Alan W. Lear
Encyclopedia
Alan William Lear was a Scottish
writer of science fiction
and horror
, whose credits included the 1984 BBC Radio 4
play Why Not Take All of Me?
Lear wrote four plays for the Audio Visuals
series of amateur-produced Doctor Who
stories in the 1980s entitled Enclave Irrelative (which featured Michael Wisher
as "Maul"), Minuet in Hell
(again featuring Wisher, this time as Lord Sandwich), Cloud Of Fear and Planet Of Lies (developed from an original scenario by Jim Mortimore
). The latter saw the destruction of Gallifrey
and the Time Lord
s by the Dalek
s many years before the 2005 revival of Doctor Who did something similar.
He was also the writer behind Audio Visuals' first foray into video production with the little seen drama Scarecrow City, starring Nicholas Briggs
as Arthur Mowbray and Liz Knight as Penny dealing with unusual behaviour in the city of Pastonmouth.
After being struck down with glandular fever in 1976, Lear suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome
for the remainder of his life, which severely affected his opportunities to advance his writing.
When asked in 2001 to contribute a new version of Minuet in Hell for Big Finish Productions
' range of audio dramas featuring Paul McGann
as the Eighth Doctor
, Lear extensively rewrote the play but due to the demands of the recording schedule producer Gary Russell
completed the final episodes of the script and took a co-writer's credit. A further story by Lear for Big Finish, Riders Of The Vortex, was abandoned due to creative differernces with Gary Russell.
Lear died on Boxing Day
2008, aged 55.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
writer of science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
, whose credits included the 1984 BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
play Why Not Take All of Me?
Lear wrote four plays for the Audio Visuals
Audio Visuals
The Audio Visuals were an unlicensed series of Doctor Who audio dramas made by British fans in the 1980s.Featuring Nicholas Briggs as the Doctor, twenty-six audio plays were recorded and distributed on audio cassette between 1985 and 1991 .The first three seasons were produced by...
series of amateur-produced Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
stories in the 1980s entitled Enclave Irrelative (which featured Michael Wisher
Michael Wisher
Michael Wisher was a British actor.He is probably best remembered for having played Davros, the wheelchair-using scientific mastermind and creator of the Daleks, in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
as "Maul"), Minuet in Hell
Minuet in Hell
Minuet in Hell is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Unlike the other Eighth Doctor audio plays from this "season", Minuet in Hell was not broadcast on BBC 7 in 2005, primarily due to story references that were...
(again featuring Wisher, this time as Lord Sandwich), Cloud Of Fear and Planet Of Lies (developed from an original scenario by Jim Mortimore
Jim Mortimore
Jim Mortimore is a British science fiction writer, who has written several spin-off novels for popular television series, principally Doctor Who, but also Farscape and Babylon 5....
). The latter saw the destruction of Gallifrey
Gallifrey
Gallifrey is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and is the homeworld of the Doctor and the Time Lords...
and the Time Lord
Time Lord
The Time Lords are an ancient extraterrestrial race and civilization of humanoids in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' eponymous protagonist, the Doctor, is a member...
s by the Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
s many years before the 2005 revival of Doctor Who did something similar.
He was also the writer behind Audio Visuals' first foray into video production with the little seen drama Scarecrow City, starring Nicholas Briggs
Nicholas Briggs
Nicholas Briggs is a British actor and writer, predominantly associated with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and its various spin-offs, particularly as the voice of the Daleks. Briggs sometimes uses the pseudonym Arthur Wallis...
as Arthur Mowbray and Liz Knight as Penny dealing with unusual behaviour in the city of Pastonmouth.
After being struck down with glandular fever in 1976, Lear suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome is the most common name used to designate a significantly debilitating medical disorder or group of disorders generally defined by persistent fatigue accompanied by other specific symptoms for a minimum of six months, not due to ongoing exertion, not substantially...
for the remainder of his life, which severely affected his opportunities to advance his writing.
When asked in 2001 to contribute a new version of Minuet in Hell for Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
' range of audio dramas featuring Paul McGann
Paul McGann
Paul McGann is an English actor who made his name on the BBC serial The Monocled Mutineer, in which he played the lead role...
as the Eighth Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
, Lear extensively rewrote the play but due to the demands of the recording schedule producer Gary Russell
Gary Russell
Gary James Russell is a freelance writer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media...
completed the final episodes of the script and took a co-writer's credit. A further story by Lear for Big Finish, Riders Of The Vortex, was abandoned due to creative differernces with Gary Russell.
Lear died on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
2008, aged 55.
External links
- Big Finish Productions - Minuet in Hell
- Justyce.org - Audio Visuals tribute site