Verity Lambert - 1935 - 2007

Nov 23, 2007

Verity Lambert - 1935 - 2007

Original Doctor Who producer passes away.

It's with great sadness that we have to announce the first producer of Doctor Who, Verity Lambert has passed away.

Verity Doctor Who when the series began in 1963.

During her career, she also produced dramas including The Newcomers, Adam Adamant Lives!, Minder and Quatermass.

In 1985, Verity formed her own independent television company, Cinema Verity. She produced the second series of Jonathan Creek and recently completed the second series of BBC One's Love Soup.

In January 2002, Lambert was awarded an OBE in recognition of her services to film and television. Shortly before she died she was given the Working Title Films lifetime achievement award at the 2007 Women In Film And Television Awards.

Russell T Davies, Lead Writer and Executive Producer of Doctor Who, said: "There are a hundred people in Cardiff working on Doctor Who and millions of viewers, in particular many children, who love the programme that Verity helped create. This is her legacy and we will never forget that."

Jon Plowman, Executive Producer, BBC Comedy, said: "Verity was a TV giant. Her career spanned the eras, from first episodes of Doctor Who and Minder through to Jonathan Creek and the forthcoming series of Love Soup.

"She was extraordinary – very keen to get shows right and to encourage people, as she did for me in my early days. She never held back in her praise and was not jealous of anyone else's success – she enjoyed watching people grow up around her."

Jane Tranter, Controller, BBC Fiction, said: "Verity was a total one-off. She was a magnificently, madly, inspirationally talented drama producer. During her long and brilliant career there was no form of drama that was beyond her reach and that she didn't excel at. From the early episodes of Doctor Who to the still to be transmitted comedy drama Love Soup, via Widows, Minder, GBH, Eldorado and Jonathan Creek (to name but the tiniest handful of credits) – Verity was a phenomenon."

Today (Friday) is the 44th anniversary of her first ever episode of Doctor Who.

Verity Lambert joined the BBC in 1963 as its youngest producer

She was also the youngest person to take charge of a BBC television show when the sci-fi drama started in 1963.

Lambert also produced dramas including Minder, Quatermass, Rumpole of the Bailey and Jonathan Creek, while her company made 1990s BBC soap Eldorado.

She was made an OBE in recognition of her services to film and television in January 2002.

'Total one-off'

Lambert oversaw the first two series of Doctor Who before leaving in 1965.

Russell T Davies, the current writer and executive producer of Doctor Who, said: "There are a hundred people in Cardiff working on Doctor Who and millions of viewers, in particular many children, who love the programme that Verity helped create."

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 1963 - Doctor Who (pictured) 1975 - The Naked Civil Servant 1976 - Rock Follies 1983 - Widows 1986 - Clockwise 1991 - GBH 1991 - Sleepers 2001 - The Cazalets

"This is her legacy and we will never forget that," he added.

In 1985 Lambert formed her own independent television company, Cinema Verity, which went on to make the sitcom May to December and the short-lived soap Eldorado.

Most recently she completed the second series of BBC One's Love Soup.

Jane Tranter, controller of BBC Fiction said: "Verity was a total one-off. She was a magnificently, madly, inspirationally talented drama producer."

Lambert had been due to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Women in Film and Television Awards next month.