15 Facts About Malcolm Hulke

Malcolm Ainsworth Hulke was a British television writer and author of the industry "bible" Writing for Television in the 70s.

Malcolm Hulke is remembered chiefly for his work on the science fiction series Doctor Who although he contributed to many popular television series of the era.

Malcolm Hulke later discussed the social stigma of illegitimacy and his personal experiences of it in a 1964 radio documentary and a 1973 op-ed piece in The Observer.

Malcolm Hulke lived with his mother, Marian, until her death in 1943 in Cumberland.

Malcolm Hulke left the party in 1951, objecting to the Soviet Union's hostility to Yugoslavia and its line on the Korean War, but soon rejoined, and appears to have remained a member of the party until the early 1960s.

Malcolm Hulke's politics remained firmly on the left, and this was reflected in his writings, which often explored anti-authoritarian, environmental, and humanist themes.

Malcolm Hulke was involved with the socialist Unity Theatre in the 1950s and 1960s, serving as its production manager in the mid-1950s, and wrote a booklet in 1961 celebrating the theatre's 25th anniversary.

Malcolm Hulke met writer Eric Paice at Unity and the two wrote as a team for television, beginning in the late 1950s with "This Day in Fear", which was produced by BBC Television in 1958 as part of its Television Playwright anthology series.

Newman moved to BBC Television to become its Head of Drama and, in 1964, asked Malcolm Hulke to write a six part story for a new series Newman had created, Doctor Who.

Malcolm Hulke's story was not produced but he went on to write for the series, beginning in 1967.

Malcolm Hulke contributed to Target Books' range of Doctor Who novelisations, adapting many of his scripts before his death, as well as 1973's The Green Death.

Malcolm Hulke's novelisations were noted for providing a wealth of additional background detail and character depth.

Malcolm Hulke wrote an influential screenwriting manual, Writing for television in the 70s in 1974, and an updated version, Writing for Television, which was released posthumously in 1981.

Malcolm Hulke had submitted this story in January 1964 as a six-part adventure story, and would see the Doctor and his companions land on a parallel planet like Earth, but has clover leaves looking all the same.

Malcolm Hulke wrote a pilot for a planned radio series starring Peter Cushing as Dr Who in the late 1960s.