Gary Russell (born 18 September 1963) is a British freelance writer, producer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media. As an actor, he is best known for playing Dick Kirrin in the British 1978 television series The Famous Five.

Gary Russell
Born (1963-09-18) 18 September 1963 (age 61)
NationalityBritish
Occupations
  • Author
  • comic book writer
  • script editor
  • former actor
Years active1976–present

Biography

edit

Russell was born in Maidenhead, Berkshire.[citation needed] His on-screen acting career included leading roles in the BBC's adaptation of E. Nesbit's novel The Phoenix and the Carpet as Cyril, ITV's adaptations of Enid Blyton's Famous Five novels (as Dick) and the BBC's Look & Read schools series, playing Lord Edward Dark in Dark Towers. He also spent seasons performing with Prospect Theatre Company and the Royal National Theatre.

He has written guide books, under the pseudonym Warren Martyn, to Frasier and The Simpsons for Virgin Publishing.[1] He was editor of Doctor Who Magazine between 1992 and 1995. He was the producer for the Doctor Who licensed audio drama tie-ins at Big Finish Productions from its inception in 1998 until July 2006, when he stepped down[2] to work for BBC Wales as a Script Editor on Doctor Who The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood.[3] He has written a number of Doctor Who spin-off novels and in 2000 co-wrote with executive producer Philip Segal the book Doctor Who: Regeneration (HarperCollins, ISBN 0-00-710591-6), the making-of book of the 1996 Doctor Who television movie, as well as the TV movie's novelisation in 1996.

He wrote a series of The Art of The Lord of the Rings, one per film, plus a fourth featuring material that could not be fitted into the individual volumes, and contributed to Gollum: How We Made Movie Magic with Andy Serkis. He also wrote the behind-the-scenes book on the making of the Matthew Warchus directed 2007 stage musical version of The Lord of the Rings. His behind-the-scenes book Doctor Who: The Inside Story was published in October 2006, coinciding with his joining the Doctor Who production team. His most recent reference work was also for Doctor Who; published in 2007 by BBC Books, The Doctor Who Encyclopedia is a guide to the current Doctor Who series (2005–present), which has been regularly updated (most recently in 2012) and published both in hardback and via an app. He also wrote a similar encyclopedia for Torchwood and The Torchwood Archive, a semi-fictional guide to the show. He also co-produced and directed the animated mini series The Infinite Quest and Dreamland, which tied in with the current television series of Doctor Who as well as a series of award-winning animated online games also based on the show.

In 2011, having left BBC Wales, he briefly returned to Big Finish to produce the Bernice Summerfield and Gallifrey audios,[4] before moving to Australia and becoming the Executive Producer at animation company Planet 55 Studios. There he has overseen the development and production of a new children's sci-fi cartoon Prisoner Zero for ABC Television.[5] He returned to the UK in 2016.

Credits

edit

Film and TV

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1976–77 The Phoenix and the Carpet Cyril
1978–79 The Famous Five Dick Kirrin
1981 Look and Read: Dark Towers Lord Edward Dark
1982 A Shocking Accident School Captain Short film
Schoolgirl Chums Stephen
1983 Octopussy Teenager in car[6] Uncredited

Stage

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1975 A Month in the Country Kolya[7] Prospect Theatre Company
1980–81 The Browning Version/Harlequinade Taplow/Halbidere Royal National Theatre, London/Baltimore

Bibliography

edit

Comics

edit

IDW Doctor Who comic book

edit

At the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con, IDW Publishing announced their intention to publish a new series of Doctor Who comics, which will follow the adventures of the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones. The first six issues of this series, later collected as Agent Provocateur, were scripted by Russell and published in early 2008. He has also written a number of Torchwood strips for Titan Publishing.

Books

edit
Fiction
Year Title Notes
1994 Doctor Who: Legacy Series: Virgin New Adventures
1995 Doctor Who: Invasion of the Cat-People Series: Virgin Missing Adventures
1996 Doctor Who: The Scales of Injustice Series: Virgin Missing Adventures
Doctor Who: The Novel of the Film Novelization
1997 The New Adventures: Deadfall Series: Virgin New Adventures
Doctor Who: Business Unusual Series: Past Doctor Adventures
1998 Doctor Who: Placebo Effect Series: Eighth Doctor Adventures
1999 Doctor Who: Divided Loyalties Series: Past Doctor Adventures
2001 Doctor Who: Instruments of Darkness Series: Past Doctor Adventures
2005 Doctor Who: Spiral Scratch Series: Past Doctor Adventures
2007 The Sarah Jane Adventures: Warriors of Kudlak Novelization
2008 Doctor Who: Beautiful Chaos Series: New Series Adventures
Torchwood: The Twilight Streets [8]
The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Lost Boy Novelization
The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Last Sontaran Novelization
2010 Doctor Who: The Glamour Chase Series: New Series Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures: Death of the Doctor Novelization
2012 Doctor Who: Horror of the Space Snakes Collected in the book Doctor Who Book 5: Monstrous Missions[9]
2014 Bernice Summerfield: Adorable Illusion
2015 Doctor Who: Big Bang Generation Series: New Series Adventures
2021 Robin of Sherwood: Here Be Dragons [10]
Short fiction
Year Title Published in
1998 "Missing, Part One: Business as Usual" Doctor Who: More Short Trips
"64 Carlysle Street" Doctor Who: More Short Trips
2000 "Countdown to TV Action" Doctor Who: Short Trips and Sidesteps
2003 "A Boy’s Tale" Doctor Who - Short Trips: Companions
2004 "Repercussions..." Doctor Who - Short Trips: Repercussions
2006 "Echoes" Doctor Who - Short Trips: The Centenarian
2007 "The Report" Doctor Who - Short Trips: Snapshots
"Do You Dream in Colour" Doctor Who - Short Trips: The Ghosts of Christmas
Non-fiction and reference books
Year Title Notes
2001 Doctor Who: Regeneration With Philip Segal
2004 The Art of The Lord of the Rings
2006 Doctor Who: The Inside Story
Audio dramas
Year Title Notes
2013 The Chronicles of Dorian Gray: The Picture of Loretta Delphine[11]

Directing credits

edit
Audio dramas
Year Title Notes
1999 Doctor Who: Whispers of Terror[12]
2000 Doctor Who: The Land of the Dead[13]
Doctor Who: The Fearmonger[14]
Doctor Who: The Marian Conspiracy[15]
Doctor Who: Red Dawn[16]
Doctor Who: Winter for the Adept[17]
Doctor Who: The Fires of Vulcan[18]
Doctor Who: The Shadow of the Scourge[19]
Bernice Summerfield: The Secret of Cassandra[20]
2001 Doctor Who: Storm Warning[21]
Doctor Who: The Stones of Venice[22]
Doctor Who: Dust Breeding[23]
Bernice Summerfield: The Extinction Event[24]
Doctor Who: Bloodtide[25]
Doctor Who: Project: Twilight[26]
Doctor Who: The Eye of the Scorpion[27]
Doctor Who: Colditz[28]
Doctor Who: Primeval[29]
Doctor Who: The One Doctor[30]
2002 Doctor Who: The Ratings War[31]
Doctor Who: Excelis Dawns[32]
Doctor Who: Seasons of Fear[33]
Bernice Summerfield: The Green-Eyed Monsters[34]
Doctor Who: Excelis Decays[35]
Doctor Who: Neverland[36]
Doctor Who: Spare Parts[37]
Sarah Jane Smith: Comeback[38]
Sarah Jane Smith: The TAO Connection[39]
Doctor Who: The Sandman[40]
Sarah Jane Smith: Ghost Town[41]
Sarah Jane Smith: Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre[42]
Doctor Who: The Maltese Penguin[43]
Doctor Who: The Church and the Crown[44]
Doctor Who: Real Time[45] Also writer.
2003 Doctor Who: No Place Like Home[46]
Bernice Summerfield: The Mirror Effect[47]
Bernice Summerfield: The Bellotron Incident[48]
Bernice Summerfield: The Draconian Rage[49]
Doctor Who: Project: Lazarus[50]
Doctor Who: Sympathy for the Devil[51]
Doctor Who: Flip-Flop[52]
Doctor Who: Omega[53]
Doctor Who: He Jests at Scars...[54] Also writer.
Doctor Who: Davros[55]
Judge Dredd: War Planet[56]
Doctor Who: Master[57]
Doctor Who: Zagreus[58] Also writer with Alan Barnes.
Doctor Who: The Wormery[59]
Doctor Who: Living Legend[60]
Doctor Who: Scherzo[61]

Awards

edit

In April 2022, Gary Russell was given the inaugural Terrance Dicks Award For Writers by the Doctor Who Appreciation Society.[62]

References

edit
  1. ^ Preddle, Jon (June 1997). "Gary Russell: From Peladon to Placebos". Time Space Visualiser. No. 51. The New Zealand Doctor Who Fan Club. Retrieved 20 August 2020. I've just done my first non-fiction book, Oh No It's A Completely Unofficial Simpsons Guide for Virgin, co-authored with Gareth Roberts which has, to be frank, been more of a nightmare than it needed to be [the book was published as I Can't Believe It's An Unofficial Simpsons Guide, with Gary and Gareth writing under the pseudonyms Warren Martyn & Adrian Wood].
  2. ^ "All Change at Big Finish". 9 July 2006. Archived from the original on 21 August 2006.
  3. ^ "Bride on Time!". Doctor Who Magazine (373). 13 September 2006.
  4. ^ "Podcasts - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com.
  5. ^ "planet55studios.com.au - Parked Domain". planet55studios.com.au.
  6. ^ "Trivia - Octopussy". Mi6-HQ.com. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  7. ^ Turgenev, Ivan (1980). A Month in the Country - Issue 2 of Monash Nineteenth-century drama series. Dramatists Play Service Inc. p. 7. ISBN 9780822207726.
  8. ^ "Gary Russell interview | Unreality SF".
  9. ^ Green, Jonathan; Russell, Gary (27 March 2012). Doctor Who Book 5: Monstrous Missions. ISBN 978-1405908047.
  10. ^ Russell, Gary (26 March 2021). Robin of Sherwood: Here Be Dragons. ISBN 978-1913256760.
  11. ^ "2.1. THE PICTURE OF LORETTA DELPHINE". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  12. ^ "3. WHISPERS OF TERROR". Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  13. ^ "4. THE LAND OF THE DEAD". Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  14. ^ "5. THE FEARMONGER". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  15. ^ "6. THE MARIAN CONSPIRACY". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  16. ^ "8. RED DAWN". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  17. ^ "10. WINTER FOR THE ADEPT". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  18. ^ "12. The Fires of Vulcan". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  19. ^ "13. The Shadow of the Scourge". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  20. ^ "2.1. The Secret of Cassandra". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  21. ^ "16. Storm Warning". Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  22. ^ "18. The Stones of Venice". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  23. ^ "21. Dust Breeding". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  24. ^ "2.3. The Extinction Event". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  25. ^ "22. Bloodtide". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  26. ^ "23. Project: Twilight". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  27. ^ "24. The Eye of the Scorpion". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  28. ^ "25. Colditz". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  29. ^ "26. Primeval". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  30. ^ "27. The One Doctor". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  31. ^ "The Ratings War". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  32. ^ "1. Doctor Who: Excelis Dawns". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  33. ^ "30. Seasons of Fear". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  34. ^ "3.2. The Green-Eyed Monsters". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  35. ^ "3. Doctor Who: Excelis Decays". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  36. ^ "33. Neverland". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  37. ^ "34. Spare Parts". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  38. ^ "1.1. Sarah Jane Smith: Comeback". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  39. ^ "1.2. Sarah Jane Smith: The Tao Connection". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  40. ^ "37. The Sandman". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  41. ^ "1.4. Sarah Jane Smith: Ghost Town". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  42. ^ "1.5. Sarah Jane Smith: Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  43. ^ "33 1/2. The Maltese Penguin". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  44. ^ "38. The Church and the Crown". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  45. ^ "i. Real Time". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  46. ^ "No Place Like Home". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  47. ^ "3.4. The Mirror Effect". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  48. ^ "4.1. The Bellotron Incident". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  49. ^ "4.2. The Draconian Rage". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  50. ^ "45. Project: Lazarus". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  51. ^ "2. Sympathy for the Devil". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  52. ^ "46. Flip Flop". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  53. ^ "47. Omega". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  54. ^ "4. He Jests at Scars..." Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  55. ^ "48. Davros". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  56. ^ "12. Judge Dredd: War Planet". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  57. ^ "49. Master". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  58. ^ "50. Zagreus". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  59. ^ "51. The Wormery". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  60. ^ "Living Legend". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  61. ^ "52. Scherzo". Big Finish Productions. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  62. ^ "Gary Russell wins The Terrance Dicks Award For Writers". Doctor Who News. 3 April 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
edit
Preceded by Doctor Who Magazine Editor
1992–1995
Succeeded by