Peter Bryant

Born: 27th October 1923 (as Peter Murray Bryant)
Died: 19th May 2006 (aged 82 years)
Episodes Broadcast: 1967-1969

Biography

Peter Bryant was born in Lambeth, London and raised in the western part of the city, in Acton. He served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, and then became an actor in repertory theatre. Bryant made his radio debut in 1951, while his first television appearance came two years later, in an adaptation of Wuthering Heights. In 1954, he became a national heartthrob as Jack Grove in Britain's first soap opera, The Grove Family, and made the jump to the big screen, playing the same character in 1955's It's A Great Day!. In 1958, Bryant wedded actress Shirley Cooklin, whom he had met while making The Grove Family; the marriage would end in divorce.

With the end of The Grove Family in 1957, Bryant made a few additional television appearances in programmes like Leave It To Todhunter. His acting career continued on radio, where he also began writing and producing, and was ultimately made Head of the Drama Script Unit. However, by the end of 1966, Bryant was eager to move back into television. He was brought aboard Doctor Who late in Patrick Troughton's first season as the Second Doctor. Initially, Bryant worked as an assistant to story editor Gerry Davis, but it was anticipated that he would eventually replace Innes Lloyd as producer. Bryant was credited as an associate producer on The Faceless Ones, and then took over from Davis beginning with The Evil Of The Daleks.

With Derrick Sherwin, Bryant cast Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor

Bryant was given a trial posting as producer on The Tomb Of The Cybermen, for which Cooklin played the villainous Kaftan. He finally succeeded Lloyd as of 1968's The Web Of Fear. Together with story editor Derrick Sherwin, Bryant introduced the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT) to Doctor Who and cast Jon Pertwee -- whose father and brother had developed The Grove Family -- as the Third Doctor. However, a bout of ill health curtailed his work on the show. His last credit came on Patrick Troughton's penultimate serial, The Space Pirates. Although he continued to influence the development of Pertwee's first season, he was moved onto Special Project Air and then Paul Temple.

Bryant then left drama production altogether. He made commercials for a time, before embarking on a new career as a literary agent, his particular emphasis being children's books. Bryant also began directing for the theatre. He died of cancer on May 19th, 2006.

Credits
Associate Producer
The Faceless Ones
Story Editor
The Evil Of The Daleks
The Abominable Snowmen
The Ice Warriors
The Enemy Of The World
Producer
The Tomb Of The Cybermen
The Web Of Fear
Fury From The Deep
The Wheel In Space
The Dominators
The Mind Robber
The Invasion
The Krotons
The Seeds Of Death
The Space Pirates

Updated 29th June 2020