Bad news to wake up to: Barry Letts has died. Eighty-four is a good age, true, but I feel sad nonetheless. On the Doctor Who audio commentaries he always sounds gracious and witty, not to mention still committed to social issues (just check out The Green Death dvds), and the DW era he presided over - the Third Doctor era - is one of my favourites.

Here's an essay on why.

When I think of what he gave us - the UNIT family, the Master, Sarah Jane Smith, to name but a few enduring parts of the Whoverse - I feel profoundly grateful. To slightly misquote the Brig, splendid chap, all of him.