I think he should take it easy for a while, and only pursue acting again when he's up to it. Get well soon, Brig!
Ah, the report - how does one cram so much awesomeness into a single article?! That is the question! Hopefully be up by tomorrow, but having a packed weekend at work doesn't really help matters. I haven't even had a decent night's sleep since Thursday night :P
Just know that when it will finally be up, it'll be worth the wait. Knowing my luck another news site will have beaten me to some of the juicy stuff :p
I'd heard about Nicholas Courtney's stoke a couple of weeks ago and I'm happy to hear that he's doing better.
I was lucky enough to meet him yesterday at a mini convention.
He was his usual charming and friendly self but I didn't think he looked too well and he was struggling to walk a little.
It was however an honour to meet and talk to a television legend.
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