The Brigadier

[thefifthdoctor]

I found this on youtube & thought I'd start a topic for people to discuss the late, great Nicholas Courtney.

In Memoriam:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck9qi7MqxHo&feature=fvsr

[MandyDuchovney]

Wonderful idea TFD 

He's left us with so many great/iconic performances. I was watching him only last night in Planet of The Spiders with the lovely Jon Pertwee. The rapoire between The Brig and The Doctor was..as always... entertaining/delightful.

[Vampyros Adric]

I knew that Nicholas Courtney had not been in the best of health for some time but nonetheless it was such a sadness when I found out of his passing this morning (and thanks to TFD for the great YouTube clips).

He was a fine actor who seemed to understand and appreciate what being in Doctor Who was all about. As the Brigadier he would light up the screen with his mixture of honesty and dignity. More than his fine performances, I will remember a man who loved being part of the Doctor Who scene. Us fans are an easy lot to poke fun at but, unlike some actors, Nick Courtney never did this. He was patient and generous of his time and he will be sorely missed at conventions and on his appearances on DVD extras and commentaries.

RIP Nick and thank you.

[thefifthdoctor]

http://www.tom-baker.co.uk/pages/content/index.asp?PageID=159

Nick Courtney died yesterday after a very long and painful battle with cancer. I went to say goodbye to him on Friday at the wonderful hospice near Belsize Park in North London. The lady in charge said he was very stoical.  And indeed he was.  It was so distressing to see him so weak and yet so strong in resignation.  My jokes were received with a generous effort from Nick to smile. I was with Michael McManus who helped me through the ordeal of seeing a beloved old pal so reduced by illness.

Of all the characters in Doctor Who there is no doubt that he was the most loved by the fans for his wonderful portrayal of the rather pompous Brigadier.  "Five rounds rapid" was the line we all loved, always addressed to Sergeant Benton.  Nick's close friends simply adored him.  There was a certain innocence in his personality that was utterly endearing.  He was very easy to tease, and I did my share, which made him shake his head in disbelief when he realised he had been had.

He was a wonderful companion and his friends would call each other or e-mail to relate the latest little stories of a night out with the Brig. He had a marvellous resonant voice which he used brilliantly when it was his turn to spin a yarn. And his background was fascinating too: born in Alexandria, Egypt, he was brought up speaking French and Arabic. Later he perfected English and after a few drinks he would speak in Latin tags to great comic effect.

We shall miss him terribly.

[thefifthdoctor]

Man, Tom Baker's words almost had me in tears.

I think The Five Doctors will be going on tonight, or perhaps Inferno.

[Twisted-Sister]

Such a sad loss of a brilliant actor. He will be missed

[TheDoctorDonna]

Absolutely gutted. Such a tragic loss

[Nyki]

I hadn't heard this, and I'm really upset now.  He was one of the greatest characters in the history of DW, and always impeccably played.  And don't forget Nick's other great character, Bret Vyon from The Daleks Master Plan - he can still be seen in one episode of that.

RIP

[Exterminate]

Gutting news. Played such a part in the history of DW. Will be much missed, I'm sure

[Peri-Peri]

This is his last appearance as The Brig in SJA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmrCXPFZV4&feature=player_embedded

[MandyDuchovney]

I wonder if SJA or DW itself will pay tribute to the character? I can't see his passing going by unacknowledged...especially with the 50th anniversary not far off.

[Dame Roger]

Very sad news. I always loved the Brig, a great character - pompous, irritating, but yet somehow always loveable. And it was that loveability that showed how good an actor Nicholas Courtney was; (and I think I've said this on this board before but never mind) it would have been so easy for the Brig to have just come across as a cliched blimpish authoritarian military type (certainly many of the scripts didn't make him any more than that) but the way Nicholas Courtney played him ensured that you always ended up liking him.

I'd always hoped to see him make an appearance in the new Doctor Who. Seeing him turn up in SJA was wonderful, but not quite the same as if it had been the main show. So sad to think it'll now never happen.

[Dame Roger]

An excellent tribute here:

[MandyDuchovney]

Aww 

[TheDoctorDonna]

It only just occured to me over the weekend that all the eyepatches in the S6 finale could be seen as a bit of a homage to Nick Courtney. I don't know if they were, but I like the idea that they might have been.

[Oh-Wise-One]

I'd never even thought of that. Good catch

[poprockgeek]

It only just occured to me over the weekend that all the eyepatches in the S6 finale could be seen as a bit of a homage to Nick Courtney. I don't know if they were, but I like the idea that they might have been.

I'm just watching that ep with commentary & you are spot on TDD - according to the Moff they were indeed.

[Nyki]

Brilliant catch.  It never occurred to me.

[The Doc]

I'd not even thought of that. What a nice tribute.

[thefifthdoctor]

Tip of the hat for that one, nice to see the great man acknowledged.