Derrick Sherwin facts for kids

Derrick George Sherwin (born 16 April 1936 – died 17 October 2018) was an English television producer, writer, and actor. He also worked as a story editor. He is best known for his work on the famous science fiction show Doctor Who.

Sherwin helped Doctor Who change from black-and-white to colour TV. He produced the last story for the Second Doctor, played by Patrick Troughton. He also produced the first story for the Third Doctor, played by Jon Pertwee. He also helped make another TV show called Paul Temple.

Early Life and Career

Derrick Sherwin started his career in the theatre. He helped design sets and move scenery. He also worked as a stage manager.

He spent two years serving in the Royal Air Force. After that, he became an actor in plays, movies, and TV shows. While acting, he also started writing scripts. He wrote for popular TV series like Crossroads and Z-Cars.

Working on Doctor Who

In 1967, Derrick Sherwin joined the Doctor Who team. He became a story editor. A story editor helps plan the storylines and makes sure the scripts are good. He worked on stories like The Web of Fear and The Mind Robber. He even wrote the first part of The Mind Robber.

Sherwin also wrote the script for The Invasion. This story introduced the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT). UNIT is a military group that helps the Doctor fight aliens on Earth.

In 1968, Sherwin took on a bigger role. He became an assistant producer for Doctor Who. He also briefly returned to being a script editor. He helped create the Time Lords, who are the Doctor's own people. The Time Lords first appeared in The War Games.

Sherwin was important in choosing Jon Pertwee to play the Third Doctor. In 1969, Sherwin became the main producer for Doctor Who. He produced The War Games and Jon Pertwee's first story, Spearhead from Space. He even had a small acting part in Spearhead from Space.

Sherwin had a big idea to change Doctor Who. He decided to make the Doctor unable to leave Earth. This happened at the end of The War Games. He hoped this would make more people watch the show. He also wanted to make the show feel more real. This is why he created UNIT, so the Doctor would have allies on Earth. UNIT became a very important part of Doctor Who for many years. Sherwin left Doctor Who after Spearhead from Space.

Even after leaving, Sherwin stayed connected to Doctor Who. When some people tried to cancel the show in the 1980s, he offered to help keep it going. He also talked about the show on DVD special features.

Other TV Work

After Doctor Who, Derrick Sherwin worked on other TV shows. He co-produced Paul Temple from 1969 to 1971. He also produced The Man Outside (1972), Skiboy (1973), and The Perils of Pendragon (1974).

Death

Derrick Sherwin passed away on 17 October 2018. He had been ill for a long time.

Selected Filmography

• Clue of the Silver Key (1961)
• The Vengeance of She (1968)

See also

In Spanish: Derrick Sherwin para niños