HANNAH HAISMAN - MERVYN & ME

It's Christmas... well, almost. And we have a special gift from all of us at Candy Jar Books, to all of you at home. A follow-up interview with Hannah Haisman, who is now able to talk more freely about Lethbridge-Stewart and her grandfather's inspirations... now the cat is out of the bag, as Sir Alistair would say.

Mervyn and Hannah Haisman

Type 40: First, how does it feel knowing that Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, a character your grandfather helped to create almost forty-seven years ago, is about to make a grand literary return for a new generation of Doctor Who fans?

Hannah: It is very exciting indeed! I am extremely proud that Lethbridge-Stewart is held in such high regard with Doctor Who fans. There has been a lot of positive feedback on social media over the release of these novels and I am truly humbled that fans old and new cannot wait for a character my grandfather co-created to make a literary comeback.

Type 40: In your previous interview with Type 40 you talked a lot about your early memories of your grandfather. Can you share with us some your earliest memories of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart?

Hannah: To be honest, I never really had early memories of Lethbridge-Stewart. Doctor Who was a snapshot in time of my grandfather’s writing career, one that only spanned a period of a few years. The first memory I have is when organising his literary estate and compiling a record of all the works and characters he created.

Type 40: In your earlier interview you also mentioned your grandfather’s deep love for books and literature. Did he have any particularly favourite stories in his collection? Do you know of any stories that may have inspired him to help craft the character of Lethbridge-Stewart?

Hannah: Most of the books in his study were for research purposes, ranging from historical to spiritual, travel to black magic! As for stories that inspired the creation of Lethbridge-Stewart, I think that was more down to his time in the army than any book on his shelf, but I feel he based the character, as he usually did, on someone he knew or had met. Certainly when the Brigadier barks orders, I reminded of my grandfather. 

Colonel Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart

Type 40: All characters, like people, have a name and the Brigadier has an especially dignified one. Do you know anything of how your grandfather came up with the name for Lethbridge-Stewart? I have heard before that the original surname was simply Lethbridge.

Hannah: Lethbridge-Stewart was created over fifteen years before I was born, and growing up Doctor Who wasn’t really talked about, in fact none of my grandfather's work was. Although he was passionate about writing, it was a job. It was only in his twilight years that we sat and talked about things that he had done. Looking back, I wish I had asked him so many more questions. If I had, I would be in a better position to fill in the gaps!

Type 40: Was there ever a point where you realised that in creating the character of the Brigadier your grandfather had also created a television icon?

Hannah: Not until recently! It was only when I had die-hard Doctor Who fans tell me the importance of Lethbridge-Stewart. I’m being educated in the importance of certain characters and thankfully Andy (Frankham-Allen, range editor of Lethbridge-Stewart) has been brilliant. I know by this statement some people will recoil in horror, but I didn’t see my grandfather as a creator of icons. To me he was the icon.

Type 40: Many people credit Nicholas Courtney’s performance as Lethbridge-Stewart as the source of the Brigadier’s popularity. Certainly the actor’s forty-one year association in playing the role is a testament to his incredible contribution to the character. Did your grandfather ever discuss his thoughts on Courtney’s performance in the role?

Hannah: The last time I visited my grandfather, we sat up till 3am just chatting. He spoke about the Doctor Who years and his other credits. He was very vocal about those he liked and those he didn’t! He didn’t go into detail of his thoughts on an individual’s performance, but I know that out of the three series he penned, Lethbridge-Stewart was a character he felt fondly about. This was probably due to the way Mr Courtney brought him to life.

Type 40: Did you ever have the chance to meet Mr Courtney and what do you feel he brought to the character of the Lethbridge-Stewart?

Hannah: Unfortunately I never had that honour. I feel that the role couldn’t have been played any better by any other actor, and Mr Courtney is as much of an icon as Lethbridge-Stewart himself.

Type 40: Due to the BBC’s now defunct policy of destroying film to conserve storage space, many Doctor Who episodes from the 1960s are currently missing from the BBC archives. Because of this sad loss of material, The Web of Fear was thought to be lost to viewers. But just last year most of the missing episodes from that story were triumphantly returned to the BBC and have since been released on DVD. For many fans this was their first time to see Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart in action. How did it feel to learn that one of your grandfather’s Doctor Who adventures was available again to see and enjoy?

Hannah: I was over the moon when I found out that most of that story had been found. Nobody from the BBC had told me of this momentous news; I found out the same time as the general public. My twitter feed went crazy on the news of its release and I suppose that was the first time I realised just what grandad had created, and what part he had played in the formative years of Doctor Who.

Type 40: Have you since seen The Web of Fear, and if so, what are your thoughts on the adventure?

Hannah: I re-watched watched it today in preparation for this interview, and I have to admit, I love it! In a way it is like watching a ghost as I can see so much of my grandfather and other people in certain characters. Examples of this would be Ann Travers; she is very like my grandmother in her speech and mannerisms, and I can see a lot of my grandfather in the Doctor and Professor Travers. I have reasons to believe, from conversations I had with my grandfather about his time working on The Web of Fear, that Chorley’s character is loosely based on Derrick Sherwin!

Anne Travers, inspired by Mervyn's wife.

Type 40: The Web of Fear also featured as its monster the Great Intelligence and its robotic Yeti, which your grandfather co-created for the 1967 Doctor Who adventure The Abominable Snowmen, which is sadly still missing from the BBC archives. Whereas abominable snowmen are the stuff of myths and legends, the Intelligence, a formless, shapeless eternal entity, was a very novel concept your grandfather introduced to the world of Doctor Who. Can you give us any insight into what inspired him to create such an intriguing character?

Hannah: My grandfather’s parents were very spiritual people, which before the war was rare. The majority of people back then were either Catholic or Christian, but after the untimely death of my grandfather’s sister Stella, the family found the Spiritualist movement, in particular Buddhism. When looking at the beliefs of Buddhists, they include a belief in an infinite intelligence, a continuous existence of the human soul where energy will change form to spirit and that the spiritual world penetrates the material world on a different dimension. It was this belief that formed the central concept of the Great Intelligence, something I feel was lacking in its most recent television appearances.

Type 40: Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart and a few other familiar faces from The Web of Fear will be returning next year in The Forgotten Son, the first book for the new Lethbridge-Stewart novel range. What has been your involvement in the development of this upcoming series?

Hannah: After chatting with Andy, he introduced me to Candy Jar Books, where we discussed the possibility of me granting the rights to use Lethbridge-Stewart. I have given Candy Jar complete creative control over the characters and concepts my grandfather created for Doctor Who. I chat very regularly with Andy, and he consulted me when he put together the official timeline for the Great Intelligence, and I’m being kept in the loop with other authors. Most of all, I trust the authors and if I have any questions, they are more than happy to talk me through them.

Type 40: Without giving too much away about the future of the series, can we expect to see some appearance of other Doctor Who characters and concepts associated with Lethbridge-Stewart along the way, such as UNIT, Cybermen, or – dare we hope – the Doctor?

Hannah: Never say never! I think you will see certain characters and concepts owned by various authors, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy!

Type 40: Although Nicholas Courtney died nearly four years ago and the character of the Brigadier was declared dead three years ago, it seems Lethbridge-Stewart is alive once more, but now as a Cyberman. Were you surprised to see Lethbridge-Stewart’s return as one of first monsters he faced onscreen?

Hannah: It is documented that I haven’t been a life-long Doctor Who fan, but, under orders from Andy, I watched Death in Heaven and as soon as the Twelfth Doctor saluted the Cyberman, I got it. I was very surprised and more than happy to see Lethbridge-Stewart return as a Cyberman; I really wasn’t expecting that and I don’t think the fans were either.

Type 40: In your last interview with Type 40, you expressed your feelings of joy at the Brigadier’s unexpected return but also your clear opinion that he should not remain as a Cyberman (and yes, those monsters still make me hide, too) but perhaps as a sort of ‘higher consciousness’ to aid his daughter in future episodes. Do you think it might be possible we may yet see the Brigadier again in Doctor Who, perhaps even with a new actor, fighting alongside the Doctor?

Hannah: It would be nice to see the spirit of Lethbridge-Stewart live on, but it would have to be done right for it to work. If you have ever lost someone who is close, there are times when you feel their presence with you. If it were to be done, it would have to be in that way and not as a Cyberman!

Type 40: Now seems to be a time when the character of Lethbridge-Stewart is rising once more in popularity and awareness amongst Doctor Who fans. What do you feel makes your grandfather’s character so special and so beloved and, I would say, even immortal?

Hannah: I really couldn’t pinpoint what it is. My grandfather wrote his best works when he believed in the characters. When a writer believes in the characters he creates and the part is cast to the right actor, as it was with Nicholas Courtney, the character becomes believable and even more special amongst fans. With Lethbridge-Stewart it was a combination of the two – great writing and a great performance. My grandfather could not have hoped for a better legacy, and alongside Candy Jar Books and Andy, we’ll make sure it continues to be honoured.

Interview conducted by Chris McKeon, co-author of Time's Champion (with Craig Hinton).

Lethbridge-Stewart begins in February with The Forgotten Son, set directly after The Web of Fear. Pre-order it now from Candy Jar Books.

Or you can pre-order the first four books in the series. 

They are;

The Forgotten Son by Andy Frankham-Allen
Horror of Det-Sen by Lance Parkin
The Schizoid Earth by David A McIntee
Mutually Assured Domination by Nick Walters

More exclusive interviews with the creative minds behind Lethbridge-Stewart coming up over the next two months. The New Year begins with Simon Williams, the cover artist, who will discuss his career with Marvel UK and own original projects.

Until then, a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS to all our readers at home, from Hannah Haisman, Andy Frankham-Allen, Shaun Russell, Lance Parkin, David A McIntee, Nick Walters, Simon Williams, and everybody at Candy Jar Books!

THE BRIGADIER... LIVES

The Brigadier... Lives! An exclusive interview with Hannah Haisman.

Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart

This weekend saw the surprise return of one of Doctor Who’s biggest icons. No, not the Master… Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. The character died a couple of years ago, following the death of the actor who brought him to life, Nicholas Courtney. The Brigadier has been a large part of Doctor Who since 1969 when he appeared in command of UNIT in The Invasion, preparing the way for a five-year run alongside Jon Pertwee’s Doctor beginning the following year. But the character first appeared over a year earlier in the six-part serial, The Web of Fear, as a colonel in the Scots Guard. He was a one-off character never intended for such longevity, created by freelance writers Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln. However, in a recent interview in Doctor Who Magazine, then-script editor Derrick Sherwin has claimed that he created the character ignoring the fact that The Invasion was a result of a gap in the schedule after a couple of other scripts failed to work out. Without some kind of precognition on his part, it does seem a very odd claim. To counter this curious comment, I recently spoke to Mervyn Haisman’s granddaughter, and the executor of his literary estate (which includes, of course, the Brigadier, the Great Intelligence and the Dominators!), Hannah Haisman.

Type 40: Hi there, Hannah. If you could start by telling us a little about your grandfather, and your experience of him.

Hannah Haisman: My Grandad was a truly amazing person. He was one of the most important, special and influential people in my life.  In my teenage years, I spent a lot of time with my nan and Grandad, often spending a night or five with them. I used to love sitting in Grandad’s study whilst he worked. I would spend hours looking at the hundreds of books on the shelves and admiring his RADA certificate hanging on the wall, the Onedin Line flag, the photograph of the Yeti from Doctor Who, the huge poster of Jane and the lost city and various family photographs and portraits. I can remember asking for Grandad’s help when I was studying Shakespeare for my English Literature GCSE. At fifteen years old my idea of a good read did not include Shakespeare. Grandad directed me to the mass of books upon the shelves and it was from there my love of literature grew.

When my grandad passed away in 2010 it broke my heart.  A few months earlier on one of our bi-weekly phone calls, he had told me that I would be left the majority of his literary estate which included the rights of his work and use of characters.  Up until then, I obviously knew that he had written for many well known shows as I was the one who used to chase up the BBC when they hadn’t paid him royalties! But since taking on the role of literary executor, I have learned so much more about his many writing credits, the much-loved characters he created and what people thought of him.

Type 40: Including Derrick Sherwin?

Hannah: I knew that they had a hate hate relationship. It has been well documented in the past, but the latest interview Sherwin has given that slanders the memory of my grandad has rendered me gobsmacked. In DWM (issue 479) Sherwin calls my grandad and Henry ‘hacks’.  Now in the writing world, that is about the worst thing you could call a writer.  My grandad had over eighty writing credits to his name and Henry is an extremely successful author. This in itself should show that they are not ‘hacks’.  Compare this to Sherwin’s credits.  I am not 100%, but to the best of my knowledge he has twelve writing credits to his name, of which three were re-writes at the time of his short tenure as script editor on Doctor Who. He then got the producer gig for about a year before being replaced and spent a total of only five years in television! That somehow makes him someone who is qualified to make the comments he has about my grandad and Henry? As for them being bloody-minded and un-enthusiastic; this may have had something to do with who they were working with and his attitude, which is evident in most of his interviews.

Type 40: Regarding his claim that he, in fact, created Lethbridge-Stewart, how do you respond?

Hannah: This is laughable; the man must be deluded.

Type 40: It is a well documented fact that the character of Lethbridge-Stewart was created by your grandfather and Henry Lincoln. Sherwin, almost certainly without intention, secured their legacy by bringing the character back the following year. Looking back on this, how does this make you feel, considering Sherwin's public bad mouthing of your grandfather and Lincoln?

Hannah: He obviously thought he was in the right. I know Grandad was pissed off with him using the Brig and that he had to fight with the BBC for many years to secure royalties. I'm over the moon that by doing this, bringing the Brig back, Sherwin secured Grandad’s legacy, and I know Grandad would be chuckling about it.

Sir Alistair

Type 40: The Brig, and indeed the Great Intelligence, has been around in Who for a very long time now. The Brig even made it to Nu Who, via The Sarah Jane Adventures. Russell T Davies approached your grandfather about this... Do you know how he felt to be finally asked beforehand?

Hannah: Very emotional. He was over the moon and held Russell T Davies in very high regard as he had taken the time to ask him. That is all he ever wanted; recognition for what he had created.

Type 40: Fans have recognised his contribution for many years. Indeed, when the 1995 independent film Downtime was made, the producers approached Haisman for permission. In that film, author Marc Platt created a daughter for the Brig. You only discovered this last week. What did you think of the news that the Brig continues on through his daughter?

Hannah: I'm extremely happy that the Brig lives on; sad that they dropped the Lethbridge in the surname to save money. But in all seriousness, seeing an offspring of a character my grandad created is like seeing a part of him on screen.

Kate Lethbridge-Stewart

Type 40: In fact, you could say art imitates life. While Kate carries on her father's legacy, you carry on your grandfather's. Women now run the house.

Hannah: To an extent that has always happened, though not in the public eye. My nan always ran the house and Grandad just agreed with her

Type 40: You saw last weekend's episode, and was surprised, as many were, by the return of the Brig. What did you think of that moment? The whole episode seemed to be haunted by his ghost.

Hannah: I cried. Happy cries but as soon as Capaldi saluted I got it. I was so proud that grandad’s character was still being used.

Type 40: How do you think your grandfather would have taken it?

Hannah: He would of poured another scotch, swore, giggled and said ‘why a Cyberman!’ Grandad would even have raised a toast to Sherwin for helping his character live on.

Type 40: One way to gain immortality.

Hannah: Very true.

Type 40: It seems the Brig is always out there in some way. Do you think we've heard the last of this icon of Doctor Who?

Hannah: NOOOOOO! I'd hate it if he were to remain a Cyberman: that is the only monster that has had me hiding behind a pillow! I have high hopes for the Brig and I'm sure this won't be the last time you see him.

Type 40: But do you not think that if they bring him back again, it would cheapen the moment? The idea that he lives forever?

Hannah: Yes and no. I'd hate for him to be a Cyberman, but maybe a form of a higher consciousness to Kate. I say this as a daddy’s girl.

Type 40: Higher consciousness... A great intelligence perhaps?

Hannah: You got it!

Type 40: So, your grandfather's legacy has lasted forty-six years. It seems the Brig's story is over.

Hannah: The Brig will always be around, if I have any say in the matter, and I do. There is a time in his life that nobody knows about…YET!

And with that intriguing remark, it seems our time is up. Thank you for talking with us, Hannah. Here’s to another forty-six years of Sir Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, and your grandfather’s legacy!

Mervyn and Hannah, their last weekend together in 2010