children occupation birth_date article_title name partner
natasha marielle scriptwriter and script editor 09 december 1944 eric saward
 eric saward paula woolsey -lrb- former -rrb-
eric saward

eric saward -lrb- pronounced say-ward -rrb- was born on 9 december 1944 and became a scriptwriter and script editor for the bbc , resigning from the latter post on the tv programme `` doctor who '' in 1986 .
his career as a scriptwriter began with drama for radio while he was working as a teacher .
later he was able to cross into full-time writing .
he was approached by then `` doctor who '' script editor christopher h. bidmead to submit some ideas to the series on the strength of a recommendation from the senior drama script editor at bbc radio .
he received a commission to write the story `` the visitation '' .
this in turn led to his appointment as script editor on the recommendation of antony root , who had briefly replaced bidmead .
in addition to his role as script editor , saward also wrote the television stories `` earthshock '' , `` resurrection of the daleks '' and `` revelation of the daleks '' .
he has claimed in interviews that he also performed uncredited writing duties , over and above that normally expected of a script editor , on `` the awakening , '' `` the twin dilemma '' , `` attack of the cybermen '' and `` the trial of a time lord , '' amongst others .
not all of these claims have been substantiated by other sources .
saward 's other `` who '' writings include the 1983 short story , `` birth of a renegade '' in the special magazine published by `` radio times '' at the time of the `` the five doctors '' -lrb- 1983 -rrb- , the 20th anniversary special ' -lrb- and starlog press in the u.s. -rrb- and the 1985 radio play `` slipback '' which was broadcast on radio 4 .
he wrote the novelisations of `` the twin dilemma '' and `` attack of the cybermen '' , as well as those of `` the visitation '' and `` slipback '' , for target books ' `` doctor who '' range .
his two dalek stories remain among the few never novelised , while `` earthshock '' was novelised by ian marter .
saward aroused controversy in 1985 because many of the stories of colin baker 's first season in the role contained numerous scenes of graphic violence and darker themes , which many commentators felt was inappropriate for a programme aimed at a family audience -lrb- the season featured acid baths , hangings , cell mutation experiments , executions by laser , cannibalism , poisonings , stabbings , suffocation by cyanide and a man having his hands crushed -rrb- .
unlike the criticism of violence levelled against the series by mary whitehouse during the philip hinchcliffe era , disapproval this time came from members of the general public and some `` doctor who '' fans , as well as whitehouse .
bbc 1 controller michael grade publicly criticised the violence featured in colin baker 's first season and claimed it was one of his reasons for putting the series on an 18-month hiatus during 1985 and 1986 .
saward defended these scenes , claiming they were intended to be dramatic and intended to warn audiences against real-world violence .
he did not always have a harmonious relationship with `` doctor who '' 's producer john nathan-turner which gave rise to occasional tensions behind the scenes .
saward often complained at nathan-turner 's insistence on not hiring experienced `` doctor who '' writers , which led to his having to work hard , not always successfully , on unsuitable scripts submitted by rookie writers .
saward also disagreed with nathan-turner 's casting of colin baker as the sixth doctor .
this came to a head during the production of `` the trial of a time lord '' in the middle of 1986 and he resigned as script editor before the completion of production .
nevertheless , saward 's association with the show continued -- in the 1990s he wrote linking narration for `` doctor who '' audio releases of missing episodes , and more recently he has appeared in interviews on dvds of his serials and contributed a short story to the big finish `` short trips '' collection .
he also writes for german radio drama .
in terms of personal life , saward lived in the netherlands for three years where he was briefly married .
he also had a relationship with fellow writer paula woolsey for a number of years .
he has two daughters named natasha and marielle .
