Why was Tanith Lee never asked to write for Doctor Who

[burrunjor]

I know she was a huge fan of the original. Also she wrote for sci fi tv shows, with both of her Blake's 7 episodes being among the best episodes of any genre tv show. She made me a B7 fan for life. 

Along with Nigel Kneale she was really the writer who should have written a DW episode. We know why he didn't as he was a jealous, bitter bitch about DW's success, but anyone know if she was ever approached and couldn't do it for some reason?

Seems like a huge oversight on the part of well all the producers from the 70s on. Hell even New Who, should have got her in. 

I'm not sure if she would have been a good producer or script editor. I've thought about it, but her style is a bit too sexy in some ways LOL for DW, but certainly her crazy imagination and talent for merging the supernatural and sci fi together as seen in both her B7 episodes could have been used to great effect for DW. Maybe even more so in some respects than for B7, as to be fair whilst both of her episodes are classics, they are also kind of oddities, as B7 was normally straight forward sci fi. 

[rushy]

To quote an interview made with her:

SA: Do you remember much about the script you submitted for Doctor Who?

TANITH: I didn’t get as far as a script. I was asked for a synopsis and duly sent one. Unfortunately I hadn’t watched the series for years, and the first idea was apparently too like something else they had already done. Normally I wouldn’t do this, but I came up with another idea and offered it, but they said they weren’t keen. So that was the end of my non-history with Doctor Who. I must admit that my great favourites among the Doctors had been Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee. Since then friends have shown me episodes with Tom Baker that were fascinating.

[burrunjor]

Thanks for that. If I had been the script editor I would have kept asking her. If we'd got a DW story as good as her B7 episodes, then it could have been top 10. It's very telling that despite writing just two B7's she is regarded as among the best writers of the series.

[Cherry Pepsi Maxil]

Sarcophagus and Sand are so beautifully written and produced. I own some of her fantasy novels too.

[burrunjor]

I even wrote a character named after her in Dionne P Nash. (Though in terms of backstory and personality she was based more on the alien from Sarcophagus.) I suppose the fact that I had Sophie read that can be considered a slight crossover between DW and B7. Also the character of Carlene that Sophie is playing comes from the city of Darrow, where her nemesis was crazy Lord Paul LOL.

Whilst I'm happy with Sophie doing Carlene obviously, I must admit I do wish Paul was still here, so I could have got him to play crazy Lord Paul. If he'd agreed to do it, think of the hamminess haha.

[rushy]

Mar 19, 2024 11:31:00 GMT burrunjor said:

Whilst I'm happy with Sophie doing Carlene obviously, I must admit I do wish Paul was still here, so I could have got him to play crazy Lord Paul. If he'd agreed to do it, think of the hamminess haha.

He'd do it for the in-joke alone. Paul ADORED in-jokes. His books are absolutely stuffed with them. He also spent a good minute wheezing over "Jenna's back on Vere" XD