Born: 8th November 1927 (as Leonard Edward Mainprize)
Died: 20th May 1977 (aged 49 years)
Episodes Broadcast: 1972-1974, 1976

The son of British expatriates, Leonard Mainprize was born in Sydney, Australia; his family later relocated to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. Mainprize intended to become an electrician but, during his apprenticeship, he began to take dance lessons and soon found employment with major Australian ballet companies. In the early Fifties, Mainprize decided to move to his parents' homeland, and was soon appearing in London's West End, where he adopted “Mayne” as his professional surname. During a production of Can-Can in 1954, he met dancer Frances Pidgeon; they would marry in 1956, and had twins Nicola and Sarah in 1964.

Mayne's first television appearance came in 1957, on This Is The Henry Hall Show. Around the same time, he became concerned about the longevity of his dancing career and began to establish himself as a choreographer. He started to accumulate more television work in this role, including on Call It What You Like. Mayne then completed the BBC's directors' training course, earning his first credits on 1967 episodes of Mickey Dunne. Work on programmes such as The Borderers, The Troubleshooters and Doomwatch followed.

Mayne directed the first multi-Doctor story, The Three Doctors

Mayne was then invited to direct for Doctor Who during Jon Pertwee's tenure as the Third Doctor. His initial involvement with the programme came on 1972's The Curse Of Peladon. The following year, he directed the show's first multi-Doctor story, The Three Doctors. His wife joined him on his last two Doctor Who serials, uncredited as a handmaiden on 1974's The Monster Of Peladon, and then in the more substantial role of Miss Jackson on The Hand Of Fear in 1976. The latter also Elisabeth Sladen's departure as companion Sarah Jane Smith; by this time, Tom Baker had taken over as the Fourth Doctor.

Mayne's other directorial credits during the mid-Seventies included Warship, The Brothers and Softly Softly: Task Force. Sadly, on May 20th, 1977, Mayne drowned when he was swept from the deck of a yacht in the English Channel following a collision with another ship. He was only forty-nine years old. Mayne's final contribution to television, an episode of The Onedin Line, aired a month later.