Nicholas Courtney, known to and beloved by Doctor Who fans worldwide as Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, one of the longest-serving co-stars of the series who appeared opposite five television Doctors, has died, aged 81.
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, 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. Mentioned a number of times in the revived series of Doctor Who, he was to appear once more in character in 2008 as Sir Alistair in spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures.
He is survived by his wife Karen, his son Philip and daughter Bella.
