Donald Tosh
Encyclopedia
Donald Tosh was a BBC
screenwriter
during the 1960s who contributed to the Doctor Who
programme in 1965.
Before working on Doctor Who Tosh was briefly script editor on the series Compact
, and had helped to develop the show that eventually became Coronation Street
.
Tosh was the story editor
for the Doctor Who stories between The Time Meddler
and The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve
, working with producers Verity Lambert
and John Wiles
.
On Tosh's final story, The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve
by John Lucarotti
, Tosh performed a substantial rewrite of the scripts, both to align them with historical accuracy and also to accommodate William Hartnell
's dual role as both the Doctor and the Abbot of Amboise. On the final episode the story editor's credit was given over to his successor Gerry Davis
and Tosh was co-credited.
He also performed an extensive re-write of The Celestial Toymaker
by Brian Hayles
. Most of this work, however, was in turn rewritten by Davis. Tosh claimed that the trilogic game was the sole retention from his version of the script.
As of 2011, he is the only script editor
from the William Hartnell
era still living and, together with Glyn Jones, one of only two writers to have contributed to that period of Doctor Who
still alive.
After leaving television Tosh worked for a time for English Heritage
. He was Head Custodian of Sherborne Old Castle
, Dorset
and St Mawes
in Cornwall
. He now resides in Essex
.
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...
screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
during the 1960s who contributed to the 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...
programme in 1965.
Before working on Doctor Who Tosh was briefly script editor on the series Compact
Compact (TV series)
Compact is a British television soap opera shown by the BBC between 1962 and 1965. The series was created by Hazel Adair and Peter Ling, who together went on to devise Crossroads....
, and had helped to develop the show that eventually became Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
.
Tosh was the story 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...
for the Doctor Who stories between The Time Meddler
The Time Meddler
The Time Meddler is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 3 July to 24 July 1965...
and The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve
The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve
The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 5 February to 26 February 1966...
, working with producers Verity Lambert
Verity Lambert
Verity Ann Lambert, OBE was an English television and film producer. She is best known as the founding producer of the science-fiction series Doctor Who, a programme which has become a part of British popular culture, and for her association with Thames Television...
and John Wiles
John Wiles
John Wiles was a television writer and producer, now best known for being the second producer of the popular science fiction serial Doctor Who, succeeding Verity Lambert...
.
On Tosh's final story, The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve
The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve
The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 5 February to 26 February 1966...
by John Lucarotti
John Lucarotti
John Lucarotti was a British screenwriter.Lucarotti began his career at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, writing on over 200 various scripts for them as well as for Canadian television. He then moved back to England where he had a prolific career...
, Tosh performed a substantial rewrite of the scripts, both to align them with historical accuracy and also to accommodate William Hartnell
William Hartnell
William Henry Hartnell was an English actor. During 1963-66, he was the first actor to play the Doctor in the long-running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Early life:...
's dual role as both the Doctor and the Abbot of Amboise. On the final episode the story editor's credit was given over to his successor Gerry Davis
Gerry Davis (screenwriter)
Gerry Davis was a British television writer, best known for his contributions to the science-fiction genre. He also wrote for the soap operas Coronation Street and United!....
and Tosh was co-credited.
He also performed an extensive re-write of The Celestial Toymaker
The Celestial Toymaker
The Celestial Toymaker is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 2 April to 23 April 1966.-Plot:...
by Brian Hayles
Brian Hayles
Brian Hayles was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. His body of work as a writer for television and film, most notably for the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who, lasted from 1962 to 1978....
. Most of this work, however, was in turn rewritten by Davis. Tosh claimed that the trilogic game was the sole retention from his version of the script.
As of 2011, he is the only 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...
from the William Hartnell
William Hartnell
William Henry Hartnell was an English actor. During 1963-66, he was the first actor to play the Doctor in the long-running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Early life:...
era still living and, together with Glyn Jones, one of only two writers to have contributed to that period of 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...
still alive.
After leaving television Tosh worked for a time for English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
. He was Head Custodian of Sherborne Old Castle
Sherborne Castle
Sherborne Castle is a 16th-century Tudor mansion southeast of Sherborne in Dorset, England. The park formed only a small part of the Digby estate.-Old castle:Sherborne Old Castle is the ruin of a 12th-century castle in the grounds of the mansion...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
and St Mawes
St Mawes
St Mawes is a small town opposite Falmouth, on the Roseland Peninsula on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It lies on the east bank of the Carrick Roads, a large waterway created after the Ice Age from an ancient valley which flooded as the melt waters caused the sea level to...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. He now resides in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
.