John Nathan-Turner

John Nathan-Turner (12 August 1947 – 1 May 2002), born John Turner, was the ninth producer of the long-running BBC science fiction series Doctor Who. He was also the final producer of the series' first run on television. He produced the series from 1980 until it was cancelled in 1989. He finished the role having become the longest-serving Doctor Who producer and cast Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy as the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctors. 2Early life Born John Turner in Birmingham, he adopted the double-barrelled stage name John Nathan-Turner in order to distinguish himself from the British actor John Turner. He was educated at King Edward VI School, at Aston in Birmingham, where he showed an early interest in acting and theatre. His earliest television acting work was as an extra (supporting artist) in TV productions for ITV, including Crossroads and Flying Swan. Both shows were made in Birmingham (the former at ATV's Aston studios). On leaving school, he initially worked as an actor and assistant stage manager at Birmingham's Alexandra Theatre. He was later taken on by the BBC as a television floor assistant, working on every type of show (from light entertainment to news and current affairs), including - more importantly for his later career - dram