When it was announced that Jon Pertwee was leaving the role of the Doctor, Executive Producer Barry Letts and Script Editor, Terrance Dicks commenced their search for a new actor to play the title role. The initial aim of these two was to find an older actor to play the Doctor so stars such as Graham Crowden (my heart still soars to think of him playing the Doctor), Richard Hurndall (who would go on to play the Doctor albiet by proxy), Michael Bentine and Fulton Mackay were all considered. This, thought the production team, would preclude the Doctor from action scenes. So a handsome, young male companion was envisaged to fulfil the 'action' requirements. Step forward Harry Sullivan. A hale and hearty navel type who was very straight forward but clearly intelligent and compassionate enough to be a Medical Doctor.
When watching Sullivan one is immediately struck by the charisma of Ian Marter's character. The snippy but affectionate relationship with Sarah Jane, the almost father-son relationship between him and the Doctor all work really well. The decision of the Hinchcliffe/Holmes team to drop the Sullivan character when it became obvious that Tom Baker's Doctor was more than able to handle the physical requirements was perhaps the only mis-step of that era.
Look at the stories he was involved in, Robot, The Ark in Space, Sontaran Expt, Genesis of the Daleks, Terror of the Zygons - what an amazing sequence of brilliance - and due in no small part to the loveable, slightly oafish but always heroic presence of Harry Sullivan. The loss of Ian Marter to a diabetic episode in the mid 1980s was truly tragic. His presence on screen was never less than wholly enjoyable and (as Peri-Peri rightly pointed out elsewhere) he is a much overlooked figure in the Whoniverse.
