wonderful video! my grandmother loved Dr.Who since she moved to England in 1970 and she always loves these videos. She's been in and out of chemo for a long time, and she rushes to watch these when i send her the links for new videos and it just generally makes her happy. So thank you, you're doing good work.
Thank you so much! That is genuinely one of the most wonderful comments I’ve ever had. It means so much to me that my little videos bring you and your grandmother such joy. I wish you both all the best!
Heres hoping these vids continue to give your gran peace and happiness , they'recertainly essential viewing, I used to think I had some knowledge of the original series but I always learn loads from each instalment👍👍
"Get off my world." "Pitiful, can this world do no better than you as their champion?" "Probably! I just do the best I can" God damn that's a hell of a line. Really shows how heroic the Brigadier was. No super-powers, no magical alien, he's not the Timeless Child, he's not a robot. he makes mistakes and screws up. But he's out there, doing his best to save the day.
One of my favorite Brigadier lines is, and I may end up paraphrasing, "Just once I'd like to meet a monster that wasn't immune to bullets". I love that his final appearance in Classic Who has him defeating the monster...with bullets. Special bullets, but still bullets.
2011 was a hard year for the who universe losing first the Brigadier and then Sarah Jane. Two actors which gave so much to Doctor Who and will never be forgotten.
@@Demortixx the actress Elizabeth Sladen passed away in 2011 but the character Sarah Jane Smith actually survived into 2019, maybe 2020. Her funeral was apart of a short story released on TH-cam in 2020 called 'Farewell Sarah Jane' which was made over the first UK lockdown
@@vashna3799 and both were introduced in the Third Doctor's era! Fittingly, the Golden Era of Dr Who produced not only two of the best Doctors, but also two of the best side characters 😊
Though in truth you could not fire an SLR like that coz that weapon had a kick like a mule, that was one thing I couldn't suspend my disbelief on as I 1st came across the weapon at Swinderby.
What I liked about The Brig was that although on the surface he seemed a stereotypical British Army officer, he wasn't two-dimensional. He respected and admired The Doctor, looked after his men, and even had flashes of deadpan humour. He came across as an actual human being and a decent person, not just a comedy stuffy Establishment foil for the Doctor to critique.
Matt Smith's scene where he hears about the Brigadier's death is a beuatiful scene, and is probably my favourite scene from The Wedding of River Song that doesn't have Gantok in it. It's almost as if the Brig was advising his old friend from beyond the grave, telling him he's got to go through with what he's desperately trying to avoid. Better than the bloody Cyberbrigadier, that was a bloody bad idea in practice, though I can understand what they were going for.
Now seeing the context for his friend’s history it makes the scene sadder. When I watched it originally it was before I watched the classic who episodes. 😢
I honestly think it's one of the gentler missteps in the capauldi era in comparison to the MANY preceded and followed it. Not to mention the horrible lot Jodie got. (poor woman deserves better writers, she's trying her best)
@@ritzexists2201 Yes, I feel so sorry for her. No personal dislike for Chibnall, I just don't think his stuff was to my taste. I wish Whittaker could stick around for a series under Russell T, but such things are not to be.
One of the very best of all companions to the Doctor. Never has there been someone as long-standing and enduring as the Brig himself. The legacy of Nicholas Courtney's performance is felt through every era of the show. Another brilliant video for such a brilliant character. Hats off to you, Richard!
The fact that the show tried to bring him back through his daughter is a testament to how well loved he is. Unfortunately, she couldn't compare because Nicholas Courtney's Brigadier is irreplaceable.
One of my favorite moments from the new series is when the Tenth Doctor states he wishes the Brigadier was there and then realized the Colonel he's working with might take it as an insult. Instead the man completely agrees, knowing the Brigadier's (or Sir Alistair, as he calls him) reputation.
What saves that final scene for me, is that it has the doctor, as far as I know for the one and only time, give a genuine military salute out of respect. Knowing his dislike for soldiers and authority figures, the Brig couldn't get a bigger vote of approval from anyone. That being said, I would love a team-up between him and River. That should make sparks fly :)
Big Finish are doing precisely that, though of course with Jon Culshaw voicing the Brig. He's actually quite good, does a good young Brig, but his older Brig is all over the place unfortunately
In the context of the episode it works. I would have probably avoided doing it more because of missy's almost immediate return, which makes that final blast look like he was obeying an order to teleport missy away rather than one last rescue.
The Brigadier is one of my favourite companions and its a shame I never had the chance to meet Nicholas Courtney when he was alive, as I didn't know about comic cons in the 1990s, 2000s and early 2010s. May he rest in peace.
Agreed, one of my faves...in reality its been 10yrs since he left us..then At 36:55 Moffatt paid the respect to the man/character,by having the 11th ring him up at the nursing home just to be told he had passed a few months back....😔 Matt looks crushed...and yeah we all were too while watching lol..'he always made us pour an extra brandy,in case u came around one of these days. Well done Brigadier,well done.🥃✌
Met him in a few times at conventions in the late 90's sadly didn't make much of an impact. I got the impression he was there for the money. Elizabeth Sladen on the other hand was lovely.
A companion loyal and true, right to the very end. And a man, great in his acting and accepting/loving of the fan base that followed him. Rest In Peace Nicholas Courtney.
This perfectly encapsulates what everyone loves about the Brigadier. Thank god that the original actor for The Web of Fear pulled out, so that we could be treated to this Who legend.
I'm glad that the same day the news of Russel T. Davies coming back comes out, we also get some more videos from Clever Dick Films. Today is a good day.
I, like many but far too few, had the honour to meet Nicholas Courtney once. An absolute and utter gentleman. His legacy both in front of the camera and behind, whatever the show, is well deserved. We should all be lucky enough to have a friend as dedicated as the Brigadier was to the Doctor and vice versa.
I've always felt the Brigadier was deserving of his own classification. He's not a traditional companion. He has a unique role in the story which is exemplified by the need to give him a complete set of stories with every Doctor. It's one of the great friendships in fiction. It very much fits that he stays behind when The Doctor travels off. Protecting Earth is his duty and he'd never shirk that. I agree the Cyberman thing was a misstep, but I think it was done with good intentions.
As an American fan since the late 70's, I have a great deal of fondness for Lethbridge Stewart, and you've done a cracking job in both informing us about and honoring the character, and the late Nicholas Courtney himself. Thank you so much!
As an American. I remember watching Dr.Who with my Dad as a kid, and always hearing the Brigadier's voice. I was too young to understand the show,but his character always stands out as a distinctive memory. It's only recently after my father's passing that I really started getting into the show. The Brigadier still stands out, and is one of my favorite characters. Cheers
Smith was my first Doctor, so when they made mention to Lethbridge Stewart I was confused, but knew he had to have massive importance to the Doctor.. Imagine my surprise when I found out he was a character who'd been in the series basically since the beginning, and they were paying tribute to the actors passing. This show never fails to surprise me with the love that goes into its characters, and the actors behind them for more than just a cheap nod. It makes me smile knowing one day, generations from now we could see an older David Tennant suiting up and putting on his Brainy Specs to help out a far-future reincarnation of the Doctor, re-introducing the term "Allons-y" to a newer fanbase.
Honestly got very emotional watching this. I've always enjoyed watching season by season while exploring classic Who and having the brigadier as a constant source of stability and contrast with the new doctors and companions has always been fun. He is a character we will likely never see the like of again in Doctor who!
The wait is worth it and it is a great honor to do the wonderful soldier. Nick was for sure a dashing, sexy leading man in the British Show Biz. He was a darling of the Doctor Who genre. After his passing in 2011, he is still missed with Liz Sladen. In the Afterlife, Courtney is having tea with Liz Sladen, Deborah Watling, Pertwee, Troughton and Hartnell. Cleverdick great work once again.
I definitely agree that “misguided” is the best word for what happened in the Series 8 finale. You can tell that the writers had a lot of love for The Brigadier, and wanted to honor him, but the execution was definitely a bit tone deaf.
Excellent work yet again, sir. Nicholas Courtney raised the tone of the entire decade. Let's not overlook his natural charisma, which was evident in his role as the Brigadier. As a former child, I found the 1970 reboot a bit of a shock but was sold on the Brigadier and Caroline John as Liz Shaw even before the Doctor regained consciousness.
Excellent review as always. The way the Moffat era handled the Brigadier’s legacy was very mixed, but it’s good to look back and remember he’s always been there for the series, and always will be. I’ve been watching you since the Sixth Doctor retrospective, and I appreciate your dedication and professionalism towards the series in these videos, as much as the history and analysis. I’m very excited for the Eleventh Doctor video, since that was my doctor. 🎀
I feel that Courtney was a bit unlucky with the timing. When the show first came back and his health not too bad there was a (perhaps) understandable reluctance to overdo links to the classic series (which had been seen as a joke for years in British pop culture). I still dont see why he could not have appeared in the Sontaran two-parter though. Moffat (and Gatiss especially) seems to have been a bigger fan of the character than RTD was and was presumably keen to use him but of course it was already too late by then. Gatiss playing his grandfather is in many ways the perfect loveletter to the character (rather than the cyberbrig silliness). There is a wonderful documentary on the Season 10 blue ray set where Gatiss and Moffat essentially just fanboy all over the UNIT era and how much they loved and and why Petwee, Katy Manning and Courtney are so fantastic
Brilliant video as always and really teared up during that scene where the 11th Doctor learns of Lethbridge Stewart's death more so then when the episode aired. One small note though, The bit with the Brigadier at Unit in The Five Doctors was not an earlier version then the one seen in Mawdryn Undead and it is a Unit reunion not his retirement. This is how he is able to recognise Tegan later in the Tomb of Rassilon.
The Yeti Do - gotta love the mentality that equates an alien invasion with an office drinking sesh. I know Season 8 is when the family really comes into its own, but Season 7 is one of my all-time. The conflicting loyalties between the Dr and the Brig and poor Liz caught in the middle. Great stuff.
The Brigadier was an inspired creation, and it's hard to imagine the Pertwee era without him. It would have otherwise had to be a variety of different military leaders that the third Doctor dealt with, wasting valuable time on introducing them to the audience each story, or simply leaving them as military stereotypes without much back story (that went so well as we can see as UNIT was phased out during season 13!). Instead we had the wonderful creation of the Brig, who varied in seriousness and intelligence depending on what best suited the story, but who gradually built a warm relationship with the Doctor to the extent that they're out socialising by the time we get to Planet of Spiders. Nick Courtney was born for that part and played it to perfection. The character worked perfectly for the earthbound third Doctor stories, but less so as the Doctor's travels expanded again, and it was understandable that he was written out during the fourth Doctor's time, as was UNIT. But what a great time we had with the character (and with UNIT) for the first half of the 1970s. :-)
Ligitemitly cried when the 2011 thing came up. I already knew about it of course but I've recently started exploring the classic era in full and I've grown very attached to the brigadier like so many others, so that scene just broke my heart.
Awesome as usual Richard. The Brigadier has always been a key character most especially in classic who. Courtney's performance as the Brigadier was great.
You're back ! Huzzah ! I shall have a basinful of this with a cup of tea and a custard cream for sure. Good old Brig - one of the best - giving Sarah Jane a run for her money as the best Who companion - and thats really saying something. Thank you - I am sure it will be a delight to watch. 😀
Another fantastic video Richard, and you've really done the late, great Nic Courtney justice. Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart is undoubtably one of Doctor Who's greatest characters, arguably just as iconic as the Doctor him/herself. He is a true legend, a hero to generations old and new. I remember being devastated in 2011 when I heard of both his and Liz Sladen's passings. To quote Tom Baker "there are many Doctors, but there is only one Brigadier". Congrats on the video, and looking forward to Part 12.
The Brigadier was one of the characters that inhabits my childhood memories of Pertwee’s tenure of “Doctor Who” despite me being old enough to have been aware of the show from the start. UNIT was my era before Tom Baker & Nu Who. So as a casual fan I’m ok with the fact that the Brig saves the day again, is raised from the dead but retains his heroism even if trapped in the metal body of a Cyberman. After all it’s SciFi so perhaps we yet haven’t yet seen the Brig’s final farewell. In SciFi anything is possible.
When the show came here to the states when I was a kid, I saw the Brigadier with Tom Baker, Sarah Jane Smith, and Harry Sullivan, so for me he is not only one of the first things I ever saw on the show, but one of the best. Fantastic character and Nicholas Courtney was wonderful in the role, still sad he's gone.
and the follow up from one of the big finish plays in which an alien is attacking Paul McCartney and his band: 'Chap with Wings there, Five Rounds Rapid.'
Thanks for this, brought tears to my eyes several times, memories of a childhood hiding behind a sofa or cushion on Saturday tea times. I hope I can speak for fans to say that we were privileged to have Nicholas Courtney bringing Briagdier Sir Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart to live. RIP Sir, and thank you for giving me such wonderful memories as I grew up.
The Brigadier is one my favourite companies of classic Dr who and I love all of the doctor Who story he has been in I love the invasion because It set up the future of classic doctor who
Another astonishingly high quality documentary with an attention to detail and level of professionalism befitting the actor who embodied those very same traits.
This was an amazing video, keep up the good work! Interesting Brigadier fact, if you don't count Clara jymping into the Doctors timeline (which I don't) then the Brigadier has met more incarnations of the Doctor than any other companion in the shows long run - Doctors 1-7 all met on screen . Despite this he NEVER once travelled in the Tardis, this is normally a pre-requistie to be considered a 'companion' but Who fans make an exception for the Brig.
@@EdmundJohnson The Dæmons is also my favourite Pertwee story - in all media :) I've read the Target novelisation dozens of times over the years, and the audiobook (narrated by Barry Letts, no less) is great.
ngl the ending of the video got me really emotional. Nicholas Courtney may be gone but he'll never be forgotten, he has left behind such an incredible legacy which will be remembered forever! Beautiful video!
As an American, I always found the Brigadier to be the most quintessentially British character. He was subtly funny. My favorite of the classic male characters.
Thank you, Richard, for the best TH-cam tribute to Nicholas Courtney since Babelcolour's and Doctor Who Anime. The scenes from Downtime are especially nice to see again. Please continue with all your worthy contributions.
One of my absolute favorite Doctor who stories is the big finish audio drama sympathy for the Devil. The alternate Brigadier was just phenomenal. Its followup drama where he is a companion proper was just absolute wish fulfilment.
I like the fact, the Brigadier know one other character who have stay with the doctor for a big time, and was insane , and are scot too. Jamie McCrimmon.
Very well done, dare I say, I salute you! and quite agree about the major misstep with that cyberfiasco at the end. a rare lapse of judgement for this show. can't wait for your next documentary!
What i always liked about the Brigadier was that he was essentially an uncomplicated person. All problems involving aliens on earth required a military solution. Preferably, five rounds rapid!
I love it! The Brigadeer has always been a favorite of mine. And I always noted how he seemed to have interacted with more Doctors than any other. But I had no idea that the Actor ALSO interacted with the First Doctor (Hartnell)! Very cool.
Beautiful work as always! Thank you so much for the nod to the Paradise of Death and Ghosts of N-Space, I love those stories and sometimes think I'm the only person to even remember them!
Another great video... as a child of the 70's there is just something so enduring and special about the Brigadier (and even the other UNIT regulars). I have been rewatching Jon's first few seasons, he was just the rock that so much of the shows brilliance revolved around, during that time.
this really is fantastic! the first time I saw Brigadeer was during "the five doctors" special and even then as a kid I knew there was something special! Over time I found his history in the show and was a great character. Thank you for this amazing video
I love this channel, I was a new fan from the show and didn't understand when people meant eras, this channel helped understand and love even more this show. Keep up the outstanding work!
I have yet to really watch the classic series, except what I can find on TH-cam, but I've always liked the Brigadier and his deadpan delivery. I disnt think I would like this much but it was a very well planned and moving. Thank you for making this! I love your videos on Dr. Who. I learn so much. Dr. Who has changed my life in a meaningful way they he has yours and your passion for the show is so evident.
Great tribute! I got to see reruns of early Who when a Canadian channel was running them shortly before the renewal with Nine. They showed Troughton, Pertwee, and the beginning of Baker. The standout for me was the Brigadier. I didn't even think about the fact that Pertwee's Doctor was Earthbound. It was still interesting with all the aliens coming to Earth, and of course I enjoyed all the scenes with Lethbridge-Stewart. He's still my favorite non-Doctor character on the show.
26:31 As someone who comes from Canberra, I find it astonishing to see the _Canberra Times_ be used as the image for Doctor Who leaving the BBC. With no insult to the paper intended, it's definitely not the most prestigious newspaper ever seen.
Another fine production!! You continue to knock these retrospectives out of the park!! This was a very moving tribute to our favorite Brig. It cant be understated just how big of an influence the character has had on the Who mythos. Thank you for all your hard work on putting these videos together!! Take care brother!!👍👍👏👏
That was wonderful. I was introduced to Dr Who in the Pertwee era (although Tom Baker is MY Doctor) but The Brigadier was always a great character. Thanks and please do more.
Excellent video, thank you. My first Doctor was Pertwee (though I barely remember watching him when broadcast - that honour really goes to Tom Baker) but I always remembered the Brigadier, and with great fondness. I think Nicholas Courtney was a superb actor - and his role in Who was inspired casting. Thank you again for this caring, enjoyable, and (as ever!) thoroughly well-researched retrospective. 😊
Another superb video, as a fellow longstanding doctor who fan who loves all the back ground minutiae around the history and making of the show i always go into your videos expecting that i will know it all already but you always pull out new facts that i was not aware of. In this case i never knew the name of the actor originally slated to play Lethbridge in the Web of Fear, nor that Nicholas Courtney had had a stroke that prevented him from appearing in the Sarah Jane Adventures with the Tenth Doctor (i knew he had been ill, but not with what). Your research as always was top notch. Nicholas Courtney always came across as such a nice man and he did such great work, both on the tv series and later with Big Finish, the two stories he did with David Warner as the Doctor may have been his best ever work as the Brigadier, they really are wonderful.
Your video essays are always top notch. Someone who isn’t a traditional “fan” of Dr.Who. Your essays are so well informed and entertaining to watch. I’ve learned so much of this series from you. With a voice of velvet. Incredibly researched. Thank you for all your effort on these videos.
I recently watched the other early 1970s Letts/Dicks sci-fi drama Moonbase 3. I enjoyed it overall, but Barry and Terry later admitted that they had got the grimness of the lunar environment right but had not focused sufficiently on the wonders of science, rendering the series less effective. However, they got respect for trying hard and taking risks, and Moonbase 3 is fondly remembered.
25:08 I think that's Marsha Fitzalan (aka Lady Marcia Fitzalan-Howard) playing Mrs Lethbridge-Stewart. She was also Mrs B'stard in The New Statesman as the wife if Rik Mayall's character.
Thank you!!! Best companion video to date! I loved Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart! The first Doctor I ever saw was Peter Cushing as a kid then I recognized the phone booth and Jon Pertwee as the Doctor for my first view of the television series. I remember thinking how much of a Bad Ass the Brigadier was to stand up to and work with Jon Pertwee, who was ( The ) Kick Ass Doctor before Capaldi! I’ve listened to it five times already on patrol at work, thanks again!
Thank you, Richard, for another glorious celebration of Doctor Who in the form of one of the most wonderful supporting characters to ever lend a dignified presence to the programme. Your series always reminds me why I loved the show so much and highlights why it simply isn't the same nowadays... However, this and the joyous news of the return of the man who I would credit as being responsible for bringing it back to the heights of it's former greatness fills me with new hope that things can turn around again, the Master's account of the "Timeless Child" will be revealed as some sort of elaborate hoax and the Doctor will become, once again, a Time Lord, long lived but not immortal and regain the "humanity" that is lost when the character can just live endless lives without the vulnerability to death which we all share. As usual, a brilliant analysis, Richard. Now, how long till your review of the Matt Smith era? Yours expectantly....
Thank you for that. It underscores how it's the human characters who give Dr Who it's depth and emotional resonance. I loved the Brig. He wasn't prefect, but as someone standing up for humanity against the darkness. I'm very glad he was there.
Hi there, I got into Doctor Who this year because my best friend is a fan of the series. I actually watched every Doctor, from Hartnell to Whittaker, before the year turned over, along with the Sarah Jane Adventures, Class, and most of Torchwood. That also included reading novelizations of completely lost episodes. Every lost piece of media I had, I funneled to my friend to help her complete her collection. I appreciate these well-made videos. They give further context to the zeitgeist reflected by each iteration of the Doctor at the time, as well as the production issues and struggles encountered during the series. Not to mention how each segment gave me something to look forward to. Thank you.
After deciding earlier this year to watch all the dvds and read the novelisations of the 3rd and 4th Doctors in order (just finished Jon Pertwee, now on Tom Baker’s first season), I have the merest inkling of the level of dedication you have applied to making your brilliant films. Just to say how much all your hard work is appreciated, together with the joy each new post brings. Thank you!
wonderful video! my grandmother loved Dr.Who since she moved to England in 1970 and she always loves these videos. She's been in and out of chemo for a long time, and she rushes to watch these when i send her the links for new videos and it just generally makes her happy. So thank you, you're doing good work.
Thank you so much! That is genuinely one of the most wonderful comments I’ve ever had. It means so much to me that my little videos bring you and your grandmother such joy. I wish you both all the best!
Heres hoping these vids continue to give your gran peace and happiness , they'recertainly essential viewing, I used to think I had some knowledge of the original series but I always learn loads from each instalment👍👍
These are memories for this grandmother, too. Give her love from a septuagenarian in Annapolis. All the best to you both.
4:40 For your German viewers you really could had mentioned that the man had been also stationed in WEST - Berlin as this photo shows
As someone having spent all of his highschool years on a German Gymnasium there I just recognized the sign
"There have been many Doctors, but there's only one Brigadier." -Tom Baker
Wonderful chap. All of him.
What about Bambera? There were two
"Get off my world."
"Pitiful, can this world do no better than you as their champion?"
"Probably! I just do the best I can"
God damn that's a hell of a line. Really shows how heroic the Brigadier was.
No super-powers, no magical alien, he's not the Timeless Child, he's not a robot. he makes mistakes and screws up. But he's out there, doing his best to save the day.
One of my favorite Brigadier lines is, and I may end up paraphrasing, "Just once I'd like to meet a monster that wasn't immune to bullets". I love that his final appearance in Classic Who has him defeating the monster...with bullets. Special bullets, but still bullets.
2011 was a hard year for the who universe losing first the Brigadier and then Sarah Jane. Two actors which gave so much to Doctor Who and will never be forgotten.
Wait Sarah Jane is gone?
@@Demortixx Yes, over 10 years ago now
They’re the two best loved characters of the lot.
@@Demortixx the actress Elizabeth Sladen passed away in 2011 but the character Sarah Jane Smith actually survived into 2019, maybe 2020. Her funeral was apart of a short story released on TH-cam in 2020 called 'Farewell Sarah Jane' which was made over the first UK lockdown
@@vashna3799 and both were introduced in the Third Doctor's era! Fittingly, the Golden Era of Dr Who produced not only two of the best Doctors, but also two of the best side characters 😊
"Chap with the wings there: five rounds rapid". Brilliant!
Though in truth you could not fire an SLR like that coz that weapon had a kick like a mule, that was one thing I couldn't suspend my disbelief on as I 1st came across the weapon at Swinderby.
That line is so British it just re-heated my cold tea.
What I liked about The Brig was that although on the surface he seemed a stereotypical British Army officer, he wasn't two-dimensional. He respected and admired The Doctor, looked after his men, and even had flashes of deadpan humour. He came across as an actual human being and a decent person, not just a comedy stuffy Establishment foil for the Doctor to critique.
Matt Smith's scene where he hears about the Brigadier's death is a beuatiful scene, and is probably my favourite scene from The Wedding of River Song that doesn't have Gantok in it. It's almost as if the Brig was advising his old friend from beyond the grave, telling him he's got to go through with what he's desperately trying to avoid.
Better than the bloody Cyberbrigadier, that was a bloody bad idea in practice, though I can understand what they were going for.
I've heard a bit about that Cyberwhatever business, and as an official Old, I refuse to acknowledge it.
Now seeing the context for his friend’s history it makes the scene sadder. When I watched it originally it was before I watched the classic who episodes. 😢
I honestly think it's one of the gentler missteps in the capauldi era in comparison to the MANY preceded and followed it. Not to mention the horrible lot Jodie got. (poor woman deserves better writers, she's trying her best)
@@ritzexists2201 Yes, I feel so sorry for her. No personal dislike for Chibnall, I just don't think his stuff was to my taste. I wish Whittaker could stick around for a series under Russell T, but such things are not to be.
@@TheSmart-CasualGamer yeah it's a shame
I'm suddenly very aware that in the 70s there must have been a small portion of the budget set aside just for stick-on 'staches.
Nick was always proud of the fact that by The Five Doctors and Battlefield he'd finally grown his own 🤣
Based on the shonky special effects I think majority of the budget must have been assigned to moustaches alone.
One of the very best of all companions to the Doctor. Never has there been someone as long-standing and enduring as the Brig himself. The legacy of Nicholas Courtney's performance is felt through every era of the show. Another brilliant video for such a brilliant character. Hats off to you, Richard!
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed!
The fact that the show tried to bring him back through his daughter is a testament to how well loved he is. Unfortunately, she couldn't compare because Nicholas Courtney's Brigadier is irreplaceable.
@@robinlarge1630 Definitely one of my favourites, but certainly not as enduring
Truly! I myself joined with the 11th Doctor and even I know how important and loved the brigadier was!
One of my favorite moments from the new series is when the Tenth Doctor states he wishes the Brigadier was there and then realized the Colonel he's working with might take it as an insult. Instead the man completely agrees, knowing the Brigadier's (or Sir Alistair, as he calls him) reputation.
What saves that final scene for me, is that it has the doctor, as far as I know for the one and only time, give a genuine military salute out of respect. Knowing his dislike for soldiers and authority figures, the Brig couldn't get a bigger vote of approval from anyone.
That being said, I would love a team-up between him and River. That should make sparks fly :)
Big Finish are doing precisely that, though of course with Jon Culshaw voicing the Brig. He's actually quite good, does a good young Brig, but his older Brig is all over the place unfortunately
In the context of the episode it works. I would have probably avoided doing it more because of missy's almost immediate return, which makes that final blast look like he was obeying an order to teleport missy away rather than one last rescue.
The Brigadier is one of my favourite companions and its a shame I never had the chance to meet Nicholas Courtney when he was alive, as I didn't know about comic cons in the 1990s, 2000s and early 2010s. May he rest in peace.
Agreed, one of my faves...in reality its been 10yrs since he left us..then
At 36:55 Moffatt paid the respect to the man/character,by having the 11th ring him up at the nursing home just to be told he had passed a few months back....😔
Matt looks crushed...and yeah we all were too while watching lol..'he always made us pour an extra brandy,in case u came around one of these days.
Well done Brigadier,well done.🥃✌
Met him in a few times at conventions in the late 90's sadly didn't make much of an impact. I got the impression he was there for the money. Elizabeth Sladen on the other hand was lovely.
@@the_lichemaster I sadly never had the chance to meet Elizabeth Sladen when she was alive too but I'm not the only one.
A companion loyal and true, right to the very end. And a man, great in his acting and accepting/loving of the fan base that followed him. Rest In Peace Nicholas Courtney.
The line "I just do the best I can" was my yearbook quote
This perfectly encapsulates what everyone loves about the Brigadier. Thank god that the original actor for The Web of Fear pulled out, so that we could be treated to this Who legend.
I'm glad that the same day the news of Russel T. Davies coming back comes out, we also get some more videos from Clever Dick Films. Today is a good day.
Today is a great day, whatever naysayers may say...👏🏻
I, like many but far too few, had the honour to meet Nicholas Courtney once. An absolute and utter gentleman.
His legacy both in front of the camera and behind, whatever the show, is well deserved.
We should all be lucky enough to have a friend as dedicated as the Brigadier was to the Doctor and vice versa.
Love that you're still doing these in between Doctor Who Era videos.
**notices that this popped up in my sub page**
As the Brigadier would say:
"Well, here we go again"
I've always felt the Brigadier was deserving of his own classification. He's not a traditional companion. He has a unique role in the story which is exemplified by the need to give him a complete set of stories with every Doctor. It's one of the great friendships in fiction. It very much fits that he stays behind when The Doctor travels off. Protecting Earth is his duty and he'd never shirk that. I agree the Cyberman thing was a misstep, but I think it was done with good intentions.
As an American fan since the late 70's, I have a great deal of fondness for Lethbridge Stewart, and you've done a cracking job in both informing us about and honoring the character, and the late Nicholas Courtney himself. Thank you so much!
As an American. I remember watching Dr.Who with my Dad as a kid, and always hearing the Brigadier's voice. I was too young to understand the show,but his character always stands out as a distinctive memory. It's only recently after my father's passing that I really started getting into the show. The Brigadier still stands out, and is one of my favorite characters. Cheers
Smith was my first Doctor, so when they made mention to Lethbridge Stewart I was confused, but knew he had to have massive importance to the Doctor.. Imagine my surprise when I found out he was a character who'd been in the series basically since the beginning, and they were paying tribute to the actors passing.
This show never fails to surprise me with the love that goes into its characters, and the actors behind them for more than just a cheap nod.
It makes me smile knowing one day, generations from now we could see an older David Tennant suiting up and putting on his Brainy Specs to help out a far-future reincarnation of the Doctor, re-introducing the term "Allons-y" to a newer fanbase.
Honestly got very emotional watching this. I've always enjoyed watching season by season while exploring classic Who and having the brigadier as a constant source of stability and contrast with the new doctors and companions has always been fun.
He is a character we will likely never see the like of again in Doctor who!
The wait is worth it and it is a great honor to do the wonderful soldier. Nick was for sure a dashing, sexy leading man in the British Show Biz. He was a darling of the Doctor Who genre. After his passing in 2011, he is still missed with Liz Sladen.
In the Afterlife, Courtney is having tea with Liz Sladen, Deborah Watling, Pertwee, Troughton and Hartnell.
Cleverdick great work once again.
I definitely agree that “misguided” is the best word for what happened in the Series 8 finale. You can tell that the writers had a lot of love for The Brigadier, and wanted to honor him, but the execution was definitely a bit tone deaf.
Excellent work yet again, sir. Nicholas Courtney raised the tone of the entire decade. Let's not overlook his natural charisma, which was evident in his role as the Brigadier. As a former child, I found the 1970 reboot a bit of a shock but was sold on the Brigadier and Caroline John as Liz Shaw even before the Doctor regained consciousness.
Excellent review as always. The way the Moffat era handled the Brigadier’s legacy was very mixed, but it’s good to look back and remember he’s always been there for the series, and always will be. I’ve been watching you since the Sixth Doctor retrospective, and I appreciate your dedication and professionalism towards the series in these videos, as much as the history and analysis. I’m very excited for the Eleventh Doctor video, since that was my doctor. 🎀
I feel that Courtney was a bit unlucky with the timing. When the show first came back and his health not too bad there was a (perhaps) understandable reluctance to overdo links to the classic series (which had been seen as a joke for years in British pop culture). I still dont see why he could not have appeared in the Sontaran two-parter though. Moffat (and Gatiss especially) seems to have been a bigger fan of the character than RTD was and was presumably keen to use him but of course it was already too late by then. Gatiss playing his grandfather is in many ways the perfect loveletter to the character (rather than the cyberbrig silliness). There is a wonderful documentary on the Season 10 blue ray set where Gatiss and Moffat essentially just fanboy all over the UNIT era and how much they loved and and why Petwee, Katy Manning and Courtney are so fantastic
Brilliant video as always and really teared up during that scene where the 11th Doctor learns of Lethbridge Stewart's death more so then when the episode aired.
One small note though, The bit with the Brigadier at Unit in The Five Doctors was not an earlier version then the one seen in Mawdryn Undead and it is a Unit reunion not his retirement. This is how he is able to recognise Tegan later in the Tomb of Rassilon.
The Yeti Do - gotta love the mentality that equates an alien invasion with an office drinking sesh.
I know Season 8 is when the family really comes into its own, but Season 7 is one of my all-time. The conflicting loyalties between the Dr and the Brig and poor Liz caught in the middle. Great stuff.
The Brigadier is one of my favorite Dr. Who characters, and the reason is Nicholas Courtney. He was perfect. Thanks for another great video
The Brigadier was an inspired creation, and it's hard to imagine the Pertwee era without him. It would have otherwise had to be a variety of different military leaders that the third Doctor dealt with, wasting valuable time on introducing them to the audience each story, or simply leaving them as military stereotypes without much back story (that went so well as we can see as UNIT was phased out during season 13!). Instead we had the wonderful creation of the Brig, who varied in seriousness and intelligence depending on what best suited the story, but who gradually built a warm relationship with the Doctor to the extent that they're out socialising by the time we get to Planet of Spiders. Nick Courtney was born for that part and played it to perfection. The character worked perfectly for the earthbound third Doctor stories, but less so as the Doctor's travels expanded again, and it was understandable that he was written out during the fourth Doctor's time, as was UNIT. But what a great time we had with the character (and with UNIT) for the first half of the 1970s. :-)
Ligitemitly cried when the 2011 thing came up. I already knew about it of course but I've recently started exploring the classic era in full and I've grown very attached to the brigadier like so many others, so that scene just broke my heart.
I had no idea how many Doctors Courtney had been around. Including the 1st!
probably your best companion piece yet! I love the Brigadier. So glad you chose to tackle him
Thanks so much! That means a lot!
Awesome as usual Richard. The Brigadier has always been a key character most especially in classic who. Courtney's performance as the Brigadier was great.
A wonderful tribute.
I was lucky enough to work with Mr. Courtney a few times back in the 90's. He was a lovely man.
Such a lovely man. He visited my school’s Doctor Who club back in the very late 80s. He is sorely missed.
You're back ! Huzzah ! I shall have a basinful of this with a cup of tea and a custard cream for sure. Good old Brig - one of the best - giving Sarah Jane a run for her money as the best Who companion - and thats really saying something. Thank you - I am sure it will be a delight to watch. 😀
Another fantastic video Richard, and you've really done the late, great Nic Courtney justice. Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart is undoubtably one of Doctor Who's greatest characters, arguably just as iconic as the Doctor him/herself. He is a true legend, a hero to generations old and new. I remember being devastated in 2011 when I heard of both his and Liz Sladen's passings. To quote Tom Baker "there are many Doctors, but there is only one Brigadier".
Congrats on the video, and looking forward to Part 12.
Thank you brig for being such a huge part of my childhood. Rest in peace old chap you are irreplaceable....
The Brigadier was one of the characters that inhabits my childhood memories of Pertwee’s tenure of “Doctor Who” despite me being old enough to have been aware of the show from the start. UNIT was my era before Tom Baker & Nu Who.
So as a casual fan I’m ok with the fact that the Brig saves the day again, is raised from the dead but retains his heroism even if trapped in the metal body of a Cyberman. After all it’s SciFi so perhaps we yet haven’t yet seen the Brig’s final farewell. In SciFi anything is possible.
When the show came here to the states when I was a kid, I saw the Brigadier with Tom Baker, Sarah Jane Smith, and Harry Sullivan, so for me he is not only one of the first things I ever saw on the show, but one of the best. Fantastic character and Nicholas Courtney was wonderful in the role, still sad he's gone.
“Chap with wings there, five rounds rapid” - one of the best lines in Doctor Who.
and the follow up from one of the big finish plays in which an alien is attacking Paul McCartney and his band: 'Chap with Wings there, Five Rounds Rapid.'
Awesome as ever. But I've got to say I absolutely loved this covering my favourite of the Doctor's companions Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart.
Thanks for this, brought tears to my eyes several times, memories of a childhood hiding behind a sofa or cushion on Saturday tea times. I hope I can speak for fans to say that we were privileged to have Nicholas Courtney bringing Briagdier Sir Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart to live. RIP Sir, and thank you for giving me such wonderful memories as I grew up.
The Brigadier is one my favourite companies of classic Dr who and I love all of the doctor Who story he has been in I love the invasion because It set up the future of classic doctor who
The Brigadier is by far my most favorite recurring character in classic Who. He played him perfectly.
When they need him the most,
The king has returned.
Another astonishingly high quality documentary with an attention to detail and level of professionalism befitting the actor who embodied those very same traits.
This was an amazing video, keep up the good work! Interesting Brigadier fact, if you don't count Clara jymping into the Doctors timeline (which I don't) then the Brigadier has met more incarnations of the Doctor than any other companion in the shows long run - Doctors 1-7 all met on screen . Despite this he NEVER once travelled in the Tardis, this is normally a pre-requistie to be considered a 'companion' but Who fans make an exception for the Brig.
This videos are magnificent. Your hard work is definitely appreciated. I can't wait for the Mat Smith episode.
Pure gold, and a fitting tribute to Nicholas Courtney. Thank you.
How these videos are not on the BBC and DVDs, it escapes me... fantastic work... enjoying all your videos :) Thank you :)
The Daemons is my favourite Doctor Who story for this era, my Grandfather is in it though, so I'm slightly byest. Another great video!
I presume it was your grandfather who beat up Mike Yates and nicked the helicopter? Cool!
@@ftumschk yes it was! Went out in a blaze of glory
I'm not biased and for me it's the most memorable 3rd doctor story by far.
@@EdmundJohnson The Dæmons is also my favourite Pertwee story - in all media :) I've read the Target novelisation dozens of times over the years, and the audiobook (narrated by Barry Letts, no less) is great.
It made me cry. Nice overview of the Brigadier.
At least we got to see Nicholas Courtney with William Hartnell as we got to see what the 1st Doctor might have looked like with The Brigadier
ngl the ending of the video got me really emotional. Nicholas Courtney may be gone but he'll never be forgotten, he has left behind such an incredible legacy which will be remembered forever! Beautiful video!
As an American, I always found the Brigadier to be the most quintessentially British character. He was subtly funny. My favorite of the classic male characters.
I wish these companion videos got more views. I love em. Overlooked perspective. It's easy to focus on the Doctor
Thank you, Richard, for the best TH-cam tribute to Nicholas Courtney since Babelcolour's and Doctor Who Anime. The scenes from Downtime are especially nice to see again. Please continue with all your worthy contributions.
I bought Downtime back when it was released. I remember not being that impressed by it, disappointed in fact.
Another terrific overview - really interesting and heartwarming.
One of my all time favourite characters in the series.
One of my absolute favorite Doctor who stories is the big finish audio drama sympathy for the Devil. The alternate Brigadier was just phenomenal. Its followup drama where he is a companion proper was just absolute wish fulfilment.
The Web of Fear and The Invasion are two of my absolute favourite serials, and the Brigadier was a vital part of rejuvinating the show
I like the fact, the Brigadier know one other character who have stay with the doctor for a big time, and was insane , and are scot too. Jamie McCrimmon.
A brilliant video, as always. A fitting tribute to the character and Nicholas Courtney.
Very well done, dare I say, I salute you! and quite agree about the major misstep with that cyberfiasco at the end. a rare lapse of judgement for this show. can't wait for your next documentary!
That scene with Matt Smith gets me every single time. So glad they included it.
What i always liked about the Brigadier was that he was essentially an uncomplicated person. All problems involving aliens on earth required a military solution. Preferably, five rounds rapid!
I love it! The Brigadeer has always been a favorite of mine. And I always noted how he seemed to have interacted with more Doctors than any other.
But I had no idea that the Actor ALSO interacted with the First Doctor (Hartnell)!
Very cool.
Beautiful work as always! Thank you so much for the nod to the Paradise of Death and Ghosts of N-Space, I love those stories and sometimes think I'm the only person to even remember them!
Glad you’re back, mate. I’ve been missing GOOD Who reviews.
This whole series has been a great joy to behold. Kudos to you, sir, and your passionate fandom.
Another great video... as a child of the 70's there is just something so enduring and special about the Brigadier (and even the other UNIT regulars). I have been rewatching Jon's first few seasons, he was just the rock that so much of the shows brilliance revolved around, during that time.
A wonderful piece on the great Nicholas Courtney. As usual your videos are well worth waiting for. Many thanks for this.😊
this really is fantastic! the first time I saw Brigadeer was during "the five doctors" special and even then as a kid I knew there was something special! Over time I found his history in the show and was a great character. Thank you for this amazing video
I love this channel, I was a new fan from the show and didn't understand when people meant eras, this channel helped understand and love even more this show. Keep up the outstanding work!
I have yet to really watch the classic series, except what I can find on TH-cam, but I've always liked the Brigadier and his deadpan delivery. I disnt think I would like this much but it was a very well planned and moving.
Thank you for making this! I love your videos on Dr. Who. I learn so much. Dr. Who has changed my life in a meaningful way they he has yours and your passion for the show is so evident.
Definitely one of the most legendary Doctor Who characters.
Great tribute! I got to see reruns of early Who when a Canadian channel was running them shortly before the renewal with Nine. They showed Troughton, Pertwee, and the beginning of Baker. The standout for me was the Brigadier. I didn't even think about the fact that Pertwee's Doctor was Earthbound. It was still interesting with all the aliens coming to Earth, and of course I enjoyed all the scenes with Lethbridge-Stewart. He's still my favorite non-Doctor character on the show.
Absolutely amazing. I was looking forward to your next video, and I'm so glad it was about the Brigadier! Please keep up the awesome work.
26:31 As someone who comes from Canberra, I find it astonishing to see the _Canberra Times_ be used as the image for Doctor Who leaving the BBC. With no insult to the paper intended, it's definitely not the most prestigious newspaper ever seen.
I love Doctor Who, and have been brought to tears twice in its entire history, and both of those times involved The Brig. Bravo, brilliant.
Another fine production!! You continue to knock these retrospectives out of the park!! This was a very moving tribute to our favorite Brig. It cant be understated just how big of an influence the character has had on the Who mythos. Thank you for all your hard work on putting these videos together!! Take care brother!!👍👍👏👏
That was wonderful. I was introduced to Dr Who in the Pertwee era (although Tom Baker is MY Doctor) but The Brigadier was always a great character. Thanks and please do more.
The Brigadier is one of the greatest characters in the history of the show and will always have a special place in my heart
Excellent video, thank you. My first Doctor was Pertwee (though I barely remember watching him when broadcast - that honour really goes to Tom Baker) but I always remembered the Brigadier, and with great fondness. I think Nicholas Courtney was a superb actor - and his role in Who was inspired casting. Thank you again for this caring, enjoyable, and (as ever!) thoroughly well-researched retrospective. 😊
Another superb video, as a fellow longstanding doctor who fan who loves all the back ground minutiae around the history and making of the show i always go into your videos expecting that i will know it all already but you always pull out new facts that i was not aware of. In this case i never knew the name of the actor originally slated to play Lethbridge in the Web of Fear, nor that Nicholas Courtney had had a stroke that prevented him from appearing in the Sarah Jane Adventures with the Tenth Doctor (i knew he had been ill, but not with what). Your research as always was top notch. Nicholas Courtney always came across as such a nice man and he did such great work, both on the tv series and later with Big Finish, the two stories he did with David Warner as the Doctor may have been his best ever work as the Brigadier, they really are wonderful.
That was a joy filled trip down memory lane thank you so much for doing this
Your video essays are always top notch. Someone who isn’t a traditional “fan” of Dr.Who. Your essays are so well informed and entertaining to watch. I’ve learned so much of this series from you. With a voice of velvet. Incredibly researched. Thank you for all your effort on these videos.
Oh I love your deep dive who content! 💛
I recently watched the other early 1970s Letts/Dicks sci-fi drama Moonbase 3. I enjoyed it overall, but Barry and Terry later admitted that they had got the grimness of the lunar environment right but had not focused sufficiently on the wonders of science, rendering the series less effective. However, they got respect for trying hard and taking risks, and Moonbase 3 is fondly remembered.
25:08 I think that's Marsha Fitzalan (aka Lady Marcia Fitzalan-Howard) playing Mrs Lethbridge-Stewart. She was also Mrs B'stard in The New Statesman as the wife if Rik Mayall's character.
Thank you!!! Best companion video to date! I loved Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart! The first Doctor I ever saw was Peter Cushing as a kid then I recognized the phone booth and Jon Pertwee as the Doctor for my first view of the television series. I remember thinking how much of a Bad Ass the Brigadier was to stand up to and work with Jon Pertwee, who was ( The ) Kick Ass Doctor before Capaldi! I’ve listened to it five times already on patrol at work, thanks again!
Thank you, Richard, for another glorious celebration of Doctor Who in the form of one of the most wonderful supporting characters to ever lend a dignified presence to the programme. Your series always reminds me why I loved the show so much and highlights why it simply isn't the same nowadays...
However, this and the joyous news of the return of the man who I would credit as being responsible for bringing it back to the heights of it's former greatness fills me with new hope that things can turn around again, the Master's account of the "Timeless Child" will be revealed as some sort of elaborate hoax and the Doctor will become, once again, a Time Lord, long lived but not immortal and regain the "humanity" that is lost when the character can just live endless lives without the vulnerability to death which we all share.
As usual, a brilliant analysis, Richard. Now, how long till your review of the Matt Smith era?
Yours expectantly....
Thank you for that. It underscores how it's the human characters who give Dr Who it's depth and emotional resonance. I loved the Brig. He wasn't prefect, but as someone standing up for humanity against the darkness. I'm very glad he was there.
Hi there, I got into Doctor Who this year because my best friend is a fan of the series. I actually watched every Doctor, from Hartnell to Whittaker, before the year turned over, along with the Sarah Jane Adventures, Class, and most of Torchwood. That also included reading novelizations of completely lost episodes. Every lost piece of media I had, I funneled to my friend to help her complete her collection. I appreciate these well-made videos. They give further context to the zeitgeist reflected by each iteration of the Doctor at the time, as well as the production issues and struggles encountered during the series. Not to mention how each segment gave me something to look forward to. Thank you.
After deciding earlier this year to watch all the dvds and read the novelisations of the 3rd and 4th Doctors in order (just finished Jon Pertwee, now on Tom Baker’s first season), I have the merest inkling of the level of dedication you have applied to making your brilliant films. Just to say how much all your hard work is appreciated, together with the joy each new post brings. Thank you!