Lesley Scott is the first woman to receive a writing credit in the history of the British science-fiction program, 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...

. She received a full co-writing credit for the 1966 serial, The Ark

The Ark (Doctor Who)

The Ark is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 5 March to 26 March 1966...

, despite having contributed nothing to the script. The credit came at the request of writer Paul Erickson

Paul Erickson

Paul Erickson was a Welsh screenwriter, most active in the 1950s and 1960s. He contributed generally single episodes to a wide variety of British television shows, most typically of the crime drama genre, although he did occasionally generate science-fiction scripts...

's agent, on Erickson's behalf. He wanted, for reasons still obscure, to share the writing credit with his then-wife. However, she did not receive any part of the copyright for the serial.

She remained the only woman credited as a writer on Doctor Who until Barbara Clegg

Barbara Clegg

Barbara Clegg is a British actress and scriptwriter for television and radio. She was born in Manchester and spent her early years in Gatley.Clegg started out acting in the theatre before moving into film and television with roles in Emergency Ward 10 and The Dream Maker...

 in 1983. She is not a professional television writer, and has no other writing credits in that medium to her name. However, she is credited as a contributor to the Dr. Who Annuals published by World Distributors/World International.