Born: 8th June 1942 (as Henry Peter Grimwade)
Died: 15th May 1990 (aged 47 years)
Episodes Broadcast: 1980-1984

Peter Grimwade was born in Ayr, Scotland and was interested in drama and writing from a young age. After attending the University of Wells and Bristol University, he trained at BBC Bristol and then moved to London to work as a film editor. By 1969, Grimwade was occasionally writing scripts for programmes such as Z Cars and Kim & Co but he was predominantly working as a production assistant. It was in this capacity that he had his first experience with Doctor Who, working uncredited on Spearhead From Space, the first serial for Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor. Grimwade was again uncredited on The Daemons before he earned an on-screen credit for four adventures with Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor. On 1977's The Robots Of Death, Michael E Briant gave him the opportunity to direct some of the model filming.

Later that year, Grimwade completed the BBC's directors' training course and established his credentials with an episode of The Omega Factor. Leaving the BBC to become a freelancer, he soon found himself back on Doctor Who, directing 1980's Full Circle which introduced new companion Adric. Grimwade was immediately hired to direct Tom Baker's swansong, Logopolis. He was then behind the camera for two serials during Peter Davison's inaugural season as the Fifth Doctor -- Kinda and Earthshock -- but also secured writing commissions for the series. He provided the 1982 season finale, Time-Flight, while the following year's Mawdryn Undead introduced the Doctor's duplicitious companion Turlough. However, Grimwade was frustrated that he was not permitted to direct his own scripts.

Grimwade was assigned to direct The Return, a Dalek story intended to wrap up the 1983 season

Grimwade was next assigned to direct “The Return”, a Dalek story intended to wrap up the 1983 season. When industrial action caused its cancellation, Grimwade treated his crew to lunch. Producer John Nathan-Turner was not invited, because Grimwade intended to take him out to supper instead; this was not communicated to Nathan-Turner, who felt that he had been intentionally snubbed. Their relationship began to deteriorate and, when “The Return” was revived the following year as Resurrection Of The Daleks, Matthew Robinson was assigned to direct. Grimwade did write 1984's Planet Of Fire, albeit under the burden of numerous script requirements including the introduction of Peri Brown and the exit of Turlough. A subsequent submission entitled “League Of The Tandreds” went unmade.

Grimwade novelised his three Doctor Who scripts for Target Books, but was disappointed to discover that an original Turlough novel for the short-lived The Companions Of Doctor Who range was assigned to another author. Instead, Grimwade wrote a children's novel called Robot for Star Books; it was published in 1987. Meanwhile, in 1986 he wrote an episode of Dramarama called The Come-Uppance Captain Katt, a thinly-veiled satire of Doctor Who. This would turn out to be Grimwade's final televised credit. He worked on professional training videos before succumbing to leukaemia on May 15th, 1990.