Johnny Byrne (writer)

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Johnny Byrne
Noah's Ark
Wrote for Space: 1999, All Creatures Great and Small, Tales of the Unexpected and Doctor Who
.
Spouse
Sandy Carrington-Mails
​
​
(m. 1975)​
Children3

John Christopher Byrne (27 November 1935 – 2 April 2008)[1] was an Irish television screenwriter and script editor. He travelled extensively in his youth as a travelling poet. During the 1960s he worked as a literary editor, and wrote short stories that were published in Science Fantasy magazine.

Byrne's other works include the novel Groupie (1969, co-written with Jenny Fabian), the BBC "

Noah's Ark (1997–98).[2]

Space: 1999

Byrne was the most prolific scriptwriter for the first series of Space: 1999 (1973–75), and was initially assigned the role of creative consultant for the second season (1976–77). However, hoping to make a greater impact on the American market, the producers desired a consultant from the United States, and the job was subsequently given to Fred Freiberger.

Byrne's scripts for series one of Space: 1999 were "Matter of Life and Death" (based on a draft by Art Wallace), "Another Time, Another Place", "Force of Life", "Voyager's Return" (based on an idea by Joe Gannon), "End of Eternity", "The Troubled Spirit", "Mission of the Darians", and "The Testament of Arkadia". For series two, he wrote "The Metamorph", "The Immunity Syndrome", and "The Dorcons".

Doctor Who

Byrne is also known for his contributions to the British science-fiction TV series

Master and served as the first instalment in a trilogy of stories (continuing with Logopolis and Castrovalva) involving the character. For the same story, Byrne created the character of Nyssa, who would later become a companion to the Fifth Doctor
.

Byrne's second story,

Sea Devils.[3]

In 1991, Byrne wrote the final draft script for an unmade Doctor Who movie called Doctor Who: Last of the Time Lords.[4]

Personal life

Byrne left Ireland for the United Kingdom in 1956. For a time, he worked as a teacher of

English as a foreign language in various cities in Europe.[2] In 1975 he married Sandy Carrington-Mail, with whom he had three sons.[1]

Death

Byrne died on 2 April 2008, aged 72.[2] He last resided, and is buried, in the Norfolk village of Heydon.[5][6]

References

  1. ^ a b "Obituary: Johnny Byrne". The Guardian. 25 April 2008.
  2. ^ a b c "Johnny Byrne: Writer of feelgood TV dramas". The Independent. 23 October 2011.
  3. ^ "Johnny Byrne". Doctor Who Interview Archive.
  4. ^ Whatever Happened to... Doctor Who - The Motion Picture? - article by Paul Scoones in The Time/Space Visualiser (New Zealand Doctor Who Fan Club newsletter) #47, April 1996 (hosted on Tetrapyriarbus website)
  5. ^ Find A Grave Johnny Byrne
  6. ^ "Heydon". literarynorfolk.co.uk.

External links

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