This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/magazine/8344057.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Doctor Who, fantasy and farming | Doctor Who, fantasy and farming |
| (29 minutes later) | |
| BEEN AND GONE By Nick Serpell BBC Obituary Unit | BEEN AND GONE By Nick Serpell BBC Obituary Unit |
| Our regular column covering the passing of significant - but lesser-reported - people of the past month. | Our regular column covering the passing of significant - but lesser-reported - people of the past month. |
| Letts started out as an actor | |
| Producer and director Barry Letts was indelibly associated with three of the most fondly remembered incarnations of Doctor Who. Letts began his career as an actor, appearing in a number of TV dramas in the 50s and 60s, before switching to work as a director. He oversaw his first Doctor Who episode in 1967, The Enemy of the World, starring Patrick Troughton as the eponymous Time Lord. When Jon Pertwee assumed the role as the third Doctor, Letts was the programme's producer, with Doctor Who and the Silurians his first outing in his new role. By the time the programme celebrated its 10th anniversary in 1973, Letts had overseen the move to colour and managed to acquire a bigger budget to pay for more location shooting. Letts left the programme in 1974, but not before casting Tom Baker as the fourth Doctor. He briefly returned to the series in 1980 for Tom Baker's final outing in the Tardis. He continued directing at the BBC and also produced the series of classic serials, such as Great Expectations and The Hound of the Baskervilles, which became essential Sunday evening viewing. | Producer and director Barry Letts was indelibly associated with three of the most fondly remembered incarnations of Doctor Who. Letts began his career as an actor, appearing in a number of TV dramas in the 50s and 60s, before switching to work as a director. He oversaw his first Doctor Who episode in 1967, The Enemy of the World, starring Patrick Troughton as the eponymous Time Lord. When Jon Pertwee assumed the role as the third Doctor, Letts was the programme's producer, with Doctor Who and the Silurians his first outing in his new role. By the time the programme celebrated its 10th anniversary in 1973, Letts had overseen the move to colour and managed to acquire a bigger budget to pay for more location shooting. Letts left the programme in 1974, but not before casting Tom Baker as the fourth Doctor. He briefly returned to the series in 1980 for Tom Baker's final outing in the Tardis. He continued directing at the BBC and also produced the series of classic serials, such as Great Expectations and The Hound of the Baskervilles, which became essential Sunday evening viewing. |
| Science Fiction and fantasy was also the province of Louise Cooper, whose Time Master trilogy endeared her to a host of fans. In contrast to the Tolkien style of fantasy writing, there were no elves and dwarves or clear cut divisions between good and evil. She began writing short stories at school, while she was supposed to be doing her lessons. Her first novel, The Book of Paradox, was published in 1972 when she was just 20. She went on to write more than 80 books including the Indigo series and a prequel and sequel to her Time Master novels. She also produced a number of children's books which became bestsellers. She claimed to draw much of her inspiration from her adopted home of Cornwall where she moved in the mid 1990s. | Science Fiction and fantasy was also the province of Louise Cooper, whose Time Master trilogy endeared her to a host of fans. In contrast to the Tolkien style of fantasy writing, there were no elves and dwarves or clear cut divisions between good and evil. She began writing short stories at school, while she was supposed to be doing her lessons. Her first novel, The Book of Paradox, was published in 1972 when she was just 20. She went on to write more than 80 books including the Indigo series and a prequel and sequel to her Time Master novels. She also produced a number of children's books which became bestsellers. She claimed to draw much of her inspiration from her adopted home of Cornwall where she moved in the mid 1990s. |
| Cornwall was also the home ground of journalist Carol Trewin, whose most memorable reporting came during the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001. She was then farming editor of the Western Morning News, which covered an area of the country most badly hit by the disease. Her natural empathy with the plight of farming families who were affected won her many admirers. Trewin joined the paper after a career at the BBC where she worked on the programmes, On Your Farm and Farming Today. She quickly established herself as a champion of a rural community which was feeling increasingly neglected by government. She did much to publicise the regions produce, spending four years working for Taste of the West, an organisation which campaigned on behalf of local food producers. She was the author of two books, Cornish Fishing and Seafood and Gourmet Cornwall. | Cornwall was also the home ground of journalist Carol Trewin, whose most memorable reporting came during the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001. She was then farming editor of the Western Morning News, which covered an area of the country most badly hit by the disease. Her natural empathy with the plight of farming families who were affected won her many admirers. Trewin joined the paper after a career at the BBC where she worked on the programmes, On Your Farm and Farming Today. She quickly established herself as a champion of a rural community which was feeling increasingly neglected by government. She did much to publicise the regions produce, spending four years working for Taste of the West, an organisation which campaigned on behalf of local food producers. She was the author of two books, Cornish Fishing and Seafood and Gourmet Cornwall. |
| Wallace trained as a lawyer | Wallace trained as a lawyer |
| The BBC Radio panel game, My Music, ran for an amazing 520 episodes and the genial singer, Ian Wallace appeared on every one of them. Together with Frank Muir, Denis Norden and David Franklin, the latter replaced by John Amis in 1974, Wallace would answer musical questions set by the chairman Steve Race. With a fine bass-baritone voice he was considerably the best placed of the four contestants for the final round in which they had to each sing a song. A proud Scot, although actually born in London, Wallace trained as a lawyer but abandoned the legal profession to become a singer. He had a distinguished operatic career, but also had a love of music hall which he brought to his successful one man show. He became famous for his signature tune, The Hippopotamus Song, written by Flanders and Swann with its rousing chorus Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud. | The BBC Radio panel game, My Music, ran for an amazing 520 episodes and the genial singer, Ian Wallace appeared on every one of them. Together with Frank Muir, Denis Norden and David Franklin, the latter replaced by John Amis in 1974, Wallace would answer musical questions set by the chairman Steve Race. With a fine bass-baritone voice he was considerably the best placed of the four contestants for the final round in which they had to each sing a song. A proud Scot, although actually born in London, Wallace trained as a lawyer but abandoned the legal profession to become a singer. He had a distinguished operatic career, but also had a love of music hall which he brought to his successful one man show. He became famous for his signature tune, The Hippopotamus Song, written by Flanders and Swann with its rousing chorus Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud. |
| Actress Collin Wilcox achieved fame as Mayella Violet Ewell, the white girl who falsely accuses a black man of rape in the 1962 Oscar-winning film, To Kill a Mockingbird. Her character was the lonely 19-year-old daughter of an abusive alcoholic, who discovers she has tried to seduce a man called Tom Robinson She is beaten and forced to claim that Robinson raped her. Many critics believed she should have won an award, particularly for the dramatic courtroom scene where her character is cross examined by Gregory Peck in the role of lawyer Atticus Finch. Wilcox herself had a distinguished stage career prior to appearing in Mockingbird. She went on to make a number of TV and film appearances including Catch-22, in which she played Nurse Cramer, and Jaws 2. She was variously cast as Collin Wilcox-Horne and Collin Wilcox Paton. | Actress Collin Wilcox achieved fame as Mayella Violet Ewell, the white girl who falsely accuses a black man of rape in the 1962 Oscar-winning film, To Kill a Mockingbird. Her character was the lonely 19-year-old daughter of an abusive alcoholic, who discovers she has tried to seduce a man called Tom Robinson She is beaten and forced to claim that Robinson raped her. Many critics believed she should have won an award, particularly for the dramatic courtroom scene where her character is cross examined by Gregory Peck in the role of lawyer Atticus Finch. Wilcox herself had a distinguished stage career prior to appearing in Mockingbird. She went on to make a number of TV and film appearances including Catch-22, in which she played Nurse Cramer, and Jaws 2. She was variously cast as Collin Wilcox-Horne and Collin Wilcox Paton. |
| Mizzy began writing songs while in the US Navy | Mizzy began writing songs while in the US Navy |
| The catchy, finger clicking theme from the Addams Family, was the work of the composer Vic Mizzy . He began writing songs while serving with the US Navy during World War II and eventually established himself with songs such as My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time, recorded by Doris Day, and Three Little Sisters for the Andrews Sisters. In the late 1950s he began writing TV themes, including Green Acres, starring Eva Gabor, a tale of a reluctant urban wife dragged off to live in the country by her new husband. However, it is for the Addams family tune for which Mizzy will be best remembered. He wasn't upset by that at all, once remarking that a few finger clicks had bought him a very expensive mansion in Bel Air. | The catchy, finger clicking theme from the Addams Family, was the work of the composer Vic Mizzy . He began writing songs while serving with the US Navy during World War II and eventually established himself with songs such as My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time, recorded by Doris Day, and Three Little Sisters for the Andrews Sisters. In the late 1950s he began writing TV themes, including Green Acres, starring Eva Gabor, a tale of a reluctant urban wife dragged off to live in the country by her new husband. However, it is for the Addams family tune for which Mizzy will be best remembered. He wasn't upset by that at all, once remarking that a few finger clicks had bought him a very expensive mansion in Bel Air. |
| Among others who died in October were journalist and campaigner Ludovic Kennedy ; Boyzone singer Stephen Gately ; the first singer to top the UK singles chart, Al Martino , and actor Joseph Wiseman , who played Dr No in the first ever Bond film. | Among others who died in October were journalist and campaigner Ludovic Kennedy ; Boyzone singer Stephen Gately ; the first singer to top the UK singles chart, Al Martino , and actor Joseph Wiseman , who played Dr No in the first ever Bond film. |