Chris Boucher
Encyclopedia
Chris Boucher is a British
television
writer, best known for his frequent contributions to two genres, science fiction
and crime dramas.
Gas as a management trainee and he also gained a Bachelor of Arts
in Economics
at the University of Essex
.
In science fiction, he wrote three Doctor Who
serials in the late 1970s: The Face of Evil
, The Robots of Death
and Image of the Fendahl
. Perhaps his most durable contribution to Doctor Who mythology was the creation of Leela
, the savage companion played by Louise Jameson
. Boucher was commissioned for the programme by Robert Holmes
, who would suggest that Boucher be appointed as script editor
of new science fiction series Blake's 7
. He served in this role for the entirety of its four season run from 1978 to 1981, also writing several episodes himself, including the well-remembered final episode. In 1987 he created his own series Star Cops
, which combined the science fiction and crime genres, and lasted only nine episodes.
In the genre of police dramas, between working on Doctor Who and Blake's 7, Boucher was the script editor on the second season of the drama Shoestring, which followed the investigations of private detective and radio show host Eddie Shoestring. In 1982, following the end of Blake's 7, Boucher script edited and wrote for the third season police drama Juliet Bravo
. He later moved on to script edit the detective show Bergerac
, working on the programme throughout the 1980s.
All of the above television programmes were produced in-house by the BBC
and broadcast on the BBC One
network, with the exception of Star Cops which was shown on BBC Two
. For the ITV
network, he briefly contributed to Thames Television
's police drama The Bill
during the mid-1980s.
More recent work has included several Doctor Who novels for BBC Books
, all featuring the character of Leela, and a series of straight-to-CD full-cast audio dramas entitled Kaldor City
, which combine elements from his Doctor Who serial The Robots of Death with his Blake's 7 work.
In October 2004, Boucher gave an interview in which he revealed his support for trade unions and the traditional values of the Labour Party (UK)
:
He also described former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Margaret Thatcher
as “horrendous” and her followers as a “carpet-bagging gang of loathsome thugs and conmen”.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
writer, best known for his frequent contributions to two genres, science fiction
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
and crime dramas.
Biography
Prior to becoming a television writer, Boucher had worked at CalorCalor
Calor Gas is a brand of bottled butane and propane which is available in Britain and Ireland. It comes in cylinders, which have a special gas regulator.Calor was formed in 1935. Calor is the UK's leading supplier of Liquefied petroleum gas...
Gas as a management trainee and he also gained a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
at the University of Essex
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
.
In science fiction, he wrote three Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
serials in the late 1970s: The Face of Evil
The Face of Evil
The Face of Evil is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. This serial starred Tom Baker as the Doctor and was the fourth story in Series 14 of Doctor Who. First broadcast in four weekly parts from January 1 to January 22, 1977...
, The Robots of Death
The Robots of Death
The Robots of Death is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 29 January to 19 February 1977.-Synopsis:...
and Image of the Fendahl
Image of the Fendahl
Image of the Fendahl is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 29 October to 19 November 1977.-Plot:...
. Perhaps his most durable contribution to Doctor Who mythology was the creation of Leela
Leela (Doctor Who)
Leela is a fictional character played by Louise Jameson in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Leela was a companion of the Fourth Doctor and a regular in the programme from 1977 to 1978...
, the savage companion played by Louise Jameson
Louise Jameson
Louise Jameson is an English actress, best known for playing Leela, the leather-clad barbarian warrior companion of the fourth Doctor in Doctor Who. Jameson has also appeared on Emmerdale , The Omega Factor Louise Jameson (born 20 April 1951 in Wanstead, London) is an English actress, best known...
. Boucher was commissioned for the programme by Robert Holmes
Robert Holmes (scriptwriter)
This entry is about the television scriptwriter. For other people with the same name, see Robert Holmes .Robert Colin Holmes was an English television scriptwriter, who for over twenty-five years contributed to some of the most popular programmes screened in the UK...
, who would suggest that Boucher be appointed as script editor
Script editor
A script editor is a member of the production team of scripted television programmes, usually dramas and comedies. The script editor has many responsibilities including finding new script writers, developing storyline and series ideas with writers, ensuring that scripts are suitable for production...
of new science fiction series Blake's 7
Blake's 7
Blake's 7 is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC for its BBC1 channel. The series was created by Terry Nation, a prolific television writer and creator of the Daleks for the television series Doctor Who. Four series of Blake's 7 were produced and broadcast between 1978...
. He served in this role for the entirety of its four season run from 1978 to 1981, also writing several episodes himself, including the well-remembered final episode. In 1987 he created his own series Star Cops
Star Cops
Star Cops is a British science fiction television series first broadcast on BBC Two in 1987. It was devised by Chris Boucher, a writer who had previously worked on the science fiction television series Doctor Who and Blake's 7 as well as crime dramas such as Juliet Bravo and Bergerac...
, which combined the science fiction and crime genres, and lasted only nine episodes.
In the genre of police dramas, between working on Doctor Who and Blake's 7, Boucher was the script editor on the second season of the drama Shoestring, which followed the investigations of private detective and radio show host Eddie Shoestring. In 1982, following the end of Blake's 7, Boucher script edited and wrote for the third season police drama Juliet Bravo
Juliet Bravo
Juliet Bravo is a British television series, which ran on BBC1 between 1980 and 1985. The theme of the series concerned a female police inspector who took over control of a police station in the fictional town of Hartley in Lancashire.-Programme name:...
. He later moved on to script edit the detective show Bergerac
Bergerac (TV series)
Bergerac was a British television show set on Jersey. Produced by the BBC in association with the Seven Network, and screened on BBC1, it starred John Nettles as the title character Detective Sergeant Jim Bergerac, a detective in "Le Bureau des Étrangers" Bergerac was a British television show...
, working on the programme throughout the 1980s.
All of the above television programmes were produced in-house by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and broadcast on the BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
network, with the exception of Star Cops which was shown on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
. For the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network, he briefly contributed to Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
's police drama The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
during the mid-1980s.
More recent work has included several Doctor Who novels for BBC Books
BBC Books
BBC Books is an imprint majority owned and managed by Random House. The minority shareholder is BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation...
, all featuring the character of Leela, and a series of straight-to-CD full-cast audio dramas entitled Kaldor City
Kaldor City
Kaldor City is a human city of the future on an unspecified alien world, created by Chris Boucher for the Doctor Who serial The Robots of Death broadcast in 1977, and reused in his Past Doctor Adventure Corpse Marker in 1999...
, which combine elements from his Doctor Who serial The Robots of Death with his Blake's 7 work.
Personal life
Boucher is an atheist. He disapproves of the introduction of religion into government policy and the education of children.In October 2004, Boucher gave an interview in which he revealed his support for trade unions and the traditional values of the Labour Party (UK)
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
:
“I was and remain "Old Labour" and an unrepentant supporter of unions in principle and in practice. On the day when no worker needs the help and protection of other workers against unconcerned and/or rapacious employers I will cheer myself hoarse. Since I don’t believe in an afterlife however I can say with absolute certainty I shall never see that particular dawn.”
He also described former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
as “horrendous” and her followers as a “carpet-bagging gang of loathsome thugs and conmen”.
Scripts
- 1977: Doctor Who: The Face of Evil, Doctor Who: The Robots of Death, Doctor Who: Image of the Fendahl (Each story released over twelve months).
- 1979: Blake's 7: Shadow, Blake's 7: Weapon, Blake's 7: Trial, Blake's 7: Star One (Another story released every three months).
- 1980: Blake's 7: City at the Edge of the World, Blake's 7: Rumours of Death, Blake's 7: Death-Watch (Another story released every four months).
- 1981: Blake's 7: Rescue, Blake's 7: Blake (2005, ISBN 0-563-48618-X)
- 1982: Juliet Bravo: Where There's Muck... (Released in December).
- 1987: Star Cops: An Instinct for Murder, Star Cops: Conversations with the Dead, Star Cops: Intelligent Listening for Beginners, Star Cops: Trivial Games and Paranoid Pursuits, Star Cops: Little Green Men and Other Martians (Another story released every two months starting with April).
- 2002: Kaldor City: Death's Head (25 YEARS OF BOUCHER ENTERPRISES SPECIAL EDITION RELEASE: Released in April).
Novels
- 1998: Doctor Who: Last Man Running
- 1999: Doctor Who: Corpse Marker
- 2001: Doctor Who: Psi-ence Fiction
- 2005: Doctor Who: Match of the Day