Nicholas Briggs
Encyclopedia
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 Dalek
s. Briggs sometimes uses the pseudonym
Arthur Wallis. He is the younger brother of BBC Look North
presenter Colin Briggs.
in which Briggs interviews many of the actors and writers involved in the series. When Reeltime expanded into producing original dramas, Briggs wrote some stories and acted in others, beginning with War Time, the first unofficial Doctor Who spin-off, and Myth Runner, a parody of Blade Runner
showcasing blooper
s from the Myth Makers series built around a loose storyline featuring Briggs as a down on his luck private detective in the near future.
In the late 1980s, Briggs also provided the voice of a future incarnation of the Doctor
for a series of unofficial audio dramas by Audio Visuals
(a forerunner of Big Finish Productions
). This version of the Doctor also appeared in "Party Animals", an instalment of the Doctor Who comic published in Doctor Who Magazine
issue 173, cover date 15 May 1991. Briggs also provided the model for the face of the supposed "Ninth Doctor" for Doctor Who Magazine in the late 1990s, when the magazine's comic strip ran a storyline in which the Eighth Doctor
apparently regenerated, only for it to later be revealed that the whole thing had been a massive deception (see Shayde
and Fey Truscott-Sade
).
He wrote and appeared in several made-for-video dramas by BBV
, including the third of the Stranger
stories, In Memory Alone opposite former Doctor Who stars Colin Baker
and Nicola Bryant
. (In Memory Alone would be the last of the Stranger series to have any similarity to Doctor Who, which had inspired it.) He also wrote and appeared in a non-Stranger BBV production called The Airzone Solution
(1993) and directed a documentary film, Stranger than Fiction (1994).
Briggs co-wrote a Doctor Who book called The Dalek Survival Guide (ISBN 0-563-48600-7, published by BBC Books
2002).
Since Doctor Who returned to television in 2005, Briggs has provided the voices for several monsters, most notably the Dalek
s and the Cybermen
. Briggs also voiced the Nestene Consciousness
in the 2005 episode "Rose
", and recorded a voice for the Jagrafess in the 2005 episode "The Long Game
"; however, this was not used in the final episode because it was too similar to the voice of the Nestene Consciousness. He also provided the voices for the Judoon
in both the 2007 and 2008 series.
On 9 July 2009, Briggs made his first appearance in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood
in the serial Children of Earth, playing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Rick Yates.
Briggs has directed many of the Big Finish Productions
audio plays, and has provided Dalek, Cybermen, and other alien voices in several of those as well. He has also written and directed the Dalek Empire
and Cyberman
audio plays for Big Finish. In 2006, Briggs took over from Gary Russell
as executive producer of the Big Finish Doctor Who audio range. In 2007, he guest starred in the Sapphire and Steel audio drama Water Like a Stone
.
Briggs voiced the Daleks in a charity theatre production of The Daleks' Master Plan
and briefly appeared on stage playing a regenerated Doctor
.
Briggs also directed the BBC Radio 4
science fiction comedy Nebulous
, written by Graham Duff
and starring Mark Gatiss
.
Outside the realm of science fiction, Briggs has appeared on stage at Nottingham's
Theatre Royal
, including a run as Sherlock Holmes
in Holmes and the Ripper by Brian Clemens
. He also appeared in the film Adulthood
, written and directed by fellow Doctor Who actor Noel Clarke
. As of 30 January 2010, Briggs is currently presenting the 7th Dimension
on BBC Radio 4 Extra.
In 2010 he starred in Doctor Who Live as Winston Churchill.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actor and writer, predominantly associated with the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
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...
television series 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...
and its various spin-offs, particularly as the voice of 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. Briggs sometimes uses the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Arthur Wallis. He is the younger brother of BBC Look North
BBC Look North (North East and Cumbria)
BBC Look North is the BBC's regional television news service for the BBC North East and Cumbria region. The programmes are produced and broadcast from the BBC Broadcasting Centre on Barrack Road in Newcastle upon Tyne with journalists also based at newsrooms in Middlesbrough, Durham, York and...
presenter Colin Briggs.
Career
Some of Briggs' earliest Doctor Who-related work was as host of The Myth Makers, a series of made-for-video documentaries produced in the 1980s and 1990s by Reeltime PicturesReeltime Pictures
Reeltime Pictures is a British multimedia film and video production company founded in 1984 by Keith Barnfather.It is known for its many documentaries about the long-running television series Doctor Who and in particular for The Myth Makers, a series of interviews with people associated with the...
in which Briggs interviews many of the actors and writers involved in the series. When Reeltime expanded into producing original dramas, Briggs wrote some stories and acted in others, beginning with War Time, the first unofficial Doctor Who spin-off, and Myth Runner, a parody of Blade Runner
Blade Runner
Blade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K...
showcasing blooper
Blooper
A blooper, also known as an outtake or boner is a short sequence of a film or video production, usually a deleted scene, containing a mistake made by a member of the cast or crew. It also refers to an error made during a live radio or TV broadcast or news report, usually in terms of misspoken words...
s from the Myth Makers series built around a loose storyline featuring Briggs as a down on his luck private detective in the near future.
In the late 1980s, Briggs also provided the voice of a future incarnation of the 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....
for a series of unofficial audio dramas by 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...
(a forerunner of 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...
). This version of the Doctor also appeared in "Party Animals", an instalment of the Doctor Who comic published in Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
issue 173, cover date 15 May 1991. Briggs also provided the model for the face of the supposed "Ninth Doctor" for Doctor Who Magazine in the late 1990s, when the magazine's comic strip ran a storyline in which the Eighth Doctor
Eighth Doctor
The Eighth Doctor is the eighth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Paul McGann...
apparently regenerated, only for it to later be revealed that the whole thing had been a massive deception (see Shayde
Shayde
Shayde is a fictional character who appeared in the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
and Fey Truscott-Sade
Fey Truscott-Sade
Fey Truscott-Sade, also known as Fey or Feyde, is a fictional character who appeared in the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. She was a companion of the Eighth Doctor...
).
He wrote and appeared in several made-for-video dramas by BBV
BBV
BBV is a video and audio production company specialising in science fiction drama, known for its links with the British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, including the third of the Stranger
The Stranger (video series)
The Stranger is a series of direct-to-video science-fiction dramas produced by BBV and starring Colin Baker. They are now available on DVD.The series began in 1991 with Summoned by Shadows, co-produced with the BBC Film Club...
stories, In Memory Alone opposite former Doctor Who stars Colin Baker
Colin Baker
Colin Baker is a British actor who is known for playing Paul Merroney in The Brothers from 1974 to 1976 and as the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who, from 1984 to 1986.- Background:Colin Baker was born in London, but moved north to...
and Nicola Bryant
Nicola Bryant
-External links:** at shillpages.com/dw *...
. (In Memory Alone would be the last of the Stranger series to have any similarity to Doctor Who, which had inspired it.) He also wrote and appeared in a non-Stranger BBV production called The Airzone Solution
The Airzone Solution
The Airzone Solution is a 1993 British science-fiction film, produced and released direct-to-video by BBV...
(1993) and directed a documentary film, Stranger than Fiction (1994).
Briggs co-wrote a Doctor Who book called The Dalek Survival Guide (ISBN 0-563-48600-7, published by BBC Books
BBC Books
BBC Books is an imprint majority owned and managed by Random House. The minority shareholder is BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation...
2002).
Since Doctor Who returned to television in 2005, Briggs has provided the voices for several monsters, most notably 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 and the Cybermen
Cyberman
The Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs who are amongst the most persistent enemies of the Doctor in the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. Cybermen were originally a wholly organic species of humanoids originating on Earth's twin planet Mondas that began to implant more...
. Briggs also voiced the Nestene Consciousness
Auton
The Autons are an artificial life form from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and adversaries of the Doctor. First appearing in Jon Pertwee's first serial as the Doctor, Spearhead from Space in 1970, they were the first monsters on the show to be presented in colour.Autons...
in the 2005 episode "Rose
Rose (Doctor Who)
"Rose" is the first episode of Series One of the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who. Written by show runner Russell T Davies and directed by Keith Boak, the episode was first broadcast on 26 March 2005....
", and recorded a voice for the Jagrafess in the 2005 episode "The Long Game
The Long Game
"The Long Game" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on May 7, 2005. Along with new companion Adam, the TARDIS deposits the Doctor and Rose on Satellite 5, a space station that broadcasts across the entire human empire...
"; however, this was not used in the final episode because it was too similar to the voice of the Nestene Consciousness. He also provided the voices for the Judoon
Judoon
The Judoon are a fictional extraterrestrial species of mercenary police from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs. They first appeared in the episode Smith and Jones in 2007....
in both the 2007 and 2008 series.
On 9 July 2009, Briggs made his first appearance in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
in the serial Children of Earth, playing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Rick Yates.
Briggs has directed many of the 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...
audio plays, and has provided Dalek, Cybermen, and other alien voices in several of those as well. He has also written and directed the Dalek Empire
Dalek Empire
The Dalek Empire refers to the sphere of influence of the Daleks, a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Dalek Empire is also a series of audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions, featuring the Daleks. The series begins in...
and Cyberman
Cyberman
The Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs who are amongst the most persistent enemies of the Doctor in the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. Cybermen were originally a wholly organic species of humanoids originating on Earth's twin planet Mondas that began to implant more...
audio plays for Big Finish. In 2006, Briggs took over from 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...
as executive producer of the Big Finish Doctor Who audio range. In 2007, he guest starred in the Sapphire and Steel audio drama Water Like a Stone
Water Like a Stone
Water Like a Stone is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the popular British science fiction television series Sapphire & Steel.-Plot:...
.
Briggs voiced the Daleks in a charity theatre production of The Daleks' Master Plan
The Daleks' Master Plan
The Daleks' Master Plan is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The twelve episodes were aired from 13 November 1965 to 29 January 1966...
and briefly appeared on stage playing a regenerated 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....
.
Briggs also directed the 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...
science fiction comedy Nebulous
Nebulous
Nebulous is a post apocalyptic science fiction comedy radio show written by Graham Duff and produced by Ted Dowd from Baby Cow Productions; it is directed by Nicholas Briggs. The series premiered in the United Kingdom on BBC Radio 4...
, written by Graham Duff
Graham Duff
-Life and Work:Graham Duff is an English writer, actor and producer. He was born in Blackburn, Lancashire and currently resides in Brighton on the south coast of England. He attended and graduated from the University of Brighton. His work for TV and radio is typified by intricate plotting, large...
and starring Mark Gatiss
Mark Gatiss
Mark Gatiss is an English actor, screenwriter and novelist. He is best known as a member of the comedy team The League of Gentlemen, and has both written for and acted in the TV series Doctor Who and Sherlock....
.
Outside the realm of science fiction, Briggs has appeared on stage at Nottingham's
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
Theatre Royal
Theatre Royal, Nottingham
The Theatre Royal, Nottingham in Nottingham, England, is part of the city's Royal Centre, which also incorporates the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall. The theatre is in the heart of Nottingham City Centre and is owned by Nottingham City Council...
, including a run as Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
in Holmes and the Ripper by Brian Clemens
Brian Clemens
Brian Horace Clemens OBE is a British screenwriter and television producer, possibly best known for his work on The Avengers and The Professionals...
. He also appeared in the film Adulthood
Adulthood (film)
Adulthood is a 2008 British drama film. It was directed and written by Noel Clarke, who also stars as the protagonist, Sam Peel...
, written and directed by fellow Doctor Who actor Noel Clarke
Noel Clarke
Noel Anthony Clarke is an English actor, director and screenwriter from London. He is best known for playing Wyman Norris in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Mickey Smith in Doctor Who...
. As of 30 January 2010, Briggs is currently presenting the 7th Dimension
The 7th Dimension
Seventh Dimension is the BBC's regular radio slot for science fiction, fantasy and horror. It is broadcast on the digital radio station BBC Radio 4 Extra at 6 p.m. , seven days a week and then repeated each day at midnight with host Nick Briggs. Most of the programs are full cast dramatizations and...
on BBC Radio 4 Extra.
In 2010 he starred in Doctor Who Live as Winston Churchill.