Things are not always what they seem, the biography of Maclolm “Mac” Hulke, written by Tameside resident Michael Herbert , was launched on 9 April at the Magdala Tavern in Hampstead, which is round the corner from where Malcolm lived from 1955 to 1979.
The launch was attended by a number of people who knew Mac including Antony Gordon (his nephew), Corenza Roele, Rita Carter and Elsa Dicks (widow of his friend and co-writer Terrance Dicks) as well as Katy Manning (Jo Grant in Doctor Who), Sylvester McCoy (The Seventh Doctor) and Sophie Aldred (Ace in Doctor Who)
Malcolm Hulke (1924 – 1979) was a successful writer for television, film, the theatre and the radio from the 1950s to the 1970s. His work included episodes for classic television series such as Pathfinders in Space, The Avengers (1963-64), Crossroads, Danger Man and Doctor Who for which he wrote eight serials between 1967 and 1974
For a time, Mac was a member of the Communist Party and his political views fed subtly into his work on occasions. In 1975 he wrote to his friend Jean Tate, ‘During all The Avengers time when the most popular baddies were Soviet spies, my baddies were capitalists. No one noticed. For seven years running I wrote subversive Doctor Who serials. No one noticed. I’ve since attacked the Right in my Writing for TV in the 70s and in six Doctor Who books. Not a comment.’
This is the first biography of Malcolm Hulke to be published and draws upon interviews with his friends, family and work colleagues; his television scripts, novels and other works; his letters to friends and family, and his MI5 file.
Michael is a historian who lives in Mossley. He was the consultant for the documentary Looking for Mac, which is included on recent BBC release of the blueray of Doctor Who Season Seven (1970). This season had two serials written by Malcolm Hulke; “The Silurians” and “The Ambassadors of Death.” He watched the first episode of Doctor Who in November 1963 , aged eight (and a third) and became a great fan of the series. (He still regularly watch episodes of the classic series, 1963 -1989.) The dedication in the book reads: “ In memory of William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee, who were welcome friends in our house at Saturday teatimes.”
The book is available on Lulu:
