Spiral Mutterings 10: The Curate's Egg - A Tribute to John Nathan Turner

For those of you who don't know, John Nathan-Turner, the longest serving Doctor Who producer, died on May 1st, 2002 following a brief illness. He was 54.

Villified by some quarters of fandom, worshipped by others, it is undeniable that JNT played a part in Doctor Who's success for nearly 35 years.

Back in 1969, JNT was floor manager on the Space Pirates. This was his first Who credit. He added to it in the Ambassadors of Death, and Colony in Space. Now, contrary to popular belief, the BBC have always rewarded talent and flair. Thus it was that JNT rapidly rose through the ranks during the 1970s, until he became a Production Unit Manager on Dr Who in 1979. The following year, he took over from Graham Williams as Producer.

This is where the Curate's Egg reference comes in. If you are unfamiliar with this reference, the story goes that a young curate was served an egg during a meal that was past its best. Eager not to cause offence, when asked if his egg was off, he replied "Madam, not at all. Parts of it were excellent."

Which sums up JNT's tenure as producer of Doctor Who nicely. On the plus side, he toned down the often over-the-top humour, fought against the constant accusations of violence, and ushered in three very different Doctors. Despite wanting to move on to pastures new, when the BBC insisted year in, year out that he remain on the show, he gave it 100%. On the down side, some of his decisions made Dr Who more like a piece of light entertainment, than a drama series.

He rode the wave of the anti-JNT movement within fandom with a reasonable amount of decorum. And rightly so. Given the recent arguments about certain people being "right" to produce a new series, JNT was that man. He knew the show, probably better than he would have chosen. Every new direction was taken in the belief that it would improve the show's standing. Ironically, as Doctor Who was starting to improve dramatically, with Season 26, the BBC pulled the carpet from under him, axing the show.

Even then, he wasn't deterred, throwing himself whole-heartedly into a variety of Who-related projects both within and outside the BBC. His involvement saw the long-awaited release of the Shada footage, several Dr Who exhibitions, talks with American networks, and the Years series of videotapes. The truth of the matter is that whether you liked or loathed his producership, JNT gave a lot of time and effort to a format others around him thought long-dead. Having been privileged enough to have met him on several occasions, I found him to be personable, and open to the ideas of fans. He LIKED hearing criticism, when delivered in the correct manner. He answered the criticism, giving reasons for certain decisions.

It is rare within the media to find people so open to the people they produce entertainment for. So, on behalf of Doctor Who fans, I'd like to take this opportunity to say Rest In Peace to a man who gave everything he could to the show we all love.

JNT will be sorely missed.

This article was written shortly after the tragic death of JNT. In the wake of Russell T Davies' spectacular new version of Doctor Who, it is easy to forget that without JNT pioneering the post-Survival initiatives of the New Adventures, the BBC Video and Audio lines, and numerous other ventures, there wouldn't have been such a receptive audience. Dr Who's continued existence and success still owes a massive debt to John.