Waris Hussein unveils producer Verity Lambert's blue plaque.
While Anthony Coburn's son throws a hissy fit about a young Black man cast as Doctor Who, I'd like to celebrate director Waris Hussein, a young Black man (as British South Asians were then known) whose thankless task it was to turn Coburn's mediocre caveman script into a vehicle that would hold viewers' attention from the pilot, Unearthly Child, until The Daleks.
Above: Waris Hussein. Below: Sacha Dhawan and Jessica Raine as Waris Hussein and Verity Lambert in An Adventure in Space and Time.
Ten years ago, we got a historical docudrama paying homage to Doctor Who's difficult beginnings, when it was punted to a young minority producer and director expected to fail.
Last spring, the Radio Times published what I assume was one of its primary sources:
The 1963 Doctor Who diaries of Waris Hussein - part 2 - part 3
They're a fascinating read.
But while he's tactfully grateful to Doctor Who for helping launch his career, Waris Hussein has had a long, successful career since then, earning an Emmy, a BAFTA, and a slew of nominations, including one for the 1974 historical miniseries Shoulder to Shoulder (Youtube) on British suffragettes.
Here's a link to a good print interview with him. I also recommend listening to the beginning of this podcast interview, as his voice conveys the thoughtfulness he puts into everything:
(SNS Online is a podcast on all the usual platforms, if you want to look up pt 2.)
*Trivia note: Ian McKellan credits Waris Hussein with his first film role. The young director cut his teeth directing Cambridge peers McKellan, Derek Jacobi and Trevor Nunn (the token straight).
