British television writer Mervyn Haisman has passed away.
Haisman began is career as an actor before turning to writing for the small screen. Haisman teamed with Henry Lincoln for three “Doctor Who” serials during the second Doctor’s era.
Haimsan and Lincoln created the Yeti, who were featured twice in the fifth season of the show. They also helped create UNIT and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart for the classic series.
The duo have only one full survive story in the BBC archives. It’s the season six debut, “The Dominators” that introduced audiences to the Quarks. (The production team were hoping the Quarks would catch on as the Yeti, Cybermen and Daleks had). The five-part story is currently available on DVD in the UK and is scheduled for U.S. release in 2011.
Both creatures created by the writing duo can be seen in the photo above. The Yeti are on the far left and a Quark is on the far right.
Haisman went on to script-edit a number of television series, notably “Sutherland’s Law” (alongside future “Doctor Who” producer Graham Williams), Jubilee, and some seventeen episodes of “The Onedin Line”. He also wrote a number of episodes for the popular 1980s drama “Howards’ Way.”
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