Barry Letts, 1925 – October 10, 2009, succeeded Derrick Sherwin as producer of the series “Dr. Who” in 1969, has passed away at the age of 84.
Barry Letts became involved in the “Dr. Who” series in 1967 as the director of the Patrick Troughton adventure “The Enemy of the World” before accepting the job of producer during production of Jon Pertwee's first season as the doctor in 1969. He held the position for the following five seasons and before he was done, Letts would leave a legacy of on-going substance within the series that is still in force today.
First, Letts is credited with the creation of the Sarah Jane Smith character. He cast actress Elizabeth Sladen in the role playing the investigative journalist and former Who companion, paving the way for a current series spin-off called “The Sarah Jane Adventures.” The Sarah Jane character is frequently voted as the most popular Who companion both by fans and the general public. In 2008, the series won a British Academy Children’s Award.
Then Letts, taking a chance, cast relatively unknown actor Tom Baker (“The Golden Voyage of Sinbad”) as the 4th Dr. Who, taking over the part from the popular Jon Pertwee. The move proved successful and Baker played the role for seven consecutive seasons making him the longest running actor to play in the role. Baker is now widely considered as one of the most popular title characters in the history of the series.
Barry Letts remained close to the show in later years. In the eighties, he acted as an executive producer and would often direct some of the more classic serials. He enjoyed spending time speaking at various conventions and he lent his voice for Commentaries on the TwoEntertain DVD collection. {youtube}Ns3s9eZNJW8{/youtube}
