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The Brigadier was associated with the Doctor between
The Web of Fear and Battlefield.
The Doctor first met the Brigadier during his second incarnation,
when he was still a Colonel, fighting the Yeti in the London Underground
system. Later, when the Doctor, in his third incarnation, was exiled
to Earth, the now promoted Brigadier met him again. The Doctor became
scientific advisor to the organisation set up to counter alien invasion
threats – U.N.I.T. - United Nations Intelligence Taskforce.
That brought him into regular contact with the U.N.I.T.’s UK
commander – Lethbridge-Stewart. He witnessed The Doctor’s
regeneration into his Fourth Incarnation. Soon after that The Doctor
broke his connections with U.N.I.T, but their paths crossed many times
after that, with The Brigadier never surprised to see a new face.
The Doctor was always critical of The Brigadier’s tendency
to shoot first and ask questions later, especially when faced by an
unknown alien, but admired his patriotism, courage and loyalty and
they were always good friends. The Brigadier eventually retired from
UNIT, and became a teacher, where he crossed paths with the Doctor
once again. The Brigadier, now married to Doris, was recalled to service
when Arthurian knights from another dimension invaded Carbury.
Nicholas Courtney was born William Nicholas Stone Courtney
on December 16, 1929 in Cairo, Egypt. He was the son of a British
diplomat and educated in France, Kenya and Egypt. He served his National
Service in the British Army, leaving after 18 months as a private,
not wanting to pursue a military career. He next joined the Webber
Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, and after two years began doing repertory
theatre in Northampton. From there he moved to London and had a TV
career including popular 1960s serials such as The Avengers, The Champions
and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased).
Nicholas’s first appearance in Doctor Who was in the 1965 serial
The Daleks' Master Plan, where he played Space Security Agent Bret
Vyon opposite William Hartnell as the Doctor. Director Douglas Camfield
liked Courtney's performance, and when he was assigned the 1968 serial
The Web of Fear, he cast Courtney as Captain Knight. However, when
David Langton (who was to play the character of Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart)
gave up the role to work elsewhere, Camfield recast Captain Knight
and gave the part to Nicholas instead.
Lethbridge-Stewart reappeared later that year in The Invasion, promoted
to Brigadier and in charge of the British contingent of UNIT, an organization
that protected the Earth from alien invasion. It was in that recurring
role that he became most famous, appearing semi-regularly from 1970
to 1975. Nicholas Courtney made return appearances in the series in
1983, and his last Doctor Who television appearance was in 1989 in
the serial Battlefield (although like many other former cast members,
he returned to the role for the charity special Dimensions in Time).
Coincidentally, he appeared with Jean Marsh in both his first and
last full Doctor Who television appearances.
Nicholas Courtney has played Lethbridge-Stewart, either on television
or in audio plays, alongside every subsequent Doctor up to and including
Paul McGann. While he has acted with David Tennant in the Doctor Who
Unbound audio play Sympathy for the Devil, Tennant was playing a different
character at the time.
Nicholas continued to act extensively in theatre and television
after he left Doctor Who, guest-starring in such popular television
programmes as Minder, The Bill, Only Fools and Horses and Yes, Prime
Minister. In 1982 he was cast alongside Frankie Howerd in the World
War II-set comedy series Then Churchill Said to Me but the series
remained untransmitted for over a decade due to the outbreak of the
Falklands War. He also had a regular role in the comedy French Fields
between 1989 and 1991.
He appeared in the Big Finish Productions audio drama Earthsearch
Mindwarp, based on a James Follett novel, broadcast on the digital
radio station BBC 7.
Nicholas’s most recent role is that of Inspector Lionheart
opposite fellow Doctor Who actor Terry Molloy in the audio play The
Scarifyers: The Nazad Conspiracy, from Cosmic Hobo Productions.
Nicholas Courtney released his autobiography, titled Five Rounds
Rapid! after a popular catchphrase of the Brigadier's, in 1998. An
updated autobiography, Still Getting Away With It, was published in
2005, with co-author Michael McManus.
Film and TV
"Doctor Who" (101 episodes)
The Nightmare Begins (13 November 1965) - Bret Vyon
Day of Armageddon (20 November 1965) - Bret Vyon
Devil's Planet (27 November 1965) - Bret Vyon
The Traitors (4 December 1965) - Bret Vyon
The Web of Fear: Episode 3 (17 February 1968) - Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart
The Web of Fear: Episode 4 (21 February 1968) - Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart
The Web of Fear: Episode 5 (2 March 1968) - Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart
The Web of Fear: Episode 6 (9 March 1968) - Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart
The Invasion: Episode 1 (2 November 1968) - Brigadier Alistair Gordon
Lethbridge Stewart
The Invasion: Episode 2 (9 November 1968) - Brigadier Alistair Gordon
Lethbridge Stewart
The Invasion: Episode 3 (16 November 1968) - Brigadier Alistair Gordon
Lethbridge Stewart
The Invasion: Episode 4 (23 November 1968) - Brigadier Alistair Gordon
Lethbridge Stewart
The Invasion: Episode 5 (30 November 1968) - Brigadier Alistair Gordon
Lethbridge Stewart
The Invasion: Episode 6 (7 December 1968) - Brigadier Alistair Gordon
Lethbridge Stewart
The Invasion: Episode 7 (14 December 1968) - Brigadier Alistair Gordon
Lethbridge Stewart
The Invasion: Episode 8 (21 December 1968) - Brigadier Alistair Gordon
Lethbridge Stewart
Spearhead from Space: Episode 1 (3 January 1970) - Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Spearhead from Space: Episode 2 (10 January 1970) - Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Spearhead from Space: Episode 3 (17 January 1970) - Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Spearhead from Space: Episode 4 (24 January 1970) - Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Doctor Who and the Silurians: Episode 1 (31 January 1970) - Brig.
Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
Doctor Who and the Silurians: Episode 2 (7 February 1970) - Brig.
Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
Doctor Who and the Silurians: Episode 3 (14 February 1970) - Brig.
Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
Doctor Who and the Silurians: Episode 4 (21 February 1970) - Brig.
Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
Doctor Who and the Silurians: Episode 5 (28 February 1970) - Brig.
Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
Doctor Who and the Silurians: Episode 6 (7 March 1970) - Brig. Alastair
Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
Doctor Who and the Silurians: Episode 7 (14 March 1970) - Brig. Alastair
Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
The Ambassadors of Death: Episode 1 (21 March
1970) - Brig. Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
The Ambassadors of Death: Episode 2 (28 March 1970) - Brig. Alastair
Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
The Ambassadors of Death: Episode 3 (4 April 1970) - Brig. Alastair
Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
The Ambassadors of Death: Episode 4 (11 April 1970) - Brig. Alastair
Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
The Ambassadors of Death: Episode 5 (18 April 1970) - Brig. Alastair
Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
The Ambassadors of Death: Episode 6 (25 April 1970) - Brig. Alastair
Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
The Ambassadors of Death: Episode 7 (2 May 1970) - Brig. Alastair
Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
Inferno: Episode 1 (9 May 1970) - Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
Inferno: Episode 2 (16 May 1970) - Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
Inferno: Episode 3 (23 May 1970) - Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
Inferno: Episode 4 (30 May 1970) - Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
Inferno: Episode 5 (6 June 1970) - Brigade Leader Lethbridge Stewart
Inferno: Episode 6 (13 June 1970) - Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
Inferno: Episode 7 (20 June 1970) - Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
Terror of the Autons: Part 1 (2 January 1971) - Brig. Alastair Gordon
Lethbridge-Stewart
Terror of the Autons: Part 2 (9 January 1971) - Brig. Alastair Gordon
Lethbridge-Stewart
Terror of the Autons: Part 3 (16 January 1971) - Brig. Alastair Gordon
Lethbridge-Stewart
Terror of the Autons: Part 4 (23 January 1971) - Brig. Alastair Gordon
Lethbridge-Stewart
The Mind of Evil: Part 1 (30 January 1971) - Brig. Alastair Gordon
Lethbridge-Stewart
The Mind of Evil: Part 2 (6 February 1971) - Brig. Alastair Gordon
Lethbridge-Stewart
The Mind of Evil: Part 3 (13 February 1971) - Brig. Alastair Gordon
Lethbridge-Stewart
The Mind of Evil: Part 4 (20 February 1971) - Brig. Alastair Gordon
Lethbridge-Stewart
The Mind of Evil: Part 5 (27 February 1971) - Brig. Alastair Gordon
Lethbridge-Stewart
The Mind of Evil: Part 6 (6 March 1971) - Brig. Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
The Claws of Axos: Part 1 (13 March 1971) - Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
The Claws of Axos: Part 2 (20 March 1971) - Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
The Claws of Axos: Part 3 (27 March 1971) - Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
The Claws of Axos: Part 4 (3 April 1971) - Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
Colony in Space: Part 1 (10 April 1971) - Brig. Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
Colony in Space: Part 6 (15 May 1971) - Brig. Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
The Dæmons: Part 1 (22 May 1971) - Brig. Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
The Dæmons: Part 2 (29 May 1971) - Brig. Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
The Dæmons: Part 3 (5 June 1971) - Brig. Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
The Dæmons: Part 4 (12 June 1971) - Brig. Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
The Dæmons: Part 5 (19 June 1971) - Brig. Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
Day of the Daleks: Part 1 (1 January 1972) - Brig. Alastair Gordon
Lethbridge-Stewart
Day of the Daleks: Part 2 (8 January 1972) - Brig. Alastair Gordon
Lethbridge-Stewart
Day of the Daleks: Part 4 (22 January 1972) - Brig. Alastair Gordon
Lethbridge-Stewart
The Mutants: Part 1 (8 April 1972) - Brig. Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
The Time Monster: Part 1 (20 May 1972) - Brig. Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
The Three Doctors: Episode 1 (30 December 1972) - Brigadier Lethbridge
Stewart
The Three Doctors: Episode 2 (6 January 1973) - Brigadier Lethbridge
Stewart
The Three Doctors: Episode 3 (13 January 1973) - Brigadier Lethbridge
Stewart
The Three Doctors: Episode 4 (20 January 1973) - Brigadier Lethbridge
Stewart
The Green Death: Episode 1 (19 May 1973) - Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
The Green Death: Episode 2 (26 May 1973) - Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
The Green Death: Episode 3 (2 June 1973) - Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
The Green Death: Episode 4 (9 June 1973) - Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
The Green Death: Episode 5 (16 June 1973) - Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
The Green Death: Episode 6 (23 June 1973) - Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
The Time Warrior: Part 1 (15 December 1973) - Brig. Alastair Gordon
Lethbridge-Stewart
Invasion: Part 1 (12 January 1974) - Brig. Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
Invasion of the Dinosaurs: Part 2 (19 January 1974) - Brig. Alastair
Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
Invasion of the Dinosaurs: Part 3 (26 January 1974) - Brig. Alastair
Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
Invasion of the Dinosaurs: Part 4 (2 February 1974) - Brig. Alastair
Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
Invasion of the Dinosaurs: Part 5 (9 February 1974) - Brig. Alastair
Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
Invasion of the Dinosaurs: Part 6 (16 February 1974) - Brig. Alastair
Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
Planet of the Spiders: Part 1 (4 May 1974) - Brig. Alastair Gordon
Lethbridge-Stewart
Planet of the Spiders: Part 2 (11 May 1974) - Brig. Alastair Gordon
Lethbridge-Stewart
Planet of the Spiders: Part 6 (8 June 1974) - Brig. Alastair Gordon
Lethbridge-Stewart
Robot: Part 1 (28 December 1974) - Brig. Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
Terror of the Zygons: Part 1 (30 August 1975) - Brigadier Alistair
Gordon Lethbridge Stewart
Terror of the Zygons: Part 2 (6 September 1975) - Brigadier Alistair
Gordon Lethbridge Stewart
Terror of the Zygons: Part 3 (13 September 1975) - Brigadier Alistair
Gordon Lethbridge Stewart
Terror of the Zygons: Part 4 (20 September 1975) - Brigadier Alistair
Gordon Lethbridge Stewart
Mawdryn Undead: Part 1 (1 February 1983) - Brigadier Alistair Gordon
Lethbridge Stewart
Mawdryn Undead: Part 2 (2 February 1983) - Brigadier Alistair Gordon
Lethbridge Stewart
Mawdryn Undead: Part 3 (8 February 1983) - Brigadier Alistair Gordon
Lethbridge Stewart
Mawdryn Undead: Part 4 (9 February 1983) - Brigadier Alistair Gordon
Lethbridge Stewart
Silver Nemesis: Part 1 (23 November 1988) - Tourist (uncredited)
Battlefield: Part 1 (6 September 1989) - Brigadier Alistair Gordon
Lethbridge Stewart
Battlefield: Part 2 (13 September 1989) - Brigadier Alistair Gordon
Lethbridge Stewart
Battlefield: Part 3 (20 September 1989) - Brigadier Alistair Gordon
Lethbridge Stewart
Battlefield: Part 4 (27 September 1989) - Brigadier Alistair Gordon
Lethbridge Stewart
"Doctors" .... Edmund Black (1 episode,
2005)
- Heart on His Sleeve (2005) TV Episode .... Edmund Black
Soldiers: Heroes of World War II (2004) (VG) (voice) .... British
Narrator
TravelWise (2000) (V)
"Sir Bernard's Stately Homes" .... Senior Policeman (1 episode,
1999)
- Stebson Towers (1999) TV Episode .... Senior Policeman
Lust in Space (1998) (V) .... Time Judge/Himself
Destiny of the Doctors (1998) (VG) .... Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
"Satellite City" .... English Stan (1 episode, 1996)
- Episode #1.4 (1996) TV Episode .... English Stan
Downtime (1995) (V) .... Brig. Gen. Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart
Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time (1993) (TV) .... Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
"Then Churchill Said to Me" .... Lt. Col. Robin Withering
/ ... (6 episodes, 1993)
Born Kicking (1992) (TV) .... Tim Ayling
"French Fields" .... The Marquis (1 episode, 1991)
- Surprise, Surprise (1991) TV Episode .... The Marquis
"The Bill" .... Judge (1 episode, 1991)
- Crown v Cooper (1991) TV Episode .... Judge
Bullseye! (1990) .... Sir Hugh
"Only Fools and Horses" .... Charles (1 episode, 1988)
- Dates (1988) TV Episode .... Charles
"Yes, Prime Minister" .... Police Commissioner (1 episode,
1987)
- A Diplomatic Incident (1987) TV Episode .... Police Commissioner
Wartime (1987) (V) (voice) .... Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
"Juliet Bravo" .... Superintendent Austin (1 episode, 1985)
- Inspection (1985) TV Episode .... Superintendent Austin
Jenny's War (1985) (TV) .... Medical Officer
"Minder" .... Raymond Wilkins (1 episode, 1984)
- The Balance of Power (1984) TV Episode .... Raymond Wilkins
To Catch a King (1984) (TV) .... de Oliveira
Doctor Who: The Five Doctors (1983) (TV) .... Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
"Sink or Swim" .... Bank Manager (1 episode, 1981)
- Episode #2.1 (1981) TV Episode .... Bank Manager
"Shelley" .... Bank Manager (1 episode, 1980)
- Owner Occupiers (1980) TV Episode .... Bank Manager
"All Creatures Great and Small" .... Paul Cotterell (1 episode,
1980)
- Matters of Life and Death (1980) TV Episode .... Paul Cotterell
"Watch This Space" (1 episode, 1980)
- Cleo's Milk (1980) TV Episode
"Barriers" (1980) TV Series .... Henri Beauvoir (unknown
episodes)
"The Galton & Simpson Playhouse" (1 episode, 1977)
- Cheers (1977) TV Episode
Soft Beds, Hard Battles (1974) (uncredited) .... French Intelligence
Officer
"The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes" .... Hutchinson Hatch (1
episode, 1973)
- Cell 13 (1973) TV Episode .... Hutchinson Hatch
"Doomwatch" .... Philip (1 episode, 1972)
- Cause of Death (1972) TV Episode .... Philip
"Jason King" .... Dr. Straymam (1 episode, 1971)
- Wanna buy a television series? (1971) TV Episode .... Dr. Straymam
Endless Night (1971) (uncredited) .... Second Auctioneer
Take a Girl Like You (1970) .... Panel Chairman
"The Main Chance" .... James Harding (1 episode, 1970)
- Private Armies (1970) TV Episode .... James Harding
"Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)" .... Max (1 episode, 1969)
- The Ghost Who Saved the Bank at Monte Carlo (1969) TV Episode ....
Max
Doppelgänger (1969) (uncredited) .... Medical Data Analyst
"Callan" .... David Forbes (1 episode, 1969)
- The Running Dog (1969) TV Episode .... David Forbes
"The Champions" .... Dr. Farley (1 episode, 1968)
- The Experiment (1968) TV Episode .... Dr. Farley
"Softly Softly" .... Davidson (1 episode, 1967)
- Inducement (1967) TV Episode .... Davidson
"The Avengers" .... Captain Gifford / ... (2 episodes, 1962-1967)
- Mission... Highly Improbable (1967) TV Episode .... Captain Gifford
- Propellant 23 (1962) TV Episode .... Captain Legros
"The Informer" .... Henry Leason (1 episode, 1967)
- Mutual Protection (1967) TV Episode .... Henry Leason
"Sword of Honour" .... Freemantle (1 episode, 1967)
- Unconditional Surrender (1967) TV Episode .... Freemantle
The Brides of Fu Manchu (1966) (uncredited) .... Sergeant
Watch the Birdies" (1966) (mini) TV Series .... Bill Page
"The Wednesday Play" .... Husband (1 episode, 1965)
- The End of Arthur's Marriage (1965) TV Episode .... Husband
"The Saint" .... Alain / ... (2 episodes, 1965)
- The Abducters (1965) TV Episode .... Alain
- The Contract (1965) TV Episode (uncredited) .... Policeman
Victoria Regina (1964) (TV) .... Tudor
"Theatre 625" .... Ned (1 episode, 1964)
- Carried by Storm (1964) TV Episode .... Ned
"The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling" .... Captain Notley
(1 episode, 1964)
- Watches of the Night (1964) TV Episode .... Captain Notley
"No Hiding Place" .... Mark Norman (1 episode, 1964)
- Why Baker Died (1964) TV Episode .... Mark Norman
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