Rex Tucker

Rex Tucker (20th February 1913-10th August 1996) directed DW: The Gunfighters and contributed to the lyrics of "The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon". However, this is just what might be assumed by viewing the end credits of that serial.

In fact, Tucker was an influential figure in very early history of Doctor Who. He was, in fact, the programme's first producer. Appointed in May 1963 as an "interim" or "caretaker" producer until Sydney Newman could find a permanent replacement for him, Tucker was also, for many months, the director of 100,000 BC (the in-house name for what today is known as An Unearthly Child). Had the show been filmed for its original 24th August 1963 launch date, he would have definitely been 'Doctor Who'''s first director.

On 28th May 1963, he became the first in a very long line of people to send a memo to his superiors about the unsuitability of Lime Grove Studio D for the recording of a programme like Doctor Who. His memo to Donald Wilson worked, inasmuch as it got Wilson, Ayton Whitaker and Ian Atkins to accept the word of an experienced director that Lime Grove simply didn't meet the technical requirements of a programme like Doctor Who. It also resulted in Wilson supporting the notion of Riverside Studios as an acceptable substitute, should studios at Television Centre prove unavailable. In the end, of course, Lime Grove would be used, but Tucker's initial memo had the effect of getting important players mobilized in the fight for facilities. It also resulted in what would become the basic facilities priority of the 1960s: TC first, then Riverside, then — in the very last resort — Lime Grove.

He also began the process of staffing for the show. He was the original point of contact between Doctor Who and Tristram Cary. Though Cary would ultimately not provide the theme and incidental music for the first serial, he would be in place to score The Daleks and The Dalek Invasion of Earth, thereby cementing some musical punctuation into the fabric of Doctor Who.

Tucker was also concerned with initial casting. He was the first person to offer the role of the Doctor to an actor. Had Hugh David accepted, Verity Lambert would have been saddled with a star she did not choose.