Victor Pemberton
Encyclopedia
Victor Pemberton is a British
writer and television producer.
Victor Pemberton's scriptwriting work included BBC
radio plays, and television scripts for the BBC and ITV
, including Doctor Who
, The Slide
and The Adventures of Black Beauty
.
His television production work included the British version of Fraggle Rock
(second series onwards), and several independent documentaries including the 1989 International Emmy Award
-winning Gwen: A Juliet Remembered, about stage actress Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies
.
In his earlier years Pemberton had several small screen acting roles. In addition to novelisations, he has written many nostalgic novels set in London
, prompted by the success of his autobiographical radio drama series Our Family.
Pemberton grew up in Islington
, London, and lived for many years in Essex
. He now lives in Spain
, where he continues to write novels.
(which he subsequently novelised for Target Books
). The story, now missing from the BBC archives, was based on an earlier stand-alone radio serial
he had written called The Slide, starring future Master actor Roger Delgado
. It introduced the Doctor's trademark sonic screwdriver
. He was also story editor
of season five opener The Tomb of the Cybermen
.
In 1976 Pemberton wrote the audio drama Doctor Who and the Pescatons for an experiment in Doctor Who on vinyl record and an early spin-off
from the programme. The production was aimed at children and is heavily based on ideas Pemberton had used for Fury from the Deep. He later novelised The Pescatons, which was the final Doctor Who book published under the Target imprint. He had previously appeared as an actor in the series, in a non-speaking role as a scientist in the 1967 story The Moonbase
.
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...
writer and television producer.
Victor Pemberton's scriptwriting work included 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...
radio plays, and television scripts for the BBC and 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...
, including 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...
, The Slide
The Slide
The Slide is a sci-fi radio serial in seven parts by Victor Pemberton. It starred Roger Delgado, Maurice Denham David Spenser and Miriam Margolyes.It inspired the Doctor Who story Fury from the Deep.-External links:*...
and The Adventures of Black Beauty
The Adventures of Black Beauty
The Adventures of Black Beauty is a British children's television drama series produced by London Weekend Television and shown by ITV in the United Kingdom between 1972 and 1974...
.
His television production work included the British version of Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock is a children's live action puppet television program series created by Jim Henson. The central characters were a set of "Muppet" creatures called Fraggles. The show ran from January 10, 1983, to March 30, 1987, on CBC Television in Canada, ITV in the UK, HBO in the United States,...
(second series onwards), and several independent documentaries including the 1989 International Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-winning Gwen: A Juliet Remembered, about stage actress Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies
Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies
Dame Gwen Lucy Ffrangcon-Davies, DBE was a British actress and centenarian. She was born in London of a Welsh family; the name "Ffrangcon" originates from a valley in Snowdonia...
.
In his earlier years Pemberton had several small screen acting roles. In addition to novelisations, he has written many nostalgic novels set in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, prompted by the success of his autobiographical radio drama series Our Family.
Pemberton grew up in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, London, and lived for many years 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...
. He now lives in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, where he continues to write novels.
Doctor Who
Pemberton wrote the 1968 Patrick Troughton story Fury from the DeepFury from the Deep
Fury from the Deep is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in six weekly parts from 16 March to 20 April 1968...
(which he subsequently novelised for Target Books
Target Books
Target Books was a British publishing imprint, established in 1973 by Universal-Tandem Publishing Co Ltd, a paperback publishing company. The imprint was established as a children's imprint to complement the adult Tandem imprint, and became well known for their highly successful range of...
). The story, now missing from the BBC archives, was based on an earlier stand-alone radio serial
Radio drama
Radio drama is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story...
he had written called The Slide, starring future Master actor Roger Delgado
Roger Delgado
Roger Caesar Marius Bernard de Delgado Torres Castillo Roberto was an English actor, best known for his role as the first Master in Doctor Who....
. It introduced the Doctor's trademark sonic screwdriver
Sonic screwdriver
The sonic screwdriver is a fictional tool in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spinoffs. It is a multifunctional tool used by The Doctor. Its most common function is that of a lockpick, but can be used to perform other operations such as performing medical scans,...
. He was also 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...
of season five opener The Tomb of the Cybermen
The Tomb of the Cybermen
The Tomb of the Cybermen is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that originally aired in four weekly parts from September 2 to September 23, 1967 and is the earliest serial starring Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor to exist in its entirety...
.
In 1976 Pemberton wrote the audio drama Doctor Who and the Pescatons for an experiment in Doctor Who on vinyl record and an early spin-off
Doctor Who spin-offs
Doctor Who spin-offs refers to material created outside of, but related to, the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
from the programme. The production was aimed at children and is heavily based on ideas Pemberton had used for Fury from the Deep. He later novelised The Pescatons, which was the final Doctor Who book published under the Target imprint. He had previously appeared as an actor in the series, in a non-speaking role as a scientist in the 1967 story The Moonbase
The Moonbase
The Moonbase is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 11 February to 4 March 1967...
.