Give up five rounds rapid for The Doctor's longest-serving assistant and friend...

NICHOLAS COURTNEY: 1929 - 2011

Very sad news for all Doctor Who fans: Nicholas Courtney, the one and only Brigadier has passed away at the age of 81.

Born in Egypt on December 16 1929, Courtney came to England where he studied at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. Following this, he became a recognisable face on TV in shows such as The Saint, The Avengers and The Champions.

However, it was Doctor Who that was to prove to be his big break. He was cast as Bret Vyon in the mammoth Daleks' Master Plan in 1965. Following this strong performance, Douglas Camfield cast him as Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart in The Web Of Fear. His character was so popular that he was invited back for The Invasion, which in turn served as a dummy run for a regular stint in Jon Pertwee's era as The Doctor. The rest as they say, is history.

So here are some of the most memorable Brigadier stories and moments, the ones which showcase Nicholas Courtney's considerable acting talents. Enjoy the memories of a talented, and also hugely likeable actor. Splendid chap.

THE INVASION

“Well, since the Yeti do, I've been in charge of an independent intelligence group that we call UNIT”

Originally, Nicholas Courtney was not going to be cast as The Brigadier. The plan was that he should appear as Captain Knight in The Web Of Fear, while David Langton was to be cast as Lethbridge-Stewart. In the end though, it was Courtney who was to make his own unique impression as Colonel (shortly to be promoted to Brigadier) Lethbridge-Stewart.

The Invasion builds on this solid first appearance considerably. Nicholas Courtney throws himself into the part with gusto in this story. All of the familiar character traits are present and correct: The heroics. The unflappable trust in The Doctor. The serious side with that familiar wry look in the eye. And of course, his rather clumsy conversations with women – poor old Isobel comes off worst, naturally. Courtney juggles all of these characteristics with considerable aplomb, and proves that he was the perfect choice for the part.

DOCTOR WHO AND THE SILURIANS

“I want that Silurian base sealed permanently”

We all tend to look at The Brigadier as a four-square, likeable force for good, but sometimes there's a darker edge to the character – in particular, season seven of Doctor Who. We have Inferno (read on), but then there's also Doctor Who And The Silurians.

The Doctor and The Brigadier are often at loggerheads over shooting first and asking questions later. But it's in this story that matters reach a head. The Brigadier can't understand why The Doctor's so hellbent on co-operating with a race of killers, and so resorts to methods that only he can understand. And by the end of the story, he's sealed their base for good, much to The Doctor's chagrin.

In a way though, you can see where The Brigadier's coming from, thanks to Nicholas Courtney's note-perfect performance. There's a lot of grit in Courtney's acting in this story, as he rapidly realises the full extent of the Silurians' plans. Subtle touches here and there like that muted “I lost a lot of men in those caves Doctor Lawrence” or his resolved expression as The Doctor proclaims that he can't wait to get started on finding out a wealth of Silurian secrets. The Brigadier may not be right in his final act of genocide, but Courtney makes you believe that what he's doing is for the greater good.

INFERNO

“Very well. I can wait...”

Nicholas Courtney's piece-de-resistance is of course in Inferno, with his brilliantly maniacal turn as the parallel-world Brigade Leader.

Far from the tough but likeable Brigadier, the Brigade Leader is a nasty piece of work, refusing to believe The Doctor's stories and condemning him to death. Not only that, but he's frequently barking orders and insults at his colleagues, and even turning a blind eye to the casual death that's going on around him.

Of course, like all bullies, The Brigade Leader is a coward at heart. By episode six, he's openly panicking about being roasted alive, to the point where he's prepared to shoot The Doctor for the sake of his own survival. It's an astounding performance from Courtney, who manages to shift the Brigade Leader from a brutal thug to a wimpy everyman.

Quite possibly the best of the great man's performances.

THE MIND OF EVIL

“Oh well, I suppose it'll keep him out of mischief...”

The Mind Of Evil may not be the most familiar UNIT story to the uninitiated, but it is one of the best showings for both the Brigadier and Nicholas Courtney.

The Brig's always at his best when the writers get the mix just right. The Brigadier in this story is seen as a thoughtful but resourceful soldier (his clever Trojan Horse trick), a dedicated leader (his angry outburst at Chin Lee's assumption that his staff take bribes) and even a slightly comedic figure (just don't mention Hokkien). Courtney pulls this off tremendously, even the Cockney accent (he could teach Liz 10 a thing or two), and is just one of the many reasons why this fantastic story is eagerly awaited for a DVD release – colour or no colour

THE DAEMONS

“Chap with wings there... Five rounds rapid!”

The Daemons is the story that the Pertwee team look back on with fondness, and with good reason. The story gives all the regulars a good portion of action, and central to this is The Brigadier – whether he's off to a regimental do, trapped in a heat barrier area or ordering the destruction of shuffling gargoyle, Bok.

One of the reasons that I rate the Pertwee years so highly is because of that family feel. It's probably the closest-knit team that you'll ever get in Doctor Who, and that's something that's quite unique in a show about a lonesome alien. Nicholas Courtney plays a vital part in this, and The Daemons is one of those stories where you can spot a million miles off that he's having the time of his life. He gels perfectly with all the other members of the team, whether he's co-operating with The Doctor over a pocket radio, leading Benton into battle against Bok or going for a crafty pint with Mike. It's that mix of calm authority and friendship with The Doctor, Jo, Benton and Yates that makes The Daemons a good port of call for UNIT fans.

THE THREE DOCTORS

“Come on... Jo”

The Three Doctors isn't admittedly the best for The Brig, since he's more of a comedy foil for The Doctor rather than the shrewd, dependable military man of previous seasons. But episode four puts all that aside to showcase the best aspects of Lethbridge-Stewart, in particular when The Doctor asks his party to leave Omega's world through the column of smoke to go back home to Earth.

Nicholas Courtney conveys both the authority and warmth of the Brig in this scene. He doesn't quite understand The Doctors' plans, but he takes charge of the little gang with unquestioning efficiency, ordering them through the smoke one by one.

What I like is the way in which The Brigadier persuades a worried Jo to go – normally he calls the UNIT team by their last names, but in times like these, he uses first names (see end of Time Monster episode three). “Come along... Jo,” he says gently, and quickly following this, The Brig himself steps through but not before giving a hearty salute.

The Brig's a typical stiff-upper-lipped military man, but in cases like this, we get to see the warm-hearted gent underneath, who cares deeply for his friends.

THE GREEN DEATH

“Never mind Mike. Let's have a drink”

Following on from The Time Monster and The Three Doctors, The Green Death is another example of how The Brigadier is starting to mellow and relax a bit more. In episode three, we have seen him have dinner with Professor Jones, puffing on cigars and sipping at wine, and letting his hair down.

It's not just the general bonhomie that makes The Brig such an enduring character, it's his dedication to his friends. Courtney always made The Brigadier a dependable but likeable character who would be there for The Doctor and his friends, no matter what. It's telling that he stops Jones from going on a wild goose chase by saying that his concern for Jo is even greater than the Professor's.

And then at the end of the story, Mike's evidently gutted that Jo's off with someone else. No one else notices this but The Brig, who gently consoles Mike in a kind of reverse scenario from the end of The Daemons by offering him a drink. That's another reason as to why the end of this story is so touching – the great friendship that Courtney had with his co-stars is very much in evidence throughout the story, and this spills onto the screen throughout the early 1970s.

TERROR OF THE ZYGONS

“Three serious disasters, Doctor!”

For those who thought that The Brig had left the brain in the fishtank in stories such as Planet Of The Spiders and Robot, along came Terror Of The Zygons to disprove that theory. The Brigadier is again in total charge of the Loch Ness mystery, running his operation with pinpoint efficiency.

Nicholas Courtney gelled perfectly with all the Doctor actors, and this is in evidence in Terror Of The Zygons. Baker has recently paid tribute to Courtney, summing up his talent at portraying The Brigadier as a no-nonsense but likeable hero. This comes through loud and clear in the first few moments of Terror Of The Zygons, when The Brig is insistent that he brought The Doctor back to Earth for a very good reason. While The Doctor's too busy lecturing everyone about ecology, The Brig gets to the heart of the matter by pointing out the loss of life at stake. And of course, The Doctor, from now on, gets involved in the mystery, as a result of his old friend reminding him of what's really important.

Terror Of The Zygons was Courtney's last Doctor Who for seven-odd years, but he turns in a performance that's full of commitment and vitality. The Lethbridge-Stewart of Terror is a throwback to the early days of the season 7 no-nonsense soldier, but still with that twinkle in his eye – whether he's discussing his Scottish roots with Sarah or whether he's at last admitting that he too used to be a sceptic before the days of UNIT.

MAWDRYN UNDEAD

“Bless my soul – so you've done it again, Doctor!”

Originally, The Brigadier was never meant to turn up in Mawdryn Undead. That honour was meant to go to Ian Chesterton, but The Brigadier – despite the odd twist that he's now a schoolteacher – fits into the story like a hand in glove.

This time, there's two Brigs for the price of one, which means that there's a great opportunity for Nicholas Courtney to showcase his considerable acting talents. He does so by presenting a marked contrast between his 1977 and 1983 selves. In particular, the latter incarnation is subtly different than before.

It's jarring to see the 1983 Brigadier simply shrug his shoulders at the new Doctor, given that he'd become used to the notion of regeneration. And even after The Doctor has jogged his memory, the latter day Brigadier is still a tense, guarded figure, almost on the verge of a breakdown. Courtney is excellent in the scenes where he nearly goes off the rails, and he's just as good as the pre-breakdown Brig that's prone to chivalrous, old-fashioned outbursts (which predictably rankle Tegan). His performance was popular enough to warrant an appearance in the celebratory Five Doctors, in which he successfully paired up with Patrick Troughton's Doctor.

BATTLEFIELD

“I just do the best I can”

OK, so Battlefield isn't exactly the pinnacle of Doctor Who excellence, but it's saved single-handedly by Nicholas Courtney.

Battlefield reminds us why The Brigadier is such an integral part of Who, in that he stands for everything that The Doctor believes in. Take the scene in which he faces off alone against the dreaded Destroyer. A modern day David and Goliath. While the Destroyer starts taunting The Brig with “Little man” style jibes, Lethbridge-Stewart replies with answers that sum up his whole personality. “Get off my world!” and more crucially, “I just do the best I can”. The Brigadier's an ordinary, compassionate man, who's just doing what he can to rid the universe of evil, no matter what the stakes. He may be still as clueless with women as ever before, and may be as stubborn as they come, but this speech just about sums up why The Brig's a true hero.

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