Derrick Sherwin
, b. 1936
Derrick Sherwin (1936) is a British TV producer, writer, and story editor, best-known for his work on the science fiction series Doctor Who. Sherwin’s career commenced in the theatre as a junior set designer and scene artist, before a two-year hiatus of National Service in the RAF. Returning to theatrical work as an actor, he also contributed scripts for TV, including Crossroads (1964–1988) and Z-Cars (1962–1978). Sherwin was hired by BBC’s Head of Serials, Shaun Sutton, to work on Doctor Who from 1967 through 1969. His script editing duties included work on the iconic stories The Web of Fear, Fury from the Deep, The Wheel in Space, The Dominators, and The Mind Robber (in which last capacity he actually also write episode one). Succeeded as Script Editor by Terrane Dicks, Sherwin took a leading role behind the scenes, overseeing such serials as The Space Pirates, The War Games, and the transition from the black-and-white transmissions of the Patrick Troughton era (1966-1969) to the colour of the Jon Pertwee era (1970–1974). As Producer of Doctor Who (1969), he gained significant recognition, before moving on to other work, including Paul Temple (1969–1971), The Man Outside (1972), and The Perils of Pendragon (1974). He published his autobiography in 2014 (Who’s Next?), as well as a novel (The Perfect Assassin; or, Writon’s Law).
Bio prepared by Richard Scully, University of New England, rscully@une.edu.au
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